Momus's "Stars Forever": Classic or Dud

Marilyn Vos Savant may have the highest recorded I.Q. in the world, but she's probably terrible in the sack. And to make things worse, she squanders her talents by writing in Parade Magazine. (Look for her supreme intellect tucked behind the "Howard Huge" cartoons.) Obviously, intellect has little correlation to relevance. Which is why Momus, despite all his intents and concepts, just isn't very listenable. As an artist and satirist, Momus constantly drifts through phases, masks, and costumes. But as a musician, his music remains mired in the realm of Casio-composed chintz pop.

The story behind Stars Forever is that Momus found himself in a costly legal situation thanks to a song off his last record. Said song retold the tale of transsexual synth-composer Wendy (formerly Walter) Carlos. Momus found himself in a small financial hole. Light bulbs went off above his eyepatch-wearing head: if you had about $1000 sitting around, Momus would pen a witty ditty just for you, your company, or your hipster collective. It sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like a great album.

A cloud of irrelevance and judicial waste hovers over the entire two-disc project-- two quirky pop artists bickering on the fringe of cultural significance. After all, isn't it a bit sad that a perverted keyboard bard who writes toe-tappers about "cumming in a girl's mouth" is being sued by a trans-gendered, avant-new-age synthesizer freak who sauces vocoded bits like "We are in hell" over Moog belches? God bless America/ Britain/ Japan.

Another unfortunate element in the entire affair is just who shoveled up the paper to have their story in song. Some hipper- than- thou (and apparently, more- able- to- waste- a- grand- than- thou) indie rock figures have chipped in for skeptical reasons. Girlie Action, the New York public relations firm that hypes Momus' albums (among others), makes for perfect Momus fodder on their name alone. But they're a P.R. company! What do you think their motive is?

Likewise, Chicago's Reckless Records represents. Reckless, a store where you likely can't find this record due to their disorganization, disregard to customer service, and general disinterest, tries to glaze up their indie cred with a song on an art-pop record. Really, how interesting will a song about a record store actually be? Other cult figures, such as Cornelius and cartoonist Jeff Koons pop up, too. But their stories just aren't as interesting as the fictional characters Momus has conjured in the past. Plus, just the general air of "underground artist" back-patting feels distancing. The problem here is that Momus is too rarely willing to turn on his contributors and take his typical satirical bite. Instead we get fluffy odes.

Momus' greatest flaw, though, will continue to be his disrespect for pop music. His bare, robotic compositions offer few musical treats. Which is, apparantly, his point. But Momus mocks the very vehicle used to deliver his message. Thus, Momus is like the obese, filthy, sick doctor; the car mechanic in the run-down AMC Rambler; Frank Gehry with Lincoln Logs; or the sculptor with Play-Doh. Oh, and it's 39 songs of this.

-Brent DiCrescenzo

(answer to second question: Not at any price...)

I find the idea of Patronage Pop has grown on me over the years.

Last time I listened (2004) I kept asking myself, "I wonder what happened to this person" I asked on Usenet here :

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.fan.momus/browse_frm/thread/f2aec73fc3f29fa4/d83f8a81e49139e6?dq=&hl=en&lr=&prev=/groups%3Foi%3Ddjq%26as_ugroup%3Dalt.fan.momus#d83f8a81e49139e6

and I got a reply from Miles Franklin. And XYZedd suggesting Momus revisits them every 7 years, which would be fantastic.

Musically, there are some classics. And some that are too straight up pastiches of things I don't like for my taste.

What's nice about it compared to other recent Momus output is that it has a kind if luxurious hedonism. A lot of lush, beautiful melodies which if they weren't by Momus, or so crammed on top of each other, people would notice more. It's one of his most tuneful albums. I'd love to hear the songs in other contexts, or covered by other (better) singers. (When is Momus going to hook up with Marianne Faithful or Jane B?)

And there's a bit of everything here : folktronic, analogue barroque, his 90's trance-cocktail sound, Ultraconformist-style music-hall. Some quite good pastiches. Some interesting sampling for the instrumental breaks. And lots of just good fun theatrical performance : on Tinnitus, or saying "I'm a musician' on Girlie Action, or doing Indypop List. This is a "maximalist" Momus album.

The (predictable) downside which bothers me more and more is the outrageous difference in the treatment of the sexes. Most of the guys on this album are celebrated for things they do or fantasize about doing. Whereas most of the women are passive, sitting to be admired by the artist. Mai Noda is the apogee, being portrayed as so inert that Momus finds it easier to identitfy with her computer than the woman herself. (Exception that proves the rule : Florence Manlik, but then she's "manly") I guess that partly reflects the way the sitters presented themselves. But it would be nice if he could apply the same imagination he used on the men to giving the women more personality rather than just "you are the great unknown".

What works for me : Other music, Tinnitus, 3D corporation, Jeff Koons, Milton Jacobson (sort of ... find myself humming it all the time), Mai Noda, Robert Dye, Florence Manlik, Maf, Stephanie Pappas, Mika Akatsu, Miles Franklin, Paulo Rumi, Karin Komoto, Reckless Records, Kokoro Hirai, Girlie Action, Minus 5.

xpost : it just goes to show. nabisco's list of "highlights" includes Akiko Masuda, Adam Green, and Keigo Oyamada which are some of the most disposable moments for me. (Keigo Oyamada is disappointing because it just sounds like an out-take from The Little Red Song Book, and surprisingly uninspired given Momus's admiration for Cornelius)

I suppose my favourites (as songs) are Tinnitus, Akiko Masuda, Stefano Zarelli, Minty Fresh, Jeff Koons, Milton Jacobson, Robert Dye, Florence Manlik, Maf, Stephanie Pappas, Steven Zeeland, Mika Akutsu, Miles Franklin. In other words, almost all of the UK disc 1 and almost none of the UK disc 2.

and later...

I suppose my favourites (as songs) are Tinnitus, Akiko Masuda, Stefano Zarelli, Minty Fresh, Jeff Koons, Milton Jacobson, Robert Dye, Florence Manlik, Maf, Stephanie Pappas, Steven Zeeland, Mika Akutsu, Miles Franklin. In other words, almost all of the UK disc 1 and almost none of the UK disc 2.