I am a horrible critic because I do not believe in absolute truth. I know what I like, and I know what I don't, but I'm always hesitant to add a tag of 'good' or 'bad' to anything. Band, book, style. The world is far too subjective for that shit.
I do designate music and books and movies good or bad, but this doesn't hold much significance for me. I mostly mean the words in jest. I make fun of my own taste as much as anyone else's, but I like my taste more than anyone's.
Naturally.
And of course there are the technical indicators. For music it's easy. Hitting the wrong note, losing rhythms, whatever. It's there. I can listen and say, 'Technically, this is bad, but I enjoy it, so it's good.'
I want to make a mix cd entitled 'The meaning of life: Missed notes, melancholy, and unexpected joys.' Because I'm that pretentious.
I see life in music. Always. In the fuckups as much as the successes. And I think that's why I'm so much more forgiving of music than I am of other forms of art. It doesn't have to be good, it just has to paint an image of life. A bit of truth. All art is truth. Entertainment is where the fantasies lie. (Though I do believe the two can be combined quite effectively.)
But for all the ranting about music, it's words that have fascinated me lately. I haven't been online, so I've been devouring book after book after book. And I've been doing the same with them as I've done with so many albums and songs. Dissecting the form. Pulling the words and sentences into their elements. Noticing aberrations (I hate to call them flaws, since I so rarely follow the rules myself) in the grammar. Noticing subtle differences in style. And I hate most of what I read, just as I hate most of what I listen to. But I keep on for the stories and the insights, just as I do with music.
Words always become more important in the colder months. Music always dominates when it's warm. Composing itself and not letting in any other lovers. Fall and winter give me time to write words independent of sound.
I just noticed the pattern today, and it makes me happy. Understanding is a good thing.
revoless.
1:31 a.m.
October 08, 2003.
Listening to: The Faint.