Long Live Rock?

Regarding “Rekindling the Fire,” by Robert Hilburn (Oct. 27):

I find Hilburn’s examples for rock’s resurgence very disturbing, with one exception--U2. How can he possibly compare Metallica and Guns N’ Roses with Bob Dylan, the Beatles and other artists of the ‘60s that were positive social forces?

Whose passions and what kind of social forces do Guns N’ Roses and Metallica represent? Songs like GNR’s “One in a Million” and lead singers like Metallica’s James Hetfield (who admitted he’s a redneck in a recent Spin magazine interview) are about as welcome a “social force” as David Duke is a member of Congress.

U2 is the only real hope for rock. Otherwise, we are all better off if we pulled the plug on rock’s life-support system and let it die, as there are other forms of music that better serve as sources of positive change and passion (as rock was in the ‘60s) than most mainstream rock does today.

Hilburn should wake up and smell the roses (no pun): Heavy metal and hard rock appeal mainly to the passions and sociology of hate and white male supremacy--not positive social change as U2, R.E.M., Ziggy Marley and other artists do today.

CHRIS ELLIS

San Bernardino