More influential than impressive
591601
CONTEXT: The album that changed the music scene of the early '90s. Probably more influential than impressive on its own. This album is much more than just a catchy punk album, but a bit less than the masterpiece it is often labeled as.

MUSIC: Although it doesn't sound like a revelation any more, the ideas here were fresh in 1991. The fuzzed-out guitars, psuedo-metal sloppy guitar riffs, and the loud-soft dynamics define this album. However, the real treasure here is Dave Grohl's amazing drumming.

LYRICS: Cobain's lyrics are disjointed and at times sound completely random. However, many of the lines stand best on their own, containing small bits of stunning imagery and emotion.

HIGHLIGHTS: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Lithium.
3717878
If you follow their history, you will understand that there is much more than meets the ear here. The Cyrkle were respected and worked some pretty "heavy" folks in their time. Writing with Paul Simon, being named by and touring with the Beatles, topping the charts a few times and, more than all of these, they made some of the more interesting music in their time. If you are a soft psych fan--check these guys out. A fair cross section of their talents here. I don't alays agree with their arrangements (Cloudy would have been a big hit if they had speeded it up a bit), I find this compilation satisfying and wanting some more Cyrkle.
433436
The filmmakers are to be commended for assembling a
number of Beefheart colleagues, as well as a few critics,
who speak very freely about their history with the artist.
One interesting feature is discussion of Beefheart's
influences and enthusiasms.

A nice chance to see the advert for "Decals", recently
featured at MOMA in NYC.

A sold musical career retrospective. Oddly, there is no
comment on van Vliet's current status.
3814865
This book was recommended to me by Amazon, based on my browsing history. I decided to borrow it first from my local library, to see if this is something that would interest me, and that I would read repeatedly. It did, and I would.

I consider myself above average in my knowledge of European intellectual history. But I had never heard of Johann G. Hamann (1730-1788) before. I discovered that he was an important force in the anti-Enlightenment in Germany, having a deep influence on such figures as Herder, Goethe, Lessing, and Mendelssohn, and later Hegel and Kierkegaard.

Hamann was anti-Reason, -Kant, -Voltaire, -metaphysics, -philosophical system, and was generally distrustful of knowledge or experience too far removed, intellectually and rationally, from the daily concerns of the individual and his experience of God. He saw himself as a gadfly like Socrates, whose duty was to instill some sense into 18th century Prussian intellectual life and save them from godlessness. He was a kind of anti-rationalist, Christian proto-existentialist.

Isaiah Berlin, with admirable brevity (144 pp. cover to cover), sketches the life, beliefs (particularly with regard to God and theories of knowledge, language, creativity, and politics), and influence of this fascinating man. It is a book I enjoyed immensely, that I want to own so that I can read and study it again, and that I recommend to anyone with even a slight interest in philosophy. It is written in a very accessible style.

A note about the critics: I didn't get the sense that Berlin had anything but respect and admiration for Hamann; he repeatedly praised Hamanns originality, philosophical depth, and influence (I think he even called him a genius several times). I don't understand why some reviewers think that Berlin considered Hamann to be unintelligent.

I also think some critics have exaggerated Berlins tie between Hamann and National Socialism. Berlin made a few vague comments in this direction, but it was less asserting a direct linkage, and more grouping Hamann within a larger anti-rational movement in Germany, which also included the later Nazis. It is certainly true that there were many forces in Germany leading to Nazism, one of which was that they never experienced the Enlightenment with the depth and force that, say, England and France did. Think of it as a Venn diagram with a circle for the Nazis, and a circle for Hamann, and anti-rationalism being the circle which shows where they intersect.
2728555
Critics employ specific criteria to measure the importance of a work. I find it sanctimonious to claim that "music is music", "derivative is ok" and then applaud something "Antics" as though it's "Winter Songs"?

Great music is informed by seminal, important artists but introduces it's own creative articulations. Great music extends, transcends, and goes beyond its influences. Bad music is derivative and apes a seminal artist. Beyond being derivative, Interpol deny any knowledge of Joy Division, which can't be possible. Their sound, attire, and even the crypto-fascist modern "art" on their record covers indicate that they are Joy Division imposters. They even had a single remixed by Arthur Baker, who does remixes of Joy Division and New Order material.

There are many bands that have managed to attain some popularity while expressing themselves in an artistic manner. Shudder to Think's "Pony Express" comes to mind. After more than 10 years, this album still stands on it's own merit, and sounds even futuristic by today's standards. Timelessness is another key indicator of great art. In 3 months, "Antics" will be in the used CD bins, gathering dust.

 "Antics" is a shining example of derivative music that is made to fit into the current trend of 80's retro bands. The industry loves this, and wants to make sure no exceptional artists become popular, because they still need to make money off of their 80's clone bands. Major record companies are large, latent organizations that move slowly. When they invest millions in the 80's retro sound, they want to make sure no clever artists rock the boat.
2862031
This book is popular history for sure, and I think it may have been better (albeit less commercially successful) if it had been a bit more analytical and geared toward a different audience.

