Article Response: Basement Jaxx

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Can it be that Tim says nothing at all about the COVER? Nothing? Oh well. We already had a thread about that. Talk about Tim's review instead.

― Freaky Trigger, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One of the reasons I like having Tim writing for FT so much is that out of all of the people who do he's probably the best at making me actually want to hear an album. A little-mentioned but sometimes rather important critical attribute, that.

And yeah, he's done so again.

― Tom, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

He has, too. He did it astonishingly with the Avalanches, as many will recall.

All my remaining doubts about whether or not to buy "Rooty" have gone, which is its own tribute.

― Robin Carmody, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tim's piece made me whiny and petulant because I already wanted the Basement JAxx album, but now I want it NOWNOWNOWNOWNOW!

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sasha Frere-Jones has got another really cool review of this album on the Village Voice website. Choice quotes:

"'Romeo' is to dance music what "Teen Spirit" was to a certain rock formalism--all the good bits strung together and exaggerated by the knowledge that they are actually the good bits and hey, why didn't we do this before?"

"Though I'd be thrilled to reach the Emerald City with OutKast, or stay here and bitch in dystopia with Cannibal Ox, hip-hop's takeover has displaced many of the things that made the New York state of mind so sweet: dancing to songs, verse-to-chorus bridges, clave rhythms, straight guys who dance well, gay record store clerks, chord changes, string sections, harmony, assertive female pleasure, dancing dogs, harmonic dogs, dogs of the world unite."

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What I like about 'Rooty': most of the actual music, esp. 'Romeo' (amazing poptune), 'Get me off', 'Where's your head at' and the one that ripps off Van Helden's washing machine phaser-effect. Nice that they tried to do something very different to 'Remedy' but it's already clear to me the album isn't as strong as the first one (recent re-listen of Remedy again floored me with all the amazing detail, almost like friendly house-version of 'Hairway to Steven').

What I don't like about 'Rooty': the Prince-like tracks, they're allright but they just don't excite me. *And* the press reception along the lines of "Britannia rules the dancefloors again! Up yours Daft Punk". Sad really.

― Omar, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Though there's nothing quite as insistent as "Rendez-Vu" and "U Can't Stop Me" still sound to me, I still think it's ace. That's my summer encapsulated, then ...

The kind of xenophobic popcrit Omar mentions exists but is nowhere as strong in the music press as its equivalent is in the news reporting of some British national newspapers, unfortunately.

― Robin Carmody, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

Lordy, Ethan's new bosses are bashing Rooty based on its LYRICS.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When clearly they should be bashing it for the MUSIC. Goddamnit.

― Melissa W, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Pitchfork article is better written than mine was, but nearly every sentence seems to me to be so utterly wrong in every possible manner imaginable that I found it quite hard to read. Is this guy my absolute diametric opposite?

― Tim, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Melissa: I lurve my liriks and an especially appealing turn of phrase can change a song from 'good' to 'great' in my mind, but if I picked up "Rooty", they're the last aspect I'd consider.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm just saying I found Rooty more musically abhorrent and didn't really notice the lyrics. Aural pain.

― Melissa W, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't understand where this reviewer is coming from. Perhaps my problem is that I like latter-era Prince and Lords of Acid.

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Eff Pitchfork. Those guys don't know jack. They shouldn't talk about Kool Keith that way. Never heard Basement Jaxx but maybe I will give it a try.

― klaus vk, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"they're joking about things I don't think we're ready to laugh at"- I've only really heard 'Romeo' and 'SFM' and taken a quick listen to a few other tracks, but what exactly is so objectional about Rooty's words? Any possible enlightenment? Is it just the kitsch factor?

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I wanted to respond but ILM wasn't working for me - so I updated on NYLPM instead.

Most typically Pitchforkish thing - the comparison of the token 'good song' to a motherfucking indie band.

― Tom, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like latter-era Prince and Lords of Acid.
Oh my GOD, Lords of Acid? *shudder* They were nutting in their home country (Belgium). After Maurice formed another group, Praga Khan, the media has been hyping the man like mad. Next you'll admit yer a New Beat fanatic as well, Dan. ;-)

― nathalie, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

question: should the opinion of people who don't like to dance be considered valid when they're reviewing an album that exists solely to make one dance? (admittedly, i haven't read the article, he could be a dancing fool, for all i know. the question stands.)

― fred solinger, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Fanatic" would be overstating things, but I will freely admit that I ardently followed the LoA-related groups (Praga Khan, Channel X, Digital Orgasm, MNO, Phantasia, Jade 4 U, and some others I'm forgetting) in 1992. :)

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Pitchfork article is better written than mine was

No it's not.

― Ian, Wednesday, 19 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dan, I could have seen you in that "Lordie Phreaks" documentary then. ;-)

― nathalie, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

should the opinion of people who don't like to dance be considered valid when they're reviewing an album that exists solely to make one dance?

yes, BUT
a) i don't believe this albums exists solely to make one dance, and even if it does, i, as a consumer, wouldn't necessarily see it that way.
b) doesn't this apply to all supposed dance albums?

― gareth, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gareth's right there, but I think this review's a bit extreme in that the reviewer would disapprove of any criterion that Rooty might perform well on - dance-worthiness, fun, pop accessability etc. etc. so it might be fair to say that he is unsuited to review it.

― Tim, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i have to admit, i didn't even notice that Rooty could be thought of as kitsch.

― gareth, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gareth, didn't you see the COVER?

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

it might be fair to say that he is unsuited to review it.

Well, yeah. But Pitchfork has no interest in hiring "suited" dance reviewers, because their readership has no interest in dance music. It's just a stunt review; that's why it came out like 3 months after the album was released. I think you're giving this nonsense more discussion than it merits. Anyway, people who consult Pitchfork for dance-pop recommendations deserve what they get.

― Ian, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

nine years pass...

My god, this album's almost ten years old. (And is still great.)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 03:23 (fourteen years ago)

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Article Response: Basement Jaxx - Rooty