Comments on: When Critics Fail To Do Their Job

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 12:33:45 +0000

I think attitude towards Queen makes a good litmus test for a music critic. If they loathe Queen and everything they stand for, they don’t actually like rock music. We can dismiss their music writing in the same way as they dismiss Queen’s music.

As for Supergrass, never really investigated their music but a fair few people I know in rock/prog circles love them. The one Britipop band I liked were Suede, who were always a bit proggy. Still love Dog Man Star, and it blows anything Oasis did clean out of the water.

By: John Hunt

John Hunt — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 04:58:07 +0000

Supergrass were easily my favourite Britpop band, although I didn’t get in to them properly until about 2001 They were not good tabloid fodder like the Gallaghers, and Blur ,though, which affected their popularity, but was probably why they were able to focus on making good music.
Their 1997 album, ‘In it For the Money’, is one of the most underrated records of that year.
And yes, I think the title was a nod to Frank Zappa.

By: John Hunt

John Hunt — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 18:16:59 +0000

I remember the Observer Rock Critic at the time, Neil Spencer, who I think was an ex NME journalist,, was one of those who gave the album a glittering review, and had also given an almost as fawning review to U2′s ‘Pop’ album, earlier that year. It irritated me, because, sorry to bring Queen into it again; he was utterly dismissive, almost contemptuous about their work.
He always emphasised how their lyrics where cliched, while failing to point out the same faults in the likes of Oasis.

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 13:45:01 +0000

I remember being so turned off by the hype I refused to buy the album on principle, despite owning the first two. I didn’t miss much.

By: Abahachi

Abahachi — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 13:31:18 +0000

I’ve found this a bit weird; I remember all the hype, I remember thinking the first single was utterly rubbish and not bothering to listen to any more (was never a big fan to start with) – but I don’t remember all the press falling for it. Indeed, my recollection of the NME review was that it was very unimpressed. I’ve looked it up online, and my recollection is completely wrong…