Re: Rolling Stone Needs Real Music Critics

[as010b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (andrew david simchik)]

In <1992Oct12.152102.19692@cs.nott.ac.uk> pcxkrm@unicorn.nott.ac.uk (K.R.Marshall) writes:

>In article <1992Oct11.175229.8958@galileo.cc.rochester.edu> as010b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (andrew david simchik) writes:
>>
>>	If anyone has seen the October 1 issue of Rolling Stone, they will
>>have noticed that 10,000 Maniacs' new album Our Time In Eden received ****,
>>while Peter Gabriel's Us received *** and Suzanne Vega's 99.9 F received
>>***1/2.  Now whereas I agree that Vega's latest deserved its rating (and
>>probably more), Our Time In Eden is the least satisfying album by the
>>Maniacs to date; lyrics and music are eminently inferior.  Us deserved at
>>the very least ****; I like it much better than So, as a matter of fact. 
>>It's lush, gorgeous, otherworldly...RS's criticism totally missed the point. 
>>Our Time In Eden has nothing to hold on to, and is really much more
>>"background music" than Us.  My feeling was that the ratings should have
>>been reversed, if not totally rethought.  But then, this is the magazine
>>that gave the Cure's inconsequential and unpleasant Wish ****.
>>	While I'm on the subject of new albums, what are the thoughts on
>>REM's Automatic for the People?  I'm impressed by what seems to be a welcome
>>lack of pop-chart fodder.
>>
>>Andrew D. Simchik
>>Whose brain and U of R's run on totally different schedules.
>>
>>"If he treats you horribly, he's probably a Scorpio"
>>Robyn Hitchcock, "The Devil's Coachman," Queen Elvis

>I'm sorry, I have to disagree with some of this - I found Wish a great album
>that I listen to a lot - I also found Automatic for the People simply boring
>compared to Murmur and Out of Time, my favourites by REM. I do, however,
>agree with the comments on Us and 99.9 F, they represent steps in the right
>direction for both artists concerned.

	I have Wish and found it to be OK in places, but on the whole it was
not a progressive move for the Cure, in my opinion.  I was hoping for a
cross between Disintegration's lush sonic ambience and The Head On The
Door's playful dabbling.  Instead, I found Wish to be rather abrasive and
boring, to be honest...but my musical tastes are, after all, my own, and
it'd be a dull world if we all agreed.  Still, I was hoping for some lyrics
which were a bit more intelligent than "How did we get so far apart?/We used
to be so close together."...I found that song to be utterly vapid.  I mean,
really.
	Anyway, sorry to be so abusive of an album you appear to like. 
However, I think Automatic for the People is an interesting, if difficult
(or, as you put it, boring) step for REM.  And whereas I agree with Murmur,
I think Out of Time was good in spots (namely "Losing My Religion,"
"Endgame," "Belong," and "Half A World Away") it tended to suffer a bit on
some other cuts.  Out of Time seemed more like a departure point than a
destination, and I think the surrealist lyrics and oddball tunes of
Automatic for the People represent a welcome weirdness after some
dangerously poppy movements on the last few albums by REM.
	Fortunately, we agree on Us and 99.9 F, which were splendid and
spend a lot of time in my CD player.  Any thoughts on Our Time In Eden,
anyone?

--Kashka
DISCLAIMER: Oh, you know how it goes.
>Keith.