I worry sometimes that maturity has smoothed out the rough edges of my passionate nature--that I don't care enough about anything anymore to write about it the way I used to. It's not an overriding or thematic concern; it's just something that I could imagine happening to me while I'm busy doing other things (like grad school).
I thought about this while I was reading excerpts from Lester Bangs' work. Reading Bangs' writing is like freebasing the essence of life. He writes about rock 'n' roll like it's a matter of life and death, and in so doing he's able to use the record-review genre to write about life and death and everything else that matters. He encapsulates what I love about rock 'n' roll: the way it can, on occasion, bypass every mechanism for smoothing out, touching up, honing, fine-tuning and give you direct access to raw human talent.
And, like it or not, talent is the x-factor that distinguishes shit from gold. It's not passion, though that helps, and it's indispensable to the truly talented--the history of rock 'n' roll is awash with monuments to antiseptic artisanship But passion by itself is absurd. Nothing is less cool than trying too hard (and this, incidentally, is why The Killers remain the Worst Band In The World).
There is a conclusion to this post somewhere, but I think I've lost interest. Also, I have to 1) lesson-plan for Monday, 2) come up with several potential paper prompts for my students to write about, 3) figure out what the hell I'm going to write my rabbinics paper on, and 4) do all this before tonight's Over the Rhine concert at 7.
Comments (11)
Oh and hey, if I can somehow find my way over to Madison (I have mah reasons), want to catch a drink? I'm reasonable company, even if, as my friends put it, "I take some getting used to".
I've worried about that too. And I like the idea of talent over passion.
I worry about the my moral duty towards the brew houses of Madison.
I can't stand The Killers and that stupid, godforesaken song. BLAH.
Anyways. Passion is relative... maybe you just need some commotion in your life.
Get yourself some Carolyn Wonderland. I can't claim credit - but she was incredible on Austin City Limits...
As a band director, who teaches beginning kids that they can all participate in music and make their lives at least a little more interesting, I must go against many of my colleagues and agree with you: "talent is the x-factor that distinguishes shit from gold".
And I thought The Fray was the worst band in the world? Are you letting up on them now?...
@freakyJesusmusic - The Fray are just vapid. The Killers, on the other hand, are spectacularly absurd. Frankly, I admire the Killers more because at least they are something more than just background music for Grey's Anatomy.
Give the Steeldrivers a listen yet? And how was the concert?
I must have seen OTR the night before you! I had never seen them before, and I was blown away. I've been dragging my cousin (who's seven years younger than me) to concerts for years, and hilariously (in light of your post) we've now been to The Fray (please don't crucify me, fellow commenters) as well as Over the Rhine. She loved The Fray (she was a junior in high school after all), but it was so great to see her reaction after this weekend's concert. She was just in awe and made some remark about wishing she had a voice like Karin's. "How great would it be to sing like that everyday, like in church!" :) I was a little in awe as well. From the second she sang "I don't want to waste your time ..." I was mezmorized. And then she dedicated Trouble to all the single girls (after dedicating Born to the inordinate number of pregnant women in the audience ... a hazard of being an OTR listener she mused), and I think I yipped. Anyway, it was SUCH a great show. Hope yours was as well.
You get all the cool concerts coming your way!
A friend told me something similiar and explain it was like someone snipped off their literary balls, granted this friend is female (which makes it a somewhat funny statement), but I completely understand.
Talent is the x-factor, yes, but what gets passed for talent these days --is-- shit. Or so it would seem.