Labunski writes a narrative that revolves around James Madison's role in the constitution and Bill of Rights from pre-Constitutional Convention to ratification of the 10 amendments. It's a fairly short book, yet it's still filled with quite a bit of filler, such as Madison's physical ailments and 18th-century travel difficulties (these are interesting windows into that time period, but don't advance his narrative in most cases).

The positive: The book is very easy to read, even if he gets off topic on occasion. I was especially interested in Virginia's debates over the constitution and later the amendments, and I learned some things there. It covered some areas that aren't prominently dealt with in most overviews of the period.

The negative: I think Labunski spends insufficient time on the issues in Virginia. Less than half of this book actually pertains to the attempt to get a Bill of Rights. Labunski spends a lot of time on the Philadelphia convention, the states' conventions to ratify the constitution and Madison's run for Congress. I wish those topics had been dealt with quicker and more time spent on analyzing why the amendments were so important to people and so unpopular with certain legislators. He addresses these issues, but he generally sticks to quoting letters and debates rather than delving into the "why."

I'm glad I read the book; I just wish the contents fit the title more than they did.
1052745
i've read this book twice, and, while much of the social and cultural facts, discussions and conclusions are interesting--even fascinating--i cannot say that the author has determined why harry potter has become so internationally popular, and so popular across social levels.

nevertheless, i did find it worth reading twice. on the other hand, i think it also proves that it is not possible to analyze the reasons for a cultural phenomenon.
2813121
These are definitely not the same singers and musicians that made the hits famous. Someone suggested that the band's history included many changes to the members. Clearly, this collection of individuals weren't as good as the ones that reached all of us during the eighties. So for those of you looking for the songs we heard and loved on the radio, THESE ain't them.
1352835
How little things can make a big difference is the basis for Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point.

The title refers to that moment when an idea or behavior tips over and catches the attention of people all over the country. It can refer to an illness epidemic, a fashion trend, or even crime rate.

Gladwell points out a number of factors that contribute to The Tipping Point: first being The Law of the Few.

Here we have 3 types of people - Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. Each have a role to play in getting the word out on a product or idea. Connectors and Salesmen seem easy to understand; Mavens will be a source of knowledge and try to give you what you need.

Next you have The Stickiness Factor. This is where you create something that people enjoy and will come back to over and over again. This could be a restaurant, shoes, or a television show.

Next is The Power of Context and here Gladwell points to New York City and the subway crime rate and how it was lowered.

The Tipping Point is an interesting read for social case studies and people interested in sales. Included in this book is the idea of why 150 is the magic number and why people tend to mimic the actions of others.

While not an attention grabber, this book gives food for thought on a boring day.
4579190
"Waterloo" was short lived, but impressive and extreemely talented progressive outfit from Belgium founded in 1969 (before the song with the title won Eurovision contest for ABBA in 1974). Unfortunately, Belgian music remains obscure and unheard of for most of us (except few addicts), needless to say that the acts like "Waterloo" didn't make it into "scholastic" references on European rock.
"Waterloo" was built out of ashes and bones of two locally famous acts - "Adam's Recital" from Brussels (released one single for Eddie Barclay's French label before disbanding in 1969) and "Today's Version" from Ghent. Initially the winning formula of organ-driven power trio was tried, but quickly abandoned, and "Waterloo" started as quintet: Dirk Bogaert (vocals, flute), Gus Roan (guitar), Marc Malyster (organ), Jacky Mauer (drums) and Jean Paul Janssens (bass) - seasoned musicians, with classical training behind. Very few acquainted with the band insist on Keith Emerson and "Nice" being major influence, although I am not able to understand in which way - "Waterloo" played exceptional heavy prog rock, venturing into psychedelia and showing jazz influences. I would say, it's more close to "Beggar's Opera" (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Act-One/dp/B00029KZO0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Act One</a>, and there are similaritries (not influences!) with "Jethro Tull" and "Deep Purple". Organ and flute are superb, while vocals are pleasant and confident.
"Waterloo" debuted the same, 1969, year - next to Michel Polnareff (French pop/rock icon, quite innovative and scandalous -&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Polnareff/dp/B00000IB4A/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Polnareff</a>; also largely ignored by English-speaking audience), and in 1970 came to London, where they recorded most of this album. Regretfully, it was mainly available in Belgium and France only. In spite of the fact that "Waterloo" gigged non-stop and built faithful following, the pressure was unbearable. The band lasted until 1972, and then split. On this CD there are both originally recorded songs and bonus tracks + extensive story of "Waterloo". A must for any fan of 70s prog. I would advise to look for another Belgian heavy prog/psychedelic act from the 70s  - "Jenghiz Khan" (has nothing to do with German disco) - the photo of the cover is added as reference
4963625
It has been widely and vehemently put forth that the Inklings, a group comprised mainly of writers (including J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams) who met regularly to read their works to each other over the course of more than fifteen years, was simply and solely a social club.  Biographers, scholars, and in some cases the Inklings themselves have denied that the members of the group either exerted influence over or were influenced by the others.  Glyer, however, presents a convincing argument that it is a gross error to take such statements at face value.

