Idiotic Bio on AllMusicGuide

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The best and most popular French rapper, MC Solaar found success in America among fans of acid jazz and jazz-rap (if not the larger hip-hop community) after guesting on Guru's acclaimed Jazzmatazz project. His fluid phrasing makes up for his lack of English, and the production on his solo work (by DJ Jimmy Jay and Boom Bass of La Funk Mob) surpasses that of most of his hip-hop contemporaries.

First of all, "the best" French rapper? According to whom? Were it an American artist no one would dare proclaim them 'the best' anything.

Secondly, "...makes up for his lack of English" - what the fuck?! As if he has something to make up for in speaking French! This is just absurd. This guy John Bush (who wrote the bio) has a bit of a perspective problem.

How can I go about getting this changed? Will AMG accept a new bio if I provide one?

― Andrew (enneff), Monday, 1 September 2003 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you worry too much.

― d k (d k), Monday, 1 September 2003 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not worried. Just irked by bigoted subtext.

― Andrew (enneff), Monday, 1 September 2003 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Are you worried about the bigoted subtext?

― d k (d k), Monday, 1 September 2003 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

it actually makes complete sense, the french comment was in regard to his having found success in america despite using french whereas most things not in english like say subtitled films normally bomb here. false indignation is not pretty.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 1 September 2003 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)

ha, is condescention?

i have no idea how you came by that reading keith.

― dengo matherton (dubplatestyle), Monday, 1 September 2003 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

at best and worst, it's an awkwardly phrased sentence that leaves itself open to a number of interpretations, good and bad.

― dengo matherton (dubplatestyle), Monday, 1 September 2003 01:16 (twenty-two years ago)

hmm...the first sentence mentions his success in the usa and then the next offers up reasons, in spite of his rapping in french.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 1 September 2003 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

wouldn't it say "made up" rather than "makes up" then?

― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 1 September 2003 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

That guy John Bush is the senior editor. We work five feet away from each other. I'll bring it to his attention.

I'll say this again: If you have any issues with AMG, please feel free to email me directly.

― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 1 September 2003 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

wouldn't it be nice to have the music maps on one page? (this isn't an issue, i don't think.)

― youn, Monday, 1 September 2003 02:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks, Andy. I'll remember to contact you if I have any issues in the future. (I do recognise this is a bit of a nitpick, but you know...)

― Andrew (enneff), Monday, 1 September 2003 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

I am angered and outraged by the treatment Animal Collective have had on allmusic, and guess who wrote the majority of the offending entries? John Bush!

First of all, no less than three major albums by the band have been ommited from the discog leaving only "Here Comes The Indian", "Sung Tongs" and "Feels". No "Campfire Songs", no "Danse Manatee" or "Spirit They've Gone". In their place, the single "Grass" has been confusingly added to the albums section. The early experimental effort "Here Comes The Indian" has been given AMG Pick and ranks much higher than the other two (and generally recognised as more accomplished) albums. The classic "Sung Tongs" is more or less dropped onto the wayside and disregarded as a bunch of strumming with the odd ditty here and there. What's more the blinding "Prospect Hummer" EP with Vashti Bunyan is handled in a similarly offhand way.

I'm not expecting Allmusic to spout wonderful things about all my favourite bands all the time but ffs, AC are one of the most important alt/underground acts out at the moment. They're hot property, so AMG could at least treat them with a bit of respect.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 March 2006 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

I am angered and outraged by the treatment Animal Collective have had on allmusic

― ,,,,,,,,,, Monday, 6 March 2006 18:28 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 6 March 2006 18:38 (nineteen years ago)

yours, Angry, Sudbury

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 March 2006 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

But weren't Danse Manatee and Spirit released as Avey Tare and Panda Bear? And wasn't Campfire Songs released as Campfire Songs? Maybe that's part of your problem.

― mcd (mcd), Monday, 6 March 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

it's all animal collective though, surely? hence collective. You might be right, but they even mention Spirit and Danse in the overview.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 March 2006 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

you're quite right mcd, there is a seperate entry under "campfire songs" (they gave it 2 and a half stars and say it's "underdeveloped"). i'm sure Spirit and Danse were released by Fat Cat as Animal Collective. Even so, it's a bit bloodyminded not to at least have a link to these records on the other AC entry...

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 March 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

i miss d k! although s/he was being kind of a twit on this thread.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 6 March 2006 19:13 (nineteen years ago)

how about you go bitch to your favorite band that they shouldn't have release records under different names and made their AMG bio all messy?

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Monday, 6 March 2006 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

it's all animal collective though, surely? hence collective.

We don't put all the Wu-Tang solo albums under Wu-Tang because they're a clan. Ditto X-Clan solo albums. But maybe we should put all the Momus albums under the Happy Family.

Avey Tare and Panda Bear (I cannot believe I just typed out those words in that combination) are linked on the Animal Collective page.

Thanks for pointing out the single that was classified as an album.

― Andy_K (Andy_K), Monday, 6 March 2006 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

ah, normally i don't get so annoyed about little things like this. it's a slow work day today. cheers for replying andy.

yeh, i'd put the majority of stuff (e.g. campfire songs etc) under animal collective because most people know these releases as AC. It was only just now that I realised Campfire Songs DOESN'T have the AC name written on the spine, always assuming it was by the band. When I bought it from Catsup Plate, it was sold to me as an Animal Collective album.

And obviously, it's a matter of taste, but I don't think anyone would recommend "Here Comes The Indian" as a good place to start with this band.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 March 2006 19:51 (nineteen years ago)

And obviously, it's a matter of taste, but I don't think anyone would recommend "Here Comes The Indian" as a good place to start with this band.

The early experimental effort "Here Comes The Indian" has been given AMG Pick and ranks much higher than the other two (and generally recognised as more accomplished) albums.

I think picking "Here Comes the Indian is cool, and I don't think it's less accomplished than Sun Tongs and Feels. That to me seems like a very outdated argument where "more accomplished" = more like radio pop, which to a certain extent both Sun Tongs and Feels are, and 'experimental" = raw and unfinished. For me, Here Comes... has all the pop power of the latter records but doesn't give into already established song structures and previously worked-out ideas. It's a fully realized statement; it's just not like any statement you've ever heard before. It's strange, new alien pop music.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

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