Lipstick Traces
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| A "soundtrack" to ''Lipstick Traces'', compiling many of the songs referenced in the book, was released by [[Rough Trade Records]] in 1993. | A "soundtrack" to ''Lipstick Traces'', compiling many of the songs referenced in the book, was released by [[Rough Trade Records]] in 1993. | ||
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| + | == From the back cover == | ||
| + | :This book is about a single, [[serpentine]] fact: late in 1976 a record called "[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]" was issued in London, and this event launched a transformation of [[pop music]] all over the world. Made by a four-man rock 'n' roll band called the [[Sex Pistols]], and written by singer [[Johnny Rotten]], the song distilled, in [[crude]]ly [[poetic]] form, a [[critique]] of [[modern society]] once set out by a small group of [[French Theory|Paris-based intellectuals]]. First organized in 1952 as the [[Lettrist International]], and refounded in 1957 at a conference of [[European avant-garde]] artists as the [[Situationist International]], the group gained its greatest [[notoriety]] during the [[May 68|French revolt of May 1968]], when the premises of its critique were distilled into crudely poetic slogans and [[Graffiti|spray-painted across the walls]] of Paris, after which the critique was given up to history and the group disappeared. The group looked back to the [[surrealists]] of the 1920s, the [[dadaists]] who made their names during and just after the First World War, the young [[Karl Marx]],[[ Saint-Just]], various [[medieval heretics]], and the [[Knights of the Round Table]]. | ||
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| + | My conviction is that such circumstances are primarily [[odd]]. For a [[gnomic]], [[gnostic]] critique dreamed up by a handful of [[Left Bank]] [[Parisian cafe|cafe]] prophets to reappear a quarter-century later, to make the charts, and then to come to life as a whole new set of demands on culture—this is almost transcendently odd. --Greil Marcus, from the back cover | ||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| *[[20th century]] | *[[20th century]] | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Revision as of 10:33, 28 August 2007
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Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century (1989) is a non-fiction book by American rock-music critic Greil Marcus that examines popular music and art as a social critique of Western culture.
The book covers 20th century avant-garde art movements like Dadaism, Lettrist International and Situationist International and their influence on late 20th century countercultures and The Sex Pistols and punk movement, as well as their philosophical roots in the medieval heresy of the Cathars and the anabaptists.
A "soundtrack" to Lipstick Traces, compiling many of the songs referenced in the book, was released by Rough Trade Records in 1993.
From the back cover
- This book is about a single, serpentine fact: late in 1976 a record called "Anarchy in the U.K." was issued in London, and this event launched a transformation of pop music all over the world. Made by a four-man rock 'n' roll band called the Sex Pistols, and written by singer Johnny Rotten, the song distilled, in crudely poetic form, a critique of modern society once set out by a small group of Paris-based intellectuals. First organized in 1952 as the Lettrist International, and refounded in 1957 at a conference of European avant-garde artists as the Situationist International, the group gained its greatest notoriety during the French revolt of May 1968, when the premises of its critique were distilled into crudely poetic slogans and spray-painted across the walls of Paris, after which the critique was given up to history and the group disappeared. The group looked back to the surrealists of the 1920s, the dadaists who made their names during and just after the First World War, the young Karl Marx, Saint-Just, various medieval heretics, and the Knights of the Round Table.
My conviction is that such circumstances are primarily odd. For a gnomic, gnostic critique dreamed up by a handful of Left Bank cafe prophets to reappear a quarter-century later, to make the charts, and then to come to life as a whole new set of demands on culture—this is almost transcendently odd. --Greil Marcus, from the back cover
See also
