IV, Music, Headphones, iPods, etc.

[Stephen Musgrave]

> Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:23:38 +0000
> Subject: Re: IV, Music, Headphones, iPods, etc.
> From: johncarvill at gmail.com
> To: robinlandseadel at comcast.net; pynchon-l at waste.org
> 
> Robin emailed me off-list, to avoid immersing the p-list in technical
> vinyl vs. digital debate. Which is fair enough, but what we know of
> Pynchon, his love of music, and distrust of digital, makes at least
> some of what we discussed relevant.
> 
> 
> >>>>>> We know Pynchon loves Rock 'n' Roll, yes?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Maybe?
> >>>>>
> >>>> Eh? You're joking, yes? Maybe.
> >>
> >>> Not really. Inherent Vice is shot throughout with ambivalence towards
> >>> Rock 'n Roll.
> >>
> >> Say wha? What about the Slow Learner intro, Rock 'n' Roll will never die?
> >
> > And in Inherent Vice Pynchon speaks of the illusion of Rock & Roll's
> > immortality, how incredibly crappy most surf music is and many cheezy "rock"
> > and pop tunes are cited as evidence. I suspect that there's music of all
> > sorts that the author loves and that he is not limited to rock in his
> > musical interests. Whatever the author may have thought in 1984 he's showing
> > his doubts about the immortality of Rock & Roll in Inherent Vice.
> >
> 
> 
> Do we think Pynhcon likes otehr types of music? Of course,
> indisputably. But I don't think his opinion on Rock & Roll has soured
> since he wrote the Slow Learner intro. However, what you say is
> certainly worth debating - what do we reckon we can glean from IV re.
> Pynchon's evolving perspective on the music which was so much a part
> of teh era?
> 
> I personally don't recall getting any strong impression, from reading
> IV, that Pynchon was taking a jaundiced view of Rock & Roll. If
> anything, his tastes seem to run towards the 'poppy', even 'cheesy'
> end of the spectrum, rather than what we might call 'classic Sixties
> rock'. Some exceptions, obviously, but still.
> 
> As to whether Pynchon has lost his faith in the 'immortality' of the
> music's spirit, my guess is he definitely has not.
 		 	   		  
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