In reading Ian F. Svenonius‘ Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock ‘n’ Roll Group (out now from Akashic Books), you’re privy to to what is perhaps the most clever take-down of the rock ‘n’ roll genre thus written. If you can make it through the rather high-minded, yet overly arch and pretentious opening chapters of the book, you’re treated to what is simultaneously a mockery of all that is rock ‘n’ roll, yet still managing to be remarkably sound advice.
Part I, “True Secrets Revealed,” is entertaining, but while the concept of having séances with dead rock stars so as to glean their knowledge is a conceit that wears thin rather quickly. Had Svenonius chosen to relate the concept of the seances, minus the actual transcriptions thereof, it would have worked better. I get the idea that what the author’s going for is something akin to a melding of Chairman Mao’s little red book and occultist pamphlets from the run of the last century, but the first third of the book just seems clunky.
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