― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
part of what i'm saying is rather simplye: it's disingenuous to say "africa" when he means "rhythm and blues"! if he actually means "africa" then it is simply not germane. (saying "rhythm and blues" isn't terribly germane either, but it's not risible.)
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:35 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
So is he invoking r&b, or african music, or what?
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
I can't see why Christgau would mention Africa if he simply meant that Yorke's voice had little mbalax (or juju, or Afrobeat) in it? And this is different from Cobainbuckleyknowlesdioncreedaguilera how? I get the sense that "Africa" is meant to invoke some tradition which includes r&b and leaves out guys like Yorke.... which I think is misguided and disingenuous.
I hope this doesn't turn ugly because I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything, Matos, I'm honestly a bit confused at this point.
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
xpost
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
(don't we all wish we could describe music in terms that are more vivid and concrete!!)
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
but there's no dichotomy being set up! he's using lack-of-Africa as a description of Yorke's vocal style--it's a parenthetical comment, used to shade the comment. he's referred to De La Soul as pretentious college boys too and you won't see him refusing to say they're African.
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 20:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gavin, Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:24 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
Change "Xgau" to "pretty much every writer for the Village Voice except for sometimes Douglas Wolk" and you're OTM. Really, if anything is manifesting itself in my posts in this thread, it is just a full-on disgust with the writing/critique style typical of the Village Voice music section. It's a philosophical difference in how art and music should be discussed.
So, I've got a question. What about all the other white Europeans and Americans who don't have any trace of "Africa" in their singing voice and in their music. What about them? How is observing that Thom Yorke's voice isn't at all like an African's a unique thing about his music compared to loads of other musicians? It's hardly like he's alone in being a popular white singer who doesn't affect mannerisms that people would normally associate with black singers of any nationality.
― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gavin, Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
I think that depends on whether or not you are willing to consider writing music reviews for free newspapers given away on the street corner to be an artform.
― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:47 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ben Williams, Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
I still think the review was lame.
― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
TS: Radiohead vs Eagles vs POX Eagles
― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 21:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 22:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Evan (Evan), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 22:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 22:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
so does Xgau, as anyone who's paid the slightest bit of attention to him ever can attest
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 22:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
― disco stu (disco stu), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 22:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
Matos, one day you will be famous enough that people will assume you are saying Xgau is gay. They may even start threads about it.
― dleone (dleone), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 01:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 01:16 (twenty-one years ago) link
I'm probably not reading enough into it, but my general impression of the piece was: jeez, they might be the best Band That Matters we've got, but it sure would be nice if they were actually better. Being in the "I like Radiohead but..." camp, I'm sympathetic. I think the only generation gap that shows up here is nothing to do with taste and mostly to do with how much you thing it matters to have a Band That Matters. I think Christgau cares more about that than I do, and I even kind of understand why. But it doesn't invalidate his perspective, and I think he's fun to read. Of course he's a pretentious college boy, and he's writing for an audience of "pretentious college boys" (a demographic group that, of course, includes lots of men and women of all ages), and so when he puts down something as being too "pretentious college boy," he's assuming his audience will get the joke. I think he's one of the funniest writers out there, and that's why I like him. I like his jokes.
― JesseFox (JesseFox), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 03:43 (twenty-one years ago) link