When Free Radicals Become Free Agents

[Christopher Coffman]

Just a clarification, from someone who appreciates SY AND those composers & performers on Henry's list: the late Gyorgy Ligeti's patronym contains only one "t".  
 
Those who resist SY (as I long did) may be won over to their camp (as was I) by giving a spin to their "Goodbye 20th-century" release (contains SY performances of pieces by such canonical avant-heavyweights as Tudor, Cage, etc.).  Also, keep in mind that most of the band members have historical connections to some of the more 'serious' composers--Branca, Chatham, Conrad, etc.--who are themselves linked to the Velvets, early NYC minimalism, and other experimental music and avant-rock icons.
 
Now back to Pynchon ... ?
 
Chris C. 

 
________________________________

From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org on behalf of Henry
Sent: Tue 9/25/2007 1:10 PM
To: 'Pynchon Liste'
Subject: RE: When Free Radicals Become Free Agents



Fine example. I heard music like that back in the days of the Velvet
Underground and Patti Smith, but they weren't so ponderously full of
themselves, or whatever it is they're full of.  Lighten-up, SY.  Ya talk
more like Sonic Geezers!  Coltrane in Japan, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ligetti,
Stockhausen, and Cage blew out all four walls A-and the roof, are MUCH more
entertaining, and rarely so effen stupid!  Shut-up, and play yer guitars!

HENRY MUSIKAR
Information, Media, and Technology Consultant

http://www.urdomain.us/kcuf.htm 

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From: Johnny Marr
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 1:42 PM

Completely agree.
I'm not mourning Tony Wilson uncritically - he was capable of being a prat
and could go on at length about things he didn't really understand in an
attempt to show off - but when he was good he was very good indeed. And you
can just feel his contempt for Sonic Youth here. They show themselves up as
poseurs with no real feel for music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDvsUujUCkc

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On 9/25/07, Henry wrote:
I hope TRP is NOT a fan of Sonic Yute.  I've been listening to
noise/avant-garde music, self-styled or otherwise, most of my life; I've
heard SY live (Wash. DC's 9:30 club), and I wasn't, and I'm not, impressed.
To me, they're the "Lost in Translation" of music, i.e. they impress the
hell out of people who haven't heard their betters, and who think that they
now have an appreciation of indie art.  A-and I don't think they're fun,
either!  Naked, naked, naked!

Henry Mu