Records ruin the landscape : John Cage, the sixties, and sound recording

John Cage's disdain for records was legendary. He repeatedly spoke of the ways in which recorded music was antithetical to his work. In Records ruin the landscape, David Grubbs argues that, following Cage, new genres in experimental and avant-garde music in the 1960s were particularly ill suited to be represented in the form of a recording. These activities include indeterminate music, long-duration minimalism, text scores, happenings, live electronic music, free jazz, and free improvisation. How could these proudly evanescent performance practices have been adequately represented on an LP? In their day, few of these works circulated in recorded form. By contrast, contemporary listeners can encounter this music not only through a flood of LP and CD releases of archival recordings but also in even greater volume through Internet file sharing and online resources. Present-day listeners are coming to know that era's experimental music through the recorded artifacts of composers and musicians who largely disavowed recordings. In Records Ruin the Landscape, Grubbs surveys a musical landscape marked by altered listening practices [Publisher description]. Read more... Abstract: John Cage's disdain for records was legendary. He repeatedly spoke of the ways in which recorded music was antithetical to his work. In this book, the author argues that, following Cage, new genres in experimental and avant-garde music in the 1960s were particularly ill-suited to be represented in the form of a recording. Read more... John Cage's Disdain For Records Was Legendary. He Repeatedly Spoke Of The Ways In Which Recorded Music Was Antithetical To His Work. In Records Ruin The Landscape, David Grubbs Argues That, Following Cage, New Genres In Experimental And Avant-garde Music In The 1960s Were Particularly Ill Suited To Be Represented In The Form Of A Recording. These Activities Include Indeterminate Music, Long-duration Minimalism, Text Scores, Happenings, Live Electronic Music, Free Jazz, And Free Improvisation. Henry Flynt On The Air -- Landscape With Cage -- John Cage, Recording Artist -- The Antiques Trade: Free Improvisation And Record Culture -- Remove The Records From Texas: Online Resources And Impermanent Archives. David Grubbs. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [195] - 208) And Index. Contents 8 Preface 10 Acknowledgments 24 Introduction 28 1. Henry Flynt on the Air 46 2. Landscape with Cage 72 3. John Cage, Recording Artist 94 4. The Antiques Trade: Free Improvisation and Record Culture 132 5. Remove the Records from Texas: Online Resources and Impermanent Archives 162 Notes 194 Selected Discography 222 Bibliography 226 Index 236 John Cage's disdain for records was legendary. It was shared by other experimental and avant-garde musicians in the 1960s. Scholar and longtime musician David Grubbs explores the present-day musical landscape, as listeners encounter experimental music through the recorded artifacts of composers and musicians who largely disavowed recordings.