Re: [Marxism] A trailer: It's not the politics, it's the morals

[Louis Kontos <Louis.Kontos@xxxxxxx>]

Paul,
Why bother talking about Dylan with someone who compares him with Madonna?
Or who sees the Frankfurt School, together with Dylan, as a 'commercial
reflection of the times'? I mean, if this a Marxist analysis, it is lazy
Marxism. Who needs it?
I'd like to add, though, in response to list-members who've made serious
points about Dylan, including that he withdrew from political engagement and
that he then turned to religion (several of them), that Dylan's three
overtly religious albums represent, in my view, some of the most beautiful
gospel music ever heard, and that they are not, in my view, incompatible
with any critical perspective of the problems and contradictions of society
-- including Marxism. Moreover, Dylan's music doesn't lend itself to this
kind of parceling. E.g., Dylan's first 'post-religious' album is entitled
'Infidels'. The first song on that album (when he supposedly converted to
Judaism) is 'Jokerman' -- a song about Jesus.
Religious themes, concepts and symbols have always been central to his work,
including the early work that list-members referred to as political. Somehow
it didn't seem to matter before; now it matters -- why? Also, regarding
politics, songs like Blowing In the Wind and The Lonesome Death of Hattie
Carroll (i.e., early Dylan) are not more 'political' (nor more astute
politically) than Political World, Changing of the Guards, etc. (later
Dylan). If someone on this list believes otherwise, I'd love to hear why.
It seems to me that Dylan is now doing what he was always doing it, namely,
developing his art -- which stands apart from our cultural wasteland -- with
whatever material (language, experience, etc.) is available to him, in a
fearless way, and despite the precarious nature of his various audiences.
To see Marxists put down Dylan is pathetic.
Louis


> I didn't google on "Dylan"  I googled on the song title:  "Dear
> Landlord"+chords.
>
> Try that with a Madonna* song title and relate back to me the international
> analyses of either song structure or content, will ya?.  The mere fact that
> similar results for Pound might occur only strengthens the point about
> Dylan's place as an English language poet, which is all I've been talking
> about.  I'd compare Madonna with Sinatra just to keep apples and oranges in
> the same basket.
>
> Paul Dillon
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Louis Kontos" <Louis.Kontos@xxxxxxx>
> To: "Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition"
> <marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 6:31 PM
> Subject: Re: [Marxism] A trailer: It's not the politics, it's the morals
>
>
>> Very insightful. Keep up the good work.
>>
>>
>>> What's the point?  Dillon likes Dylan?  OK.  Dillon thinks Dylan is a
>>> world-historical figure?  Well, so  then is Madonna.  See what you get
>>> on her with Google.
>>>
>>> So what?  Dylan, Madonna-- commercial reflections of the times.  And
>>> that's OK.  Why make more it than that?    Never got the Frankfurt
>>> School anywhere, did it?
>>>
>>> rr
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Paul H. Dillon" <illonph@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> To: "Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition"
>>> <marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 5:52
>>> Subject: Re: [Marxism] A trailer: It's not the politics, it's the morals
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ________________________________________________
>>> YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
>>> Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism
>>
>>
>> ________________________________________________
>> YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
>> Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism
>
>
> ________________________________________________
> YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
> Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism


________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism