When You Get Some Time...

I know finding time to read is difficult, and right now I'm having trouble finding time to write, either on my book or on my many blogs. But...

...I submit for you, Norm, a list of links of pretty well written history, a so-called Winners' History of Rock 'n Roll. Rock criticism has centered around how commercialism through radio and MTV basically destroyed the music scene, and if you like the major popular bands, you're a sucker or you don't understand history.

I'm pretty unfamiliar with rock criticism in general, but I do have a sense of the Lester Bangs-ification of skewering the most popular rock bands and complaining that everything's sucked since punk became commercialized in something like 1980 or 1983.

It was with that in mind that this writer named Steven Hyden decided to look at the long arc of rock history from the advantage of what he considers the Winners, and for their time, the undisputed Lords of Rock. These are bands I've heard of. These are the bands I know. My understanding of the "true rock scholarship" is as lacking as plenty of folks' understanding of the importance of Chandler Brossard on the world inherited by Pynchon and Foster Wallace.

There are seven pieces total, and each has a contextual history concerning the age in question. Each is quite long and, for me at least, quite enjoyable. But in all honesty, I haven't been able to read through entirely any of them beyond the first one. One reason I'm putting the links here is so I can get back to them later. I felt like if anyone should read these and this perspective, it'd be you, Norm.

So, here we go with some jump links:

1) Led Zeppelin
2) Kiss
3) Bon Jovi
4) Aerosmith
5) Metallica
6) Linkin Park
7) Black Keys

 Hyden can explain his background and motives better than I, but I'd imagine you won't be disappointed when you get to it.