My Aim is True

[Originally posted July 1, 2008]

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture. It's really a stupid thing to want to do." -Elvis Costello

It may seem strange that this is one of my favorite quotes. I am a music journalist, after all, but I have to say that decision has served me well so far. I love this quote, though, because it reminds me what I love about this job.

To me, music journalism is about more than "writing about music." It’s about the people behind it and the people it touches. It’s about the stories behind the songs, and the stories that happen because of them. It’s about how it changes the artist and the listener. It’s about picking the brains of some of the most talented and interesting people in the public eye.

It’s also fucking awesome.

However, even the best critics would be remiss to say that they write exclusively about music (and the best critics probably never would). In my mind, it is impossible to be a rock scribe and discuss only the sounds. Reviews that only comment on instrumentation and lyrics, without discussing the greater implications for the band, album or listener, would be bland, dull, boring. As Radiohead claims, anyone can play guitar. What’s important is why, how, and what makes any band or album great. It doesn’t always come down to technical skill (in fact, in my experience this is rarely the case).

You don’t have to be the best player or singer to change the entire face of music. Just ask John Lydon,

So I disagree with Elvis Costello in saying. Writing about music is undoubtedly a challenge—how do you translate sound and feeling into words?—but at its best it says something about people: who the artists are who create it and who we are for loving it. And that is a pursuit well worth the effort.

So welcome to dancing about architecture. Get ready for music, culture and random thoughts.