Hale Kilinahe: Pith of Pop: "Fargo Rock City" by Chuck Klosterman

My first mistake was probably trying to read this book in only a couple of sittings. Well, you can't. If you're actually not all that into the subject matter at hand, it's a good beach read. If you were a fan of 80's pop metal, like me, you realize after a few chapters that you really should be writing this stuff down and you'll have to start over once you're done.

And it's not only that. Klosterman has an opinion on freaking everything and doesn't mind explaining to you in exhaustive detail why he feels the way he does. And then he'll turn around and contradict himself later. And for good measure, he'll say crap like "anybody who says they love all music is lying" that makes you want to fling the book across the room. But, as he observes, there has never been a book about the pop-metal of the late 80's-early 90's. The only time anybody's ever written about the genre is to dismiss it entirely. Until "Fargo Rock City" was published in 2001, there had never been anything written from the perspective of a fan on the subject. If for no other reason, any music fan should read this book to enjoy the enthusiasm that Klosterman has for the music. He defends the genre to an almost antagonistic degree.

Indeed, Chuck is a champion button-pusher. Some background: Chuck is the same age as me. He grew up on a farm in North Dakota and now is a critic at Spin magazine. As a result of his background, he holds frighteningly conservative views, especially for a music critic. In one chapter, he is discussing the role of sex in the genre. He is addressing the misconceptions about the ways men and women listen to music. He's explaining his position on the topic and makes incredibly sweeping generalizations. He says he reviles sexism, but he throws in this little gem:

these statements...suggest(s)...a male listener can appreciate the visceral sound of a Van Halen record, but he can also hold a high-minded discussion about why it's aesthetically superior to Aerosmith; meanwhile, a female can only sustain some kind of mindless, fleeting obsession with Celine Dion that has no regard for intellect or taste. It preys upon the classic stereotype that men are fundamentally more analytical and women are fundamentally more emotional. All of which is true

Uh, no.

To Chuck's credit, he is a huge fan of the genre and it shows. Despite the earlier assertion that nobody can love all kinds of music, it is clear in this book and his follow-up "Sex, Drugs and Coco Puffs" that he is the biggest music geek alive. Any musical argument he makes is supported by several amazingly clever examples. He cites songs that I haven't heard in years. If he owns only half the records he mentions in his books, he is one lucky bastard.

And he is really, really funny. I laughed out loud at least four times while reading this book and nearly wet my pants during a passage in the chapter about Van Halen's "Jump". He is quite arrogant about the expanse of his knowledge but yet, oddly self-deprecating. He has a good sense of just how far to take a tangent. He makes really good points: post-Pyromania Def Leppard is weak. And Iron Maiden is gut-bustingly funny. It's so great to read someone who knows enough to state what everyone else seems to miss (or is afraid of saying).

Wold you say you listen to music in what's usually thought of as a guy way: with your brain and your hormones--that yours is not usually an emotional response so much as an intellectual or physical response? I'm curious, because yes, it's a sweeping generalization, but I think of you as listening to music in a guy way. That's why I respect your musical opinions! You're probably going to be ticked by that. So, sorry in advance!
Posted by Mitchell at April 5, 2005 7:25 PM

On the contrary. I'm flattered. I mean, I know what he's saying, because I have girl friends who listen to music and are music fans exactly the way he describes, but I know girls who aren't that way, too. And conversely, I know guys who are fickle. That was my issue with what he said. I think music appreciation and analysis is more of a left brain/right brain thing than a male/female thing.
Posted by Jen at April 6, 2005 8:31 AM