Happy New Year!  I wish all reading this post a blessed 2024!

I’ve enjoyed very much trolling through the video archives, strolling down what Robin Williams always referred to as “Amnesia Lane,” and rocking and rolling through these videos these past six months.  Thanks to those who’ve sent a comment my way indicating your enjoyment of Dad’s treatment of music appreciation and the history of pop music.  In partcular, thanks to my cousin, Kathy Lee, for asking me to post these; revisiting these shows that I haven’t watched for several years was fun, and, as Dad says in his closing remarks in this episode, I hope you’ve learned something along the way.

To wrap up this series, Dad provides a quick-and-dirty definition of pop music, one that both illuminates and respects the nature of popular art, its ephemerality and unabashed celebration of the temporal.  Dad’s big thesis always was that, in the words of Marshall McLuhan, art is the “antennae of the culture,” and examining pop art, in particular, brings a wealth of information to bear re: what was happening at any given moment in a society’s history.  He then moves on to two predictions for the future of pop music–attempts to recapture the past (and, 50 years later, we’ve certainly seen this in the cyclical nature of so many re-imagined genres: e.g., punk in the 70s and grunge in the 90s) and a synthesis or blending of styles between genres.

To illustrate the latter, Dad shows a clip of the early 70s Nashville sessions featuring the (perceived) conservative Johnny Cash and the (perceived) liberal (Bob Dylan), captured here singing Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings.”  (History has shown that, in truth, neither artist was as beholden to the political poles as had been assumed, the clues for which were there if anyone wanted to look for them.)  We also hear some excellent voice-over commentary from the fabulous bluegrass banjoist Earl Scruggs, extolling the virtues of trying out new ideas, while his new band, featuring his sons on various instruments not usually associated with bluegrass, plays a rollicking “newgrass” tune in the background.  I hope you enjoy this series finale.

Thanks again to those who have, in part or in whole, ventured on this journey with me.  I leave you with a few reminders of where we’ve been and a send-off note at the bottom:

And finally, I know a handful of you receive notes whenever I post, and I’m grateful that a few folks deem what I’ve written over the years to be of interest periodically.  In 2024, I plan to pull back a bit on the blogging; my goal is to post something on the first Tuesday of every month.  There are many reasons for this shift in focus, and I’d be happy to share with anyone truly interested the why‘s and wherefore‘s, but suffice to say that at this season of life, other responsibilities–especially at Judson University–need my attention, and posting monthly instead of weekly is going to help that cause.  I do write a weekly e-mail for the Judson community and beyond, and, if you’re interested in being put on the receiving list for those e-mails, please send a note to my executive assistant, Mrs. Cheryl Richardson, who can be reached at cheryl.richardson@judsonu.edu, and she’ll be happy to add your name to our e-mail roster.  Those e-mails are a mix of Judson-specific news, general information, and what I hope are encouraging words and reflections on life and culture, seen through a biblical lens.  We welcome anyone who might benefit from those missives to join us.  

Until then, I’ll plan to put something on this blog in early February.  Happy 2024!