Through lines

Recently I’ve been listening to lots of Joy Division. No I’m not turning all Goth and threatening to off myself with the washing line. I think they were one of those bands that was just a little before my time and it’s taken until now to really discover them – better late then never I guess. What really interests me though is the through line that influential art has on future generations.

Like a second stanza that rhymes with a first, there is an echo to the past. Though Joy Division are long gone their legacy goes on strong, you can hear it. Just listen to early U2 and the new U2 album which actually sounds a lot like old U2 and thus Joy Division. What I find interesting and prompted this post is the shotgun fan-out of musical influence. Take these three clips – Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and The Killers – three bands not often spoken of in the same breath, yet all covering Joy Division. Interesting stuff.

The sphere of artistic influence isn’t limited to just music – you’ll find Frank Miller at the Louvre, Banksy at Luxor, Ansal Adams on Flicker and Hemmingway on Blogger. Art isn’t finite – it’s a torch picked up and carried by the next generation. So what’s next?

S.