Crossroads

It is difficult to tell you what my dad's favorite song was. He died 15 years ago, so I can't just ask him. I know a lot about the music he liked; when I was a kid, my dad took my musical education in hand with great relish. He played me the Beatles, Dylan, the Stones, Zappa/Mothers, Janis, Jefferson Airplane, and loads of his other favorite rock, as well as lots of jazz and blues to remind me of rock's roots (both musical and cultural). The further into my teens I got, the more my tastes diverged from his indoctrination; we could agree on the Clash and the Ramones (and even Guided By Voices!), and he always thought Jello Biafra was "politically right on; he knows what he's talking about," but he was never much for the Dead Kennedys' music. My dad "didn't get" stuff like Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and was utterly unimpressed by any of the grindcore and death metal I played, but he excused himself, saying, "You know, when you finish your professional schooling, you are therefore discharged from any obligations you have to seek out, listen to, understand, and enjoy music currently being made. It's true, look it up!" However, my dad could often be found in our dining room at the computer, playing computer Risk or fantasy baseball, and listening to music on the stereo. I seem to remember him playing a lot of Cream, and if that was what was on, I'd come in and listen, too, and allow my dad to tell me all kinds of stuff about the band. I am very glad to do this as a tribute to my dad; he was definitely at the root of my predilection for the study of popular music, and since he always told me that music is cultural production, even pop music, and therefore worthy of serious consideration and study, I have carried that attitude through to my own research interests as a scholar. I hope all of you get to sit and chat with your dads about music this Father's Day!