No one is certain who first made the observation that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture". I assume it was intended to convey the impossibility of capturing one medium of expression in another. On the other hand, we write about music just as we write about every form of human experience.
We write to describe, to inform, to analyze, to criticize, to opine, to rage, to enthuse, and to connect with others. "These are my thoughts, my feelings, my passions and fears: what are yours?"
As a teen, I wrote a fanzine to share my enthusiasms, and to connect with fellow fans. Upon discovering music blogs, I recognized them as the new fanzines, and again felt the impulse to connect.
This is a lengthy preface to another of Stinky's Homemade Records. His concept is songs by writers who became musicians. Together, we fleshed out a list. Some are well-known, like Lenny Kaye and Lester Bangs. Patti Smith penned record reviews; so did Chrissie Hynde. Crocus Behemoth was a pen name before it became a stage name for David Thomas (who performed with writer-musician Peter Laughner).
Punk inspired another wave of writers turned performers: Nick Kent, Vivien Goldman, Sylvie Simmons, and Mark Perry. "Ranking Jeffrey Lee" reviewed reggae and dub for Slash before forming The Gun Club; Chris D also wrote for Slash while fronting the Flesh Eaters, running his own label and producing records.
Ira Kaplan and Glenn Morrow started at NY Rocker. Steve Albini wrote for Matter magazine and Forced Exposure (which, like Slash and Sub Pop, was a zine turned record label).
Gregg Turner and Mike Saunders wrote for zines before backing critic Richard Meltzer in VOM, and then forming the Angry Samoans. Michael Hall was a music writer before he led The Wild Seeds. Neil Tennant wrote for Smash Hits, and Marilyn Manson was first a music journalist. We're still coming up with more examples, and maybe you have suggestions for Journalists Turned Recording Artists Vol. 2. For now, here's Volume One!
https://www.mediafire.com/file/scpbn5rya2uzdg6/Journalists_Turned_Artist_Vol._1.zip/file
ReplyDeleteFWIW, probably Martin Mull, though lots of folx get credit. I just used it in a forthcoming book chapter and trying to located who said it when and where felt a bit like down the rabbit hole with Alice...had a similar experience a few years ago when I used the riff about the first Velvet Underground album only selling 5000 copies but everyone who bought one started a band (Eno and it was 30K). Academia--worse than music nerds (much)
ReplyDeleteMartin Mull? Good to know. I have seen it credited to Frank Zappa and to Elvis Costello. Also saw a variation of Eno's comment in regard to the Sex Pistols' 1976 concert at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester. It's been said that only 40 people attended, but every one of them got kicked out of The Fall.
DeleteI found this online by Robert Christgau at: http://www.collapseboard.com/where-the-metaphor-fails-writing-about-music-is-like-dancing-about-architecture/
ReplyDeleteRobert Christgau has two good witty answers for “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture”.
“Writing about music is writing first”.
“One of the many foolish things about the fools who compare writing about music to dancing about architecture is that dancing usually is about architecture. When bodies move in relation to a designed space, be it stage or ballroom or living room or gymnasium or agora or Congo Square, they comment on that space whether they mean to or not”.
- Stinky
I love the compilation, and it’s a bonus to think about all the ways that one form of art can be used to express feelings about another.
ReplyDelete