I’m not reading the damn thing because I wouldn’t give the Federalist the clicks, but I’d very much like to know how Hemingway delineates the difference between self-obsession and introspection. I didn’t realize in addition to “journalism” he had an advanced degree in psychology.
For the millionth time, as we all know, conservatives don’t understand art or artists. If they like an artist, the most mediocre trash is genius. If they don’t, anything the artist produces will be criticized. It feels like Hemingway is running around feverishly with a raised hammer, desperately searching for a nail.
Well! So I checked out Daily Deplorable’s RSS feed just for a single day and tsunami of demented horseshit was overwhelming. So congrats to Roy for being to stomach this shit.
And speaking of unhinged cretins, and circling back to today’s post:
Swifty, musically and otherwise means nothing to me. And being an old fart, her success is a complete mystery. But whatever.
But that said, if dating a quarterback gets the wing nuts crazy, here’s hoping she dates every person that drives the wing nuts crazier.
Conservatives began hating Swift about 5 years ago when she stood up to Apple and demanded lesser-known musicians be treated and paid fairly. She threatened to pull her entire catalog off iTunes. Apple relented and now lots of musicians are at least getting SOME money for their music instead of Apple keeping it all.
So it was Swift standing up for others that made conservatives angry. After all, their vision of America at its greatest if FYIGM.
Even without the Everything’s-About-My-Politics-And-Here’s-Why, an Old going off on Why The Music The Youngs Listen To Sucks is as relevant and as interesting as your average belly button lint, but way more self-absorbed.
There is a reason why music is art; because it touches the soul. And different people have different tastes. What’s art is to some, is like scratching a chalkboard to others.
I define art and especially music as something mellifluous that both inspires and resonates with a person. Influence enough people, and your art or music is nirvana...:)
Who cares what some federalist society moron thinks. They seem to love Jason Aldean’s,” Try this in a small town.” Not because it’s art, but because it inspires a small group of haters to continue their insane rampage against the “woke” mob and their radical left-wing agenda (it’s not radical or left-wing).
They hate Taylor Swift not because of her music, but because of her influence on so many young adults, and her politics is at odds with their religious and dystopian agenda.
Okay, so I went and gave the Federalist my one entire click and read the thing. Wow. The word that comes to mind is "embarrassing." Or maybe "pathetic." "I think pop music sucks" has never been an original thought and this seems a particularly stupid version that could've been written anytime over the last hundred years. Complaining that Swift (or pop music generally) has too many breakup songs? Is he kidding? And when he looks for an example of a time when pop was musically sophisticated he picks Eleanor Rigby, a song that was sui generis even for the Beatles eclectic output, and almost completely unrelated to the rest of popular music back then and since?
Some people I know we're heading to Dearborn Michigan to see this band called the Stooges. I had sort of heard about them but I had tickets to a Reds game and decided to go see them.
They got shut out by Montreal three to nothing in the most boring game ever to be played in the major leagues.
If I'd read that Creem article I would probably have gone to the show.
Lester was genius and so was Creem. I loved so many of those late 70s early 80s Creem writers. They had more to do with my jaundiced perspective than anything I ever read in school. And you gotta think Lester and his pals would have had a good laugh when Jann Wenner stepped on his dick a few weeks back.
One thing I can say about Taylor is she’s a phenomenon. My niece, who graduated from Johns Hopkins and is now getting her Masters at JH’s in Medicine Management is a huge Taylor fan: obsessed really.
I’m just wondering whether Taylor has actual fans or just millions of stalkers? I mean $250 tickets selling for $25k? That’s an obsession!....:)
Just when you think, " Christ Almighty, this internet thing has fucked up the entire world" an old dear friend sends you a link to a Lester Bangs article about a Van Morrison live performance
as well as a link to said performance and for awhile one Tuesday morning, for a brief few minutes, all is amazingly good.
Sep 26, 2023·edited Sep 26, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso
I actually read about 3/4 of Henry James while I was in college, entirely on my own, because that's the sort of thing you do in college. For some reason lost in the mists of time, I decided to give James a try, and for some equally forgotten reason I picked up The Wings of the Dove. The first sentence absolutely knocked me on my ass, and I went on from there. Haven't read him since, but I suspect I'd enjoy him just as much, probably for different reasons.
Lester Bangs did a 180° on James Taylor? Damn. He still sucks and, even worse, he won't fucking go away!
“Sour-bro starter” belongs in the Smithsonian.
I’m not reading the damn thing because I wouldn’t give the Federalist the clicks, but I’d very much like to know how Hemingway delineates the difference between self-obsession and introspection. I didn’t realize in addition to “journalism” he had an advanced degree in psychology.
For the millionth time, as we all know, conservatives don’t understand art or artists. If they like an artist, the most mediocre trash is genius. If they don’t, anything the artist produces will be criticized. It feels like Hemingway is running around feverishly with a raised hammer, desperately searching for a nail.
