Review 9 of 17

waldodio writes:

2of 5 Stars

Wow is this album annoying. Listening to it is like an itch in the middle of your back you can't reach. After a few minutes it starts to drive you batty. I guess it deserves a couple of stars simply for it's originality, but it's an originality that I hope doesn't catch on. If this is one of the best albums of the year as another poster proposed, then it's a really bad year.

Oct 16, 2007 08:20:15

Review 10 of 17

ShawnRC writes:

5of 5 Stars

No surprise that the graying and ever-more-conservative Rolling Stone would hand off this record to the 65-year-old Christgau, and that he would totally miss the point. Once again, RS blows off one of the best record of a year, and cements the magainzne's position as THE source for aging Boomers who think they know what's good in music, but are really just interested in the latest drap rehash by artists who have "earned" the magazine's respect by being old.

Oct 12, 2007 06:57:10

Review 11 of 17

zaja writes:

4of 5 Stars

Why is the reviewer so concerned with the response "normals"
would have to this record? It clearly isn't targeted at mainstream
audiences. Strawberry Jam is a vibrant, touching record, from a
group taking music in such an exciting direction. It's a shame
that Mr. Christgau misses this.

Sep 28, 2007 19:16:19

Review 12 of 17

Doraliff writes:

3of 5 Stars

Three stars is appropriate, folks. I'll admit I haven't heard the whole thing,what I have heard isn't life changing, but unique, respectively. Some songs are tuneless and require repeated listening to even gain some mild appreciation for-- Five Stars? Heh heh, please reconsider these statements.

Sep 26, 2007 20:38:48

Review 13 of 17

donkey337 writes:

5of 5 Stars

neoyikes. what a neoawful reneoview. could atlest get the lyrics right, neodouche.

Sep 19, 2007 13:44:12

Review 14 of 17

sabbath1212 writes:

5of 5 Stars

I know it's probably poor form to use this space to review the
review instead of the album, but I just can't help myself. Only
a man as respected as Mr. Cristgau could and would have
written something so glib and pat about this record. Not only
does he - as the latest reviewer pointed out - misinterpret
that important line in "Reverend", but it seems that he has
made a bet with someone over how many times he can use
the word "neo" in a review, a bet which he no doubt won.

Could the musical establishment get off its self-anointed and
smug throne, move its overfed, cliche-stuffed belly out of the
way, and peer down at some of the music that is expanding
the possibilites of the contemporary scene? Why don't we
listen to 'Strawberry Jam' with ears as open as the minds that
created it? It is a record steeped in the best traditions of pop
innovation; the vocals are remarkable in terms of range, style,
and production, and there really is an attempt to create music
that is fiercely (but not forcedly) unique and vital. This record
contains passages that are striking, vivid, and revelatory
enough to either sound like nothing you've heard before (if
musically unininitiated), or at least like a culmination/crafting
together of wildly disparate elements, juxtaposed into
uniqueness.

You guys didn't have such a boring reaction to musical
pioneers in the 60s. You didn't reduce them to labels and trite
meaningless descriptions. And yet, nowadays, you give much
time for bands (the White Stripes) that do little other than
present mildly individualized cover versions of those 60s
bands. Give your readers more than cognitive manacles.
Encourage them to loosen those manacles; because if you
don't, we won't even able to notice brilliance when it's under
our noses.

Sep 17, 2007 08:16:01

Review 15 of 17

ericjosejones writes:

5of 5 Stars

I'm pissed, man! The lyric is "It's alright to feel inhuman now" not "human". That changes the entire meaning of the line, and shoots down the reviewers, "Didn't we know that already?". Apparently you didn't buddy. : /

Sep 15, 2007 05:37:37

Review 16 of 17

antihero413 writes:

4of 5 Stars

Why is this guy still getting paid to write these completely worthless reviews. Not only are they filled with pretentious garbage, but rarely do they even mention the music. How about you tell me how the music is and save the high brow jargon for your college creative writing courses. The review linked in the post above mine is much more informative and helpful.

Sep 13, 2007 15:07:22