Entertainment Mailbox: Sonic Youth criticized unfairly
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: Entertainment
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Rather Ripped was released just last year, and guess what? They still are pretty damn good, and still retain their trademark style. Many of the songs have set melodies and lyrics, and may be more to Jackie's liking. Judging a band's timeliness on a collector's disk is illogical and unfair to such a revolutionary band.
I was once in a noise band, and I'll be the first to admit that often noise rock does sound like nonsense. Our style was abrasive and outright weird, but we weren't expecting everyone to like it.
We did expect, at the very least, respect for trying something different. And I don't mean "different" as in wearing odd clothes and heavy eyeliner, but "different" as in not using the usual structure of songs and maybe (gasp!) leaving out lyrics.
Cole seems to confuse "faux-different" with inaccessibility, which is distinctly separate. Just because something is completely contrary to what she is used to doesn't mean it sucks. She couldn't relate and therefore didn't like the album, and that is perfectly OK Deeming a band obsolete and frivolous for doing what they have always done, however, is not OK, but extremely uninformed and just plain wrong.
Astrid Drew
Entertainment Editor Stephen Greenwell: Funny, but I'd consider writing about 500 words complaining about a CD review for a CD you've never heard extremely uninformed and just plain wrong.
That's fine if the band is releasing a collection of old singles and unreleased material, but since they're doing it now, that also gives Jackie plenty of leeway to criticize Sonic Youth's efforts against the music out now.
Even if they were popular innovators of a certain sound, if they now blend in with the efforts of Panic! and My Chemical Romance, then that's a major issue that I feel is fine for Jackie to bring up.
Personally, I don't have a time machine to experience the music independent of later released CDs. The band chose to release the CD now, so I don't think it's unfair to make comparisons to current artists.
Have questions, comments or concerns for the Entertainment Department? Send them to cigar@etal.uri.edu or cigarentertainment@myway.com.
I was once in a noise band, and I'll be the first to admit that often noise rock does sound like nonsense. Our style was abrasive and outright weird, but we weren't expecting everyone to like it.
We did expect, at the very least, respect for trying something different. And I don't mean "different" as in wearing odd clothes and heavy eyeliner, but "different" as in not using the usual structure of songs and maybe (gasp!) leaving out lyrics.
Cole seems to confuse "faux-different" with inaccessibility, which is distinctly separate. Just because something is completely contrary to what she is used to doesn't mean it sucks. She couldn't relate and therefore didn't like the album, and that is perfectly OK Deeming a band obsolete and frivolous for doing what they have always done, however, is not OK, but extremely uninformed and just plain wrong.
Astrid Drew
Entertainment Editor Stephen Greenwell: Funny, but I'd consider writing about 500 words complaining about a CD review for a CD you've never heard extremely uninformed and just plain wrong.
That's fine if the band is releasing a collection of old singles and unreleased material, but since they're doing it now, that also gives Jackie plenty of leeway to criticize Sonic Youth's efforts against the music out now.
Even if they were popular innovators of a certain sound, if they now blend in with the efforts of Panic! and My Chemical Romance, then that's a major issue that I feel is fine for Jackie to bring up.
Personally, I don't have a time machine to experience the music independent of later released CDs. The band chose to release the CD now, so I don't think it's unfair to make comparisons to current artists.
Have questions, comments or concerns for the Entertainment Department? Send them to cigar@etal.uri.edu or cigarentertainment@myway.com.