Well! So I checked out Daily Deplorable’s RSS feed just for a single day and tsunami of demented horseshit was overwhelming. So congrats to Roy for being to stomach this shit.
And speaking of unhinged cretins, and circling back to today’s post:
Swifty, musically and otherwise means nothing to me. And being an old fart, her success is a complete mystery. But whatever.
But that said, if dating a quarterback gets the wing nuts crazy, here’s hoping she dates every person that drives the wing nuts crazier.
Conservatives began hating Swift about 5 years ago when she stood up to Apple and demanded lesser-known musicians be treated and paid fairly. She threatened to pull her entire catalog off iTunes. Apple relented and now lots of musicians are at least getting SOME money for their music instead of Apple keeping it all.
So it was Swift standing up for others that made conservatives angry. After all, their vision of America at its greatest if FYIGM.
Even without the Everything’s-About-My-Politics-And-Here’s-Why, an Old going off on Why The Music The Youngs Listen To Sucks is as relevant and as interesting as your average belly button lint, but way more self-absorbed.
There is a reason why music is art; because it touches the soul. And different people have different tastes. What’s art is to some, is like scratching a chalkboard to others.
I define art and especially music as something mellifluous that both inspires and resonates with a person. Influence enough people, and your art or music is nirvana...:)
Who cares what some federalist society moron thinks. They seem to love Jason Aldean’s,” Try this in a small town.” Not because it’s art, but because it inspires a small group of haters to continue their insane rampage against the “woke” mob and their radical left-wing agenda (it’s not radical or left-wing).
They hate Taylor Swift not because of her music, but because of her influence on so many young adults, and her politics is at odds with their religious and dystopian agenda.
Just my humble opinion...:)
Okay, so I went and gave the Federalist my one entire click and read the thing. Wow. The word that comes to mind is "embarrassing." Or maybe "pathetic." "I think pop music sucks" has never been an original thought and this seems a particularly stupid version that could've been written anytime over the last hundred years. Complaining that Swift (or pop music generally) has too many breakup songs? Is he kidding? And when he looks for an example of a time when pop was musically sophisticated he picks Eleanor Rigby, a song that was sui generis even for the Beatles eclectic output, and almost completely unrelated to the rest of popular music back then and since?
Like I said. Embarrassing. He gets paid for this?
It's almost hard to believe Mark Hemingway and Lester Bangs are the same species.
I guess Molly must be the real Breadwinner in the family and that's why he feels like a dyspeptic Gen X guy with nothing to lose.
Hemingway is incredibly fucked up and Lester was gloriously fucked up. Reading Bangs always made me want to go out and get into some trouble.
Here he is on the Stooges , from a Creem article I'd never seen before.
https://stoogesforum.forumotion.com/t230-of-pop-pies-fun-by-lester-bangs
Some people I know we're heading to Dearborn Michigan to see this band called the Stooges. I had sort of heard about them but I had tickets to a Reds game and decided to go see them.
They got shut out by Montreal three to nothing in the most boring game ever to be played in the major leagues.
If I'd read that Creem article I would probably have gone to the show.
Lester was genius and so was Creem. I loved so many of those late 70s early 80s Creem writers. They had more to do with my jaundiced perspective than anything I ever read in school. And you gotta think Lester and his pals would have had a good laugh when Jann Wenner stepped on his dick a few weeks back.
One thing I can say about Taylor is she’s a phenomenon. My niece, who graduated from Johns Hopkins and is now getting her Masters at JH’s in Medicine Management is a huge Taylor fan: obsessed really.
I’m just wondering whether Taylor has actual fans or just millions of stalkers? I mean $250 tickets selling for $25k? That’s an obsession!....:)
Just when you think, " Christ Almighty, this internet thing has fucked up the entire world" an old dear friend sends you a link to a Lester Bangs article about a Van Morrison live performance
as well as a link to said performance and for awhile one Tuesday morning, for a brief few minutes, all is amazingly good.
https://substack.com/@brawlatthepoetscafe/note/c-40697371?r=insr
I actually read about 3/4 of Henry James while I was in college, entirely on my own, because that's the sort of thing you do in college. For some reason lost in the mists of time, I decided to give James a try, and for some equally forgotten reason I picked up The Wings of the Dove. The first sentence absolutely knocked me on my ass, and I went on from there. Haven't read him since, but I suspect I'd enjoy him just as much, probably for different reasons.
Big Props for the Lester Young reference in a Lester Bangs related article! This truly is the coolest spot on the internet.
Except for Patti Smith's substack.
“Sourbro starter.” Applause from Detroit, friend.
Btw, anyone who hasn’t read Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung definitely should. There is a lot of great writing in there.
Props for the title referring to the great Lester Young jam riff rhythm changes tune.