This Blog--The Whats, Whys, and Wherefores

thumbs up to stb

Do not feed the troll.

Dear Istvan:

 

1)  If your issue is that sometimes Christgau’s reviews are hard to understand, well, okay, sure.  Nobody argues that one.  Sometimes they require the reader to work to unravel their meaning.  The Lucinda Williams review you cite is a case in point.  But I can’t for the life of me see why that is bad.  By the time I sort out, “Her drawl is affected, but so is Bob Dylan’s phrasing.  It’s an artistic tool which she uses in the same way she uses her lyrics to demonstrate a real life virtue, spontaneity.  One thing it does is provide a contrast to and thereby emphasize the real thoughts and feelings she has about the people and events in her life.” I have learned a ton.  Difficult does not equal irrelevant.

 

2)  I love my wife dearly but she’s not a Christgau fan either (she nearly divorced me over my affection for Sleater-Kinney, but that’s a story better left untold).  Her response is just simply not to read him and spend her entertainment energy elsewhere.  Which is what I most don’t understand about your entries here.  Why do you care?  Unless it is some diabolical trap that first Chris and now I have fallen into just to prove that that we are sheep and you are not.

 

3)  Evoke, subsume, and protrude are all useful English words.  Their meanings all fit their uses in this review.  And the slight sexual tone of “protruding” is also funny when used in the same sentence as "metaphysical."  Evoke – to call forth, bring to mind or elicit; Subsume – encompass as a component element; Protrude – to cause to project.

 

4)  The corporate hip-hop comment still baffles me.  Especially since you bring Lucinda Williams to the debate as evidence.  Robert Christgau has fans and students because for decades, he hasn’t limited himself to the “corporate” music world, again, whatever that might be.  If you read his 70's book back in the day, surely you must know that.  I don't recall a lot of corporate hip-hop in that text.

 

GM

Dear Istvan:  I think I'll start by taking the high road for now.  Try this sample of a dozen individual songs, none of which are "corporate hip-hop" (whatever that might be) and all of which were first recommended by Robert Christgau.  If it turns out that you already knew them, then a tip of the hat to you.  If you haven’t heard them before and if your life isn’t better for having heard them now, then we don’t have very much in common and we would all be better off if you spent your time elsewhere.

 

“Kabessele In Memoriam"; Franco and Rocherau

“And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”; The Pogues

“Passionate Kisses”; Lucinda Williams

“Nina Majuba (You Pigeons)”; Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens

“Sink Hole”; Drive By Truckers

“My Life”; Iris Dement

“Youth of Eglington”; Black Uhuru

“Amnesia”, The Mekons

“Time Will Reveal”; Debarge

“In Walked Bud”; Thelonious Monk

“Forever Night Shade Mary”; Latin Playboys

“Making History”; Linton Kwesi Johnson

 

Happy listening.

 

GM

I can't comment on that specific review because the one time I have heard the Minaj album I wasn't giving it the proper attention -- it was before xgau weighed in in its favor -- although it seemed way better than some critics who, I think, were comparing it unfavorably to Keisha (Kesha Rises as Nicki Minaj Stumbles, in the NY Tmes) But I think it's fair to mention her looks if that's a significant part of her package. I'd have to listen to the album again and reread the review before I could say more. Focusing on one or two reviews that happen to be of "the latest corporate hip hop product" is a little myopic and the "fanboys" and "old-man" cracks make you seem a mite mean-spirited. I do know that xgau doesn't confine himself to corporate product, or hiphop (but why shouldn't they be in his purview?) -- and I don't see him taking unfocused potshots. That would be you, methinks.

Xgau is one of the few critics I actually care a damn about ever since he made me love The E.N.D and recommending it to my father (who first hated it, now likes it but hates to admit it). I really wish you would augment more reviews every week (say 3 per week) since something more is better than something less!

Great to have you back. Where would we be without some humorless has-been rock scribe to tell us his oh-so-relevant opinion of the latest Nicki Minaj disc? Who else would be brave enough to champion unsung artists like Kanye and Eminem?

By the way, I just want to make a su****ective appreciation of you major virtue.

It's ........ humility. Yeah, I'll explain.  First of all, you've always been completely

open about your biases. That's laudable in that you cut-off-at-the-pass the

pretense of o****ectivity or fairness or other such meaningless/useless concept in regard to what you do.  But more importantly, that admission would generally be used as an excuse to narrow your field. You've never done that. You've always kept your ears open. I've seen glowing reviews of records in just about every style you've admitted having no use for.  You always allow for changing your mind, or finding exceptions or whatever. Gold is where you find it seems to be your motto and we've all benefitted.  Chinese classical music A  ???? pre-Classical music A????

Brazilian music A ???? Eastern European folk-derived pop A ???? and on and on. Each of these was unimaginable to you (apparently) until you found a record that spoke to you.  But you wouldn't have heard it if you weren't listening, and apparently, in spite of your avowed biases, you always are. 

It's great to have you back. As I was trying to think of something to write here, Carly Simon's "Nobody Does it Better" popped into my head and refused to leave. So, I'll leave you with that and a big thumbs up. Oh, and thanks for singing the praises of so many Georgians through the years, from Little Richard to Otis to OutKast.

Great to have Christgau back! Greetings from Colombia and hoping this blog to last a long time.