Bob Geldof: All-Out Aid: Rock's New Spirit

In the midst of all this sound, fury and fund raising, Geldof has been dubbed "St. Bob" by the press. He has been denounced by Britain's splenetic right-wing Member of Parliament, Enoch Powell, as a "crypto-imperialist" and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Certainly Geldof s lively penchant for the vernacular would make for a salty acceptance speech in Oslo, but any wishful, wistful speculation about the award's being grabbed by a rocker should not steer clear of the main point. Rock music, the most formidable force in Western popular culture, found a focus and a conscience this year and saved a great many lives. Rock sang, for a while, in unison, and Bob Geldof was choirmaster. --By Jay Cocks. Reported by Cathy Booth/New York