Lost In Music Giles Smith

All of the above.

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spzretent
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Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by spzretent »

Good Lord!
i must have bought this book inthe mid to late 90's somewhere of Charing Cross Road at one of those cheap bookshops. It is a hard cover w/a damaged book sticker on front.
Gonna delve into this on this rainy afternoon here probably 15 years after I purchased it.
And bump that shitty Cop Shoot Cop video thread off the top of this section. :twisted:
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Hofstadter
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by Hofstadter »

I remember seeing a post or two about this in the Book Club thread and thinking it sounded really cool and intriguing. Haven't strayed across it anywhere/have had a lot of other books and stuff on my plate (like college applications...) but once I have some time I really want to read this. It sounded great from the descriptions in the other thread.
redcloud
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by redcloud »

Very fun read and I think all of us in here can relate to it. I bought my copy at a WH Smith on Ealing Broadway in West London.

Hofstadter, I can loan you my copy if you are interested. Or, I can check Powell's up here in Portland to see if they have a copy for you. On a separate note....where are you applying to (Uni's) and what are you wanting to study?
Hofstadter
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by Hofstadter »

The question of where I'm applying is pretty easy - (Early Action: Harvard, and then depending on how that goes, Brown, UChicago, Williams, Oberlin, Bowdoin, Kenyon, Reed) - the question of where I actually want to go is much different. I'm in the fortunate situation that I go to an incredibly rigorous prep school and also have the grades/test scores/extracurriculars to get into a place like Harvard (of course nothing is ever a given, it's almost a crap shoot now no matter who you are at a place like Harvard, which has a single digit acceptance rate), but I'm not sure that's where want to go/where I'd be "happiest." Obviously academically it would be an incredibly stimulating and challenging environment that I would probably love, sometimes I just feel like I would feel alone/not in fit in. I know it's stupid and irrational to think that I wouldn't find friends there, of course I'm sure there are lots of great, cool people I would meet and all... I just sometimes I feel like it wouldn't be the social environment for me. I've gone to a school for 6 years where all anybody cares about is "the future" (i.e. getting into the best college and being super stressed/competitive/uptight about it) and I don't want to be at a place like that again (I'm sure Harvard isn't like that, I'm just irrationally afraid it is). I have this weird vision of me going there and feeling alone and depressed for the next four years of my life. So yeah, it's weird, most people are super psyched on their Early Action school and place so much on getting into it/will be heartbroken if they don't... I'm in the weird position that it's very reasonable for me to get in, I'm just not sure I want to, if that makes any sense. At this same time, it's Harvard... a lot of people (especially at my school) would be dying to be in the position I'm in, so sometimes I feel sorta guilty for thinking this way. Like I said, this is some whole weird personally situation going on.

Sorry for hijacking the topic only 4 posts on in/rambling on and on, this has just sort of been on my mind a lot lately and it is helpful to write about.

On the question of what exactly I want to study... I'm really not sure. I figure that's what I'll spend the next 4 years figuring out. Philosophy? Mathematical logic? English? Applied mathematics? I could see myself majoring in a lot of different things, but I would guess that I will probably end up in one of those four fields (you could also probably throw in Chemical Engineering as a slightly less likely possibility).
redcloud
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by redcloud »

Well, I'm sure it goes without saying but I do recommend visiting all before you make a decision. You must make your decision based on walking around the school, talking to people and getting a good feeling for the place.

When applying to grad schools in 1991 I came out here to visit and realized I didn't want to go to Uni of Washington. I was disappointed too as it was the height of grunge and the Seattle scene really appealed to a music loving Midwesterner from the industrial rust belt of Cleveland. But, it just wasn't for me. I fell in love with Portland on that trip but something about Seattle just didn't feel right.

So, in the end I ended up going to New York instead. :D

Reed is nice and Portland is great. I'm sure you have been here and know that. The only thing I would say is....we have a lot of young, highly educated people who moved here in the past 6 or so years and many work jobs they are over qualified for. In fact, I would say Portland probably has the highest educated barista and bar staff of any city. If Portland can figure out how to get decent paying jobs back to the city it would be a saving grace for the hip kids who have bought into the Portlandia hype. But, PDX would be a fun, creative place to live for four years while in Uni.

I wish you the best in your applications.

Let me know if you want to borrow that book.
spzretent
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by spzretent »

In retrospect I am glad I started this thread. It was simply to bump the horrid Cop Shoot Cop video of the top but its turned into am incredibly substantive thread about an extremely intelligent, well rounded with impeccable taste in music I might add, young man who is deciding on his future.
It seems like you have the choice of where you want to go. Visit, experience the different campuses and cities. I am sure you will make a well thought out decision.
Good luck whatever you decide.
So glad you found this message board. Its a much better place with you posting here.
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Detroit, Music, Sports and Other Stuff(including Spiritualized, Spacemen 3)
Hofstadter
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by Hofstadter »

Your guys' words definitely have brightened my day/helped me get through this week so far. I really appreciate them. This is definitely a pretty stressful time for me right now (as mellow/passive as I try to be with all this stuff, it's heard to escape the competitive/tense atmosphere at my school). It's definitely nice to hear some thoughts about college that aren't coming from the same people saying the same thing over and over again.

