Mandatory Metal (Shout out to the long dead Q104) [Blog 25: Plans for Final Project] (Dominik Pucek)

Back in the 90's everyone in the Tri-state area found out who Radiohead was before anyone knew who Radiohead was thanks to (at that time) the new Q104. I remember Julie Slater saying before playing them - which was not a corporate decision but hers - that she really liked this new band. It was a mecca for all things rock, and the last place rock in new york would have a healthy place to exist. It was cool because they played everything. At night around 10 or 11 they used to have Mandatory Metallica. And it was always the "old Metallica." So, in thinking about my project I've complied a short Mandatory Metal Book List.

There are three books I will be considering (and perhaps some articles once I find them). Here's the list:

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks. It's Sacks. Nuff said.

This is Your Brain On Music by Daniel J. Levitin. This book examines the elements producers in a studio enhance in order to get a specific response while listening to a record. I'll be using his analysis to evaluate the qualia of Metal music and what producers in that genre might do differently. He's definitely the guy to read too - he was a rock musician and producer himself who decided to get a PhD in cognitive neuroscience. That's pretty Metal.

Fargo Rock City : A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota by Chuck Klosterman. This guy is a metal expert. If you've ever seen VH1's specials like Behind the Music or 100 Most (BLANK) Moments, Top 100 (BLANK) Bands of All Time, and most importantly Heavy: The Story of Metal you've also seen Chuck. I'm planning to compare his history with mine, evaluating both our qualia and why metal is so pleasant to us.