There are many things about the digitalization of everything that appeals irresistibly to the nerd in me, as well as the historian, as well as the O.C.D. collector. Having digitized my entire music library (save the songs I had only on LP's) I can now catalogue my library in depth and breadth.
Below is a certain snapshot of my music library which, as I age, is a not insignificant indicator of my tastes and attitudes, although one should be careful not to read too deeply. At any rate, below is a list of the musical artists I listen to most, with the number of their songs in my library to the left of their names. This list omits some of my favorites, but it's as broad a view as one might achieve:
(400) Bob Dylan
(150) Johnny Cash
(120) Jay-Z, The Beatles, Ghostface Killah
(90) Nas
(80) Morrissey, RZA, Wu-Tang Clan
(70) CCR, Ice Cube, Outkast
(60) Tupac, Bob Marley, Lil' Wayne
(50) Jack Johnson, Leonard Cohen, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Wyclef Jean, Talking Heads, Red Hot Chili Peppers, GZA
(40) Mos Def, Natalie Merchant, Mobb Deep, Method Man, Otis Redding, Notorious B.I.G.
As is clear by the fact that he has well more than twice as many songs as anyone else, one can surmise the perhaps inflated place Bob Dylan holds in my conception of American music. To place Bob Dylan at the top of any list is to insult his work by implying that it belongs in the same category as anything else, even if it is always assumed to be at the top of said category; Dylan is his own category.
If Bob Dylan had died in 1964, He would have been regarded as a prophet. In 2009, we can't figure out whether Dylan has died ten times or whether he'll never die at all or whether he ever even existed.
Second comes Johnny Cash, with 150 songs to Dylan's 400. To come second to Dylan is a fortune, but for Johnny Cash to come in second place in anything at all is just further testament to Dylan. Johnny Cash is the most American human being who has ever lived, and the only American talent who could do, say, and sing things that Dylan could not.
If I were to send a history of our country out into the depths of space for aliens to find, I'd have Johnny Cash read it. If someone asked me what America sounded like, or what American represented, or how America felt, I'd say "Johnny Cash".
Jay-Z is a great man, because every Obama needs an anti-hero, which is not to be confused with the "bad guy". Eggheads have talked about who paved the way for Obama, with the de rigeur requisites invariably including Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, Bill Cosby, and maybe even Will Smith. But everyone knows Jay-Z belongs on that list.
Aside from my own pet opinions on what Jay-Z represents, in terms of music, I consider him a singular genius. He is the most consistent MC of all time, he doesn't write shit down, and he steers clear of rap's worst instincts. He raps about progress, even if materialistically conceived, while most rappers focus on victimization or exploitation.
The rest of the list speaks more to quantity rather than quality; one's relative place on the list does not indicate my favor of them as much as their profligacy in recording, or in their age. But the list captures a snapshot of what I consider great American Music.
And even if one does not agree with my tastes, we should consider this. When we think of American culture, we must acknowledge that there is no American language, there is no American religion, and there is no American food. What then is our culture?
A quarter of a millenium ago, America had the best politcal theorists on Earth. But things have changed since then. America's greatest contribution to the world in the last 60 years has been its music. We can all take pride in that.
Below is a certain snapshot of my music library which, as I age, is a not insignificant indicator of my tastes and attitudes, although one should be careful not to read too deeply. At any rate, below is a list of the musical artists I listen to most, with the number of their songs in my library to the left of their names. This list omits some of my favorites, but it's as broad a view as one might achieve:
(400) Bob Dylan
(150) Johnny Cash
(120) Jay-Z, The Beatles, Ghostface Killah
(90) Nas
(80) Morrissey, RZA, Wu-Tang Clan
(70) CCR, Ice Cube, Outkast
(60) Tupac, Bob Marley, Lil' Wayne
(50) Jack Johnson, Leonard Cohen, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Wyclef Jean, Talking Heads, Red Hot Chili Peppers, GZA
(40) Mos Def, Natalie Merchant, Mobb Deep, Method Man, Otis Redding, Notorious B.I.G.
As is clear by the fact that he has well more than twice as many songs as anyone else, one can surmise the perhaps inflated place Bob Dylan holds in my conception of American music. To place Bob Dylan at the top of any list is to insult his work by implying that it belongs in the same category as anything else, even if it is always assumed to be at the top of said category; Dylan is his own category.
If Bob Dylan had died in 1964, He would have been regarded as a prophet. In 2009, we can't figure out whether Dylan has died ten times or whether he'll never die at all or whether he ever even existed.
Second comes Johnny Cash, with 150 songs to Dylan's 400. To come second to Dylan is a fortune, but for Johnny Cash to come in second place in anything at all is just further testament to Dylan. Johnny Cash is the most American human being who has ever lived, and the only American talent who could do, say, and sing things that Dylan could not.
If I were to send a history of our country out into the depths of space for aliens to find, I'd have Johnny Cash read it. If someone asked me what America sounded like, or what American represented, or how America felt, I'd say "Johnny Cash".
Jay-Z is a great man, because every Obama needs an anti-hero, which is not to be confused with the "bad guy". Eggheads have talked about who paved the way for Obama, with the de rigeur requisites invariably including Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, Bill Cosby, and maybe even Will Smith. But everyone knows Jay-Z belongs on that list.
Aside from my own pet opinions on what Jay-Z represents, in terms of music, I consider him a singular genius. He is the most consistent MC of all time, he doesn't write shit down, and he steers clear of rap's worst instincts. He raps about progress, even if materialistically conceived, while most rappers focus on victimization or exploitation.
The rest of the list speaks more to quantity rather than quality; one's relative place on the list does not indicate my favor of them as much as their profligacy in recording, or in their age. But the list captures a snapshot of what I consider great American Music.
And even if one does not agree with my tastes, we should consider this. When we think of American culture, we must acknowledge that there is no American language, there is no American religion, and there is no American food. What then is our culture?
A quarter of a millenium ago, America had the best politcal theorists on Earth. But things have changed since then. America's greatest contribution to the world in the last 60 years has been its music. We can all take pride in that.
1 comment:
Is Morrissey a recent (post-college) introduction into your archives? I'm not surprised at Tupac's relative placement in the list given your comments about placement below Jay-Z et al, but I am surprised that he's listed below Ice Cube. Or CCR for that matter! For real?
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