In The Company They Keep, Glyer defines and delineates a number of areas in which the various Inklings did indeed have an impact not only on each others personal lives as friends, but also on their professional lives and works as colleagues.  Exhaustive evidence is provided to support these claims, demonstrating how these men acted and reacted upon each other as resonators, encouragers, sometime opponents, editors, collaborators, and referents.

Additionally, in the course of proving the influence of the Inklings on one another, Glyer makes a strong case for the importance of community in the life of every writer.

P.S. Don't skip the footnotes - they contain excellent content in themselves!
433625
Randi Massingill's biography on Michael Nesmith -- musician, actor,  and visionary -- is the only one available on this seminal figure in pop culture and thus fills a gaping need.  While engaging and accurate as far as basic facts go, there is not much in-depth analysis presented and little surrounding context to Nesmith's career and life.  His music and filmmaking are not examined in the detail which they cry out for.  It's a good book for a biographical overview and some observations from  some of Nesmith's associates, but there is little direct input from the subject himself (as Massingill makes clear in her introduction, Nesmith avoided involvement, as did some of his closest compadres).  There is, however, much material drawn from archival interviews with the other Monkees and Nesmith's first wife, Phyllis.  The manuscript would have benefited from tighter editing.  For example, although there are discographies and filmographies in the appendixes, in the main body the author frequently neglects to mention the dates of releases or events being described, making it unclear when important milestones have occurred.  Massingill's prose betrays some awkwardness in places: among the clunkers that jumped out to me are sentences such as, "the completed 'Timerider' would sit on the shelf for a while so a distributor could be found," "Michael had several movies lined up for which he was going to serve as executive producer, but after time they vanished from the scene," "Michael's appearance would insure [sic] that they would get some publicity," and "it was astounding to the completest [sic] Nesmith collectors".  And the presentation could  stand some improvement.  Don't let go of your first (1997) edition; many photographs have been changed, the text has been entirely reformatted, but most hurtfully, the reproduction quality of the pictures is substandard.  The first, offset-printed edition offered acceptable image reproduction, but in this print-on-demand edition the images are sometimes grainy or indistinct, looking like photocopies of newspaper clippings.  Possibly this can be addressed in the future as printing technology improves.
4355323
Some ideas still applicable, however, with others less so. As times went, some of them proved not as effective as firstly thought - still, many lessons to be learned and an interesting reading.
724671
I can't be as enthusiastic as the three earlier reviewers. While
McCracken has insightful analyses of trends in the arts, and I picked
up some interesting observations that he makes along the way to his
main thesis, I don't find his big picture--the justification for
writing the book--that compelling. For every current example of
transformation he gives, I could find an example of somebody doing it
centuries ago, and McCracken gives minimal attention to such
historical parallels. If more of that kind of transformation is going
on now, perhaps it's because there are more people alive, or more
wealth and leisure, or more freedom in all things. Finally, while I
was impressed with his breadth of scope, I sometimes thought he drew
his view too broadly and forced a lot of things into his thesis that
are described better with other frameworks.
2679489
This is a pleasant change from the same-ol' same-ol'. But it is no way revolutionary, or as good as the obvious influences (latter Converge, Burnt By The Sun, Swarm of the Lotus, etc). The sound is a little too raw and lo-fi. The initial heavy appeal becomes droning pretty quickly as their is almost not variation from start to finish. However, the sincerity is proven which is a rare find. Its also great to see a hardcore album with blatently left-wing political motives. 80s hardcore was so pissed about Reaganomics, that the bands had great lyrical fire. Somewhere along the lines, everyone got all right-wing conservative. With the current administration, I don't know why more bands aren't looking back to the lyrics of the bands that influenced them. So although this album isn't going to make it to my top rotation, I appreciate a lot of elements in this effort. The worst part is the electronic interludes, which is almost impossible to not find as useless filler on contemporary releases.
3507670
Stearns' 33 1/3 contribution is a well thought out and contextualized treatment of this influential and groundbreaking album and cultural moment in American music history. Though some pages are too thickly covered in rich adjectival icing, the firmer core of the author's discussion is insightful, thought-provoking, and a unique perspective in some well-trodden territory in writing on Sonic Youth and this album in particular. Definitely worth a careful look (eat the cake, and let the icing slide off).
1871136
It's a very important collection. I'm always stunned though when people from outside the culture, outside historical preservation or American roots music who pretend to be experts. It ends up looking self serving and not really at all about perpetuating the music of those Creole artists from the Louisiana prairies that was born from this artist and other pioneers like Clifton. These, like so many are one and done projects that really don't inform and educate the public in a sustainable way. And the reviews - smh- are just arrogant in their attempt to also project some type of expert knowledge from mainly white males.