From: Mike Johnstone, cg-mj@sympatico.ca
Subject: Re: Flaming Andy on the Q message board
Date: 1/23/2002 1:52:55 PM
To: seance@lists.no-fi.com


> I'm gonna get flamed for this, but here goes anyway:

Well, perhaps not flamed . . . but you'll definitely get a response!  :-)


> I thought the review was funny as hell.

I though it was sad, mostly because it displays such a lack of professionalism,
irrespective of whether or not the reviewer likes the band and/or the album.


> And what are we really upset about here: That the guy didn't like the
> record?

For me, actually, any reviewer is very welcome not to like a Church album.  Of
course, that's their right (and prerogative?) as reviewers.

What is perhaps upsetting here is the misinformation in the review and the
obvious unwillingness even to engage with the album in any serious manner.
Reviewers should have individual flair; they should also treat their readers
with respect.  So, someone who's maybe heard of The Church but never really
picked anything up will read this review and . . . well, continue never to pick
anything up from The Church, based upon false information and the reviewer's
somewhat warped view of music history.



> To me, (as a guy who occasionally moonlights as a rock critic/writer), one
> of the things that'ss wrong with rock journalism as a whole is that it's
> become too ass-kissing
> and professionalized.
> There are no more Lester Bangs anymore

Ah, then you're not reading any Robert Christgau!  Check out The Village Voice.
Oh, and wait, he's got a web site up now.  Here's the URL:
http://robertchristgau.com/index.php

Fyfe didn't need to ass-kiss anybody.  He could, though, at least have written
something professional.



> He just wrote a review.

Actually, John, I think that's somewhat up for debate in certain respects.  Fyfe
at least did not write a review in terms of how I understand the form and the
genre.  Like I said, he's welcome to be harsh and negative.  Uninformed and
lazy, however, are just sad and unfortunate.

Well, in the end, we've all still got each other, right?  ;-)


Take care,
Mike