Article Response (sort of): Reynolds' Unfaves of 2K

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Which you can find linked here. Since there are currently no new articles on FT, when a big piece by somebody else goes up we'll start a thread on it here. Simon Reynolds talks about his "unfaves" of 2000 and his best of this year to date. Over to you...

― Tom, Monday, 30 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not bad for someone too stiff (in the wrong sense) to see Charlie's Angels. He demonstrates he's nearly as good a critic of rock critics as Meltzer. Even his criticisms of NYC punk were more apt than not, though I don't see what's wrong with being hooked on the seedy glamor of nihilism. As for his Lil' Kim moralizing, Reynolds needs to chill and enjoy himself. Hell yeah, Lil' Kim is making lotsa $$$$$ pimping herself as wank-fodder. No, there's nothing affirmative or clever about it. Should there be? We've had enough pop stars as porn stars, not near enough porn stars as pop stars.

― Otis Wheeler, Monday, 30 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i have an issue of xlr8r magazine where mr.reynolds clearly expresses his love of 'try again'

― ethan, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yep, It is easy to agree with, but I believe you should still check out things he dislikes, simply cause he's got access to more music, and has probably heard it all before. Best of the year so far is an essential selection (cept Shantel - Great Delay.)

― K-reg, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Still on form, but it's funny how every year his round-ups (particularly the un-faves) become more and more obsessed with the need for an "all-change". I guess maybe you could argue that with each year the need becomes more pressing, but maybe he's just itching with the desire to support one thing absolutely and reject everything else.

The loss of faith in r&b and garage, for example, seem as much motivated by the fact that it's been the same music on the forefront for four years (not that, as he points out, most people have been aware of this until just recently). Plus he seems to have always enjoyed rejecting things just as the rest of the world catch up (see post-rock and the various phases of jungle).

― Tim, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

heheh nice comments all around. Thoroughly enjoyable read again (way better than the bitter 99 edition). Needless to say, some stuff you gotta disagree with: Charlie's Angels clearly was the best film of 2000 (okay it was a split-winner with Julien Donkey Boy), Garage culture always struck me as something nasty (elitist, joyless, anti- rave) and 'Try Again' is just lovely. (and those comments on Patti Smith? Why I oughta! ;)

Anyway, some nice rants, lots of ideas to think about. Good to hear 'Discovery' is finding some friendly ears. Well, he's ILM patron saint, right? ;)

― Omar, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not bad, not bad at all....but that's all this "favourites" nonsense at the end?

― Tanya, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Whoa ! A worst-of-year Reynolds article with no gratuitous bashing of guitar-rock or its listeners ! Not only that, but he's right on the money about current pop's military precision, Lil Kim, Meltzer, Tosches, "Please Kill Me", nu-metal and Kate Winslet's cleavage ! Dammit, it almost makes me like the guy. Still, "patron saint of ILM", my ass.

― Patrick, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Couldn't be bothered to read it all, but what is this Beta Band album which is in his 2001 faves list? Presumably a pre-release promo?

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This article was a lot fun, something I don't usually say about Reynolds writing(not meant as a criticism, btw). A couple of thoughts, though:

a. The article is about unfaves of 2000, and the man has a go at Cud? I don't know why anyone would bother.

b. "... I dunno, is it backward of me to prefer the early Eighties New Pop era? Where there was a striving for glamour yet at the same time the charm of all-too-evident flaws and fallibility and untampered, untreated fleshly reality-- I'm thinking of Altered Images or Human League..."

Isn't this exactly what ILM posters were making fun of Charlotte Raven for a few months back? Admittedly, SR is a *lot* more articulate in his reasoning and is just less whining and nostalgia- prone than Charlotte Raven, but isn't this a slightly reconfigured retread of the same argument?

― Nicole, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A good point Nicole, but it's not quite the same - Raven's thing was based on Top Of The Pops and the charts, and our reply was meant to show that like-for-like the charts have always been a mixture of the rubbish and the great (2000 had the slight edge as it turned out, but it was fairly close). Comparing the robo-pop of today with the New Pop of yesterday is less rose-tinted, though my position is still "Love both!".

― Tom, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tanya H is simply spot-on here. It's great to see Reynolds slamming such a load of tripe, rather than celebrating it.

Almost like the 90s never happened.

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mmm, I rather missed the "gratuitous bashing of guitar-rock or its listeners" this year. ;) Ah well, the bashing of rock-crits was good fun.

