[MD] New Model Army

[Arlo Bensinger]

Ian,

Not being an expert on punk, I do recall reading that an early trait 
of punk music was adjusting the output from all the instruments (and 
mic) to equal levels. I don't know if that was so much a thought-out 
critical response to the elevation of the front-man above the rest of 
the group, but it must've been at the very least subconscious. Didn't 
Spinal Tap have a bit on that? Have to get that on DVD one of these days.

The one artist I did not mention in my post is, of course, Escher, 
who has several works of art aimed at overcoming this wall of 
division (the hand drawing itself is one, the artist painting his 
reflection in a reflective ball painting his reflection is another). 
And, to give a contemporary example, the television show The Office 
(the US version anyways, never seen its Brit predecessor), positions 
the viewer as being part of the show, a confidante to the performers. 
Also, remember the books that came out maybe 10 years ago that 
contained only "letters" (in actual envelopes) of a correspondence?

Even Pirsig saw this wall, and reacted to it by including a narrative 
to his thoughts that painted a very real (and naturally imperfect) 
human behind the abstract words of the text. "The trouble is that 
essays always have to sound like God talking for eternity, and that 
isn't the way it ever is. People should see that it's never anything 
other than just one person talking from one place in time and space 
and circumstance. It's never been anything else, ever, but you can't 
get that across in an essay." (ZMM) Its not quite as radical a device 
as Escher or Johnny Rotten used, but its subtle nod to the reader 
presented as privvy to the dialogue is powerful.

And I think that's where I will tie the paradox of the performer 
needing to be "enough above to influence" but also "on the same level 
as the audience". In the moment of Pirsig talking metaphysics or 
Johnny Rotten snarling "God Save the Queen" one must accept the 
elevation as real, but afterwards that elevation must be seen as 
artificial and even damaging to maintain. I don't know Pirsig, but I 
get the sense he would be much more comfortable sitting down and 
having a pint with you than standing behind a podium hoist above a 
crowd, and that's the way (I'll go out on a limb here) it _should_ 
be. As influential and groundbreaking as the MOQ is, as much as I 
admire and respect Pirsig, he is still just a man, and all the 
celebrity and accolades only make us forget that.

And thanks for the music suggestions, will check them out.

Arlo