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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | <jim@groovedisques.com> |
| Subject | Re: What was going on in the '70s? |
| Date | Mon, 27 Oct 2003 9:57:32 -0500 |
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> So my question, for those who were really around then -- > what was up with that? Did you think the critics were
> nuts? Did it affect your buying habits, and you had to
> come back later and get this good stuff?
I don't think there's a blanket answer to this question. It's no different than it is today: critics go ga-ga over one band, which I may or may not like, and they disregard another band, which I may or may not like. I didn't need critics to tell me anything about the soft-rock of America, Bread, et al: I had to hear that crap everytime I turned on the radio. OK, they had a nice tune now and then, but "Ventura Highway"? Come on! Critics could beat up on them all they wanted as far as I cared, and it didn't slow down the millions of albums they were selling. On the other hand, I, like the critics of the time, didn't see the light on Led Zeppelin until years after they'd dissolved, so yeah, we were nuts on that one.
I do appreciate the work of critics in trying to sell me on a less-popular band, not that I agree with them. I remember reading raves in my beloved copies of Trouser Press about Sparks, for instance, and when I finally tracked down A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing and Kimono My House (I think they were the titles), I remember thinking, "This is like Queen without the rocking bits!" (Not that I was ever a big Queen fan with the rocking bits.) On the other hand, I tracked down many a fine underpublicized album thanks to critics, so who am I to complain.
Jim
www.groovedisques.com
np - The Undertones, Get What You Need: I'm in the middle of my first spin, so this longtime Undertones lover will withold judgement for a bit.
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