Rush, Rock Music, and the Middle Class: Dreaming in Middletown (Profiles in Popular Music)

Chris McDonald's book, "Rush: Rock Music and the Middle Class, Dreaming In Middletown" had been sitting on my shelf gathering dust because after diving into one of the chapters I was immediately clobbered by the fact that this was a book of weight, not to be scanned at high speed but to be reflected on and chewed over. Like Robert Jourdain's "Music, The Brain And Ecstacy" (for musicologist types), or Nick Monfort's "Racing The Beam" (for videogame designers), Chris's ethnomusicologist approach uses highbrow concepts to throw light on lowbrow experiences and vice-versa. The mention of "Middle Class" in the book's title is meant to hint at this, but judging from some of the negative reviews of the book I suspect the author didn't make the point obvious enough - this is a scholarly work, leaning towards the academically-voiced side of things with maybe a third falling into the category of personal experiences best described as rock journalism or criticism.Without rehashing much of what has already been said, I want to say that I got out of this book what I put into it - meaning, I read it with focus and found it brilliant. Now, there were many times when I was ready to close the book and say "Oh, no - he's bringing up class again", where I was rewarded for hanging in there because by the end of chapter I was convinced. This happened again and again - Chris McDonald makes very sound, well-defended and objective arguments regarding the band from multiple perspectives; musicological, literary, philosophical, sociological, artist and media-centric. I know I'm making this sound rather dry, but it's not - if you're patient. Chris has a deep familiarity with the band and it brings to mind another grad student who wrote his PhD thesis on Yngwie back in the Noughties. (It just didn't get published as a book! Neoclassical rock gets a bit of credit as you might expect given the stylistic overlap with progressive rock.)Anyway, as a reader I tend to bend the ear on every page that makes an interesting or unique point, and I was impressed by how many were dog-eared by the time I finished (almost one in five.) "Dreaming In Middletown" is a rare book which, like Rush, finds itself in a difficult spot - is it possible to simultaneously be both too highbrow and too lowbrow at the same time? That pretty much defines a Rush fan, I think. Or Robert Pirsig, even. Imagine "Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance" minus the travelogue bits, and you're ready for this.

This book is a high-level academic monograph, and thus some lay readers may find it difficult. But it is rich in ideas and well worth the read. The author's appreciation of Rush comes through clearly (he remains objective while not attempting to hide that he is a fan), and many of his insights into the band's work are fascinating. Moreover, through the excellent summaries of other scholars' theories about North American and middle-class culture, it has a lot of sociology to teach. Even readers who don't particularly like Rush can learn a lot about the place that "progressive rock" (a label the band itself never cared for, but the least objectionable one there is) occupies in music history, the role that the middle class has had in defining cultural tastes in twentieth-century North America, and the brand of individuality that many middle-class North Americans were reared upon. McDonald's examination of the Ayn Rand fiasco is particularly revealing about discursive differences between North America and Great Britain. (It explains why British critics took umbrage at Rush's particular expression of individualism, while most Americans saw it as nothing out of the ordinary.)It was all the more gratifying for me, as a fan of Rush since 1981, to have Rush's devotees examined seriously as a "taste community." I hazard to say that many Rush fans will see themselves described in these pages. The elements that made Rush appeal to many - the fantasy-escapism, the fierce individualism, the interest in technology, the love of complex musicianship - is all put in a larger cultural context. This book not only taught me a lot of sociology, but helped me put my own tastes, and those of my class and generation, in a meaningful perspective.

I've been a Rush fan for 30 years and thought I got it, but after resding this book I really know why I relate to this band. I also understand, now, why many people cringe when hearing old Rush songs.This book opened my eyes as to why people like the type of music they like. The author has great insight on these guy's and their music and how they grew as a band and developed their music. The interviews and excerpts from interviews, were interesting since I always found it hard to get personal information on these guys in their earlier years. It's difficult to have someone indulge in a subject they've predetermined not to like, but this book is interesting to anyone who would like to explore why music effects us the way it does and how our backgrounds and philosophy draw us to the type of intrests we have. I'm going to see Rush again the next time they're in town and see some of the songs in a whole new light. Great book. Thanks!

The author starts with a pre-conceived template that is decidely Marxist: i.e. regards people as belonging to a class, which is akin to regarding people as barn yard animals. Once he brings in this template he overlays it on the progressive rock band Rush, fans, and critics. With few exceptions this cramming of a square peg in a round hole is very labored. Since this was a doctoral dissertation turned book, he probably had to write it this way to gain acceptance from his doctoral chair. Many fields of study are like that. They start off with a priori assumptions and then proceed from there as if they are self-sufficient truths. Not!Once you get past the Marxist bull shrimp, you can learn a lot about the musicology of Rush. However, you get darned little of the full depth of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and, especially, Niel Peart. Along side this book, I would highly recommend Niel Peart's "Ghost Riders" as an antidote to logical positivist diatribe that only sees the world as it is stripped of its emotional profundity.The author's take on Ayn Rand is typical Rand-bashing without a shred of understanding. He parrots a lot of the anti-Randroid clap trap that surrounds her and those who admit of her influence.

good book but one really for the Rush Head, rather than the like or leave fan.

An excellent product and service thank you

Das Buch ist eine musikethnologische und soziologische Studie der Band, ihrer Songs und Fans. Es geht um Themen wie Eskapismus, Individualismus, die amerikanische Mittelschicht, Jugendkulturen, Suburbia, Rock, Hardrock und Progressive Rock (Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd etc.), die musikjournalistische Rezeption der Band usw. Man erfährt einiges über die amerikanische Gesellschaft und ihre Kulturgeschichte und als Fan auch so einige Details über die Band und ihre Songs. Spannend ist vor allem der Abschnitt über die Phase, als Rush wegen Pearts zeitweiliger Begeisterung für Ayn Rand in der englischen Musikpresse als Proto-Faschisten beschimpft wurden. In den USA zündete diese Diskussion überhaupt nicht. Der Autor ist selbst Fan, was ihn aber nicht daran hindert, sich kritisch über die Band zu äußern und sein eigenes Fansein zu reflektieren. Was mir fehlte, war der Einfluss von Rush auf andere Bands wie z.B. Primus oder Rage against the Machine. Lediglich Dream Theater wird erwähnt, was aber natürlich nicht so viel hergibt. Gelegentlich hat man auch das Gefühl, dass der Autor vor lauter Theorie aus den Augen verliert, dass die Band eben auch einfach unheimlich rockt und über viele Jahre ein hohes Niveau in Sachen Songwriting gehalten hat. Spannend wäre auch gewesen, zu erfahren, inwieweit Rush bei The Police-, Talking Heads- oder Ultravox-Fans angekommen sind, zumal sie von diesen Bands in den späten 70ern ähnlich beeinflusst waren wie in den frühen 70ern von The Who, Cream und Jimi Hendrix. Die Einteilung des Autors in Pop und Rock wirkt manchmal etwas schematisch und die Basis seiner Umfragen unter Fans (200-300) etwas dünn, zumal es sich dabei in erster Linie um nordamerikanische Hardcorefans handelte.

I bought this for my RUSH fan hubby. He really liked the book but he thought a few photo's would have enhanced the book.

I bought this book 3 or 4 months ago... I have read about 60 pages to this day and it's an interesting point of view about the philosophy and the music of the band... more to come when I'll finish it!