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My definition of a brilliant book review is one that interests you in a subject you wouldn't have devoted five seconds to—interests you enough to spend many hours contemplating it.
By that standard, Sheldon Rothblatt's essay on William Clark's Academic Charisma and the Origins of the Research University is brilliant indeed. Almost 700 pages of nuanced erudition tempered with deliberate irony "in the classical rhetorical fashion"? Sign me up!
You know how all of those articles about Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music identified him as an "experimental filmmaker"? Well, Early Abstractions was one of those experiments.
Via Grow-A-Brain.
A new feature for the blog: Every Thursday, I'll spotlight a recording of special merit—stuff that grabs me for both its content and its recording quality. Think of it as the return of Quarter Notes, sort of.
Don't look for any stars, grades, or other gimmicks—if I can't make the case in the review text, giving somebody a B- or 3.5 stars won't actually clarify matters.
This week's entry (next post) is Rob Schwimmer's Beyond the Sky. Rob asked if he could send me the disc and I told him sure, only I didn't really have an outlet to write about recordings. Then it hit me,…
Of course, I'm linking to this one. For one thing, it's a list—and it's filled with useful information.
"No treats, no cuteness," said Huckleberry. "We're strictly on a pay-for-play system from now on."
Why listening to music is no longer relaxing. How many times do we have to say it? Enough already with 1dB dynamic ranges!
Yesterday's was a special blue, more like spring becoming summer than summer becoming fall. Today's began gray, but looks to be clearing. I like it when the clouds are fat and heavy like this.
I have been thinking about our "Products of the Year" feature. The winners are smiling at me now. Smiling like sunshine peeking around the corner of a cloud. There are photo finishes, landslides, upsets and surprises. I wish I could tell you who the winners are, but that would spoil some of the fun. I can tell you this: I think you'll be happy.
"Do you want a new intro, too?" I…
Art or magic? I suspect both, having been fascinated by them ever since attending an exhibition of meticulously rendered reproductions about 20 years ago, Dang, but they're powerful and specific.
Ah well, we chattering classes really do need fodder for our chatter, do we not?