A short e-conversation I had a while back centered on the merits of a certain rock band. Not the particulars or anything, just a plain old "love 'em" vs. "don't" kind of thing. Actually, "don't love 'em" isn't quite right. It was more like "don't understand the attraction".
Being the musical evangelist that I am (and aren't we all...just a little bit?), I decided to describe, as concretely as possible, why I like this band's music.
Now, of course I knew this that this was going to be no easy task. Describing in words what is inherently abstract is tough enough. The added requirement, why I like it...well, that's something else. I let the idea ferment in my head for a few days. Procrastination? No, just my way of giving my subconscious time to have its say.
Except that's not really what happened.
What did happen was that I found this great article by author Louis Menand about "the art of short fiction". A critical review of The Early Stories (a collection of John Updike's early short fiction), it's introduced in the most ingenious way: a parallel is constructed between the 'invisible' technique behind the professional golf swing and the effect that an author is trying to create. "The effect" is that moment when the reader "gets it"...the moment of "ahhh". So, just as each little mechanical element serves to support the swing, each word in the short story is there to contribute to "the effect".
What's this have to do with music? Menard goes on to say that this effect is tough to describe...but it is felt by the reader(or at least that's the author's hope). James Joyce referred to the effect as an epiphany. In his words, "...a revelation of the whatness of a thing".
The whatness of a thing.
Yep, that's what I want to describe. It's an elusive topic. In the past I've put the question "Why does that sound good to me?" down on my writing to-do list. That's as far as it ever gets though...mostly because it has always seemed like a huge undertaking, with too much mental and emotional inertia.
What I want to do now is describe the 'whatness' of the music of the band Rush. The word 'music' is underlined because that'll be the focus here. I'm not a lyrics guy when it comes to most rock music and Rush is no exception. Though Neil Peart is known for his lyric writing (and of course: spectacular drumming) the music is what I'm there for.
Article comments
1 - Casper
Well, I guess I'll start the "my-favorite-Rush-song" thread by say that La Villa Strangiato is probably my favorite one. A bit over nine minutes long, it wanders through a bunch of different musical idioms (Flamenco, Waltz, Prog-Rock, and those are just the ones that I can think of off the top of my head).
The live verson on Exit Stage Left is even better (the jury's still out on the Live in Rio version).
2 - Craig Lyndall
My favorite Rush song is the one they will record after I get my hands around the throat of Geddy Lee for singing like a 6 year old boy who got knocked in the balls.
3 - Eric Olsen
Man, I love "Working Man" because it sounds like Black Sabbath after detox - IT ROCKS.
Mark, many thanks for a brilliant and readable explanation of the unexplainable. It's the effort that makes it so endearing and meaningful. And yes, my interest is piqued. Great job!
4 - Mark Saleski
thanks E.
Sabbath after detox...hmmmm.
5 - Tom Johnson
Nice work, Mark. I'm still mulling my response over. I think I may have to write a book to explain it all . . .
6 - Mark Saleski
thanks tom, don't mull too hard. you might pull something.
7 - JohnnyLunchBox
My favorite Rush songs are the ones they haven't written yet. I think I just hurt my brain.
8 - Tom Johnson
Man, I'm glad you linked to this from here. I didn't remember this at all, but I'm glad to have a refresher. (Unfortunately, I also don't remember the conversation you note that spawned it - I'm kinda curious now!)
I certainly get what you're saying. Texture is something I've come to realize is very important to me. If it doesn't "feel" right, it just doesn't work, and it likely never will. Not only that, I often have this visual in my head of a live line-graph to the music, or maybe the raw wave-form of the music as seen in a sound editing program. Up and down it goes as various events happen. No one else seems to understand what I'm talking about.
Jeez, that sounds nuts, reading back on it.
9 - Mark Saleski
makes sense to me!
10 - Josh
Dynamics come in to play as well; that Dylan quote about modern recordings being atrocious and all. Soft and loud, harsh and rounded... that makes a difference when I listen. Dylan's Modern Times and Wilco's Sky Blue Sky take advantage of textures and dynamics better than a lot of records I've listened to recently.