Robert Christgau's Music Criticism Blog - Expert Witness - MSN Music

Loudon Wainwright III/Lee Ranaldo

What Do You Mean You're an Old Man? I'm the Old Man Around Here.

By Xgau Apr 20, 2012 5:42AM

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Loudon Wainwright III: Older Than My Old Man Now (2nd Story Sound)

A reluctant 50, he started playing the Old card with the adulthood album Grown Man; now, a saggy stripling of 65, he trumps himself with a mortality album. Wainwright has been writing death songs for years, of course, but on his eighth album and label of the young century the theme turns concept. In one song he's a ghost; another features a reflection his late father wrote about his own late father; the one that begins "Somebody else I knew just died" is followed by the one called "The Days That We Die." Family members abound, including the late Kate McGarrigle in a remake of her sole co-write with her husband, from before either was 30, which happens to be called "Over the Hill." There are cameos from Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Chris Smither, John Scofield, the winsome Dame Edna Everage; Tom Lehrer declined but loved how Wainwright fit the word "Mercurochrome" into "My Meds." With Elliott, Loud-O bids for a do-over: "You don't know what you're doin' and you can't just wait;/You go ahead and do it and then it's too late/You need a double lifetime." After he goes down on his knees and prays, as he promises he will, this album will be Exhibit A on his application. A

 

Lee Ranaldo: Between the Times and the Tides (Matador)

Never much of a singer even by Sonic Youth standards and always abrasive solo, Ranaldo applies his best-in-band chops to riffage and filigree so lovely his well-meaning and far from altogether tuneless plainsong has the welcome effect of situating the guitar in the same reality occupied by his lyrics, which always make sense and often seem a mere detail away from total lucidity. Throughout he recaptures the repose of A Thousand Leaves's "Hoarfrost," his will to reconciliation and renewal always palpable whether the songs reach out or recalibrate his options. Just the album you'd hope from a thoughtful 56-year-old after his band of 30 years breaks up. Best in show is "Angles," a love song to someone he knows well and can always stand to know better. Not a bandmate, either. A MINUS

 

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217Comments
Jones125
Apr 23, 2012 5:26AM
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Dear Alexander Nevermind, please include these albums in your allotted listening-to-jazz-no​w time if you haven't already:

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue (Bill Evans' impressionistic stuff might help you out)
Miles Davis: In A Silent Way (easier listening than Jack Johnson)
Thelonious Monk: Misterioso (Mr. Christgau's very own favourite album is comparatively easy and perfectly paced)
Billie Holiday: Any one of Mr. Christgau's recommendations on his site (perhaps Lady In Autumn), otherwise her Decca stuff, in my opinion, is easiest to access.


Michael Tatum
Apr 23, 2012 12:46AM
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In the middle of making cannellini and beef soup (yes, i've got Giada de's book) and I dashed off a parody of "Brenda," first few verses.  I'm sure Ryan or someone can put some more funny in here. 

 

They met on a train to write "Nowhere Fast"

He could see what she had right on
Together they build up an empire so vast
That no one, not even the NME could stop them
He looked like a man of the people
She declined to eat meat at the ball
Of course they made everybody so jealous
But no one could touch ‘em et all
It was true love 

And while the Hacienda was dancing

They conquered the world and beyond
With each new insatiable ambition
They tested and strengthened their bond
He wasn’t nearly as celibate
She wasn’t nearly as fun
But together they was quite a combination
When it come down to gettin’ it done
It was true love
True love

They amassed unspeakable fortunes and she still wasn’t satisfied
And when he wanted to play guitar for the Pretenders?
What a hell of a ride!
With Streety and Porter they recorded as often as they could
Well good love comes with its troubles
Where things, things wouldn’t always be good
It was true love
 
(And please work the yodeling hook from "Headmaster Ritual" in there. That's one of those ni-ni-ni-yeah things I can't get enough of.)

The Spirit of Alex Wilson
Apr 23, 2012 12:33AM
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'Baaa, baaa, baaa, maaa, maaa, baaa, maaa, baaa, maaa, maaa, baaa, baaa!'

(Unrelated to sheepism.)

http://goo.gl/rud9v
Matt Rice
Apr 22, 2012 11:04PM
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I love jazz, but I'm hardly an expert on it. Soon, I'm gonna have to start writing about my favorite jazz artists, and I hardly know what to say. It either hits me or it doesn't. I might have to study some jazz criticism to get the hang of it.

Hairy Irene (dzdzdz)
Apr 22, 2012 10:58PM
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It seems quite a few people I don't really know (yet?) are commenting a lot lately, so I just thought I'd say hi. :) Carry on.

(I have similar "issues" with jazz. Well I suppose it depends on the jazz, but generally it makes me feel a bit lost. I blame rockism*. Also maybe others around my age are like me in that I associate the words "jazz" and "smooth" very closely due to 90s radio stations and parents.)

*I wouldn't be able to whip that term around if it weren't for the likes of you, witnesses.

