I'm also a big fan of music mentions in HB. I think it helps
give a handle on the characters, but that might just be me --
I look through people's record collections before I check out
their book shelves (let's just say I identify closely with
High Fidelity).
I also think the use of music is somewhat generational. It's
often used to establish character in contemporary HB
(Pelecanos is big on this) -- was Michael Cormany the first
to use it in the ritual scene where the PI establishes
himself as cooler than the cop, who, in this case,
mispronounced Husker Du?
And music is now often used to establish period in historical
HB -- just look at Ellroy. Compare historical HB with the
books from the period being recreated, though, and you will
see that music as _the_ indicator of social place is a more
contemporary obsession, Sure, music appears in older HB (for
instance, Chandler's King in Yellow), but I think the baby
boomers and their heirs read far more into the implications
of particular musical choices.
But I'm a product of that time, in the blurry area between
Baby Boomer and Gen X, so I love it.
Mark
ps -- by the way, for those who think Pelecanos drops too
many brand names, steer clear of American Psycho. Hardly a
sentence goes by without one. I haven't read enough, yet, to
know if there are other reasons to steer clear.
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