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The Libertines

Ooooh! Controversial!

It isn't fashionable to dislike the Libertines. With every radio station from XFM to Radio 1 playing 'Can't Stand Me Now' and going on about how brilliant the forthcoming album is (and Jo Whiney playing it track by track... aaarrrrggghhh!!!!), i can't see what all the fuss is about.

Don't get me wrong, i can understand why people like them, i just don't understand how they have become the most important band in the world, ever (as declared by NME, so they must be right). All i can hear is some sub-Clash scruffy punky-rock but without that hooks.

I suspect most of their success is down to the tabloid and music press love affair with Pete Doherty, carefully documenting each stage of his implosion and updating his obituary each week to make sure its as topical as possible when they do need it. If Doherty doesn't stop his decline and does kill himself through over indulgence, it'll just make things worse.

Make things worse...? Let me explain....

The following opinions will upset some people.

If Kurt Cobain was still alive today, he would be one of the biggest embarassments in rock music. Want proof? Go and see how seriously Pearl Jam get taken these days. Death promotes musicians (and i use that term in its loosest possible sense) to this plateau where their talent can't ever be doubted. If John Lennon hadn't been shot, people would still be laughing at 'Imagine' instead of calling it one of the greatest songs ever. Lennon at his hippy commune peak was a complete laughing stock, but everyone seems to conveniently forget this and continue to celebrate his Ono-influenced anthems.

So that is why we can't let Pete Doherty die. We should form a fund raising organisation for his rehab (preferably without any guitars or pens and paper to write songs with available to him) so that he (and therefore the entire Libertines back catalogue) won't get elevated to rock godhood.

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