All Shook Up: Music, Passion, and Politics

Rating:
Summary: Heavy on the politics, light on the science
Review: Despite the many references to more prestigous thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, etc., Halloway's assertions concerning popular music are shockingly simplistic. Though he clearly approaches his subject from a political and cultural standpoint, the uneasy connection he attempts to forge between the physics of music and human response, and the resultant cultural fallout, demands a more rigorous grounding in physics, psychology, biology, and/or math for his argument to even begin to seem plausible. Once Halloway's focus moved beyond lyrics to actual harmonic structures, establishing a causal connection between music (even the sort he laughably terms "pornographic pop") and "destructive behavior" required more than simply paraphrasing Plato, or quoting some Nietzsche to succeed. Not only does he avoid a comparative analysis between disciplines, but Halloway limits his studies to the classics of western civilization. There is an entire world of music out there, each unique form entwined with an equally unique culture. Certainly there must be some insight to be gleaned from it somewhere. Perhaps he did, in fact, research other discplines, and/or other genres of music, but found them inconvenient to his arguments. Indeed, in some of his more athletic leaps of reasoning, Halloway's conservative slip begins to show. Frankly, this book proved to be the sort of conservative pseudo-intellectualism I'd expect from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, but with a better bibliography. In the book's favor, I can say that it is quite readable, with a clear, if somewhat plain narrative voice. If only the logic employed were equally as clear.

Rating:
Summary: music 's reflection of a spoiled society
Review: Holloway effectively illustrates the assertions of notable philosphers concerning the importance of music in society, with particular reference to the rhythm and tone of the music. Philosophers ranging Aristotle to Rousseau understood the importance of music in arousing or pacifying emotions. Holloway offers a very convincing illustration of the effects of music upon the characters of individuals. Music is filled with explicit language, verbal images of gratuituous sexual conduct, and the pleasurable experiences of narcotic abuses. In being over-exposed to this kind of music, the current generation has become accustomed to expecting extreme methods of gratifying oneself. This over-gratification has lead to an experimentation with new methods of gratification, more extreme and effective than the preceding methods. Holloway doesn't really discuss what should be done to remedy this trend nor does he suggest censorship. Also, the book was lacking a global philosophical approach as asian philosophical teachings concerning music were omitted from the book.

Rating:
Summary: Welcome to the Culture Wars
Review: Holloway's academic scholarship serves as the thinest possible veil for an unmistakable and troubling piece of conservative moralizing. Marshalling the evidence of Plato, Aristotle, and a curious admixture of modern social science research, Holloway argues that the influence of contemporary popular music (or as he rather tellingly refers to it in several place, "pornographic pop") on the character of young listeners has dangerous political implications. His insistence that it is not just lyrics but, as Plato and Aristotle acknowledge, the very rhythms, meters, and harmonic structures of music that can lay hold of and inflame youthful passions leaves him with no alternative but to condemn pop music in its totality. Indeed, one gets the impression that the only thing preventing Holloway from supporting outright consorship of pop music is his grudging acknowledgment that the First Amendment would likely render any such attempt unconstitutional. Of course, Holloway nowhere explains what it is about the rhythms and harmonic structures of pop music that make them puerile and vulgar, and the fact that he also neglects to explain precisely what he means by "pop music" serves to extend the potential range of vilified music to a rather disturbing degree. In addition to his questionable conclusions, Holloway bases his argument on frequently one-dimensional interpretations of Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, and Nietzsche (his interpretation of Plato, for example, is based almost exclusively on Books 3, 4, and 9 of the Republic and a brief passage from the Laws), and it often seems as if he has allowed his ideological commitments to determine the direction and findings of his research. Readers looking for yet another neo-Struassian volley in America's culture wars might want to pick this volume up. However, those readers interested in work that seriously engages the complexities, problems, and promises of the relationship between music and politics might wish to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Welcome to the Culture Wars
Review: Holloway's academic scholarship serves as the thinest possible veil for an unmistakable and troubling piece of conservative moralizing. Marshalling the evidence of Plato, Aristotle, and a curious admixture of modern social science research, Holloway argues that the influence of contemporary popular music (or as he rather tellingly refers to it in several place, "pornographic pop") on the character of young listeners has dangerous political implications. His insistence that it is not just lyrics but, as Plato and Aristotle acknowledge, the very rhythms, meters, and harmonic structures of music that can lay hold of and inflame youthful passions leaves him with no alternative but to condemn pop music in its totality. Indeed, one gets the impression that the only thing preventing Holloway from supporting outright consorship of pop music is his grudging acknowledgment that the First Amendment would likely render any such attempt unconstitutional. Of course, Holloway nowhere explains what it is about the rhythms and harmonic structures of pop music that make them puerile and vulgar, and the fact that he also neglects to explain precisely what he means by "pop music" serves to extend the potential range of vilified music to a rather disturbing degree. In addition to his questionable conclusions, Holloway bases his argument on frequently one-dimensional interpretations of Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, and Nietzsche (his interpretation of Plato, for example, is based almost exclusively on Books 3, 4, and 9 of the Republic and a brief passage from the Laws), and it often seems as if he has allowed his ideological commitments to determine the direction and findings of his research. Readers looking for yet another neo-Struassian volley in America's culture wars might want to pick this volume up. However, those readers interested in work that seriously engages the complexities, problems, and promises of the relationship between music and politics might wish to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: the fight over music
Review: Holloway's book is a wonderful introduction to what the history of western political philosophy says about the role of music in shaping people's character. The belief that music has a role in forming the character has always been a controversal stance, starting with Plato, and remains one still today. One only has to be reminded of Allan Bloom's chapter on Rock music and the reaction that section provoked shows how powerful this theme remains today. Liberals (ancient and modern, capitalist or not) don't like the idea that music plays a role in character formation.. and what Holloway's book does shows the reader what the big stars of western philosophy has to say on this subject. Holloways argues by ignoring the power of music in the formation of character of the young especially, contemporary society and the music it has bread.. has lead to extremes both in music and people's character.. and both for the worse.

