I'm about to finish Chuck Klosterman's Fargo Rock City, which is hisdissertation on why hair metal mattered both to the Big Picture and to
Klosterman as a teenager in a little farm community. It's a very scholarly
take on disposable culture, but very funny. Dave would love it, Joe would hate it.
Here's a taste, and it only tangentially relates to hair metal (so Joe can read this without being offended). Here, Klosterman sums up my feelings exactly about Courtney Love. Or at least my feelings, circa 2001. I don't think about her much now.
"[Courtney] Love's ability to fool intelligent people continues to baffle me. In 1991, she made Pretty On The Inside, and it was as remarkable as a bucket of vomit warming in the afternoon sun. By 1994, she had married Kurt Cobain and - surprise! - proceeded to "write" a record that's pretty amazing (and seemingly unconnected to her debut in almost every possible way.) Tragically, Kurt died the week before it was released. Courtney subsequently stopped making music ... until she renewed her friendship with Billy Corgan and - surprise! - released Celebrity Skin, another exceptional record with virtually no sonic relationship to Live Through This. Funny how this keeps happening. I hope Courtney starts sleeping with Trey Anastasio of Phish, because I'd love to see Hole become a jam band."
And that's just a footnote.
5 comments:
I received this ages ago as a gift and did enjoy it immensely. I'm not always a huge Klosterman fan (maybe he's a little too much like me or you or anyone our age for me to be comfortable), but as a kid who graduated from high school in North Idaho, this had a lot of resonance for me. Of course, CK likes bands like Motley Crue and Van Halen that I never had a lot of time for. I was more of a Priest, Maiden, Metallica by way of Black Flag kind of kid.
You lived in Idaho?
For my last 3 years of high school, just across the state line from that hub of civilization, Spokane. I have also lived in Anaheim, CA, Tacoma, WA, Spokane, WA, Mt. Vernon, WA, Cheney, WA, Memphis, TN, Jackson, MS, New Orleans, LA, Monsey, NY, and Durham, NC for those keeping track.
I didn't think anyone actually lived in Idaho. I always thought it was fictitious like Elbonia or Oz or Jay's heterosexuality.
I'm as gay as Idaho is uninhabited.
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