I've been having another read of England's Dreaming, Jon Savage's great tome on punk and the Sex Pistols from 1991, and the thing that I'm finding really striking is the depth of his examination into the philosophical movements that were responsible for it. The book is a must-read for anyone who remains unconvinced about the importance of punk. And it brings back to mind the fact that rock music, which, in comparison with other types of music, is relatively easy to play on a technical level, requires much more than other styles in terms of thought. It therefore can't be judged on the same terms as other forms of music, and rock music which has nothing more to say than "I want to be a star!" or "I wish I was rich!" or "Let's party!" is worthless. And anyone who doesn't think that young people need to be given a chance to participate in philosophical discussion, and that art directed toward them doesn't need to contain it, should watch a couple of episodes of Jersey Shore and get back to me. (Here's a link to Jon Savage's website: http://www.jonsavage.com/.)