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31 Great Quotes By Lester Bangs That Will Make You Rock N Roll

Famous As: American music critic
Born On: December 13, 1948
Died On: April 30, 1982
Born In: Escondido
Died At Age: 33
Lester Bangs was an American music journalist, musician and writer. He is also regarded as one of the most influential music critics to have ever existed. He worked for ‘Rolling Stone’ and ‘Creem Magazine’ and was considered as ‘America’s greatest rock critic’. He had been interested in music from a very early age and got his first break with ‘The Rolling Stone’ magazine as a freelance contributor. Bangs reviewed the works of some of the biggest singers and music groups of the time during his career and was particularly noted for his reviews of jazz and rock music groups. During his short-lived career he primarily worked as a freelancer for ‘Creem’, ‘Penthouse’, ‘Playboy’, ‘The Village Voice’ and ‘Stereo Review’ among others. His work displayed a level of originality that was hardly seen in the music criticism niche and is still used as a reference by most who want to get into the profession. His writing style was lucid, hard hitting and natural. Following is a collection of quotes and sayings by the renowned musician which have been excerpted from his writings, works and thoughts. Read on the thoughts and quotes from the works of Lester Bangs that are sure to impress you.
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The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious.

The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious.

Lester Bangs
Every great work of art has two faces, one toward its own time and one toward the future, toward eternity.

Every great work of art has two faces, one toward its own time and one toward the future, toward eternity.

Lester Bangs
Basically no, I mean I think that it's very easy to like I say, smoke a joint or even to wear a Chairman Mao button, or do a lot of these things with out knowing what's behind it, and what it really means.

Basically no, I mean I think that it's very easy to like I say, smoke a joint or even to wear a Chairman Mao button, or do a lot of these things with out knowing what's behind it, and what it really means.

Lester Bangs
Corporations are social organizations, the theater in which men and women realize or fail to realize purposeful and productive lives.

Corporations are social organizations, the theater in which men and women realize or fail to realize purposeful and productive lives.

Lester Bangs
When kids can't afford to see it anymore maybe we'll have a whole resurgence of garage bands all over America and this New Wave thing will start to mean something on a grass roots level.

When kids can't afford to see it anymore maybe we'll have a whole resurgence of garage bands all over America and this New Wave thing will start to mean something on a grass roots level.

Lester Bangs
The ultimate sin of any performer is contempt for the audience.

The ultimate sin of any performer is contempt for the audience.

Lester Bangs
The great thing about The Clash of course is that they keep searching for answers beyond that.

The great thing about The Clash of course is that they keep searching for answers beyond that.

Lester Bangs
It's much easier to wear a Chairman Mao button and shake your fists in the air and all that, then to actually read the Communist manifesto and things like that and actually become involved in politics.

It's much easier to wear a Chairman Mao button and shake your fists in the air and all that, then to actually read the Communist manifesto and things like that and actually become involved in politics.

Lester Bangs

I mean Iggy and The Stooges first couple of albums I think sold twenty five thousand between the two of them you know and so to talk in terms of an underground I mean you have to go really to the independent labels and things like that.

Lester Bangs
Most of them are pretty down records, pretty unhappy, pretty confused. Which only reflects how people in general were feeling, I mean really the sense that you get is society running down.

Most of them are pretty down records, pretty unhappy, pretty confused. Which only reflects how people in general were feeling, I mean really the sense that you get is society running down.

Lester Bangs
No, I see it as meaning very little at the moment because none of the groups are about anything.

No, I see it as meaning very little at the moment because none of the groups are about anything.

Lester Bangs

That's one reason why it's pretty worthless, I can't totally buy it, if you think about it, it's things like the Phil Spector records. On one level they were rebellion, on another level they were keeping the teenager in his place.

Lester Bangs
Or like in the early 70's when we had the reaction against acid rock and all the fuzz tone, and feedback, and the noise. And you had James Taylor and everyone went acoustic and that.

Or like in the early 70's when we had the reaction against acid rock and all the fuzz tone, and feedback, and the noise. And you had James Taylor and everyone went acoustic and that.

Lester Bangs
No I don't think it was a myth at all, anymore than what the recession that the whole country was experiencing was a myth, which obviously seems like it's going to get worse and worse.

No I don't think it was a myth at all, anymore than what the recession that the whole country was experiencing was a myth, which obviously seems like it's going to get worse and worse.

Lester Bangs
I'm really schizophrenic about that, because on the one hand I would say, yes there is, there's something inherently, even violent about it, it's wild and raw and all this.

I'm really schizophrenic about that, because on the one hand I would say, yes there is, there's something inherently, even violent about it, it's wild and raw and all this.

Lester Bangs
I mean it's easier to be in a demonstration if it's a trip that's one of the reasons why the whole thing fell apart in 1971, because it wasn't a trip any longer.

I mean it's easier to be in a demonstration if it's a trip that's one of the reasons why the whole thing fell apart in 1971, because it wasn't a trip any longer.

Lester Bangs
I hate Stanley Clark, but I have to admit he's playing Jazz whether I like it or not.

I hate Stanley Clark, but I have to admit he's playing Jazz whether I like it or not.

Lester Bangs
I don't see that there are any particular changes in popular music.

I don't see that there are any particular changes in popular music.

Lester Bangs

Here we are in the 70's when everything really is horrible and it really stinks. The mass media, everything on television everything everywhere is just rotten. You know it's just really boring and really evil, ugly and worse.

Lester Bangs

As far as a truly radical conscience, you have to take it as part of a larger thing, that it was sort of historical inevitability that with the coming of a leaguer society people would start to use drugs a lot more then they had before.

Lester Bangs

And doing so you can recreate yourself and you can also come up with something that is not only original and creative and artistic, but also maybe even decent, or moral if I can use words like that, or something that's like basically good.

Lester Bangs
The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool.

The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool.

Lester Bangs
The thing is that, they all had real strong personalities and real distinct identities, and I don't find most of the groups that are coming out now really do.

The thing is that, they all had real strong personalities and real distinct identities, and I don't find most of the groups that are coming out now really do.

Lester Bangs
Nothing ever quite dies, it just comes back in a different form.

Nothing ever quite dies, it just comes back in a different form.

Lester Bangs
I mean the interesting thing I think would be if something happened like, what happened in England where all these kids that all of a sudden can't afford the ticket prices.

I mean the interesting thing I think would be if something happened like, what happened in England where all these kids that all of a sudden can't afford the ticket prices.

Lester Bangs
The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else while you're uncool.

The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else while you're uncool.

Lester Bangs
Sometimes I think nothing is simple but the feeling of pain.

Sometimes I think nothing is simple but the feeling of pain.

Lester Bangs
A hero is a goddam stupid thing to have in the first place and a general block to anything you might wanta accomplish on your own.

A hero is a goddam stupid thing to have in the first place and a general block to anything you might wanta accomplish on your own.

Lester Bangs
The real question is what to live for. And I can't answer it. Except another one of your records. And another chance for me to write. Art for art's sake, corny as that sounds.

The real question is what to live for. And I can't answer it. Except another one of your records. And another chance for me to write. Art for art's sake, corny as that sounds.

Lester Bangs
All humans are the same sex, except albinos.

All humans are the same sex, except albinos.

Lester Bangs