The things I learn from WordPress. I was actually quite excited to discover that I’ve read, cover to cover, one of the longest books in the English language – that is, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.
And enjoyed it. Tee bloody hee.
Aaaanyway, it’s eleven at night and I am so very, very awake. Combination of tea, and I think also the fact that I woke up lateish (ten). Should really have been alleviated by the fact that I went for quite a long run, but seriously, I’m jittery as hell. This would probably be a good time to do some history revision, because if I can cover the content quickly then I can work on my technique in the next couple of days. History being the only subject left that I have a real major interest in doing well in, so practising my technique is probably a good idea.
I spent today doing physics revision – only obviously, I didn’t really want to do physics revision, so I made that time more interesting by listening to songs that I don’t know too well on my iPod so that I can give them a star rating. It occurs to me that if I can only carry three and a half thousand songs around with me (and that really isn’t very many) then I ought to choose the best ones, and that means separating the wheat from the chaff.
Speaking as a music snob, I’d like to briefly recount a rant that I was having earlier and Fia was patiently listening to. In the below I’m going to make myself very unpopular with a certain Imogen.
I think Wizard Rock is pointless.
Seriously. It’s not because it’s nerdy, or because it’s about books, or anything fandom related. I’m a nerd myself, and I don’t judge other nerds based on their nerdiness. I just think that Wizard Rock is way, way too specific. I think that good music, whilst not necessarily relevant to everyone, should have some degree of… transposibility. And I’m aware that that’s not a word. But I just think that by creating a whole genre which is just in the confines of a series of books, it’s way, way too limiting. If you’re going to write a song about loss then… write a song about loss. If you’re writing about experiences that everyone knows and acknowledges to be fictional, then isn’t it by definition less immediate, because it doesn’t come from the artist? And if they’re drawing on their own experiences to express the sentiments from HP, then why do they have to do it in that frame? Why can’t they just… write a song?
Plus, in the stuff that I’ve heard, the production value kind of sucks. And like I said *points to self* Me? Music snob. I like good production. Which basically – and I think I might have just killed my friendship with Imogen here (if you’re reading this, I do love you muchly, and this what I’m here writing was just the child of an idle brain, on account of physics revision. Or I wouldn’t usually have thought about it to this extent/come to the conclusion that I don’t like it) – makes wizard rock ultimately less good than… well, music which isn’t, and is professionally produced. Not all of it! I’m not saying that non-Wrock is by definition better than Wrock, but I don’t think that it can get above a certain level of Good Music, because it’s confined and it’s not really produced properly.
This is the bit where I wave my hands frantically and point to the above, saying loudly ‘This is just my opinion and I am not trying to make any assertions which infringe or discredit the preferences of others, I’m just making a point because Wrock is like… a crazy phenomenon and as someone who cares about music the idea of a musical genre based on a series of books is interesting to me!’
Ahem. There we go.
Well! I’m actually tired now, which is kind of annoying, because it means that I probably won’t end up doing that history revision after all. I felt that I’d better do a blog because I haven’t done one in ages. I haven’t done one in ages because my life is incredibly boring and I haven’t really done anything recently. Apart from go for dinner at Canteen in London on Thursday night with my family, which was pretty nice. I’m so cool that I go and hang out in bars behind Waterloo Station at night – with my dad and cousins.
Great. I’m in premises that I shouldn’t be in because I’m too young to legally drink: and it’s with my family.
In other news, I’m reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, because Hannah and Livvi have been extolling his/its virtues for so long, so I thought I’d give it a try (plus, I have to try and come round to books which are Clever with a capital C, due to the fact that I’m writing one) and it is, indeed, amazing. Not to mention obviously really, really original. I’ve actually been reading it for over a week, which doesn’t usually happen with me and books. But due to Sucky and Failurific exams, I haven’t got much time to sit down and read a book for several hours.
It’s funny, during exam time it’s all ‘I have no time! None! NOT ANY!’ But with all the time that I spend procrastinating on Facebook/watching shit telly, I could actually have read the complete works of Tolstoy whilst on study leave. But what I basically mean is ‘I’ve got a limited amount of time that I can spend engaging my brain, and at the moment it’s all being used up trying to remember stuff about plugs’. But anyway, I’m really excited about Dave Eggers now, because he’s got quite a few books out and if they’re all as good as A.H.W.O.S.G. then I’ve got my summer reading sorted.
Not that it wasn’t already sorted. Not that I don’t have a great huge pile of books that I want to/feel that I ought to – read. But a specific author to look forward to is a delightful notion.
Anyway, thus having blogged/probably pissed Imogen off/made some inane comments about a book which most of the people who’re reading this will already know is awesome, I depart to bed. Nighty night.
Yay for Dave Eggers! Isn’t he lovely? I’m so glad you’re appreciating him! Although, I’m reading ‘What is the What’ by him, and I don’t think it’s as good as AHWOSG. Good, but not great. Then again, I haven’t got to the bits which made Livvi cry yet.
I agree, most Wrock is aweful. Most of it’s really poorly produced and take Hary and the Potters for example, by far the most famous Wrock band, they can’t right lyrics to say their lives. Most of their songs are the same phrase repeated over and over again. I also agree that HP could be considered a very limitting subject that is accesible to a limited number of people.
However, that limited number of people quite like that limited subject matter and quite like Wizard Rock. Not for its quality, but for the memories and how i brings our fandom togther. People don’t go to see Harry and the Potters to hear good music, they go to hear fun music and meet other HP fans.
Wizard Rock makes money for some people, is just a hobby for other and for a few it’s just something that makes them feel part of something bigger. Therefore Wizard Rock may be pointless to the music snob but to the hardcore fans, it’s everything and amazing.
I like wizard rock because some of it’s good, some of it’s funny and some of it makes me feel like a part of a worldwide group of people who are listening to the same thing.
Don’t worry Jess, your blog didn’t make me angry at all, I totally saw where you were coming from. You were coming from outside and from there Wrock is just wierd. But from inside it’s cool, and we like it, plus Harry and the Potters earn a living out of their repetative one liners, so they must be doing something right.
Coolio.
Although if you liked Harry and the Potters we’d need to sit down and have a chat.