Djangology69
- FB Fan -
4 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2003 : 15:58:13
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So, the pitchforkmedia.com review of SMYT has finally come along and I'll be damned if it didn't piss me off.
Have a quick read: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/black_frank/show-me-your-tears.shtml
Now, I'm all for people having opinions and all that crap, but COME ON! A cursory glance over the review would seem to suggest that the writer barely listened to the album.
Right, he spends two and a half paragraphs lamenting the possible reformation of the Pixies (sentiments I'd largely go along with barring the Frank-Black-as-lowest-common-denominator jibe), another two giving out about how shit he thinks FB&TC's have become since Pistolero, thus leaving a paragraph and a half to actually discuss the album he was supposed to review.
And what does he do? Mentions two songs... One of which he bewilderingly manages to misquote ("It's a GOOD day/ no, it's a horrible day" anyone?!).
Now I may be wrong, but it really really REALLY seems a possibility to me that Mr Eric Carr may even have written this "review" without even listening to the album. He talks about the first single off the album, Everything Is New, at relative length and gives out about the chorus of ONE other song (Horrible Day). Pardon me for being a tad sceptical.
I'm also not sure how songs like Massif Centrale, Nadine, Coastline, Jaina Blues or Manitoba could possibly be accused of being "bar-ballads" or contain only "homogenized roots-riffs and schmaltzy sentiment". Sure, there's some countrified blues tracks on the album, but is that really a problem when they're as good as New House of the Pope, Horrible Day or My Favourite Kiss?
To be honest, it just really bugs me that people like this Eric Carr can have a potentially damaging effect on the reputation of one of the finest songwriters around today by writing such lazy tripe for a major website, all because (and I'm guessing here) they still haven't gotten over the fact that the Pixies ran its course and Frank Black isn't still writing songs like Debaser Part 2 or Here Comes Your Man, Again.
I'm sorry, I'm just very annoyed over this. Reviewers should have a bit of cop on and at least earn their money by making valid arguments and lucid examinations of albums rather than reducing themselves to sweeping, unfounded statements and lame, thinly-veiled insults which serve only to put the floating listener off. If they think it's a shit record, at least tell us why...
BAH! |
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