Okay, so it would seem that Oliver Sacks agrees with me that an obsession with music is related to neurological problems; he has a new book: Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. I would feel vindicated except I really can't stand Oliver Sacks. He reminds me of Jim Garrison making a case for a JFK conspiracy theory. "Lee Harvey Oswald and Clay Shaw both used the same post office in New Orleans!" He's not saying it means anything, he's just putting it out there. Because it's a completely meaningless but sexy bit of trivia. That's dishonorable enough if you're an ex-doctor like Michael Crichton, but Oliver Sacks has some credibility. That's why it ticks me off so much when he interrupts some interesting tale in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat or Migraine to speculate that his unfortunate brain-damaged patient has no soul.
Of course, my late in life music obsession may be dwindling. I say this because Gary bought a Rob Zombie CD today and I found no value in it. Of course, I only heard the first few songs. Perhaps Track 7 is a lyrical and articulate precis of the situation in Rwanda.
On the other hand, I particularly liked the snippet of Alanis Morrisette's new song Not As We on House last Tuesday. (You can click that link to hear the snippet, but only if you don't mind seeing a distracting Alanis Montage at the same time.) It's not as warbly as her first two CDs and not as sugary as Everything. It's a nice balance.
Not that I know anything about music, because I really only started listening a few years ago when I lost my soul.
I can't read the name "Oliver Sacks" without seeing Robin Williams's face. I still want to read that book (I didn't realize he was still writing -- or alive). The concept sounds fascinating.
Posted by: Kathy | October 14, 2007 at 05:12 AM
You can't love music and not have a soul. Oliver Sacks is full of crap.
Posted by: Friend #3 | October 14, 2007 at 09:42 AM
I have the mp3 of the Alanis clip, if you'd like it. It's the same clip they used for the video--probably from the same place I got it.
(Sorry, I'm a House nerd.)
Posted by: Erin | October 14, 2007 at 07:43 PM
Kathy - He has a chapter in Man/Wife/Hat on people with temporal lobe issues who hear loud music. They seem to be permitted to have souls. People with amnesia don't fare so well.
Friend #3 - What if you don't love soul music?
Erin - I saw a grainy you tube video of the song live, but I wanted the better quality. I can't wait for the whole song to come out. Given they haven't named her new album, it might be a long wait. My favorite House line (after "The bad kind of MS, not the fun kind with the balloons and wheelchair races") was in this season's premiere when the janitor offers "Lupus?" That killed me. It's ALWAYS an autoimmune disease, every episode.
Posted by: TheQueen | October 14, 2007 at 11:36 PM
I love House.
I like music, but I'm not good about who or what, I just know if I hear something I try and find it on iTunes or something and buy the single. Not so much into albums now that it is so easy to buy the singles. Back in the "olden days" I had tons of records (LPs) and then CD's... now I have lots of singles.
Posted by: sue | October 15, 2007 at 09:26 AM
And, yes, I did see this on the CBS website. Holy crap!
Posted by: Friend #3 | October 15, 2007 at 06:25 PM
Sue - But then, what about the songs you don't like until you hear them five or six times? You only get them with a CD.
Friend #3 - I KNOW.
Posted by: TheQueen | October 15, 2007 at 08:09 PM