The Album Review Club - Week #147 - (page 1942) - Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan

[Coatigan]

So it gets a 5 musically but then you've paid attention to all the detritus surrounding the album/ band and given it a 1/10.

In fairness, I can fully sympathetise with that.

Context has a lot to do with it. I opted out of scoring Revolver, but my own sentinent would have been exactly the same with that one. Benny would do it with Rush/Biffy. You do it too, with what you associate with albums culturally at the least. It is all part of it, and imo is quite normal.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I think fog is on a one way street to a cruising for a hiding here.

Not at all surprised. I know I’m an outlier. I am heartened to see a compatriot in @threespires agree with me — company is always better when you’re on an island, and it’s even more encouraging that his musical knowledge base is high. I think mine is too — not as high as his nor as recent — but I find it interesting no one seems to think that this matters though our visceral reactions are so negative.

I think Brits and American white men ten years younger than I have had a blind spot for this thick-headed mopery forever. There are social reasons for this. But knowing I’m right (I note a few have implied they’ve outgrown this record, which is telling) is what allows me to pretend I possess intellectual superiority as I age. :)

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I disagree. On the scoring, not on the album (at this point in time). One man's 7 is another man's 9 and all that. We never really defined how we score, but albums aren't maths, and one amazing song amongst a bunch of skippable ones can outweigh 10 ok to listen to without skipping songs, that don't shake you to the core.

If I score an 83/100 on a test, that’s a low B, not a low A. Like saying “Yeah it was a five star trip even though we had food poisoning for two of twelve days.” Mind, this isn’t “songs were okay” this is “they are so bad I don’t listen to them.” A 9 for that in the context of the 120-odd records we’ve scored? Sorry I just can’t accept it, especially here with a record that needs no help score-wise.

 

[threespires]

Because you've actually listened to it and given it a musical score of around 6, or maybe 5. And then because other people have claimed it to be one of the greatest albums ever and an important cultural artifact you've decided to disagree and mark your score down accordingly.

Why not just listen to the album, decide with your own ears if you like it, and then score it without prejudice?

Music is a mixture of a cognitive and emotional experience but ultimately an emotional one. I perhaps should have clarified that a 5 or 6 would be at a cognitive level but the blunt reality is this album really winds me up. What my relistening to it has done is confirmed that at the end of the day, I can't stand it and I don't want to listen to it. I listened to it last night and had loads of invasive thoughts like when they were championed as the "blackest white band on the planet" and I literally got physically agitated. Does it actually matter what the reasons are? Damn right i'm prejudiced against it in multiple ways but I don't really believe anybody ever listens to anything without prejudice whatever they may claim. Human beings have hundreds of cognitive biases that mean we react irrationally, maybe there should be one named after this album. It's not even that I hate Radiohead, had this been The Bends it would have got a completely different response and score. I'm sure I'll be in a minority of one here, and maybe my prejudice makes me a bad person, but it is what it is.

I will accept there is a definitely degree of hypocrisy in my response because had you asked what I'd have done had this been someone's actual choice rather than a 'free hit' editors choice then I possibly would have responded differently up to and including maybe not scoring it at all. Wouldn't have changed is how I feel about it though. In effect, Rob asked so I told him.

 

[Saddleworth2]

not as high as his nor as recent — but I find it interesting no one seems to think that this matters though our visceral reactions are so negative.

But does a wide base of knowledge of music make the judgement of what is good or bad art better than someone who has, let’s say a less jaded palette?
Does not liking the artist or what they stand for necessarily invalidate their art?
Are you Charles Shaar Murray? Can I claim my £10.
Btw, I see a Kate Bush tribute band is playing the Coop Live on Sunday evening. ;-)

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

But does a wide base of knowledge of music make the judgement of what is good or bad art better than someone who has, let’s say a less jaded palette?

Yes. Otherwise there would be no marketplace for literary, art, film, theatre, dance or music criticism. But there are marketplaces for such things.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Yes. Otherwise there would be no marketplace for literary, art, film, theatre, dance or music criticism. But there are marketplaces for such things.

Then maybe we should listen to the broad base of critical musical opinion that considers OK Computer a worthwhile album.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Does not liking the artist or what they stand for necessarily invalidate their art?

No sir — I don’t think art can be invalidated. It can be contextualiz(s)ed though which adds to understanding.

For example, understanding Thom Yorke had a driving ambition to be a rock star from age 8 — a rock star, not a musician — contextualiz(s)es what we’re listening to.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Then maybe we should listen to the broad base of critical musical opinion that considers OK Computer a worthwhile album.

And I have done so. And those who think it is shite. And agreed with . . . well, you’ll see.

 

[OB1]

Never got chance to listen to the last nomination and just popped in to see what was next and find someone has really gone and done it (albeit a bonus round) and put up OK...

Not ready any comments on this album yet. Want to have another listen first to the most overrated album in the world ever., which I do own along with most of Radiohead's albums, even though I am not a big fan of the band! Not played any of them for a few years.