Customer Reviews

Rock Albums Of The 70s: A Critical Guide (Da Capo Paperback)

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He has pretty eccentric tastes, really. His reviews are rarely as funny as those in the Rolling Stone Record Guide (1979, 1983), and the humor he does use tends to be on the arrogant side. On the other hand, this arrogance can make for commanding reviews -- he's rarely wishy-washy like the Rolling Stone reviewers sometimes are. No one will mistake him for an objective critic -- the entries are subjective in tone, and he often has rather idiosyncratic reasons for his likes and dislikes (he credits Pink Floyd's "Meddle" for having sound effects from a "real dog" on it, for example, and he lowers his ratings of many albums on the basis of lyrics that personally rub him the wrong way or disagree with his politics). But then again it is refreshing to read a critic who admits to being subjective.

Many will be annoyed by the forcefulness with which he attacks records he doesn't like (and which may be your favorite). He does write like a know-it-all. I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to buy even half of what he recommends (unless you have no mind of your own) -- first read his reviews of albums you know, so you can see where he stands.

Christgau is the master of the zinger; when he skewers a release or an artist, they're pinned to the wall. You may go bonkers with this book if your musical tastes and Christgau's don't match, because his sarcasm is withering and he has taken the trouble to listen to everything he reviews numerous times before praising or panning, so it's not uninformed criticism. When he praises something, buy it, he's on target most of the time. When he pans, wellllll.........

But Christgau, to his credit, is upfront with his biases and will sometimes transcend those biases and give kudos, however reluctantly, to music put out by artists who he can't stand if he thinks it passes muster. That's ultimately what makes him a good resource; he loves popular music, if not every part of it, and he knows whereof he speaks.

These reviews are so super-pithy that they make very entertaining reading, even when you have no interest in the record under discussion. (The entire review of Foreigner's first record reads, "You've heard of Beatlemania? I propose Xenophobia." Really, what else needs be said?) And his coverage is broad enough that you can easily calibrate the differences between your taste and his. It's great to see this still in print.

I borrowed this book from a freind in 1982 when I was in 10th grade and I never gave it back. It was one of the smarter things I've done. The author's on-target opinions are responsible for many of the greatest musical discoveries I've made, such as Brian Eno's Another Green World. One of those books that you find yourself hopping from one section to another and not putting down for hours. Over 15 years later, I still look at it all the time. The 80's edition is just as interesting.

This book has rarely left my nightstand. What Paline Kael is to film criticism, Christgau is to rock commentary: someone who thinks deeply about the genre without losing touch with its essential appeal. I "discovered" Al Green and several others by checking out the straight A artists, and who knows how many you'll (re)discover. And as an added bonus, you'll be exposed to the most concise writing you'll encounter in any criticism. One of Christgau's paragraphs says more than a year's worth of ROLLING STONE.

Robert Christgau is a rock critic for New York's Village Voice which is a hip New York newspaper. This book culls together his reviews of albums that were released in the 1970's. Mr. Christgau is bluntly honest in his reviews and isn't beyond ridicule in some of his reviews. His reviews are short and concise and very usual on the mark. What makes this book better than most review books is that he applies a letter grade to each album. This avoids the confusion of the star system that most review books employ. If you are a big fan of 70's music, then this book is essential for your collection. Even if you aren't a fan of this era, Mr. Christgau's writing style makes for entertaining reading.

One of my favorite reference books. Generally contains excellent reviews. Sometimes, like other critics, he runs down people that sound great because the lyrics aren't that great or maybe it's too commercial. Other times he gives rave reviews to albums that sound like crap but have good lyrics. Other times the music might be too politically incorrect for him. But overall it is an excellent book by a great, if biased writer.

As a songwriter myself, I judge albums mainly by how much I like the way they sound. I will listen to anything that sounds good, whereas if the lyrics are great but it doesn't sound good, why bother? I can read a book while listening to something I enjoy listening to.

I own Christgau's corresponding books for the '70's, '80's and '90's. I do not agree with all of his grades, but he can smell a stinker coming from an artist I usually like from a mile away. The '70's book is more fun than the later books because he includes extended reviews of bad albums which are give him a chance to be bitchy, a characteristic I appreciate in a reviewer (when appropriate). Many of his reviews are available online at Christgau's website. Nonetheless, its nice to have the book on hand to skim through or carry with to the used record store.

Christgau's three collections of album reviews (of the '70s, '80s and '90s) are all stretching and entertaining, but for my money this is the best. Even the page explaining his grades 'repays repeated listening'. Of course you don't get a book like this to tell you what you should like, you get it to enjoy comparing your own findings with what Christgau liked/likes. As with all genuinely informed critics, he gives you something to push against. After owning this book for a few years, it becomes like an old friend. You expect to disagree with half of what Christgau says, but you're disappointed if he says nothing about the album you happen to be listening to. An essential report on some of the best music of the seventies.

Christgau writes that he hopes his book will be great bathroom reading, and it is. His reviews are fun to read even when I'm not interested in buying any "rock albums." Sometimes his condensed prose is indecipherable; presumably such instances represent critical in-jokes or obsolete rock-critic jive-talk. If you think The Clash were repellent, avoid this book. If you think Randy Newman is a novelty act, avoid this book. If you think all disco albums should be melted down, avoid this book. Docked a star for its spiteful upgrading of Lou Reed's "Street Hassle" from its original B to a B+, in the wake of Reed's remarks about Christgau on the live album "Take No Prisoners."