The Phoenix Network:
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 

Boston Phoenix makes Greil Marcus-edited Best Music Writing 2009


Former Boston Phoenix staffer JAMES PARKER -- who now covers SpongeBob for some up-market liberal rag you may have heard of -- has been tapped for inclusion in DaCapo's DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE WITH THE STARS BEST MUSIC WRITING 2009, an annual book-length compendium that's become, next to free Radiohead tickets, the rock critic's highest professional honor. This year's edition is being guest-edited by none other than (former Phoenix contributor) GREIL MARCUS, the Len Goodman of pop scribes. 

Parker's contribution is his (dare we say brilliant) Phoenix essay on "Axl Rose, Albert Goldman, and the renegade art of rock biography," which you do not need to wait to read, since we have it for you online right now:

I think it may have been sometime in the 1970s — and I’m being as half-assed as I possibly can here, in keeping with my theme — that the term "unauthorized” became sort of cool. The authorized version: that was what the Man gave you. You didn’t want that. You wanted the illicit, illegitimate, sniggering-behind-your-hand version. Not the truth exactly, but something that smelled a bit like it. CONTINUE READING>>

As far as we know, it may be the only selection in the book which appeared in a newspaper -- the only other confirmed inclusion we came across in a half-assed Google search was (former Phoenix columnist) Nick Sylvester's epic essay on Girl Talk.

As for Parker's inclusion, we're slightly disappointed that they picked one of his obvious masterpieces, as opposed to his under-appreciated poem about Britney Spears.

PREORDER: Best Music Writing 2009 [Amazon]

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy-winning multi-platinum American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and occasional actress, author and director. Having sold more...

W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose, Jr. on February 6, 1962 in Lafayette, Indiana) is an American musician, best known as the frontman of...

  • Share:
  • Share this entry with Facebook
  • Share this entry with Digg
  • Share this entry with Delicious
  • Email this article to a friend
  • Print this article

4 Comments

  • Ryan Stewart said:

    That Nick Sylvester link should come with some kind of warning.

    May 27, 2009 10:28 AM
  • Carly Carioli said:

    "WARNING: 8000 Words of Way-Too-Serious Thought on What People Think About When They Think About Music Too Much."

    May 27, 2009 7:20 PM
  • John Bartholomew said:

    Can't think too much about music, but you can think too little about reading. Congrats to James.

    May 27, 2009 9:50 PM
  • rebecca said:

    Hey guys! At least one other newspaper article was included this year: mine, in LA CityBeat. Thank you. Thank you very much.

    May 28, 2009 5:09 PM

Leave a Comment

Login | Not a member yet? Click here to Join
Follow the Boston Phoenix
twitter facebook myspace youtube rss
All Blogs
Related Articles

Britney_garden-thumb
Boston Phoenix
Photos: Britney Spears at TD Garden
Published 9/4/2009 by KELLY DAVIDSON
Britney Spears, live at TD Garden on August 29, 2009

090724_bighurt-list
Boston Phoenix
The Big Hurt: MJ murder mystery, Aerosmith injuries
Published 7/24/2009 by DAVID THORPE
Music News in Brief

more by Carly Carioli
ABC reveals the truth about universal health care: sinister plot hatched by space aliens! | November 03, 2009
VIDEO PREMIERE: Matt & Kim play intimate fans-only gig at the Lansdowne | October 08, 2009
VIDEO PREMIERE: Owl City's fans-only concert at the Lansdowne | October 08, 2009
Converge invents new use for Twitter: "street justice" for album leaks | October 07, 2009
VIDEO: Lights covers Phil Collins at the Middle East | October 05, 2009

 See all articles by: Carly Carioli

ADVERTISEMENT
Latest Video
OTD Categories
Out
Say Anything at the House of Blues | October 30
Rare Frequencies
Rare Frequencies: Trouble and treble
Playlists
Lady Lee's Lion's Den Playlist
MP3 of the Week
HOMEWORK: Assignment #2: D-Tension
Hot Tix
Ticket On-Sale Alert: Weezer, Mighty Mighty Bosstones...
Latest Comments
Nintendo Wii's Horrifying Attempt to Appeal to Young Girls - You do realise that it's not Nintendo that made this peripheral or game, don't you? Perhaps you should...

By Brian Armstrong on 11-05-2009 in Laser Orgy

Green Line: Worst subway in the world? - Having also lived in Philly, DC, and Chicago I will agree that there are at least lines that give the...

By Meghan on 11-04-2009 in Dont Quote Me

Some Local Election Thoughts - I really disagree that Flaherty could not have done more. I think he let the race be framed as FOR or...

By ImFoxed on 11-04-2009 in Talking Politics

Some Local Election Thoughts - To be sure, Deb Shaw is one hot ticket, but look at who she had to work with. What a strong candidate...

By NewtonGal on 11-04-2009 in Talking Politics

Q&A #9 -- Social Media For GOTV - If you followed the banter, it was mainly between 4 or 5 people on each side with snarky comments. The...

By Anonymous Tweeter on 11-04-2009 in Talking Politics

Latest Comments from On The Download
Most Viewed
VIDEO: Lights covers Phil Collins at the Middle East
Dueling Dinos: Dinosaur Jr., Night Two
Ra Ra Riot at the Paradise
Ticket On-Sale Alert: Snoop Dogg with Red & Meth, Zero 7, Thursday, Kenny Rogers, Def Leppard, and more
The Huge Decision That Hip-Hop Heads In Boston Need To Make This Thursday
Converge invents new use for Twitter: "street justice" for album leaks
MP3 of the Week: MEandJOANCOLLINS, "(I Masturbate) A Little Too Much"
Most Viewed from On The Download
Search Blogs
 
Links
Bradley’s Almanac - Lower Allston blogging and bootlegging since 2001
Band in Boston -
Basstown -
Wayne&Wax -
Aurgasm -
Onward Charles -
Compound 440r -
Anti-Gravity Bunny -
Clicky Clicky -
Soul Clap -
Lemmingtrail -
WMBR -
WFNX -
Beginning To See the Light -
Jump the Turnstyle -
Heads Up Boston -
Loaded Gun -
Enough Cowbell -
Vanyaland -
On The Download Archives
Thursday, November 05, 2009  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
thePhoenix.com
Phoenix Media/Communications Group
Copyright © 2009 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group