To: star-chamber
Subject: Re: Vague Theorising 
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2000 14:18:06 CST
From: last chance for a slow dance

Doug Orleans sez:
>last chance for a slow dance writes:
> > "Unlike rock music, rave isn't built around lyrics.
>
>This dude has a strange definition of "rock music".  Maybe that's why
>he felt so compelled to invent "post-rock" for rock music that wasn't
>built around lyrics?  As far back as the late 50's, there's been
>instrumental rock music ("Tequila", "Rumble", "Torquay", "Misirlou"),
>and surely the lyrics are the least important part of, e.g., "Louie
>Louie".  I suppose we have Bob Dylan to blame again for making lyrics
>seem indispensible.

The lyrics in loads of rock music don't seem all that important.
I grew up listening to music where I couldn't understand half the
fucking words, and the music still "meant" something to me.

Like for instance even though I had the lyrics sheet right there,
I never have learned why Soundgarden's "Mailman" is called "Mailman".
He's headed for the bottom? But he's ridin' you all the way?  This
has what to do with the postal service? Fuck if I know. Chris Cornell
is HOWLING and there are guitars going *&^#*^#*$^*$&#&$^*#$^*#$ and
Matt Cameron is BEATING A HOLE IN MY SKULL. Kids didn't latch on
to "Black Hole Sun" because of some intricate MEANING. It's deep-sounding
and there are plaintive lyrics that mention IMPORTANT WORDS like "rain"
AND more importantly there is SCREAMING at the end. And $%#%#$^#$%^#$%
etc.

I know Reynolds is opposing himself to a view of a critic sitting at
a desk with a copy of the OED, and a degree in comparative lit hanging on the
wall behind him, but things just aren't so clear-cut in real life.

Sorry, sorry, will go back to grading again. Fucking grading.

Josh

-- 
josh blog: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~kortbein/blog/