― Omar, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm always in awe of reynolds knowledge and ability to find new sounds - his taste has got a lot better over the years. I much prefer Ludacris, ragga, 'Dooms Night', etc to the stuff that I bought on his suggestion in the mid 90s (too many mille plateaux, etc, almost eough to put me off the avant garde forever!).

Here is is nice to see him get his claws out and bitch, just like a proper music journalist (i.e. the likes of price and parkes, paraise in his other new article, rip melody maker).

I am a bit disapointed by his best of 2001 tho, hardly any surprises at all in terms of stuff i've never heard of. Hearing him praise the avalanches is a bit like hearing him praise radiohead (except the avalanches actually deserve the praise) - i.e. its been done done by so many others its doesnt neet to be done by him. i expected him to turn me on the digital soca or bhangra or something, spotting the similarities between them and the mentasm sound, avant funk, etc...

― Robin, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Robin. Re: his next prediction. He hasn't given us it in the Faves (he sounds wary, after big beat failed to go underground and re- emerge angry), but if you go on his theory that the new wave always comes from the least likely places, then I suppose you could divine it from who he slates here. I know it's tenuous, but he's kicking ideas around:

"a massive movement of sonically over-reaching and lyrically over- ripe art rock would be just the ticket right now" - in reaction to the utter victory of 'Black' musical values, but it hardly reads the same in context

"The culture is shifting away from media-saturated referentiality and surface-oriented cynicism towards earnestness, activism, giving a fuck" - in reference to U2's mid-life crisis. A return to Indie?

but, it's obvious he's sick of the genres he first brought to my attention, but he hints at what he'd like to hear

"Rhythm, melody, lyrics, compelling persona.... It's not entirely unprecedented to have the whole package: Sly Stone, Prince, P- Funk..."

― K-reg, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I do love the guy. Even if I end up scanning through the stuff about how bad going out to certain clubs is. Must be why I never go out to any myself (insert your own jokes here).

He should have gone for the triple whammy of bad nu-metal acts with similar names -- Stained, Disturbed and Twist'd. HA HA HA!

And yeah, Killdozer, the Catherine Wheel and Cud? If this was 1992, it would make perfect sense.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i like the thong song more than anything matmos are capable of doing.

― Geordie Racer, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like that Mudvayne song. Entertaining read though...

― Kris, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This thread has become unintentionally hilarious : The Prophet Reynolds has pronounced...

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Music pisses over film and literature from a great height then?? Sounds like 'No logo' has rejuvenated all his high-brow Marxist ways to me..

― Michael Bourke, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why? I'm afraid I don't understand that last point. To champion pop music over film & literature sounds anything but high-brow; and not Marxist either. I didn't know SR ever was a Marxist anyway.

Perhaps I am missing something somewhere around here.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

five years pass...

that critique of the lil kim video is one of the worst things i've ever read.

and it's been said many times since 01 (i stumbled on this thread by accident via a lil kim search), but:

I dunno, is it backward of me to prefer the early Eighties New Pop era?

yes, yes it is. now fuck off grandad!

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Sunday, 7 January 2007 22:14 (eighteen years ago)

haha this gem is from his "unfaves" of 01:

A crap Christmas album and the departure of the new recruits to DC point ahead to a failed solo career for Beyonce.

indeed.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Sunday, 7 January 2007 22:57 (eighteen years ago)

haha

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Sunday, 7 January 2007 22:58 (eighteen years ago)

The Christmas album is crap though.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:28 (eighteen years ago)

'8 days of christmas' is awesome.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:29 (eighteen years ago)

it really isn't.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:35 (eighteen years ago)

It works as a contrast on Christmas mixes but I can't say much more for it.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:37 (eighteen years ago)

Beyonce solo carrer is indeed a failure

― minerva estassi (minerva estassi), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:38 (eighteen years ago)

Two fantastic lead singles from two decidedly dodgy albums.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:42 (eighteen years ago)

also just a terrible pop star. this was true before DC split, and the xmas album is an example how.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:44 (eighteen years ago)

I think she's got much better as a pop star since DC split - that picture with the alligators!

