Tom Baker wrote:
>
> For me, Summerteeth just sort of lays there. When I have
> it on in the office, I oftentimes go for a long period of time
> after it has finished before I notice that there is nothing playing.
> It is, perhaps, the perfect background music - it stays in the
> background.
Interesting. Though saying so on postcard gets me flamed, I find the cd
pretty much unlistenable. And I used to be quite a fan of the band. Again, I
have no problem that they've stowed away the pedal steels, fiddles and banjos
(Max is doing a fine job in the Gourds), but the album bores and irritates
me. I listened to it a few times, and hauled it out again after I read all
these glowing reviews. I had to switch it off halfway cos it was bugging me
so much. Not sure what went wrong. My guess it is poor quality control on
the songwriting. The only tune I could sort of sing off the top of my head is
a line or two of "Via Chicago" and that really bloody irritating "maybe all I
need is a shot in the arm" line. The rest is a blur.
Never have I had such a strong impression of critics' band-wagon-jumping as I
have done with this cd. It seems that someone, somewhere, decided it was a
classic, and everyone else has been repeating the mantra. It was like every
critic and his dog calling "Being There" another "Exile on Main St." Excuse
me? Sure, both are double albums, but that's about as far as that comparison
will take you...
Stevie
