Hi all - I've been away on vacation, so am 10 days behind on my stuff.
Apropos of this old thread (with apologies):
Randy wrote:
> Have you ever taken a few bites of food, and said "uh...no
> thanks...." ?
> Would eating more of it make you like it better?
>
> Eric W Taylor wrote:
> I always love it when a critical reviewer pans an album
>
> >admittedly before listening to the first half of it.
>
Having suffered some humiliation in similar past circumstances (and hopefully
having acquired some of the humility that I richly deserve) may I offer the
following (in reverse chronological order) ?
1. Over my life I have tried many foods about which, after a few bites (or
sips) I have said "uh,.. no thanks". In many if not most cases, that was it
for the day, I must admit. These foods included liver, salmon, brussel
sprouts, beer and cabernet sauvignon. I assume you get the drift. I tried
them all again. Eventually, some of them became my favorite foods. I was
wrong the first time. That said, I still hate brussel sprouts. And, I liked
ice cream the first time - I still like it. In Joni's case, I did not 'get'
THOSL or Hejira. I listened many times, then quit on them for 20 years. Over
those 20 years, I revisited them perhaps once per year, just to make sure.
Finally, my tastes evolved and my senses opened. What a fool was I ?
2. While Eric rather obviously hyperbolized his response ("always" is a
big word - have you ever before read a critical reviewer admit to panning an
album before finishing it ? - and as Azeem later said, he was clearly simply
listening for the first time and sharing his first impressions), I do
understand Eric's visceral reaction to a negative commentary based on a first
listen. Especially given my previous experiences, and in the context of the
respect I - and arguably all of us - have for Joni as an artist. To dismiss
after (or during) a first listen sounds to my ear to be disrespectful (even
if one is correct) at best, and could be viewed as foolishly arrogant (if one
turns out to be wrong) at worst. For this reason, there is - IMO - a
difference between offering a negative first impression and a positive first
impression. (If it turns out that the positive first impression was
premature, well....sort of 'no harm, no foul'...but on the other side..)
3. For this reason, I have committed (a promise to myself and to Joni, if
you will) not to offer my first impressions - they are not (trust)worthy. I
have listened to T about 5 time through at this time, and since I do not have
to learn new songs, am closer to offering a "critical review" than I would
have been had the album contained new material. To prove that I think Joni is
not a goddess and is only human ;-), I will offer this one conclusion that I
am unlikely to change - For the Roses should not have been selected for this
album. That is not a commentary as to whether I think this arrangement of the
song was well done or not. When I am brave (or foolish) enough to write and
post my review, I will explain my admittedly less than invaluable opinion in
this regard.
Bob S
