This has to be one of the most tedious and self-centered threads on this list in quite a while, and we've had our history of those.
Concerning MEK, who can certainly defend himself well indeed, I would only note that Mr. "techno" who accuses everyone else of misreading what he has written clearly didn't bother to discern what Michael actually said. So isn't it time to move on, already? As a non-African American who grew up with soul music, and that was 40 years ago, I suggest we simply acknowledge that Ron Hardy was a genius, the rebirth of interest in 1980s music isn't all just about retro-glamor, and DHP is one of the true gems on the Internet because it can teach us all some history, including those of us who lived through those times but weren't lucky enough to be in Chicago or Detroit in 1985. As for soul music, I was reminded yet again of its true greatness when I was sitting in a Starbucks in downtown DC on Friday (not because I like Starbucks but because I was doing some work-related email while traveling and they all have wireless access points now). And the store music system was playing a string of just classic soul from Marvin Gaye, Dionne Warwick, Otis Redding, you name it. Maybe not some of the rawer stuff we used to buy at Waxie Maxie's (when there was just the one at 10th & F), but still. phred (who bought Booker T & the MGs' "Time is Tight" and Pink Floyd's "Meddle" album when they first came out and still has 'em both, which makes me older than some of your parents I guess) PS - hey stevepwats, referring to "private email" to support your point is one of the oldest and weakest rhetorical devices on the Internet. How's about we just let this all go now and MOVE ON. PPS - My friend Ramon Wells, who used to be the label boss at Eightball and now runs Dotdotdot Records and has been everywhere and done everything told me he went to a Billboard dance music convention one year. He goes into the panel on house music and stands up in the audience and says, "house music is all disco!", and gets everyone all riled up, then he goes into the techno symposium and gets up and says, "techno is all about house" and causes pandemonium. His point, obviously, is that everything comes from somewhere, and if you know the history you know your own music and times that much better.
