OP-ED: The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, and Throbbing Gristle

The Beatles are a fine band. Their music is consistently good. Excellent use of harmony, instrumentation, lyrical content can all be expected, regardless of album, regardless of career era. They have legitimately earned their place in the Pantheon of Rock and Roll. They do not challenge me.

The Velvet Underground is also a fine band. But their music asks a question: “Is this good music?” During the guitar segment of “European Son” one of the last few tracks of their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico, a member of the band drags a chair across the studio floor and smashes it into a pile of aluminum plates; the resulting sound was recorded and added into the track. This is an example of the Velvet Underground asking the question “does this sound good?” They make the listener an active participant in the creation process. I, the listener, can answer “yes, this sounds good”. I am left with a sense of satisfaction. I approved the sound. And because of this, I love the music. It is a part of me. I was challenged and was asked for approval. Throbbing Gristle is arguably the definition of challenging music. An early incarnation of Genesis Breyer P. Orridge’s music vehicle, called COUM Transmissions, were called the “Wreckers of Western Civilization” with their multimedia confrontational exhibitions that often involved repurposed pornography, medical waste, and the beginnings of what would become Industrial music. Try their 20 Greatest Hits album. They will ask the aforementioned musical question several times. And you will notice that it’s okay to say no if you want. This is the virtue of Throbbing Gristle, and the crux of how to appreciate music. All you need is love.