What/who would be in your personal anthology of classic singles/tracks reviews?

Inspired by Heart of Rock and Soul Poll: the 1001 Greatest Singles Part 13: 676-700.

Specifically:

So who should have written this book instead of Marsh? Well, Leland, of course. But Tom Smucker? Ken Barnes? Nik Cohn?
― Kevin John Bozelka, Saturday, September 12, 2009 11:52 PM

Do you just mean a book-length singles guide? Ken Barnes is an interesting choice and I'd love to see a collection of all his singles columns over the years (from NY Rocker, Creem, etc.). I imagine it would function much like Aletti's recent disco book -- and not much at all like Marsh's tome -- in that it'd serve more as a chronological document of pop radio, and less like a guy setting out to write about his favourite songs, after the fact. I'd lap that up, for sure. Leland's SPIN columns would be nice, too, but it's a much shorter period covered. Smucker and Cohn I have a hard time imagining doing a book like this, but who knows.

To be honest, I think it makes perfect sense for Marsh to have done it. He came of age early enough in rock's history to bring the historical perspective, and he continued to stay tuned to pop radio, at least until the time that he published the book. Any decent writer who puts out a singles book, though? Pretty much guaranteed that I'll at least read some of it.
― sw00ds, Sunday, September 13, 2009 3:25 AM

I just mean a 1001 Greatest Singles book by any of those writers (although I'd obv. welcome a Barnes columns collection). I tried to think of writers who had been around for a while by the time this was published (apart from Leland, of course). Freedberg came to mind briefly as someone way too weird for such a project but now I think it'd be a hoot. Anyone who'd offer more idiosyncrasy in the writing and the selection is what I was driving at.

It'd probably be easier to come up with a quirkier book today after rivers of reissues, cd-rs, P2Ps, blogs, etc. Although I seem to recall a Best Singles Since Punk book but can't recall the title. Anyone ever read this?
― Kevin John Bozelka, Sunday, September 13, 2009 12:14 PM

Here's the greatest singles since punk and disco book; I remember seeing it at the time and thinking it was lame, but beyond that I can't tell you. And I may well have just been cranky then:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Uncool-Greatest-Singles-since/dp/1844031055

I don't get Leland as a replacement for Marsh at all, btw, unless you wanted to limit the best singles to about five years in the late '80s (or so). And Marsh's choices are more idiosyncratic than you give them credit for, Kevin (and Leland's tastes less idiosyncratic than you give them credit for too), but then you already know I think that.
― xhuxk, Sunday, September 13, 2009 4:11 PM

Freedberg was the first person I thought of, though. He's got a historical perspective at least as deep as Marsh's too (in fact, he probably goes further in both directions.) And his tastes and ideas are always his own.

A Jim Green or Steven Harvey singles book would be cool, too! (The first person to figure out who they both used to write singles columns for wins.)
― xhuxk, Sunday, September 13, 2009 4:16 PM

The problem with the Mulholland book is that there's no real wtfness about it. It's a fine summation of the post punk canon and he's a fairly engaging writer but there's nothing in it which surprises or irritates. Marsh's book is frequently infuriating with many of the choices, his prejudices and his general crankiness but it's definitely a more rewarding read.
― Terminator Eggs (Billy Dods), Sunday, September 13, 2009 4:24 PM

just a guess: NY Rocker?

xp
― all you need is love vs. money (that's what i want) (Ioannis), Sunday, September 13, 2009 4:30 PM

You're half right.
― xhuxk, Sunday, September 13, 2009 4:56 PM

Jim Green = Trouser Press? Not familiar with Steven Harvey.
― sw00ds, Sunday, September 13, 2009 5:33 PM

Yep, that's the other half. (Ionnis got the Harvey half. So you two can split the prize money.)
― xhuxk, Sunday, September 13, 2009 6:07 PM

I'm not even positive Green was actually any good (I don't have any old copies of Trouser Press around to check), but I do know I liked him at the time. Though I was admittely an impressionable young new waver in those days. Harvey was definitely good, and I still have a few issues of New York Rocker here to prove it.
― xhuxk, Sunday, September 13, 2009 6:09 PM

Actually, though, the NYR singles pages were split between him and three or four (maybe more) other guys, but (give or take Barnes, who also did a real good column in Creem later), Harvey was my favorite.
― xhuxk, Sunday, September 13, 2009 6:11 PM

I've been thinking for a while now that someone should put together an anthology of classic singles reviews. Maybe this is its own thread?
― if I don't see more dissent, I'm going to have to check myself in (Matos W.K.), Sunday, September 13, 2009 6:28 PM

Yeah, would love to see a book like that.

