Bob and Scott delve into Richard Meltzer’s The Aesthetics of Rock, emphasizing his unique style that blends art, politics, and culture. His rhythmic, tactile prose is compared to James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, with a focus on Meltzer’s enduring ability to provoke thought through his non-linear and multi-sensory approach.
Bob Dobbs is a Zappa researcher and McLuhan scholar.
Scott Woods is a critic based in Toronto who manages the websites RockCritics.com and GreilMarcus.net.
Recorded February 1, 2010
00:00:00 – Introduction
The dialogue delves into Richard Meltzer’s The Aesthetics of Rock.
00:03:34 – Meltzer, Kaprow, and McLuhan
Meltzer’s connections to Allan Kaprow and Marshall McLuhan.
00:05:50 – Influence and Anti-Historicism
Meltzer’s ideas on influence and anti-historicism critiques linear approaches to cultural phenomena.
00:15:01 – Rock as Expanded Object
Rock music as an expansive cultural object that incorporates history as one element among many.
00:19:27 – Radio, Pop Culture, and Politics
The transformative power of radio is explored, with figures like Hitler, FDR, and Churchill framed as pioneers of electrified media.
00:22:41 – Media as Ground for Culture
Returning to McLuhan’s theories, the speakers examine how media environments shape cultural objects like jazz and scientific advancements.
00:23:48 – History, Criticism, and Rock
The limitations of historical approaches to rock criticism are critiqued, with a call for multi-sensory, tactile perspectives.
00:26:00 – Criticism, Context, and Cultural Events
Traditional cultural criticism tied to value judgments or singular events.
00:29:27 – Side Shows and Decentralization of Culture
Side attractions in media, such as viral moments on American Idol.
00:33:01 – Centralization and Fragmentation
Using examples like *Harry Potter*, the speakers discuss how audiences oscillate between centralized icons and fragmented experiences.
00:35:00 – Joyce, Meltzer, and Cultural Connectivity
Meltzer’s work is compared to Joyce’s Finnegans Wake for its attempt to encapsulate broad cultural phenomena.
00:38:00 – Humor and Layers of Interpretation
Meltzer’s humor and the absurdities of cultural connections.
00:41:06 – Media v. Human Experience
Conflicting desires in modern life are discussed, including how media overload fosters irritability and reliance on antidepressants.
00:43:04 – Rhythms in Rock Criticism
Meltzer’s tactile and multi-sensory approach to rock criticism is highlighted as groundbreaking.
00:46:01 – Historical Context
The speakers reflect on the early history of rock criticism, discussing publications like Crawdaddy and the influence of critics like Meltzer and Bangs.
00:50:00 – Destitution and Obsolescence of Creatives
The financial and physical hardships of aging creatives like Paul Williams and Tuli Kupferberg are discussed.
00:54:00 – Sarcasm and Gospel Music
The evolution of gospel music from traditional church settings to popular radio is examined.
00:58:20 – Weakness as a Groove in Music
How “weakness” in music, exemplified by the Browns’ *Three Bells*, becomes desirable within the radio medium.
01:05:00 – Geography, Industry, and Rock’s Sound
The omission of geographical influences in rock criticism is critiqued, with the Pacific Ocean’s impact on surf music as an example.
01:09:00 – Decoding Complexity in Rock Lyrics
Rock lyrics’ often indecipherable nature is explored through examples like the Beach Boys’ Help Me, Rhonda.
01:12:00 – Meltzer as Scripture
Meltzer’s work as “scripture,” offering endless opportunities for analysis and reinterpretation.
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