Bob Dobbs and music writer Scott Woods dive deep into Meltzer’s “Aesthetics of Rock”, unpacking his critique of music criticism, Aristotle’s influence, and the challenges of analyzing pop culture.
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 March 7, 2010
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:40 – Meltzer’s Aesthetics of Rock
The book’s structure and philosophical depth, beginning with Aristotle’s theories, particularly his analysis of dramatic forms and their relevance to modern media.
00:03:00 – Aristotle’s Four Causes and Media Analysis
Aristotle’s Four Causes (material, formal, efficient, and final) and their relevance to both traditional art forms and modern media. Bob highlights Marshall McLuhan’s interpretations.
00:10:30 – McLuhan’s Influence
Bob elaborates on McLuhan’s theories, contrasting them with traditional interpretations of Aristotle.
00:18:00 – Struggle with Philosophical Frameworks
How Meltzer attempts to bridge philosophical complexity with pop culture, particularly through the lens of tragedy and temporality.
00:25:00 – Tragedy in Pop Culture
How Meltzer associates pop songs with tragedy, drawing parallels to Aristotle’s dramatic forms.
00:28:31 – Applying Aristotle’s Categories to Rock
How Aristotle’s theories, such as the four causes, might apply to the phenomenon of rock music.
00:30:00 – Simultaneity vs. Linearity in Narrative
Contrasting linear narratives, which dominated literate cultures, with the simultaneous and dynamic nature of modern media like rock music.
00:32:00 – Limitations of Systematic Analysis
Critiquing the rigid application of systematic analysis to dynamic cultural phenomena.
00:35:00 – Impact of Literacy on Perception
The effects of literacy on perception, focusing on how it creates abstraction and opacity in interpreting art.
00:40:00 – Rock Criticism and the Challenge of Description
Challenges faced by rock critics, like Meltzer, in trying to articulate the complex and multi-layered nature of modern cultural experiences.
00:48:00 – McLuhan’s Approach vs. Traditional Criticism
Marshall McLuhan’s methods are contrasted with traditional literary criticism.
00:54:00 – Meltzer’s Wrestling with Media Analysis
Meltzer’s attempts to reconcile traditional literate education with the emerging realities of modern media.
00:55:22 – Complexity of Writing About Music
The challenge of articulating the essence of music through words; Meltzer’s struggle to translate the multi-sensory experience of music into the structured, linear framework of written language.
00:56:30 – Temporal Art and Immediate Experience
The nature of temporal art, such as pop music, which unfolds in real time.
00:59:00 – Deconstructionism and Rock Criticism
How Meltzer’s writing anticipates the emergence of deconstructionist thought.
01:03:00 – Role of Criticism in the Electric Age
How new media environments demand a shift from traditional, concept-driven criticism to more perceptual approaches.
01:10:00 – Liberation from Literate Constraints
Transition from the linear, structured thinking of literate cultures to the dynamic, multi-modal experiences enabled by modern media.
01:13:00 – Literacy and Modernity
The influence of literacy on societal structures and individual perceptions.
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