Okkervil_ Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 http://music.msn.com/music/consumerguide?GT1=10095& Though it's possible Jeff Tweedy's wife told him to stop being a pretentious tweet, it's more likely she just told him to stop ignoring her. This doesn't mean he actually was ignoring her, mind you. But too late he figured he'd better make a point of paying attention, which meant no more pretentious tweet (for the time being). On the second-best track here, he does the dishes and mows the lawn even though she's not around to appreciate it. On the best, he admits consumers have the right to think his music means whatever they want it to. Everywhere he stops soundscaping and resumes songwriting. Grade: B PLUS I love how he calls Jeff Tweedy, arguably THE poetic lyricist of the last decade, a "pretentious tweet" (boy is he witty, "tweet" looks like "Tweedy"!) while choosing "herewith" to begin his introduction. It comes as no surprise that the moment Wilco try to go back to their "roots" critics pour out of the woodwork with backlash against their last few albums. I'm sick of people dismissing Jeff's past work in favor of his turn to more direct songwriting. Does Christgau's opinion even matter anymore? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 As much as it ever did. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FixedBayonet Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 The doyen of rock critics has become dismissive, irrelevant and prone to generalisation, just like every other rock critic. Seriously tho', how does it all become so literal that we can simply interpret Mr Tweedy's private life by reading anything we damn well like into his lyrics? Pretentious tweet? Wha'? What does it even MEAN? God, I hate critics now. Even Christgau. And by the way, how DO you pronounce his surname? Krist-gow? Christ-gow? Cris-co? Please help. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reni Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I personally liked the slideshow of the many faces of Christina Aguilera on that website. Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Christgau is the very definition of a "pretentious tweet." That said, I often enjoy his writing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Eh, he cool. He gave my friend a job once. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YHFTCS Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Personally, I feel that music critics don't give the necessary amount of devoted time to the records they review. This is not necessarily their fault, seeing as how they deal with deadlines in which they must come up with something insightful about the music before a certain date, but if they happened to give each of their records more time to sink in and if, in turn, they become even more familiar with them (especially concerning the music of Wilco, which all but demands repeated listening to take in all of the wonderful effects and aspects), I think that more positive reviews would be handed out, instead of some of the misunderstood criticisms that inevitably are doled everywhere you look. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 The doyen...i just learned a new word. thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 B+ is pretty positive, even if it is with a bunch of A(-)'s. Christgau has always seemed to distrust Tweedy's capability, something I find amusing and somewhat refreshing even if I don't agree. Its much more entertaining than calling him a genius and trying to (seriously) get in his head. I much prefer reading Christgau's scenerio that SBS is the result of Jeff being nagged by his wife than all the attempts to relate it to his rehab or the stretches made to reconcile it with the whole Wilco catalog. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 a "pretentious tweet" (boy is he witty, "tweet" looks like "Tweedy"!) See, when I read that I thought, 'Oh, THAT'S msn.com's safespace phrase for 'twat'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 And by the way, how DO you pronounce his surname? Krist-gow? Christ-gow? Cris-co? Please help. I believe the proper pronunciation would be wanker. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 And by the way, how DO you pronounce his surname? Krist-gow? Christ-gow? Cris-co? Please help.Christ-God. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 critics pour out of the woodwork with backlashGrade: B PLUS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gobias Industries Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Ok, but I am more than angry that Midlake is called "dud of the month." I'll dud his month. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 There was not a chance in hell Christgau would like that album. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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