That thump called ROCK

For Rabbi Shergill, The Joshua Tree by U2 is the original alternative album

For Rabbi Shergill, The Joshua Tree by U2 is the original alternative album
This album, with Bruce Springsteen8217;snbsp;Born In The USA, laid the foundation of whatever it was that I was to going to become later. This album has layers that I8217;ve been exfoliating for 19 years and still I8217;m nowhere near done. I could write a thesis on the various aspects of this album8212;the production of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the superlative guitar playing of The Edge, Bono8217;s lyric writing that mixes doggerel, gospel and that endearing self-importance, his unapologetic Irish accent, the band8217;snbsp;alternative-nessnbsp;much before Kurt Cobain ever held a guitar in his hand, not to mention the absolutely top-notch musicianship of Adam and Larry. But overall it just rolls up into this thing callednbsp;rock musicnbsp;with all its multifarious implications 8212;self-expression, rebellion, intense passion and the loud thump of a hyper-alive human heart permeating the air.

The song that I first fell in love with wasnbsp;Red Hill Mining Town. Bono seemed a messiah leading his trampled people into paradise, his searing voice cutting like a scythe through the bush. I wanted to be that hero. I wanted trampled people of my own to lead. Now that I look back, I find it a wee bit precocious but I think I made the subtle appreciation that he was not compromising his Irish-ness but rather turning it into the centrepiece of his art. He was local and global all at once. This appreciation would later be my saviour in the crazy years of the onset of my youth. When the vampire-world of globalised, homogenised environs of Delhi University, my band, MBA institute and beautiful lost girls would beckon me to join it. I8217;d join them for a while but always return to the familiarity of the sweat and grime of daarji8217;s and mynbsp;dadi8211;bhabhi8217;s peasant world. I became aware that magic was happening right here and now.

And what can I possibly add to the reams already written about the importance and brilliance of the first three tracks on this album 8212;Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven8217;t Found What I8217;m Looking For, With Or Without You?nbsp;Suffice to say I8217;ve poached them and skinned them, draped 8217;em on my shoulders and hung 8217;em on my wall. Then there8217;s the hauntingnbsp;Running To Stand Still. I didn8217;t know what was Bono banging on about then and don8217;t know now! All I know is it grabs me by my prostate every time! In the end, it seems to me to be a living monument to the exaggerated self-importance that is rock music. The ballast with which modernity and its detritus, anonymity, balances itself.

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More