Which Side Are You On? (was Sufferin' Succotash)

[John Carvill]

> I wonder what "National Review" thinks ...

Well as Dave pointed out, no surprise they didn't like Vineland, for the
same reasons a lot of people on this list don't like it ie. political
ones. 

As you rightly say, it leaves the reader in no doubt as to which side
Pynchon is on in the 'Culture Wars'. Yes, he criticizes 'The Left', but
from the inside.

Funny enough, someone else who's long provoked arguments about which
side of the political divide he's on is Dylan, another parallel being
that Bob has a new album coming out. A-and his record company released
audio clips of some of the tracks, then withdrew them, though unlike old
Uncle Tom's blurb they haven't (as far as I'm aware) been reinstated
yet. But on at least one of the new songs, he apparently has a good go
at the Neo-cons:

"'Thunder on the Mountain' also seethes with moral disgust. 'She ain't
no angel and neither am I,' Dylan declares. "Shame on your greed, shame
on your wicked schemes/I'll say this, I don't give a damn about your
dreams." It's the sort of language you can find in his late friend
Hunter Thompson's final, Bush-excoriating book, Kingdom of Fear. But
Dylan doesn't limit his contempt to the President. The long final track,
"Ain't Talkin' Just Walkin'" which, with its ominous, portentous
strings, is clearly intended as a major statement, sees a vengeful Dylan
stalking "through the cities of the plague" to kill enemies who will
"crush you with wealth and power". He doesn't name the neocons - just as
he never directly named Vietnam - but he plainly despises them."   -
Uncut Magazine


Then again, there are all the Dylan references in Vineland...... maybe. 

Cheers
JC













 




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