Words and/about Music

Camille Paglia on Marshal McLuhan and the NOrth American Intellecutal Tradition.

A review of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP.

Same review, Mike Ross, new Eminem LP (The Show), same concerns.

Feel free to ask a question on the blog while email is down.

As you are doing research and trying to decide what kind of article you have found, you might want to consult the Colorado State University guide to Scholarly, Trade, and Popular Magazine articles.

The University of Texas at San Antonio has a similar guide.

I thought I would follow up on my "Johnny Cash made the first punk album" post with a link to TruePunk.com. This site has a section called "articles;" if you want to look at examples of informal commentaries, these articles work pretty well. A lot of the recent articles have been trying to define "punk," and defining a slippery term is one kind of commentary, one kind of a search for a pattern or meaning.

I actually called myself a "punk" once or twice when I was a student in college, even though I wore the same plain clothes I wear today. I listened to some punk bands, my brother was hard core punk (mohawk, chains, tatoos--I mean HARD CORE), and I definitely listened to the "alternative" scene that was emerging at the time. "What is punk?"--that's a good question. Someone should write about it!

Raquel, thanks for the filter of a great site! I found this review of a Johnny Cash album that actually backs up a quip I made in class--that JC was the forerunner to gangster rap. This reviewer says JC produced the first punk album--in 1969.

Everybody should check popmatters.com!

I just found a review of two new books about Elvis. This review is pretty academic, although he doesn't use the specific criteria approach, and doesn't even seem to review the books much. You might be wondering, "What the...?!", but I point this review out to suggest the really wide range of possibilities within the genre.

Here are the tasks you need to do in exchange for pushing back the due date on the draft:

1. Write a filter-style entry on the weblog about one source related to your review. A filter style review should contain a URL and a brief account of why this link is relevant to you.

2. Don't come to class on Friday, but take the survey about weblogging, and stop by my office if you want to pick up your review or talk about the academic review.


3. Come to class with a good draft of your review on Monday--5 points per page for the draft. Be detailed in your analysis, and systematic in your application of the categories. Include material from at least one secondary source.