Feeling low Quote by David Foster Wallace
““somebody had taken an old disk of McCartney and the Wings - as in the historical Beatles's McCartney - taken and run it through a Kurtzweil remixer and removed every track on the songs except the tracks of poor old Mrs. Linda McCartney singing backup and playing tambourine. ... Poor old Mrs. Linda McCartney just fucking could not sing, and having her shaky off-key little voice flushed from the cover of the whole slick multitrack corporate sound and pumped up to solo was to Gately unspeakably depressing - her voice sounding so lost, trying to hide and bury itself inside the pro backups' voices; Gately imagined Mrs. Linda McCartney - in his Staff room's wall's picture a kind of craggy-face blonde - imagined her standing there lost in the sea of her husband's pro noise, feeling low esteem and whispering off-key, not knowing quite when to shake her tambourine: C's depressing CD was past cruel, it was somehow sadistic-seeming, like drilling a peephole in the wall of a handicapped bathroom.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace, 1996
A critique of how stripping a song of its main elements leaves a hollow, depressing version that highlights the marginalization of a supporting artist.
In simple terms: Removing core parts makes the whole feel empty and sad.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and value contributions of all participants.
Themes
art criticism
music
marginalization
deconstruction
sadness
Mood
reflective
critical
melancholic
Type
analytical
commentary
musical
When to use this quote
- recording studios
- music production
- critical listening
- media analysis
Key Concepts
cultural critique
audio manipulation
identity
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does isolating a single element change our perception of the whole?
- What responsibilities do producers have to original artists?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook the original artistic intent and context of the work.