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:44 (eighteen years ago)

how on earth is beyoncé a bad pop star? or are you someone who demands that pop stars have to act like pete doherty to be 'good'.

i don't think you can argue that b is an unsuccessful pop star.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:46 (eighteen years ago)

I was surprised to see Fopp still trying to flog B'Day for a tenner. It should be in the three quid bin!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:47 (eighteen years ago)

beyoncé stamps her persona(lity) on her music more effectively than most other pop stars - survivor is a particularly amazing example of the beyoncé persona running absolutely rampant.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:47 (eighteen years ago)

that picture with the alligators!

so right yet so wrong yet so right yet so...*explosion*

― reverto levidensis (blueski), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:48 (eighteen years ago)

marcello whenever you dismiss something by saying how much it is in fopp, i just take that as shorthand that you can't really criticise the music itself effectively. (same with dom's "but surely [x] is just the new [insert forgotten 90s indie band here]" nonsense.)

also let's talk about how awful simon reynolds is in addition to how awesome beyoncé knowles is. still never read anything by him which hasn't made me cringe; i am reliably informed that he used to be good which i gather is why you old people have time for him even when he comes up with nonsense like this, but HOW LONG AGO?! this was 6 years ago and it's appalling!

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:51 (eighteen years ago)

beyoncé stamps her persona(lity) on her music more effectively than most other pop stars - survivor is a particularly amazing example of the beyoncé persona running absolutely rampant.

well yes, EXACTLY.

doherty : beyonce :: molotov : ribbentrop

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:52 (eighteen years ago)

shorthand that you can't really criticise the music itself effectively.

um lex could explain what's good about '8 days of christmas'?

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:53 (eighteen years ago)

it's your problem that you don't like the beyoncé diva persona, not hers!

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:53 (eighteen years ago)

lex, stop talking like a robot, sit down and behave yourself, and maybe then you might deserve a proper answer from me.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:53 (eighteen years ago)

it's not a persona! and it's not a problem for me: she's an irritant though, and i don't want to be on her team.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:55 (eighteen years ago)

absolutely shocked to hear that E doesn't like B

― reverto levidensis (blueski), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:56 (eighteen years ago)

um lex could explain what's good about '8 days of christmas'?

don't tell him Pike!

― reverto levidensis (blueski), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:57 (eighteen years ago)

it's not a persona!

even better! more snotty bitches in pop please, bored of these nice girls.

i will relisten to '8 days' tonight in order to answer that qn better.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:58 (eighteen years ago)

but in short - having one's cake and eating it.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:58 (eighteen years ago)

"8 Days" is best heard barging yr way through Oxford Street crowds on the last Saturday before Christmas, in full on martial capitalism mode. It's a specialised niche I grant you but Bouncy owns it.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:59 (eighteen years ago)

absolutely shocked to hear that E doesn't like B
-- reverto levidensis (n...), January 8th, 2007. (blueski) (later)

he's too much of a diva himself to give B any credit. not that she deserves any.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:00 (eighteen years ago)

so we've established that beyonce is lex's amanda platell. what else have we learned here?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:00 (eighteen years ago)

Gay man preferring caricatures of women to women operating in three-dimensions: story at 11.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:01 (eighteen years ago)

i hate capitalism now, i was confused before.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:01 (eighteen years ago)

+ xmas

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:01 (eighteen years ago)

Dom OTM

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:02 (eighteen years ago)

I think Beyonce should launch a series of childrens books, and cosy jumpers.

― reverto levidensis (blueski), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:03 (eighteen years ago)

Beyonce to replace Judith Hann on relaunched Tomorrow's World: book it.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:03 (eighteen years ago)

Any relation to Michael Hann?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

so we've established that beyonce is lex's amanda platell. what else have we learned here?

actually, my amanda platell is alastair campbell.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:08 (eighteen years ago)

Hanns up, baby Hanns up, give me your heart gimme gimme...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:08 (eighteen years ago)

it was probably that moment in the Union Square Virgin Megastore when my fingers poised to pluck the import-but-still-amazing-bargain-price 4-CD Part Two of Master At Works life's oeuvre, poised and then suddenly retracted--I just came to this sad understanding that this stuff, good as it can be, is never going to matter as much to me as jungle did, or be nearly as thrilling. And, moreover, that I might be "correct" to feel that way. Because at the end of the day, house music is just... house music.

Still makes me mad.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 8 January 2007 18:45 (eighteen years ago)

That's the trouble with Reynolds; his paragraphs are always two sentences too long. If only he'd stopped after "nearly as thrilling."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 08:19 (eighteen years ago)

wtf! i thought he liked house music.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 09:29 (eighteen years ago)

That was before The Great Learning of 1990 or whenever it was he heard "Energy Flash."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

No it wasn't. It's dated from 2001:

http://members.aol.com/blissout/unfaves2001.htm

― braveclub (braveclub), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:32 (eighteen years ago)

Can you explain to me the complex post-Pythagoreal temporal structure which has the year 1990 come after the year 2001?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:36 (eighteen years ago)

By 'that' I thought you meant the piece itself.

― braveclub (braveclub), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:46 (eighteen years ago)

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