Saturday, July 02, 2005

Spicy!

Music Wonkery

Since my cobloggers here seem intent on talking about stuff like boring old politics, I am going to hew to my usual tactic of changing the subject entirely. (With one dangerous and discussion-sparking aside to Buckethead: I smell what you’re cooking regarding fetal rights, but arguing that a nine-month fetus is a person so therefore a one-month fetus is logically so strikes me as a perfect expression of the sorites paradox. I am sympathetic to your argument but don’t think it’s as clear-cut as you do.)

So. To business.

Record label retrospectives can often be spotty affairs – many labels who put out 10- 20- or 25th anniversary discs ought to be arrested for public self-pleasuring. I can think of a couple recent cases where outstanding labels with otherwise sterling reputations have sold out their big anniversary compilations in the name of pushing mediocre current releases, a shortsighted move that makes the whole affair a waste of time and good money.

On the other side of the coin is the retrospective that tries too hard to be good. A prime example is an old Matador set my wife has. Whoever put it together chose well; all Matador’s big names and proud moments are spread over three discs. But there is one drawback: Matador have hewed to their guiding vision with almost Puritanical devotion. Hearing so much of the label’s self-chosen best moments in super-duper indie rock integrity in one place is overwhelming, sort of like eating two pounds of exquisitely delicious pulled pork barbecue in one sitting. (I don’t recommend trying this; my last barbecue bacchanal put me down for 24 hours, and I still can’t listen to Superchunk without bolting from the room.)


Posted by Johno on 07/02/05 at 12:43 PM
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