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William Echard

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Neil Young and the Poetics of Energy (Musical Meaning and Interpretation) Kindle Edition

by William Echard (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.5 9 ratings

Part of: Musical Meaning and Interpretation (21 books)

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“This book uniquely and successfully sustains a cohesive analysis of the work, career, and reception of a single artist . . . Neil Young.” —Daniel Cavicchi, author of Tramps Like Us

As a writer in Wired magazine puts it, Neil Young is a “folk-country-grunge dinosaur [who has been] reborn (again) as an Internet-friendly, biodiesel-driven, multimedia machine.” In Neil Young and the Poetics of Energy, William Echard stages an encounter between Young’s challenging and ever-changing work and current theories of musical meaning—an encounter from which both emerge transformed.

Echard roots his discussion in an extensive review of writings from the rock press as well as his own engagement as a fan and critical theorist. How is it that Neil Young is both a perpetual outsider and critic of rock culture, and also one of its most central icons? And what are the unique properties that have lent his work such expressive force? Echard delves into concepts of musical persona, space, and energy, and in the process illuminates the complex interplay between experience, musical sound, social actors, genres, styles, and traditions.

Readers interested primarily in Neil Young, or rock music in general, will find a new way to think and talk about the subject, and readers interested primarily in musical or cultural theory will find a new way to articulate and apply some of the most exciting current perspectives on meaning, music, and subjectivity.

“A fascinating and unique reading of Neil Young’s music.” —Literary Review of Canada

“[An] intriguing, elegantly written analysis of Young . . . Exemplifies the fruitful union of musicology and cultural studies.” —Cotten Seiler, Dickinson College

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a fascinating and unique reading of Neil Young's music...." -- Literary Review of Canada, November 2005

About the Author

William Echard is Assistant Professor in the Department of Music and Institute for Comparative Studies in Literature, Art and Culture at Carleton University. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01NCK5HBJ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Indiana University Press (June 15, 2005)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 15, 2005
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1303 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,879,962 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #159 in Philosophy & Social Aspects of Music
- #442 in Musical Philosophy & Social Aspects
- #602 in Music Theory (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
3.5 9 ratings

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3.5 out of 5

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Linda Gertjejansen

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

it's in my collection!!!

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2008

Too technical about the music and not enough on the background of the lyrics. Also repeats information in earlier books on Neil Young.

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2006

I'm a student at Carleton University in Ottawa Ontario where Dr. Echard teaches and I have to say that this book is an excellent tool for students of musical theory. I understand the reservations that others have for the book's readability as it does convey many of Dr. Echard's more upper level theories about culture and music. But having taken several clases with him I can say that he is an amazing speaker and a well-informed doctoral scholar but he is definately an intellectual and the more elaborate theories will go over the heads of most. I would recommend this book to those who wish to have a greater understanding of cultural theory moreso than those wishing to read a general biography of Neil Young.

Helpful

Bill White

A Study in Musical Jargon

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2012

When I saw this book in the store I jumped all over it. "This should be great" I thought. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Over half of the pages that my eyes passed over conveyed no meaning to me, semiotic or otherwise. I know one or two big words, but I don't know lots of Eckard's. I wanted to read a music professor's insight into the source of the magic. Instead, I don't even know what I read. Musical meaning and interpretation were elusive. I realize that this book was not written for fans like me. Unless you, too, dwell in Eckard's musical universe, you will probably find this book unfulfilling,

Helpful

NeilFan22

Easier to hear than read!

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2013

Being as this is a critical study of the guy, hearing the narration really colors and gives life to the text. The narrator sounds like he's a fan, but doesn't sound like he's editorializing on the author's intent. Actually, the author provides a pretty unbiased view of an artist who's always changing his skin to suit the times. Learned some stuff I never knew before...and that's saying something...I've been a fan for years.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Passionate About Music

Not rock criticism, but a good academic study of a rock musician

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2007

Like Susan Fast's Led Zep book, Echard's book about Neil Young is a book by a college professor that is published by an academic publisher. It's an academic study. There are lots of footnotes.

So I hate to see this book criticized by reviewers for being what it is, an academic study. It is not for everyone. It is not INTENDED for everyone.

Once you realize that it defends highly original ideas about how guitar solos are meaningful artistic gestures, you can appreciate it for what it tries to be (semiotic analysis) and not what you might hope it is (rock criticism). And it's damn fine semiotic analysis.

I don't give it five stars because it doesn't give equal time to all phases of Neil Young's career.

4 people found this helpful

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Spencer Tad

If you liked this book, you will also love...

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2006

The following titles:

1. MY BATHS IN CALGON
2. HOW TO KEEP YOUR TENURE WITHOUT HAVING TO DO ANYTHING INTELLIGENT
3. TOUCH ME OH SO TENDERLY
4. HOW TO MISEXPRESS THE INEXPRESSIBLE AND GET PAID FOR IT
5. POETRY, FEELINGS, WARMNESS, AND YOU
6. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR PhD
7. SAY IT LIKE YOU DON'T MEAN IT
8. WHY IT'S BETTER TO BE COOL THAN SMART WHILE ALL THE WHILE IMAGINING THAT YOU'RE BOTH
9. THE SECRET GARDEN
10. THE LONG SUMMER OF PRETENDING TO HAVE FEELINGS
11. 101 WAYS TO BETRAY THAT YOU'RE A GUILTY INTELLECTUAL
12. HOW TO CONFUSE "I LIKE IT" WITH "I SHOULD WRITE ABOUT IT"

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