Classical rocks

[J Strobridge]

Andy Gilham writes:

> On Tuesday, January 06, 1998 1:13 PM, Horse Whisperer
> [SMTP:beautiful_foot at HOTMAIL.COM] wrote:
> > >Isn't it interesting that so many comics folks are into BOC?
> >
> > Wasn't it said a while ago that BOC wrote _intelligent_ songs about
> > serious arcane topics.  They made us think and we loved 'em for it.  And
> > isn't that what a good comic/graphic novel does?
> >
>
> Well up to a point - but so do serious literary works, and how many
> lecturers in lit crit have we got here?  I think rather there's something
> about BOC (and Hawkwind's) imagery and lyrics that appeals to the same
> people that enjoy comics.  Most obviously, "Buck Dharma" is a real 70's

well I work in the English Literature dept (secretary, admittedly), have
read a fair number of what are euphemistically called "the classics" in
literature and also listen to Hawkwind.    Admittedly much of my enjoyment
of the band relates to their sound but it's a point of much discussion (I
guess) whether you can entirely separate out (or whether you should)
words and sound from a composition (rock or choral or anything else) and
the words/lyrics such as they are become an integral part of the whole
piece.   Some lyrics are highly evocative and create a mood/environment
within which the music will react while others are (frankly) crap and
just intrude.   Either way I wouldn't be entirely suprised to see one
day (and maybe not in the too distant future) literary study which
included some large element of rock-rap-space-media music or whatever
given that such things are what define our environment and,
particularly in the 20th century, feature increasingly in the written
literature.   Hawkwind and such-like bands would be a particularly good
study I would submit!

I have seen over the past few years a steady flow of essays and
dissertations covering the music medium - but admittedly most of it
is angled towards the "pop" "rap" short-term instant energy culture.
However I'd say that there's definitely a space in academe for the
proper investigation of the on-going influence and relationship of
the rock music culture to our society, literature, arts, education and
whatever else you can conceive.

Certainly Science Fiction, Cyberpunk, Utopia and anti-Utopian
environments are all studied in literature now.   Watch this
space........

jill


> ObMovie - _Starship Troopers_!!!

you jest(?)   For about 10 mins I thought there was going to be an
intelligent film interwoven among the dross but I gave up that hope
soon enough and my sympathy is entirely with the stick insects!

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J.D.Strobridge at ed.ac.uk                         eset08 at holyrood.ed.ac.uk
                                                ELIJSA at srv0.arts.ed.ac.uk
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