Rating:
Summary: the fight over music
Review: Holloway's book is a wonderful introduction to what the history of western political philosophy says about the role of music in shaping people's character. The belief that music has a role in forming the character has always been a controversal stance, starting with Plato, and remains one still today. One only has to be reminded of Allan Bloom's chapter on Rock music and the reaction that section provoked shows how powerful this theme remains today. Liberals (ancient and modern, capitalist or not) don't like the idea that music plays a role in character formation.. and what Holloway's book does shows the reader what the big stars of western philosophy has to say on this subject. Holloways argues by ignoring the power of music in the formation of character of the young especially, contemporary society and the music it has bread.. has lead to extremes both in music and people's character.. and both for the worse.

Rating:
Summary: Does Music Matter?
Review: In the early 1970s amidst the Indian gurus at the Whole Earth Festival at the University of California Davis, I met a young American who admired Ravi Shakar and was, not surprisingly, studying the sitar. He assured me that all of the ragas composed by traditional Indian musicians were designed to enhance or induce spiritual states. Thus, for the Hindu musical tradition of the ragas, the concept that instrumental music affects the human mind and spirit is a basic presupposition. Indeed, the primary purpose of the music is not entertainment but Hindu spiritual development.

Nevertheless, it seems that in the modern West, most Christians and secularists alike reject with asperity this elementary insight that the most influential message of music is found in its rhythm, melody and harmony rather than in its lyrics. Therefore, we owe a debt of gratitude to Carson Holloway for this groundbreaking recovery of the role of music in the moral education of human beings. He contrasts the deep concern with music as a moral force of the ancients represented by Plato and Aristotle and of certain moderns such as Rousseau and Nietzsche with the lack of such interest of other moderns such as Hobbes and Locke.

Holloway acknowledges Allan Bloom's recognition of the anti-philosohical influence of rock music but finds Bloom's analysis wanting. I think that Holloway succeeds in advancing a rational understanding of the subject. Unfortunately, an objective appraisal of his work is difficult for many because music lies on the fault line of the culture war between those who see the Judeo-Christian ethic as corresponding to the natural order of creation and those whose ethic denies the existence of such an order in favor of human autonomy.

Defenders of the Judeo-Christian ethic are typically disarmed on the musical front by their failure to understand what any random student of Ravi Shankar knows: Music directly affects the soul without regard for the rational content of lyrics, which are quite optional. Thus, the sounds of the music, i.e., its musical form, may enhance or detract from any lyrics. Indeed, the form of the music may well be more powerful than the words and overwhelm their message.

Holloway makes a useful contribution to our understanding of how music affects us beginning with this recognition that music does affect our souls in powerful ways that matter in both ethics and politics.



Rating:
Summary: Cogent and compelling
Review: Mr. Holloway's book is a welcome addition to the discussion of culture and morality. Far from simply saying what is good and what is not, he shows how we have arrived at current opinions about music and it's place in our cultural life, and why what the likes of Plato and Aristotle had to say has relavence for today. This is a well reasoned and thoughtful treatise that should be read by everyone who is concerned with the current social fabric.
It is refreshing to have a political scientist regard music as a serious force in that very discipline. Those who disagree with him will do so not because his arguments do not make sense, but because they do not like his conclusions, i.e. they are fulfilling the very dictum of contemporary politics - hold any opinion you want to, as long as you don't insist it is the right one.