Page 190 - Cultural Studies Volume 11

184 CULTURAL STUDIES

John Bonham in establishing one aspect of metal coding upon which so many more
or less funky utterances have since been based.)
I have picked on the institution-text issue because it seems to me to be one that
is in urgent need of further consideration in cultural studies, not only for what it
tells us about production, but also for its effects on consumption. Some metal fans
can hear ‘Highway Star’ as if it were a piece of serious music, but not everyone
does that—and the reasons for this lie not only in discourse but also in access to
cultural capital, in media policy and in the operation of political pressure groups
(here Walser’s critique of the Parents Music Resource Center is especially useful).
Robert Walser has written a superb book which provides a cogent and
convincing account of what heavy metal is and what it is about. Everyone involved
in the study of popular culture should read his book, which is blessed with clear
and engaging prose. Apart from occasional moments in which he drifts into the
wrong key (a problem most of us will recognise from our own efforts), Walser
sticks to a writing style which is clear and direct. Many ‘outsiders’ off campus will
appreciate this book. It remains sophisticated not in spite of that, but I suspect
because of it. Cultural studies needs more books like this one.