Once and for all, for the record - "Writing About Music is Like Dancing About Architecture"

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I don't think there is a quote in the world attributed to more people. I've had people swear it was Thelonius Monk, and others swear it was Elvis Costello, still others say Lester Bangs....?? Does anyone actually know for sure?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Dancing about architecture

― bent fabric (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I want to say Laurie Anderson, but can't confirm it either way.

― rainman (rainman), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Read all this and you will be sorry you ever asked:

http://home.pacifier.com/~ascott/they/tamildaa.htm

― Dock Miles (Dock Miles), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

wow. i was just pasting that link in myself.

― rainman (rainman), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

What is it about Albany architecture that inspires all that dancing? Cause it sure doesn't inspire good music!

― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

i always thought it was John Cage...

― ddb, Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

If Costello is the earliest person to have been documented saying it, why doesn't someone ask him if he thought it up or, if not, where he heard it?

― Stupid (Stupid), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I keep thinking it was George Bernard Shaw (who was a music critic, among other things) but can't verify it. It's way older than Costello, Bangs, etc., though. Kenneth Tynan? Cyril Connolly? Some Brit-wit of that sort. Anyway, Goethe did say that architecture was frozen music.

― Bartlett (Methuselah), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:43 (twenty-two years ago)

...I. M. Pei?

Seriously, I've no clue. But I'd be happy if, in searching for the source of that quote, one of you could stumble upon the origins of those other two cliches; i.e. (a) "Anyone who says they remember the '60s wasn't there," and (b) "Everyone who bought THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO formed their own band".

― Scott Bloomfield, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always heard it attributed to Thelonius Monk (I never realized this was in dispute until I went to that website. Cute.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:47 (twenty-two years ago)

i've heard it attributed at various times to david byrne, frank zappa, elvis costello, brian eno, ralf und florian (well, it DOES kinda sound like a kraftwerk lyric), and david lee roth (!). it's kinda like that "(insert effeminate male rockstar's name) got a gallon of cum pumped outta his stomach" rumor.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never heard that stomach-pumped rumour attributed to anyone but Rod Stewart. Who else?

― Scott, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 05:48 (twenty-two years ago)

bowie, kurt cobain, simon lebon, and morrissey -- to name just 4.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 06:03 (twenty-two years ago)

matter of fact, i first heard it in connection w/ mr. bowie (from my younger sister, to be precise).

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 06:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I wonder if architects ever sneer at critics by saying that writing about architecture is like dancing about music?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 06:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Or porn stars saying writing about music is like dancing about a stomach full of jism. Or something.

― David A. (Davant), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 07:20 (twenty-two years ago)

(b) "Everyone who bought THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO formed their own band".

I'm pretty sure this was Eno.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 09:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Marc Almond, Jimi Somerville, Andy Bell...

― Jim Eaton-Terry (Jim E-T), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

It's almost always Marc Almond over here... I guess American hearsay peddlers are more imaginative...

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 09:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Dancing about architecture: Frank Zappa
Spunk tummy: R. Stewart, M. Almond. It's rumoured R. Stewart was rent in the '60s.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

It was coined by Plato.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 10:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Donna Plato, that is.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 10:33 (twenty-two years ago)

dancing about architecture isn't such a stupid idea.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

in fact, there seem to be a few people dancing about architecture out there... http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/02/4.25.02/dance.html

a search on yahoo also threw up a thesis on 'incorporating structures of dance into architecture'. architecture about dancing?...
so, that's like singing about writing, then. paul mccartney did it, i suppose.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm gonna write a classic, gonna write it in an attic, i probly use a pencil, hopefully wont need no tippex..."

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 10:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Steve Martin? Architecture isn't pretty...

― Stephen Boyle (SBoyle), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Donna Plato, that is.
You mean Dana Plato? Or Donna Pescow?

I wonder if Twla Tharp has ever said that writing about dancing is like designing a building about music. Actually, that isn't so outrageous, is it? Nor is writing a song about a building.

Anyway - I always heard it was Zappa. But now I'm trying to remember: I think Zappa said something like 'music journalism is about people who can't play music, written by people who can't write, directed at people who can't read.' what the fuck was that quote? Something like that.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

.. Ah - here:

"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read."

..Anyway, that may be why the architecture quote is sometimes attributed to him. I'm guessing it probably wasn't him.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

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Once and for all, for the record - "Writing About Music is Like Dancing About Architecture" - WHO THE HELL SAID IT??