Matt Rice
Apr 22, 2012 10:48PM
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It's a Simpsons quote. Don't watch The Simpsons much anymore, but that quote entered my head when I saw the jazz discussion.
Matt Rice
Apr 22, 2012 10:28PM
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"You see, jazz is like Jello pudding pops... no, actually it's more like Kodak film... no, actually jazz is like the New Coke. It'll be around forever. Heh heh heh."

Tom Hull
Apr 22, 2012 9:50PM
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As for how 2012 is shaping up, here's one metric: by April 22, 2011, Christgau had identified 15 A- or better 2011 releases (17 by end of April). This year, the number is 22 2012 releases (at least by my records, which count Oka! as 2011). Probably more EPs this year, and definitely more free downloads.

If 2011 still seems like a bigger year, that's probably because more of those 16 are big names -- Paul Simon, TV on the Radio, Tune-Yards, Drive-By Truckers, Yuck. Less of that this year, so far anyway.

Can't check the numbers, but my impression is that my metacritic file rankings are down this year: only 10 records so far with 20+ favorable reviews, topping out at 30 (Cloud Nothings). PJ Harvey was way above that last year. But I only count 4 good records in the current top 10 (haven't heard Spiritualized yet, but I'm not counting on it), and it wasn't any better last year, so maybe that's not a good metric.

I have 27 A- or better records on my current list (11 jazz). Not sure how that compares with this time last year, but it's roughly on track.



Edgar Sargent
Apr 22, 2012 9:48PM
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SemiMike-ShadyShack,​
I share your enthusiasm for Far East Suite.  Just discovering it means you may not know Ellington's other late-period suites, many of which are fantastic.  Check out Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, Such Sweet Thunder, Latin American Suite in particular.  New Orleans Suite has a great reputation but I've never been able to get past the organ.
MarkE6
Apr 22, 2012 9:31PM
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Other than an amazing cover of LL Cool J’s “ I Need Love”, nothing else stood out for me on the one record I own of Luka Bloom.  Rather bland.  LL Cool J on the other hand had a big influence on me – I still think his MTV Unplugged is the best that ever was and Mama Said Knock You Out was the first rap record I ever purchased. 

Semi Mike (ShadyShack)
Apr 22, 2012 9:07PM
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Have been a little awol around here but trying to catch up on the proceedings here.

1. Bob & Carola- Belated salutations and birthday well wishes to you both...continued health, wisdom, love, laughter, and long may you run.

2. 2012 has been a so-so vintage thus far? Keep in mind we've got a little over 7 months left this year this too shall pass. I've got a running list going as do we all. I'll share mine.

1-Leonard Cohen- Old Ideas  (death becomes him..)
2-Duke Ellington- Far East Suite (It's a left field weird selection ,I know, But I just "found" this and I can't stop playing it, and I won't stop playing it. "Mount Harissa" and "Blue Pepper" are two amazing tracks. I dare anyone who hasn't heard "Blue Pepper" to not fall into a state of uncontrollable state of giddiness and start dancing when you hear it.  What took me so long to find this? It's a hard , bluesy , bop song featuring I'm guessing it's Cootie Williams going crazy on the trumpet.  I bet it will move you!
3-  Nicki Minaj- PFRR  (two states...we want two states)
4- Todd Snider- Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables (agitator blues)
5-  Vijay Iyer Trio- Accelerando (See Jason's fine review @Cerebral Decanting)
6- Spoek Mathambo- Father Creeper (still processing ...but instant sonic attraction)
7- Himanshu- Nehru Jacket (Womyn- song of the year!!!)
8- Tommy Womack- Now What! (your welcome)
9-  Withered Hand- Heart Heart EP ( three fantastic songs by Dan Willson..too short, argh!)
10- Cloud Nothings- Attack on memory  (is it the quarterback or the system?)
11- Oka! (highlight: the song with people slapping water is the funk song of the year, maybe?)
12- Bhi Bhiman- Bhiman (the voice! the melodies!)
13- Magnetic Fields- Love At The Bottom of the Sea (he's happy with his gender)
14- Burial - Kindred EP (dubstep wunderkind creates another sonic wonderland)

The funny thing about my silly list is that it will probably be completely different in a month.

I have a confession or two. I didn't know Jazz would ever become a love for me since I've been hanging out here with you all. Thanks to Tom, Jason,  and Christopher for helping me to discover and navigate that genre.

I'm not a Loudo fan at all, and I'm embarrassed to admit that fact. Promise you , I'll give this new one a try and maybe Career Moves too. Long standing prejudices must be challenged.
Greg Morton (GMort)
Apr 22, 2012 8:47PM
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I think this relates. Not to jazz but to broadening one's preferences in general terms --

Liam: What more can you tell us about Luka Bloom? The two songs you included on this week's program are nicely done but the other parts of his back catalog that I've just now sampled are way mild. Are those the two to pick or is there more out there?

