GRANDFATHER ROCK: The New Poetry and the Old

by David -- Ed. Morse ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1971

The purpose is not to equate hard rock lyrics with hard core literature, but by thematic comparisons to make one a pathway to the other. . . and it works. Beyond the obvious analogies of buffalo/ Bungalow Bills and the Bishops of Tom Paxton and Robert Browning, Morse finds recognizable echos of Dover Beach in Leonard Cohen's ""Suzanne"" and reverberations of Charles Lamb in Lennon's ""In My Life."" Inspired by the air of electronic mysticism, we compare the personal downs of Steven Stills and Baudelaire and find them. . . the same? While not blind to the market-researched banalities of commercial hype, Morse finds ""the great themes of literature"" present: ""even the most zapped-out electronic fortissimo has its origin somewhere on this human scale."" It's a heavy rap indeed, ultimately more stimulating than convincing, but the rapid-fire epiphanies and imaginative pairings of lyrics and accessibly lyrical and ""relevant"" poetry add up to an irresistible conversation piece and an inviting way for the psychedelic generation to get into poetry.

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION