Robert Christgau

Robert Christgau's Going Into The City is an exhilarating ride through the Mr. Christgau's childhood and early years as the most influential rock critic for the Village Voice. The self-professed "Dean of American Rock Critics" Christgau invented the genre of rock and pop criticism and he brings an intellectualism and muscularity to his essays and reviews as well as to this memoir. My appreciation for Christgau's work was partially due to his keen understanding of the impact of race, gender, show more and class and for his challenging me to become a better reader (with dictionary by my side). I learn a lot from Christgau's capsule reviews and not just about music.

My favorite part of the book is his portrayal of his three-year relationship with Ellis Willis. It was pretty sexy and this is meant in the broadest sense; their mutual love of theory, words, music, politics bring heat and richness to his depictions and his sadness at their ending is real and palpable. And at the center of this book, in the midst of the words and theories about art, his passion for music and love for New York City and that particular place and time, is his commitment to marriage, to his wife Carola Dibbell, to monogamy and his pride in that.

I love how Christgau uses language. He is insightful, bighearted, shrewd, complex. Sometimes, however, his sideways trips through theory, his digressions about literature are showy and tiring. Despite this, I have reveled in the joy and exquisite beauty of Christgau's story and I thank Edelweiss for allowing me to review it. show less

Firstly, the title: growing up in the New York suburbs, "going into the City" was always a prelude to adventure (here in the Boston suburbs where I live now, it's "going into Town" and hardly anyone wants to). Robert Christgau is best known for his music (formerly known as record) reviews, but this is a memoir and delves deep into TMI territory as regards his relationships with women. Ellen Willis, genius critic herself and subject of a fine biography by her daughter Nora (The Essential show more Ellen Willis) died in 2006 and cannot comment or defend herself, but Christgau's wife Carola is here and a mighty tolerant woman. In addition to massive information about his sexuality, relationships, and infertility, Christgau captures the life of a rock critic when there were none around. His writing is insanely dense, filled with asides and commentary on various writers and poets, but yet, as the viewers of Kramer's portrait said "I could not look away." Here's an example of his brilliant coverage: he ties together the '80s deaths of Lester Bangs, Bob Marley, and John Lennon. Don't miss the piercing Steely Dan tributes on page 277 - 279, one each by Christgau and Carola. Also covered in depth are: CBGBs (Television, Ramones) and Christgau's long tenure at the Rupert Murdoch-murdered-Village Voice.

I'm not sure of who would enjoy this - for music fans, there's not enough about music. For NYC fans, there's not enough about life outside the newspaper world. Newspaper fans - are there any left? Sex and relationship people might even cringe at all that is revealed. I had equal parts enjoyment and relief that it was over. show less

Christgau is the rock critic for the Village Voice. He wears his prejudices on his sleeve (e.g., he has a parochial love for New York City punk, but detests west coast rock), but where his tastes match yours his is a reliable and educated voice that can guide you to new artists to listen to. His pungent humor permeates his reviews, for example. his dismissive writeoff of Janis Ian as a "post-adolescent sobsister". Music that is so repellent as to not rate a review, he simply lists in a group show more entitled "meltdown" - anything by Airsupply for example. No other contemporary music reviewer approaches him in his knowledge and informed taste. show less

The eminent "Dean" of Rock Critics takes the helm of the series, and if it's not the best edition yet (Matt Groening's and Mary Gaitskill's outings were also tops), it may be the most fun. Several pieces had me struggling to maintain composure on my commute. There were fewer NYer profile-length pieces than usual, but most of the short pieces easily earned their places. Funny how some subjects came up in pairs: rap in the Middle East, Barbra Streisand, crazy hip-hoppers, post-Katrina New show more Orleans.

Favorite pieces were: Erik Davis on J. Newsom, Elisabeth Vincentelli on the Eurovision Song Contest, Dave Simpson on The Fall ("Excuse Me, Weren't You in the Fall?"), Jessica Shaw on Babs ("People, People who Love Barbra")and Nick Southall on, well, impossible to sum that one up. Vive BMW! Can't wait for '08. show less