Zappa.com

I just looked at the reception for the early Wilco albums, because I wanted to check out what they did before Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - and stumbled across so many stupidites from RC... I have to agree with Lou Reed: " I don't need Robert Christgau to tell me how good I am..." I can't remember that I've ever seen a sensible judgment by Christgau - how did that judgmental moron get the position as some kind of oracle of rock?

_________________
We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971

I remember reading a RC mini review of an early Butthole Surfers ep and he somehow managed to compare them (lyrically?) to Loudon Wainwright III. Don't think I ever read much RC after that bit.

In his book on 70s "Rock" Album's top grade for a Zappa album is B- and most of the others get a C+.
In his book on 80's "Rock and New Wave albums", Zappa is relegated to "distinctions not cost effective" with the "humourous" remark "Oh shut up". He also puts the Stranglers in "meltdown" and orgasms over every New York Dolls album. I find him pretty tiresome.

_________________
The more I learn, the less I know.

Journalism's kind of scary.

It's obvious that zappas music goes way over his stupid fucking head!

He's just a critic. They all like different things, just like um, everybody.

_________________
You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

A completely relevant quote, since Packard Goose found its definitive live shape in 1978, the same year Lou Reed released his diatribe against Christgau and rock journalism on Live Take No Prisoners. One of several strange co-incidences of Zappa and Lou

_________________
We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971

Was checking out the Wiki page for Trout Mask when this gem popped out at me:

Critic Robert Christgau gave the album a positive rating of B+, saying that Trout Mask Replica's "weirdness" prevented him from granting it a higher grade. He commented that it was "... great played at high volume when you're feeling shitty, because you'll never feel as shitty as this record."

Oh, he likes Beefheart - just as long as he doesn't play with Zappa...

_________________
The more I learn, the less I know.

Robert Christgau is a moron. That's all that needs to be said.

_________________

You should spend more time on your music because the youth of America is depending on you to show the way.