Kurt Iveson (kiveson@coombs.anu.edu.au)
Fri, 21 Jan 2000 11:05:45 +1100
Hi folks..
Mark wrote:
>Re: Simon Reynolds. To me he seems more of a sociologist than a music
>critic. While I find his work interesting to read, I would probably NEVER
>take his advice on what music to buy. ;-)
In the case of Simon Reynolds, I agree that after reading a bit of his
stuff, his advice on record buying doesn't particularly fit with my taste!
But ... I also think that a lot of interesting things I read about music -
things that have opened up my mind and my ears, and put me onto some great
new music - have been written by people who aren't 'music critics' as such,
but who are writing from more of a cultural studies/sociology/whatever
perspective.
So this got me thinking .... what do people on this list read about music?
Not just magazines, but what books, which writers? I know that lots of us
have found Straight No Chaser invaluable (and for me, that's despite the
fact that it always arrives in Canberra about three months after it's been
published!) ... but what else?
So, a not very comprehensive list of some books/writers that I've found
useful in my music education ....
Greg Tate - FLYBOY IN THE BUTTERMILK, and his articles in places like
Village Voice when I can get my hands on 'em... his stuff on Miles'
electric music, for example, was frickin excellent.
Tricia Rose's BLACK NOISE and David Toop's RAP ATTACK were pretty useful
and fun when I was starting to get into hip hop
Kodwo Eshun's MORE BRILLIANT THAN THE SUN does some interesting stuff
connecting the dots between people like Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders,
Grandmaster Flash and 4 Hero. Only readable (for me at least) in small
doses coz he gets so damn obscure in some parts ...
Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka, things like BLUES PEOPLE and BLACK MUSIC, while
they're of their time (60s, early 70s), are fantastic and so beautifully
written
Just read Ian Carr's updated biography of Miles Davis ... full of good
anecdotes, but the fact that he's a trumpet player first and a writer
second kinda showed! The Chambers book on Miles and the autobiography are
better value, I think. I also read a biography of James Brown (can't
remember who wrote it) a while ago, that was pretty light on analysis, but
fun anyways.
I ain't no punk, but Greil Marcus's LIPSTICK TRACES is a great read that
tries to situate punk in a long lineage of radical twentieth century art
movements like Dada and the Situationists
A book published by Autonomedia outta NY called SOUNDING OFF, is a good
collection of articles about "music as subversion/resistance/revolution"
DIY CULTURE (edited by George McKay) is mostly about politics but some of
the articles touch on the connection between music and politics in
movements like Reclaim the Streets.
Ok, so hit me with some new reading material people....
peace,
Kboi
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