Today’s Work: Thanks for coming back! I’m trying to back into the groove, so this one might be a little stiff and jumbled. Besides today’s PW, I’m still working out the format for Project OTC. Hopefully this new newsletter will launch next week. I’ll give further details on this idea over the next few days, but suffice to say it’ll be about a certain music genre that deserves so much more attention, both from a historical and modern perspective.
Note: Many of the subjects found in PW over the next few months might seem familiar to long time readers. Since I’m basically starting over from the beginning, I may repeat myself a bit on some topics.
Person of Interest: Ted Gioia (The Honest Broker) - I was very late to the game in terms of reading Ted’s newsletter. I haven’t even read any of his books yet, but I never miss a post. He thinks deeply and writes with clarity. Even when he’s diving into his primary concern, jazz, I’m happily following along. His essays on culture are nearly without peer. He doesn’t need my recommendation, but he’s getting it anyway.
Random Cool Thing - I save way too many articles and essays I find online. Bookmarks full of ‘em, multiple tabs open on my phone, laptop and tablet. When Pocket shut down (RIP), I probably lost thousands of pieces of great and interesting writing. Oh well, I still have WAY too much in the various archives I manage. I save the most random stuff, but somehow it all usually aligns my bonkers list of interests. Here’s one from earlier this year:
Terry Jones, Monty Python's quiet genius, was the beating heart of Holy Grail by Matthew Jackson for the AV Club
Monty Python was so indescribably foundational to my sense of humor. My first experience with the Pythons was mid-70’s Flying Circus episodes on the telly. Just so silly, absurd and smart - 10 year old me couldn’t get enough. This year, Monty Python and the Holy Grail celebrates it’s 50 year anniversary, so it seems appropriate to put a spotlight on Terry Jones, who seemed to exist as the barely restrained calm in the middle of the Python hurricane. Terry passed away over five years ago, but his performances in Holy Grail, Life of Brian and the rest of the Python canon will always be with me, making me spontaneously giggle out loud.
Artist o’the day: I follow 1,342 bands or solo artists on Spotify, plus more in Bandcamp and Soundcloud. Yes, that’s ridiculous. That number fluctuates weekly as well. The Paradox of Choice kicks in every time I’m trying to find an album to listen to while making dinner, for example. So I need to cull the herd. I’m going to reconsider my fandom for each of these 1300+ artists. (I’ll go alphabetically to keep my brain having to make a decision on who to tackle next.)
How am I going to quantify my decision to cast out the not-quite-good-enough-to-take-up-my-valuable-time candidates? I’m going to try to use a few criteria:
Influence - can you still hear their musical DNA in artists today?
Consistency - Did they have one great debut album, and pffft? Or a career of consistent progress and growth?
Legacy - Did they escape genre and enter the pop culture hivemind (and stay there)?
Acclaim - Were they ever institutionally recognized as one of the best at anything?
Originality - When you hear their music, do you know right away it’s them?
Longevity - Have they remained relevant or is the fanbase dwindling with every passing year?
Considering these six criteria, and my own personal relationship with the band, I’ll give ‘em the ol’ thumbs up and they stay on the team, or I’ll relegate them to the dreaded minor leagues of my musical library, the One Hit Wonder playlist. I’ll always include a representative video when available, and you can judge for yourself. Argue with me in the comments if you like - I can’t be easily swayed, unless of course you have cash.
Beyond this decision making process, it’ll be fun (I hope) to revisit a bunch of bands and albums I may have skipped over or forgotten about for far too long. It all starts tomorrow.