When I first set about ordering my outlook towards music blogging (see part one here), I had just finished reading Simon Reynolds' history of Post Punk, Rip it Up and Start Again. A few minor criticisms aside (a post for another day I assure you), I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned quite a bit from Reynolds' informative writing.

Each time the proverbial light bulb went off above my head while reading, I was also illuminated by a fairly obvious and simplistic realization: knowledge is a good thing. In this case, knowing more about the music scene in late 70's New York than say "oh the Talking Heads used to play at CBGB all the time" is a very good thing when it comes to listening to said music, let alone writing about it.

Why I waited so long to learn the history behind the music I love, I don't know. Laziness I guess. It took Simon Reynolds spending hard earned time researching and writing his book for me to take a small step beyond a surface understanding. But now that I know a sliver more, I'm hooked on learning. Don't worry, this won't be a PSA.

Or maybe it will be. Yeah this is a public service announcement, to me as much as anyone else: Know Your History.

The way I see it is knowledge brings perspective and perspective begets a calmer, more rational outlook towards the new Best New Thing out there right now. Some applied knowledge might help place today's "my favorite new band" into the smaller, more reasonable threads of a vast and expanding music tapestry. Who knows, it may even assuage the current prevalence of "gold rush"* blogging that is dragging down my enthusiasm. One can hope.

Reading Reynolds's book, I realized I knew nothing. Knowing a fraction more than nothing may someday change how I hear and sometimes write about music for the better.

Digging through the annals of music history, listening to and learning old records, grasping to understand perspective: these pursuits take time. Time is not the friend of an immediate media like blogging. Take a breather from posting and you risk falling behind a trend. Take your eyes off the scene and someone else might scoop you. But so what? Slow down; take a minute to think about this music in a larger world, full of many different perceptions. Maybe you'll start offering context with content.

* - Thanks for that term , Blackmail