I'm definitely going to hit you up for that book at some point in the near future.
Hofstadter
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by Hofstadter »

Hey, sorry I've been gone for a little while, I just sorta decided to take a break from non-essential internet stuff from a few weeks ago until today, which was sorta THEE day so to speak. But yeah, the news is good... got into h. Thought yall might be interested in hearing that.
redcloud
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by redcloud »

Hofstadter wrote: But yeah, the news is good... got into h. Thought yall might be interested in hearing that.
Brilliant news! Many congratulations to you!!!
Hofstadter
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by Hofstadter »

Thx much. Not sure if that is 100% "where I want to go", but regardless, looks like that is most likely where I will end up at at this point, and that is no bad thing in my mind. May also submit an application to Brown, although I have a feeling there will be many "external forces" pushing me towards the former. Would like to submit to Reed, although that will most likely not happen. The fact that I am now in to school is only just starting to sink in for real... it's weird/cool/scary/exciting/etc. Most of the other people at my school go crazy/think it's a huge deal when you get in to a school (esp. like h.), I was just sorta taking it in stride/pushing it to the back of my mind as I had been with this whole college process all along as a coping mechanism to not stress out like everyone else, but it's sort of just now starting to bubble up, and it's a little intimidating... for so long I had always thought things like "oh man, can't wait for college/just gotta get out/etc" it's weird to actually be confronted with that reality... guess it's the first time I will really be old enough to see/be aware of the major change my life is going through as it's happening... just an interesting time I guess. Also odd feeling like I have crossed some "barrier" that sort of defines much of the high school experience where I go, and now I am on the other side. Just strange. I was laying in bed thursday night and all of a sudden these lights just sort of blaring in my head that said "COLLEGE!" and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it... drown it out with musik I guess.

Sorry for rambling.
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by toomilk »

Congrats on getting into Harvard (sing it loud and proud!!!)!

The college experience is waiting there at every college you want to go to, it's just the academic part that is different. I was talking to a good friend today and I kind of spilled my guts out after a visit to my undergrad college, for the first time since graduating, earlier this week. The basic gist of it was that despite spending nearly five years of my life completely devoted to academic pursuits there, I never really stood still to see what was around me. I walked into my first-year dorms and was again hit with the initial emotions of my arrival there. I have to rate it up there with the best emotions I've ever experienced, and it's for good reason. For me, the greatest thing was being able to separate myself from everyone else in my high school, to see that I wasn't a lone ranger. I went to college and met hundreds of people who were like me (albeit they had really shitty taste in music...with a few exceptions).

My only advice is to get into the best school as possible and never take living on campus for granted. The "college experience" is at every college if you want it, but the academic portion varies. I was really involved in college. It may have had a negative effect on my grades, but I don't regret a moment of it.

You're a smart kid and you'll make decisions better than I could ever have.

Feel free to call me if you want. I'm a fountain of mediocre water, but I'm available if you need me.
BVCP206
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by BVCP206 »

[quote="redcloud"]Very fun read and I think all of us in here can relate to it. I bought my copy at a WH Smith on Ealing Broadway in West London.
quote]

Finished this a couple of months ago, fantastic read, made me smile in so many places :)
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toomilk
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by toomilk »

I looked through some reviews of this book online and it seems a lot like Rob Sheffield's books. Music obsession mixed with love and the feelings that the different songs can conjure up.

I just purchased Lost in Music on Amazon for 2 cents (+shipping)!
Hofstadter
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Re: Lost In Music Giles Smith

Post by Hofstadter »

Got it in the mail thanks to rc... man it's good. It's very nice to read a book that is just honest in every way... it's easy to get sucked into literary mumbo jumbo and having something to ground you every now and then is very important. That's what this book felt like right now... just real (the same way giles smith's fart at the end of Dark Side was very real).

There are so many moments in it that I am sure all of us know we have thought those exact same thoughts that gs talks about...

some of my favorite bits that seemed to echo things I have felt so clearly were the bits about defining yourself through a record collection whether you like it or not, why your music just HAS to be loud, being a fan as opposed to being a performer, moving your record collection (of clearly very immediate relevance judging by my comments in another thread), needing music to actually feel something, the rules of a record store... I don't know, it just all resonated extremely nicely, and most importantly of all, it never takes itself too seriously.

thanks much redcloud, I am very glad I was able to read this because of you. Not only did it echo feelings I know I've had, it also crystallized many that I couldn't see for myself but were definitely there in the first place. So yeah, thanks yo. Also very cool to see a side of the Cleaners that I didn't know much about... I guess they are a band that have always lived in my imagination sans very much information, and I don't think there could have been a better point of view to actually learn more about them than gs's.
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