Robert Christgau?

Some people love him, some hate his guts. I find myself in the latter, but still unable to completely shut him out. Artistic experimentation never seems to bode well with him, and his A+ reviews usually line up with record sales. Maybe it's the pundit syndrome and I read him just to make myself angry?

 

He is incredibly insightful and well versed. He is very human and honest. His taste isn't perfect--whose is? He tries to cram too much into too little space, particularly in short form Consumer Guide stuff, and can be so allusive you don't know what the hell he's saying.

But read some of the stuff about the Stones on his site and tell me if you don't increase your understanding of them.

I think the prior poster is off his rocker about Christgau not appreciating experimentation. He is, however, upfront about preferring to hear the results of several years in the woodshed, where innovations are presented for widespread appreciation rather than made intentionally difficult. I think he is wrong about where he draws that line, but I appreciate his well-argued opinion.

I also disagree that he just likes what is popular, though he is interested in what's popular.

 

I like him.

 

To me, he doesn't seem like he actually enjoys music. His reviews are so snooty that by the end, I have no idea how he actually feels about the music. All style, no content. But that's just me.

 

I voted meh. I never really know what he thinks about an album. Just seems like English exercises.

 

Exactly! Whenever I read him, I'm always thinking to myself, "my professors would have failed me if I wrote as pretentiously as this guy".

 

I agree that he can be pretentious, but I disagree that he dislikes experimentation. It seems to me that the more he feels the music is the "same old, same old', the harsher his vitriol.

 

I think he's the most consistently insightful, accurate and prescient reviewer ever. Even when I disagree with his final assessment, there's usually a lot of truth in his reviews, good and bad. And who else reviews African pop alongside contemporary country alongside gray market dancefloor mash-ups?

There's more crammed into those little paragraphs than meets an impatient eye. Reading the CONSUMER GUIDE as an adult looking for overlooked, worthwhile music was a very different experience than reading the same reviews as a teenager who only wanted reinforcement of my existing purchases and opinions.

As for the "A+" grades, I'm sure quite a few never sold in six figures worldwide: OMANA WAPI, INDESTRUCTIBLE BEAT OF SOWETO, etc. He's usually outside the critical circle when he praises well-crafted mainstream pop like Shania Twain; most writers wouldn't admit to liking the stuff even if they did.

 

I just don't see how someone could give In the Court of the Crimson King a D. I guess I want reinforcement of my opinions after all.

 

Yeah! It seems like these so-called critics and writers care more about the written word than music.

 

Too cranky

 

Love him. Personally responsible for turning me on to countless great artists that I can't even begin to enumerate here. Latest discovery via a Christgau referral - country comer Miranda Lambert.

Simply the best and most insightful music reviewer out there, with no tolerance whatsoever for pretension in any form.

 

He's the worst music reviewer ever. Just terrible.

 

Unless it's coming from him...

 

I love his opinions and style, quite enjoyable. Some people take this sorta thing too seriously you know? Who cares if he gave your favorite album a C or a D, it doesn't change the fact that you enjoy the bloody thing.

 

And an arrogant *** to boot. I, admittedly, only read his reviews of music that I like so I am bound to get irritated. However, I find it so insulting when he diminishes one of my favorite bands, for example (Depeche Mode), into some kind of "adolescent angst" group that he clearly regards more as an amusement for that "crowd" rather than a group with artistic talent. His reviews read as if he listened to the album for all of five minutes and threw in some preconceived notions and came out with either a letter grade or a bomb. The bomb is the height pretentiousness as it does not accompany a review ASFAIK. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but there's a difference between opinion and snobbery. He definitely falls on the latter, hard.

 

You couldn't be further afield. I used to see him hanging out at CBGB's and other clubs until the wee hours totally digging the music and when I deejayed I used to get a kick out of getting him and his wife out on the floor dancing. I remember he once came running up to me all sweaty and excited asking what record I was playing (Aaron Neville - Ape Man). He's a huge music fan... a real music fan.

BTW, I love him, but accidentally hit the "hate him" vote button, so slide the scales a bit.

 

It's his job to express his opinion, most of us keep our opinions to ourselves, for example..I dislike Depeche Mode, I don't go around expressing that though. Is it snobby? not in my opinion, it's more sarcastic, humorous and witty in my opinion. I'm sure he's been "arrogant" about many of my favorite artists too, I don't consider him a snob though, cheers.

 

I don't disagree with your gambit. I'll just add this.....anyone who declares himself the "Dean of American Rock Critics" is just asking for it.

 

What he said. I read him for interesting insights into stuff I like, and to learn about things I've never heard of. My musical tastes--no doubt like those of a majority on this board--are eclectic enough that any random person is bound to dislike something I like. Life's too short to worry about that.

 

I get the impression that he's more a fan of what certain kinds of music stand for, rather than actually being a fan of music.

 

I honestly don't know what you mean with that comment.

This is a man who has listened to music professionally for his entire adult life, his ears and mind have remained keen and open. Most critics have serious limitations - stylistic, musical era of expertise, etc. - but Robert Christgau does not, IMO. I talked to him briefly on a couple of occasions many years ago; I don't know him, but there was no pretense to the man and I do trust his ears.

 

I voted "Love him", even though I often find his reviews inscrutable and read them more for their literary appeal than any hope of getting a solid sense of the music reviewed. But he does have a knack for the pithy observation or comment that really captures an album/band, for b3tter or worse. One I remember in particular is from his review of the Jesus and Mary Chain's Psychocandy LP, where he said something like "on songs where the feedback wells up and obliterates the melodies, I feel like I've been waiting to hear this music my entire life". All I could think was, "Yeah!", as that captured exactly how I felt and why I love the album.

 

I went "meh." I like to read reviews, but his don't mean any more to me than one I read from one of the knowledgable posters here or on other sites.

That said, Christgau has a website where his reviews over the years are available? Anyone got a link to it?

JcS