Customer Reviews

Da Capo Best Music Writing 2005: The Year's Finest Writing on Rock, Hip-hop, Jazz, Pop, Country & More

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

A series that seemed exciting and essential when it started in 2000 now just looks like a half-hearted franchise looking for a new owner. Da Capo have downsized these volumes each year, and at less than 200 pages, this is the thinnest yet. JT Leroy's selections are lazy and predictable, with none of the big names featured being represented by compelling, innovative work. Robert Christgau is typically verbose and incoherent on minstrelsy, and Ingrid Sischy's conversation with Camille Paglia is banal. Tributes by David Ritz (on Ray Charles), Greil Marcus (on Buddy Holly) and Tom Roche (on John Peel) are heartfelt straight reportage, while other pieces are mere news items. Every day the web shows the literary sub-genre of music writing is healthier than ever; other than cost-cutting, there is no excuse for this showpiece anthology to be so lame and lacking in vitality.

And the hoax of J.T. Leroy was asked to be editor because...?

Maybe next time around De Capo will return to using editors who are 1) real people, 2) respected and qualified to edit such a seemingly important collection, and 3) valued more for their insight instead of bringing someone else onboard who, regardless of whether they exist or not, is wrongly assumed to be so ultra-hip and edgy that the name alone would sell more books.

The editor of this book is forty-something Laura Albert, pathetic phone sex worker and con artist masquerading as a victimized street youth infected with HIV after being prostituted by his own mother. She knows as much about quality writing and quality music as she knows about the life in the streets, which is nothing. She selected the pieces in this collection. Enough said. Don't support liars and greedy publishers without principles.

I'll also go out on a limb and praise this book.

Perhaps I have the advantage of hindsight, because I have only recently read this book - but there were lots of articles that really engaged my attention.

I have read several of the books in this series - and strangely enough more articles in this edition ignited my enthusiasm, as cited in a previous review - the Dylan article by Robert Hilburn was outstanding and very revealing about an important artist.

"The Shortwave and the Calling" by David Segal - made me go find the Wilco song and the actual "Conet Project" track that they used.......

This is exactly what good music writing is supposed to do
- make me want to go listen to the music, and find out more....

Just go to the website for Laura Albert's band Thistle, conveniently linked to the J.T. Leroy site, download one of the samples, and decide for yourself if Da Capo has any credibility with this book at all. The music's every bit as bad as her writing, let alone her taste, if you can call it that. As a musician myself I am disgusted with this book and the people who are profiiting by it.

No, there's nothing remotely COOL or WONDERFUL about this kind of hoax. The issue isn't about a 40-year-old woman pretending to be a teenage boy, rather the issue is about a 40-year-old woman pretending to be a transgendered, HIV+, abused, drug addicted teenage boy--and then using that persona to gain access, success, and sympathy from others. Some might love that she fooled "the genius literary elite," but that speaks more about someone's own resentment toward those who've made honest names for themselves as writers, etc.

In truth, it speaks volumes about the writers, artists, publishers, editors, and others who went the extra mile to help a young man pull his life together and get his work published and read. There's nothing cynical about creative people doing that for a person (in fact, I'd argue it is admirable that they would go out of their to do so), but it is incredibly cynical and cruel to take advantage of those intentions. By doing so, Laura Albert has probably made it impossible for a real young person with real problems and real talent to be taken seriously by those who were duped. Her sins aren't in the books or the quality of the writing, but in her intentions to shortcut her success by co-opting the problems of others who rarely have a voice and by lying to those who would seek to help those people. And, of course, don't forget she then went to incredible lengths to discredit anyone or anything that sought to reveal the truth.
In other words, real abused children feel real pain, and stunts like this only serve to avert good intentions that should go to the right places.

So judge the books on the merit of the writing, if you want. But please remember the one unerring mark of a sociopath is, essentially, that they'll try to make you feel sorry for them even as they're screwing you over.

This may not be the best of the "Best Music Writing" series, but it's got a lot to recommend it. I don't care at all for Dave Eggers' self-indulgent books, but his remembrance of Big Country was sincere and heartfelt. If you're even slightly into Dylan, you'll find Robert Hilburn's interview with him about his songwriting process to be utterly fascinating.

As to the complaint that the collection is "rockist," appealing to only a limited music sensibility, my attitude is "So what?" This is the kind of music that seems to strike the deepest chord with most of the best music writers.

I do strongly agree that the book could have been longer. There's several dozen "other notable essays" mentioned in the back -- couldn't there have been room to include a few of them?

I haven't read this. I won't read this. But for J.T. Leroy to be the editor makes a joke of all that is serious or meaningful about music writing. As has been made very clear recently, there is no J.T. Leory other than a semi-elaborate creation by the woman Speedie in the band Thistle. Too bad, as the creation was/is way more interesting than the reality. Being a serious fan of Leroy I feel scammed for reasons that make no sense. Thanks for wasting my time and belief in people who are writing honestly about themselves and the world they come for. Ever get this feeling you're getting ripped off by people who could care less? Shame on all those involved: Dennis Copper, Mary Gaitskill, Henry Dunow, Ira Silverberg, and the never-was that is J.T. Leroy. The very fact that this fabrication could fool so many speaks volumes about why the publishing world is so corrupt. You will all pay in hell for misleading those of us that believe in the power of fiction to be honest and revealing. Shame on you all!