Waxing Philosophic

what is a Bob Dylan?

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Bob Dylan, art classification, art definition, poetry definition, bob dylan poet

I was recently involved in a whiskey fueled discussion about how intention shapes art. More specifically the discussion hinged on the question…

Without intent can art exist?

My answer was of course it can. When Kodak invented super glue they were trying to create plastic. The found out that they created glue. Then they discovered that this glue could be used in hospitals to stop bleeding and close wounds, amazing stuff really. Anyway how would you classify super glue? Is it a glue even though the intent was to create a plastic? I say yes. Is it a medical supply because it is effective at that purpose? I say yes again. Is it a plastic because that is what the intent was? I would say no, it is not an effective plastic. In this example intent has very little effect on our classification of something.

So how can I relate this to music?

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Waxing Philosophic

The Beatles and the Beach Boys : A Nemesis Relationship

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Beatles versus the Beach BoysWithin his book IV, Chuck Klosterman expounds upon the idea that people need to have both a nemesis, as well as an arch enemy in their life. The idea being that a nemesis is someone with whom you battle (either overtly or passively) as a means of bettering yourself. In sum, your nemesis motivates you to better yourself and to better your life's work.

 

It recently occurred to me that The Beatles had a Nemesis – the Beach Boys.

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Waxing Philosophic

Jay-Z and the Dixie Chicks

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Its been my opinion that there are only three genres of music: Classical, Jazz, and Pop. I’ve written before about this idea, and that music genre within these three is defined by the social contract of the audience’s expected behavior. During classical performances, the audience sits quietly and applauds only after the set is finished. At jazz concerts the audience is expected to clap after solos as well as the end of pieces, and at pop concerts, the audience is allowed to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants. For some reason it is easier to lump artists in the first two genres into their respective category and sleep soundly at night knowing that Franz Schubert and Iannis Xenakis are both Classical composers, and Charlie Parker and Ornette Colemen are both Jazz sax players. On the other hand, when I make the argument that all pop is simply Pop, I’ve run into some static. So let me explain myself. Slayer and Johnny Cash are more similar than dissimilar. Jason Mraz and Mushaga should be friends, and AC/DC and Dashboard Confessional fans should make nice and sit quietly on the bus ride home from school. Here’s why… In our musical tradition, a one octave … Continued

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Waxing Philosophic

Jay-Z and the Dixie Chicks

|

Its been my opinion that there are only three genres of music:

Classical, Jazz, and Pop.

For some reason it is easier to lump artists in the first two genres into their respective category and sleep soundly at night knowing that Franz Schubert and Iannis Xenakis are both Classical composers, and Charlie Parker and Ornette Colemen are both Jazz sax players.

On the other hand, when I make the argument that all pop is simply Pop, I've run into some static. So let me explain myself.

Slayer and Johnny Cash are more similar than dissimilar. Jason Mraz and Mushaga should be friends, and AC/DC and Dashboard Confessional fans should make nice and sit quietly on the bus ride home from school.

Here's why…

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