Kaleidoscopic culture critic Chuck Klosterman rewrites the history of reality in a work of speculative nonfiction based on a question that has never been considered or (in all likelihood) even asked: What if The Beatles had only developed a cult following while the Velvet Underground emerged as the most popular band in the world?
At some point, readers will either buy into this madness or not. It helps if one knows what to expect, as Mr. Klosterman’s fans will ... Klosterman is an addictively engaging writer ... Are parts of this book tedious? Yes ... It’s a lopsided hymn of praise to music—all music.
This is the great pleasure of Rock*. Klosterman isn’t asking whether a song is inherently rebellious or conservative ... Chuck Klosterman’s treatment of punk is especially revealing ... The best thing about Rock* is that its seriousness never quite overwhelms Chuck Klosterman’s humor. It is an elaborate joke about the history of music that gradually becomes a joke about our confidence in history itself.
While it’s essentially the same joke told many times, the literalistic readings of song titles alone make this worthy, and anyone with knowledge of rock history and a fondness for the Spinal Tap mockumentaries will find much of this to be laugh-out-loud funny.