And of course, that goes for anyone else with insight or advice. I'm pretty sure I've heard the name but never the music.
Matt Rice
Apr 22, 2012 8:47PM
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Jack White's album is my second favorite of the year, so far (after Dr. John's). Separating the artist from the art is one thing I've learned I must do. One exception is when I removed Buju Banton's Til Shiloh from my list of the 1,001 greatest albums (a project I've been working on for a very long time), due to my issues with his homophobic views. Then again, Til Shiloh would've only made it in the 900's at best, so it didn't feel like a huge loss.
Jerry Withrow
Apr 22, 2012 8:44PM
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Same as it ever was, right now there's a remarkable array of very young musicians like Justin Faulkner, Colin Stetson, Cloud Nothings, Alabama Shakes, Sarah Jarosz , John Fullbright on and on - pushing those buttons ,old and new, that can hyper-trigger my heartbeat and I hope yours.  Jason and Robert's words really hit home for me, as do those of another superior wordsmith - W. S. Merwin "If You find you no longer believe enlarge the temple".
Jason Gubbels
Apr 22, 2012 7:51PM
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Jon LaF. -

Even as somebody who has been devouring new music for many years, I can't deny dry periods exist. Sometimes it's the actual zeitgeist, sometimes it's just me - as an example, for a number of months after 9/11, I didn't have much desire to track down any music with words at all. That was clearly just me. But I also tuned out hip-hop for a while in the mid-90s when gangsta/G-funk was at its peak, and indie (as others have already mentioned) just isn't doing it for me these days. So you pick and choose.

Here's something our host once wrote that applies (1996), even if it wasn't in direct relation to these concerns:

When all else fails, there is always jazz.

When guitar bands grind down ruts they call four-lanes, when black pop runs on concept, when dance music melds functionalism and obscurantism into "dance" music, when bohemians play trivial pursuit, when Sweden falls as flat as Polynesia falls as flat as Benin, when the rock and roll pickings are too damn thin, America's other great vernacular music is waiting over in the next bin. So even if you suspect jazz greatness of upscale postvernacularity, make that slight adjustment and sink your ears into some unplumbed genius - Monk or Coltrane or Armstrong or Parker if you're a novice, one of the hundreds of superb lesser voices if you've mastered the basics.

I don't quote this at length in an attempt to insist that you (or anybody) listen to more jazz, although that wouldn't be such a bad idea. It's more just to suggest that even when the music scene seems uninspired, there's always something else to check out. And sometimes, that side road can really open up a whole new world.
JeffC77
Apr 22, 2012 6:10PM
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P.S. Pre-ordered the damn record anyway.
JeffC77
Apr 22, 2012 6:00PM
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In anticipation of Tuesday's release of his first solo album, I've spent most of the weekend immersed in all things Jack White, including the documentary Under Great White Northern Lights, a recent Times profile by Josh Eells, and a Bob Bollen video interview up over at NPR. Musical genius though he may be, he frequently comes off as aloof and more than a little controlling. According to Eells, at his record store in Nashville, he micromanages everything down to the colors his employees wear and only hires women with red hair. In one scene in the tour documentary he browbeats Meg on camera not for her drumming skills--which, sorry haters, are rock solid--but for ruining his movie by not speaking loudly enough on camera. In another, an Inuit tribal elder has a coughing fit while sitting next to him, and after asking her if she's okay and being told yes, he blurts out "good" in a tone that implies gratitude mainly that the scene won't be spoiled by her keeling over. 
sharpsm
Apr 22, 2012 5:52PM
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Putting Morrisey, Johnny Marr, Jagger and Richards into a car without brakes has long been a recurring dream of mine. Then, as they drive off, my long-dead father appears at my side and says, "You've done well, son". My therapist won't tell me what it means.

Richard Cobeen
Apr 22, 2012 5:43PM
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Time waster of the day (and probably longer): Google's newspaper archive, specifically back issues of the Voice. At random I chose the March 25, 1977 issue. It includes a special pullout on British rock. Here is the lineup of music articles: Lester Bangs on Iggy Pop; Ken Tucker on Kate and Anne McGarrigle; Tom Hull on Pink Floyd; Greil Marcus on Fairport Convention; Charlie Gillett on Graham Parker; Simon Firth on rock stars leaving England because of taxes; Tom Smucker on Anne Murray; Mary Harron (went on to direct I Shot Andy Warhol and American Psycho) on English Punk, with reporting direct from England; and Gary Giddins on Woody Herman. Oh, and an opening letter to the pullout section written by our host.

I fight nostalgia with almost as much vigilance as Xgau, but that is almost enough to make me cry. There are the obvious caveats, mainly the lack of diversity of both artists (although usually the Voice was good at covering black music) and writers, but I know I can't find anything close to this anywhere today.

Matt Rice
Apr 22, 2012 5:12PM
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Was ashamed as a Smiths fan that I couldn't figure that one out... until I realized it was solo Morrissey. I never listen to Morrissey without Johnny Marr. To me, that's like Jagger with Richards... or a car without brakes.
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about the blogger

Robert Christgau

Starting in 1967, Robert Christgau has covered popular music for The Village Voice, Esquire, Blender, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He teaches in New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, maintains a comprehensive website at robertchristgau.com, and has published five books based on his journalism. He has written for MSN Music since 2006.

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