June Based on Genre and Personal Tastes

Foxboro Hot Tubs- Stop Drop and Roll

Another garage-y-rock band. Must be the new fad- not that I am complaining mind you. The FHTs strive to go backwards to year 1966. There are Zombies and Monkees musical references and a polished raw sound from practice and rehearsing to sound that way. The supposed single “Mother Mary” is the weakest song and side II (songs 7 on) being the best at nailing their desired aura. It’s Green Day if they decided to do their throwback 60s disc. (3)

The Heavy- Great Vengeance and Furious Fire

Another semi-blind pull after hearing one song. Great Vengeance is an afro-centric, heavy thumpin’, Fishbone meets Sly Stone romp. Sweaty and boozy, where the feel outweighs getting it just right. Songs vary without being hodge-podge and many songs take on a life of their own. Took until the second listen to get it and then I had it good. (4.0)

Built to Spill- Keep it Like a Secret

BTS’s music is loopy, strange and sound like they haven’t rehearsed, which is the appeal to me. Sure Martsch sounds like Neil Young. He can’t help it genetically, but musically they are completely their own sound. The guitar work is impossible characterize with the riffs and melodies being whiny and not straight forward. “The Plan” makes a dramatic opening statement which is continued throughout. (3.5)

Radiohead- The Bends

Historically I have never jumped on the Radiohead band wagon. At one point I reviled them. Okay I was harsh. Now 13 years old I have come to appreciate this release. It is a tad on the slow side but it has some beautiful songs, “High and Dry” and “Fake Plastic Trees” (though Yorke hates the former). Being force fed The Bends has forced me to go and get Pablo Honey and OK Computer. I still think the rest since is shite. (3)

Elton John

My favorite memory of Elton is sitting in a Parkersburg hotel parking lot drinking god knows what at about 3 am with Jay Valigorsky. We decided then that Elton John was the 70s. Since then Elton has fallen precipitously in my hierarchy of rock/music gods and in my opinion has become a caricature of himself. I even find the majority of his old greats boring and self-indulgent (except Yellow Brick Rd which I still like except for that awful song “Bennie and the Jets”). That said I did not enjoy the Elton John mix.

Topic

How can we criticize more responsibly….

I remember getting an earful when I use to rate discs within their genre, which I feel critics should be actually comparing a release to – their genre. Can’t compare Black Sabbath (Ozzie years) to Carole King’s Tapestry. This brings in a critic’s own personal tastes. If I like metal and not adult contemporary well guess which one gets a better review. I read a review of a show my daughter went to (Aaron Carter) and the reviewer trashed it. My wife was there and 12,000 girls were screaming having the time of their life, dancing, singing…etc. Who is more right? The 40 year old reviewer or the tween who the show is catered to.

I think critics can fill a valuable role but it is only valuable if there is other information about the critic disclosed. I created Music Club based on a premise I had for a review magazine. Have multiple people review a disc but the critics would make public what their favorite artists, styles were. This way the reader can make a determination as to how valid the review is. A Sinatra fanatic panning a Dylan release makes sense, but if a Dylan fanatic pans a Dylan disc, that holds water. Or, if the Sinatra fan loves the Dylan disc and I am a Sinatra fan, well maybe I’ll try that Dylan disc.

In summary, a critic to be more responsible needs to cite how the reviewed item falls within the genre and the critics personal taste affects their opinion.