View on the music

There's a great discussion taking place on my colleague Brant Newman's blog, View on the News. The topic is "Who Are Your Musical Heroes?" and people are coming out of the woodwork to express their two cents' worth.

I had to respond because Brant placed the Grateful Dead in the "overrated" category. It's not like I've never heard that before. In fact, that's one of the first things I heard about the band back in the '70s. So Brant isn't alone. But I still have to stick up for my musical heroes ...

Another of my big-time heroes is the late Frank Zappa, who, of course, is another acquired taste. Let's just say that no one has explored the genres of rock, jazz, classical, R&B, doo-wop, avant garde, electronic and even flourishes of blues and country -- not to mention humor -- the way FZ did. And I'm betting that no one ever will.