Articles of Interest: Wha Happened?

“But I’m the one who said, ‘This is a guitar thing!’”...In 1967, Mr. Casher, seated, demonstrated a wah-wah pedal for the film composer Vic Mizzy at Universal Pictures. Photograph: Del Casher/Cache Agency

 

Merry Monday Playtonics!

To start your week off right, I’d like to highlight a recent New York Times article about the invention of the wah-wah pedal. 

Amy Wallace, writer of a monthly column on creativity and innovation (called “Prototype”) for the New York Times Sunday Business section, investigates the iconic guitar pedal for her last “Prototype” column. Specifically, Wallace focuses on Del Casher, a notable guitarist and alleged part inventor of the wah-wah pedal.

The thesis of the article is that, “While it is easier — and more romantic — to talk about innovation as the domain of lone inventors who hit pay dirt while tinkering in solitude, creativity is more often than not a collaborative, and messy, affair.” Following this line of argument, Wallace explains that while engineers for The Thomas Organ company own the patent for the wah-wah pedal, Del Casher helped shaped the pedal’s use, defending its utility for guitars.

This is a great piece for any and all who care about rock and roll history. Or, from a philosophical perspective, it is an effective example of collective innovation.

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Articles of Interest: Everyone’s a Critic

The music critic in simpler times...Harold C Schonberg, music critic for the New York Times, in 1966. Photograph: AP

Most are familiar with the term “everyone’s a critic.” It is often used to dismiss an unsolicited or amateur opinion. You say, “I think the new Radiohead album is crap.” I say, “Everyone is a critic.”

But, more than being a sarcastic proverb, this saying is evolving into a truism. Blogs, such as this one, sprout up daily with writers publishing thoughts to be read by others. The trend is toward individual expression of taste.

In the service of providing the opinionated with a forum, the Guardian and Observer have uploaded three million albums onto their website where anyone can write a review. And, for those inclined to pass judgment but lack the interest to commit time and words for a review, there is also the option to give a star rating or create a pre-set list such as “Best albums of all time.”

Alexis Petridis, the Guardian’s head rock and pop critic and the music editor of GQ magazine, approves of this plan. He states, “frankly, the more people discussing and evaluating, the better.” He even gives advice for the perspective reviewer, suggesting “the more you research an album or the artist who made it, the better” and the one rule for a rock critic is they should “[make] you want to hear the records he writes about, whether good or bad.”

While I do not disagree with Petridis’s advice or his assessment that more ideas equal better discussion (that is, in fact, the point of this blog), I am slightly turned off by the Guardian and Observer’s decision to be a repository for public opinion. In theory, it is nice to have a place where anyone can express their thoughts and those thoughts are collected together. In the same way I am curious about my friends’ reactions to movies and music, I want to know what any and all think in matters of art and culture. But, a credible news source is not the place for a completely open market place of ideas.

I visit and return to news sources such as the Guardian and the New York Times becuase I want to read high quality journalism. Both those publications create strong content and their name reflects a tradition of excellence. If they become involved in the business of content farming and generating clicks (see: Huffington Post) rather than having journalists go through the gauntlet, it changes the value and function of those brands. There is rotten tomatoes for the world of movie opinion. There is metacritic for the world of music opinion. It seems overwrought to bring  the Guardian and Observer into this realm.

But, maybe I’m naive. Maybe everyone is truly a critic and, as such, everyone is equally entitled to the pages of news publications. Just don’t expect me to read it.

 

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Articles of Interest: “The Philosophical Novel” and “Schopenhauer’s Pessimism: Black Metal”

Hello Playtonics,

It’s been a while! Although I continue to post my reviews of the shows I attend and the one-off pieces I write for other publications, I feel like I’ve strayed from this blog’s original focus: music, philosophy, and the interconnection of the two.

To the end of achieving my initial goal, I’d like to start presenting articles which I find to be thought-provoking and enriching on the topics of music and philosophy. I often come across articles, philosophical or musical in theme, that I want to share and comment on. For this new feature, Articles of Interest, I’ll present a couple of recent pieces that are either related, topical or just worth a read.  I hope you find this feature to be worthwhile and a spark plug for dialogue.

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