Terry Teachout's <I>Commentary</I> essay on Malcolm Arnold suggests that it's time to re-evaluate the critical consensus that Arnold's music wasn't serious simply because it was, well, among other things, not hard on its listeners.

It's kind of crazy. I go to bed each night with a little bit of worry over the words I've let loose. Nouns and verbs and other linking bits, forming ideas and images meant to be pretty, meant to be funny, meant to be interesting. These words are linked to me, just as my name is linked to <i>Stereophile</i>, and it all comes with

I think it's because he's a dangerous psychotic who probably has about a zillion injunctions forbidding him anywhere close to children. . . . Wait, was that a trick question?

Tomorrow night, I'm going to attend a wake for Tower, an event held by ex-Tower classical employees where we will commiserate, dissect, and reminisce about the good old days.

This is a great response to a bone-headed manufacturing ploy. Yes, it happens&mdash;a reviewer contacts a manufacturer for a review sample and the manufacturer responds, "Sure, as long as you guarantee good press."

<I>Drivl</I> gets it about right.