Greg Shaw reviewed shitloads of singles in his Creem column from the early-mid 70s also ("Jukebox Jury").

That's weird about Steven Harvey: I have a whole bunch of old NYRs and I don't remember any other singles columnist in there but Barnes... I'll have to pull them out again.
― sw00ds, Sunday, September 13, 2009 6:47 PM

Well, this is difficult with Leland since he didn't often focus on one single per column (not sure if that matters). But obviously his "Bring the Noise" paean belong close to the top. Also, his take on Sequal's "Tell The Truth."

There are lots of good short Leland blurbs I'd love to see reprinted. (Obv I'd like to see an anthology, but that's another thing.)

Well, along with the above, I'd definitely go through all the early (not sure up until when) issues of Rolling Stone (on DVD, natch), which regularly published singles reviews (tho' often just one highlighted track). I think different writers chimed in for that. Also, NME ran lengthy singles columns forever, far as I know (and was always one of the best bits in the mag when I was reading it, early '80s). There are a thousand other sources probably (like, um, Radio On), but those are the "official" sources I can think of off the top of my head from more or less the era(s) we seem to have been so far discussing.

Yeah, but what specific reviews do you find yourself recalling?

xpost
Yeah I breezed through some good 1970 Ed Ward singles column in RS. (btw Rolling Stone Cover to Cover is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing and I got it for DIRT cheap; if there was a Spin Cover to Cover, the interwebs would be dead to me.)

Marcus on Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat Around" (I don't know if it was part of a singles roundup, or just a column of some sort) would be a must-have.

Well, that's one!

Frank Kogan's Radio On review of Paul Young's "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted": "They write for fanzines." (Or words to that effect; don't have the issue in front of me at the moment.)

Also, Rob Sheffield on Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven": "Kill it before it grows."

Anyway, I don't think I care so much about great individual reviews, to be honest. If I was editing this book, I'd almost rather take a representative number of great singles reviewers, and pick a representative batch of each of theirs. (Singles reviews tend to be really short, for one thing.)

I'd want to include some of Christgau's old Additional Consumer News singles reviews, for one thing! (Those were often more fun than the Consumer Guide itself, and he's never compiled them anywhere, right?)

There are probably several old Voice "Licks" pieces that would make sense, too. And yeah, a LOT of Michael Freedberg blurbs from the Phoenix -- but even with those, lots of times he'd link a bunch of singles thematically, and pulling just one of the context wouldn't make a lot of sense.

I have a whole bunch of old NYRs and I don't remember any other singles columnist in there but Barnes...

The issues I have (a half dozen or so, all from 1982) also have singles roundups by Harvey, Drew Wheeler, Bryon Coley, Andy Schwartz, Ian Wood, and Howard Wuelfing; it's possible the writers may have rotated, issue to issue. (And Barnes' monthly "Stranger In Town" column sometimes included capsule reviews of albums as well as singles.)

Ah, you're right... that clicked for me. Barnes's column was a separate thing, but they also did individual singles reviews.

for said book, I'd also go through Aesthetics of Rock and pick and choose choice excerpt/comments on about a bazillion different songs.

(Singles reviews tend to be really short, for one thing.)

Penny Reel of the NME was the essence of brevity. I guess he had to be as he usually reviewed 100-150 singles when he did the singles page. I always remember his review of 'Upside Down' by the Jesus & Mary Chain, three words, 'buzzsaw black rite'. Still think it's the best summation of their career.