You Know They Got a Hell of a Band - what are *they*?

[megrez]

I reread this the other night. Each time I do, I come out with a lot of world/dimensions-type questions. Do any of you know of any story connections to this?

More to the point, what are the town's more famous residents? Creatures who have physically taken the form of deceased rock stars?

And what do you suppose are the "other things" in Umpqua Swamp?

[blunthead]

As I read it, your first question has to do with where the famous residents--rock 'n rollers who've prematurely died--are. What town is it? [btw, when you refer to "story connections", do you mean Stephen King stories?]. Personally, I think they are not other beings than themselves; which returns us to where are they?

I think sK, at the Righteous Brothers tune Rock and Roll Heaven, saw, reasonably, a horror idea worth exploring. Death is horror; premature death, more horrible. So, the town is a uniquely horrible place.

The protagonist, Mary, despite forebodings, allows herself to arrive there--she makes a bad choice.

Maybe she ends up where she belongs?

[CCAL]

Hmm, are you referring to that short story of SK's about a couple who take a road trip & end up cornered in that little town after dark? Is it something to do with corn fields? I'm confused....

[wally wonder]

And what do you suppose are the "other things" in Umpqua Swamp?

dunno for sure...frogs maybe...or maybe things that offer rare recreational activities and inspiring scenic beauty? things that have that long boy look to them? i was reminded of mrs. todd's shortcut there...that's why i said frogs...i think there was some big horny frogs there....connected to duma key...lisey's story...every link in the chain dripping w/blood...

[Ericw]

Steve left it to the imagination! Spooky things, obviously! That's why you don't want to be too detailed when you're writing; you want to leave it up to the imagination. I know one thing...this was one heck of a story, and one of my favorites!

[GNTLGNT]

Fist and fartmost(or somethin' like that)welcome to our universe...as to the story which is a fave, I've never tied it into another story or stories of SK's-though they ALL tie in somewhere in HIS universe... The "Swamp Things"(apologies to Len Wein and Berni Wrightson)IMO, are another "mood setter" and a tip of the ink bottle to H.P. Lovecraft...the "Woodstock of the Departed", is side slip world through I feel, one of the infamous "thinnys"...where once reality TV, The Star, The Enquirer and others of that ilk, plus the paparazzi plague leave the stars alone and they shuffle off the mortal coil, either naturally or by their own hand-they go to absolutely prove that "rock and roll will never die"(it just gets a little evil, coz, ya gotta have an audience!)...and I can never hear the Righteous Brothers tune "Rock and Roll Heaven" quite the same way again...

[Ericw]

It's a good thing they were driving a Mercedes-Benz into the town. The horror would have been complete if they'd arrived in a 1958 Plymouth Fury...

[GLewman]

This was a favorite of mine too. Maybe because I lived only a few miles from where the story took place My impression was that this "heaven" was actually hell. SK is a big AC/DC fan and it seemed he maybe made a connection that rockers were on a "Highway to Hell". Or maybe they sold their souls to the devil for fame and fortune. The story did have a Mrs. Todd's Shortcut feel. Either way, playing and listening to the same songs night after night for eternity definately sounds like hell to me

[blunthead]

...they shuffle off the mortal coil, either naturally or by their own hand-they go to absolutely prove that "rock and roll will never die"...

I think this states the horror of it, absolutely. And why...I can never hear the Righteous Brothers tune "Rock and Roll Heaven" quite the same way again... Me, neither.

I think the story speaks to those of us who know why Rock and Roll Heaven matters; so, it tries to give us a way, while hating our loss, to escape anyway.

The protagonist couldn't escape. It was too late.

[wally wonder]

anyone else reminded of the oompa-loompa? was that willi wonka? doctor doolittle? large feral infants? high on hormones and hungering to gnaw on pink flesh? ooompa! loompa! some kind of steam calliope and that grandfather clock on captain kangaroo...