Kim Gordon - Girl in a Band

Hi,

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I am not aware, that I have heard a single piece of music by Sonic Youth or any of Kim Gordon's music with any other bands! This will be a "review" of the book, and a commentary on one side of the arts, that I am comfortable with, but rock fans are NOT. For this reason, I did not listen to anything until after I read the book, and then wrote this to prevent being influenced by anyone's ideas. I'm letting the book fly on its own! And this review is the same. Do not expect a music review ... because it isn't. Just like the book is not a review of her music for the rock fans! Stop here if you are looking for something else!

If there ever was a book, that has less to do with music and the glorious world that it supposedly creates, then this one is for you. Unlike many rock books and the boring selfish and self-abosorbed comments and events, every once in a while you come across a book that almost defied description, and while it does that, it becomes a new wonderful read ... that, unffortunately, will get passed around, and mostly ignored. Kim Gordon's book, "Girl in a Band', is one of those things that is more about the history of what she saw through her eyes, than it is anything else ... and she's just like a veritable audience catching all this movement and "life" ... simply going by. Of course, it doesn't get any easier when one gets married and has a child, and at this point the book changes.

She does what many of us do. Concentrate on the music and the art and forget the emotional upheavel of the rest, so you can concentrate on your own work.

What is super nice about this book?

You have a person searching for the muse and inspiration as an artist. Not someone looking for the ultimate rock riff or song! By itself, that is a massive ... and the most important part of the book. And she seems to do the same thing for the music, although I will not qualify/quantify that at this point in time.

One of the best views, is her look at the LA suburbia and its comments. In so many ways, they are so real as to be scary and trying to explain and show to outsiders, how plastic and makeup this whole scene can be, is often, forgotten, a scene that lives on copy and appreciation for a star system that doesn't exist and forces people to hide behind their image. And a bit later, she moves to New York, and the artistic sensibililties kick in, and it's almost weird to be reading a book that spends more time discussing the arts, in both LA (none!!!) and NY (too much!), and find that she can maneuver around it better than when she is with the very band that she is in.

To Kim's credit she is sensitive about the "fame" the band might bring to help her do her art shows, or vice versa, and eventually she learns to mix the two, which is, by definition, one of the toughest parts of any musician or artist out there ... mixing anything is against the rules, and you have to kiss up to the laws of fame ... you're a star, dress like it ... you're an artist, then show off the art ... and you and I can sit here and go ... I don't think I have ever seen one ... wait a minute ... are we talking the atist or the musician ... specially when this is the same thing and not different people.

The interesting thing is when you put this book next to Patty Smith's. Kim's knowledge of all the Galleries in NY and the work they have is a trip ... and you can get a feel for what the competition is like, a lot more than you do any kind of discussion of recognition about the music from her own peers, as if she almost completely shuts off any comment, or discussion about the music itself ... similar to the art ... comments, are a joke ... because no one can really perceive the inner side of the work ... you might have an idea, but it is inside your head, and does not necessarily have anything to do with the work itself ... and she treats the music the same way, something that no musician out there is capable of doing ... they are too emotionally attached to their work, to see it more objectively as a painter, or writer would. And this indictment, is something that she takes to heart, and she makes sure she does not fall pray to that canyon of overloaded emotions that are not about the work itself at all!

But I can tell you, after reading this book, that I am interested in both the art and the music, now ... even though the heyday of her music, appears to have been attached to her husband, and nowadays the music is less attached to the band that helped. It is attached to the very art work that she does, and that makes things interesting ... in other words, very different, from the run of the mill top of the pops material ... that bores many of us to heck and back!

Very nice book, not for rock fans at all, because there is no kissypoo here ... but if the interest is on a person just learning to be an artist with their own work, then this book holds an interest for you. If not, this book will likely bore you. This is not a book about the glorious riff from heaven! It's more of a book, about the "moment", when the art piece came alive, and crystalized who you are! And it also can happen in music! Or "noise"! And rock music uses too much make up and too much fame, to get there, and not enough of it has anything to do with the work itself.

It takes courage and care, to write and do what Kim describes here ... and one can not help but state ... right on girl ... GO! And there is no fear in displaying the art that you have and are!

Very nice book, and I'm not sure it is for everyone, but it is nice to see someone show something totally different. Recommended for people that look at their "art" seriously, and I'm not talking about the notes or the chords, or your insecurity thinking about those notes and ideas that supposedly makes you an artist.

And now I have some listening to do of her music ... and I will add comments on it later. I'm curious to see how I react to them comparing to the book!