Thu, 01 Dec 2005
Music Writing 2005
JT LeRoy, P Bresnick, Da Capo Best Music Writing 2005,
Da Capo Press
Finding literate commentary on what's happening in music
has always been a problem. The few magazines that specialise
in such things seem to have short lifespans as advertisers
can't seem to believe that intelligent people are a worthwhile
market. And publishers get greedy and take their publications
downmarket in search of more money... at which point they disappear
in a little pinpoint of light. I hope it hurts.
Two interesting things about this collection are reading through
where the pieces originally appeared, and the subject matter.
The second relates mostly not to now but to years gone by which
I find faintly troubling. It's not that there isn't anything
to write about -- there's plenty -- even the grossed-out big
commercial music things have interesting aspects to examine in
writing.
The writings wander amongst post-modern studies of Black
Minstrelsy, Bob Dylan moments, Punk, Curt Cobain, the last days
of Ray Charles, Wilco and spy broadcasts, and many more. Nicely
done they are too even if, in some circumstances, it is a little
difficult to work up the same enthusiasm the author has for a
certain subject.
The first point was where to find such stories when they
first appear -- what mags should you subscribe to? The
answer is that the writings are thinly spread and come from
everything from the New Yorker to the Austin_American Statesman.
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pre Dec 04 reviews are here