In preparation for ‘School Of Rock’ opening here, The Guardian newspaper decided to conduct their own experiment with rock and a group of six and seven year olds. They played the group a series of guitar anthems, and got not only their feedback, but their attention spans as well. Here are some highlights:
THE WHO: Substitute
“It sounds like when your wee goes back up”
“He’s getting things stuck in his mouth and he can’t chew”
“Is this the Beatles?”
Attention span: 40 seconds
THE DOORS: Touch Me
“Is this Beethoven?”
“It’s too pointy”
Attention span: 28 seconds
CREAM: Sunshine Of Your Love
“Argh! Vampires!”
“This song is about a man and a woman and it’s a bad marriage”
“You could play this at a dude disco”
Attention span: One minute
NIRVANA: Smells Like Teen Spirit
“It’s making me think about doing bad things like putting snowballs down my sister’s back”
“This is amazing. The bass is amazing. Its brilliant”
“12 out of 10. Actually 3000 out of 3000”
Attention span: Whole song
JIMI HENDRIX: Crosstown Traffic
“It’s making me feel dizzy. Can I have some juice?”
“It’s about a crossed-out Christmas. Maybe Father Christmas has been crossed out.”
“Maybe he has been run over”
Attention span: One minute five seconds
THE SEX PISTOLS: Anarchy In The UK
“He sounds like the baddie in Scooby Doo at the end”
“I love it. It’s all about this man and he’s trying to destroy boxes of oil and stuff”
“Who’s Annie Key?”
Attention span: 44 seconds
I know I’ve picked up a few choice phrases for future reviews. Hope you have too.