A provocative, entertaining but ultimately serious examination of
rock's most essential questions: Beatles or Stones? Which is the best
air guitar to play? Does Rush suck? And what is the meaning of Billy
Joel?
Metaphysical Graffiti is a book for music fans, humor fans, and, if a
meaningful ontological category, fans of philosophy too. It is a
provocative, inflammatory, hilarious, but ultimately serious book about
the essential questions of rock--Beatles or Stones? What Kind of Air
Guitar Do You Play? Does Rush Suck? and, of course, The Meaning of Billy
Joel. In a rich mix of original pieces, Kaufman not only examines the
essential issues facing all rock fans, but delves into the deeper,
metaphysical roots of these questions.
The book's title is a riff on the classic Led Zeppelin album, Physical
Graffiti, while the book itself is an innovative, critical work that in
many ways mirrors the best rock 'n' roll. Funny, audacious, irreverent,
and relentlessly creative, it stretches the parameters of traditional
criticism by incorporating short fiction, Moronic Dialogues, and even a
short mini-play, Godot, The Musical, in order to explore philosophical
concepts of Reality, Authenticity, Hype, and, ultimately, the purpose of
music criticism itself.
