The Rage Report

In Steve Hochman’s review of the Rage Against the Machine concert at the Great Western Forum, he accuses the band of reducing “highly complex issues . . . to simple slogans” and painting “strokes so broad you can’t see the faces in the picture” (“Raging Against the Machine, or Being a Mindless Part of It?,” Dec. 21).

It is Hochman’s review that paints the broad strokes. He fails to delineate any of the slogans that are, in his estimation, “simple.” Were Hochman more learned regarding the issues being addressed by Rage’s lyrics, he would recognize the lyrics as among the most complex in modern music.

While Limp Bizkit “does it all for the nooky,” Rage’s “War Within a Breath” memorializes the Chiapas rebels’ struggle for freedom. While the ignorant listener may interpret lines from the song such as “Everything can change on a New Year’s Day” as a “simple slogan,” the informed listener recognizes this as a reference to the Jan. 1, 1994, rebel uprising.

Hochman opines that Rage invites “mindless following.” Hochman may follow mindlessly, but the invitation to do so was not extended by Rage.

RAOUL HUTCHENS

Hermosa Beach

*

I would like to compliment Hochman on a great review. His identification of the contradictions that surround Rage was clear-cut (red stars and pictures of Che Guevara being used just like other acts use lights, smoke or costumes). Pointing out that the songs “don’t tell you to think, they tell you what to think” was a powerful statement that everyone must be on guard against, not just in pop culture but in all aspects of our lives.

MIKE BUTLER

Redondo Beach

*

Last time I checked, doing the wave wasn’t a symbol of a society blindly following one another--I believe they call it “fun” in certain parts of the world.

And excuse me if I am reading something into his Rage review, but I can’t recall Pat Buchanan being at the show, although Hochman mentions his name more frequently than any band member who participated in the concert.

The band rocked, the fans responded. Some people listened to the lyrics, others surfed the crowd and still others just took it all in. The audience was filled with an energy and spirit of community you don’t often find at concerts of this size.

If all Hochman took with him from the concert was the impression that the “wave” was the key moment of the show, then I have some advice for him: Next time, give your ticket to someone who actually cares about music.

GEORGE BALEN

Manhattan Beach

*

I’m sure there is a telling critique of Rage to be made (and I’m sure the band is hypocritical to an extent), but Hochman hasn’t made it. Say it straight, Steve: You just don’t like the band’s politics.

ERIC STRAND

Los Angeles

*

Rage is the only band out there that asks kids to stop and look around at what’s going down. You have bands who only care about making money, and making kids think that materialism is cool and that we should only care about ourselves and our images. Rage uses the mainstream to its advantage.

Rage makes kids see how corporations control the newspapers that give negative reviews to the most positive mainstream rock band since Bob Dylan.

ZACK EMERY

Los Angeles