Thanks for your comments on Dave Marsh. I enjoyed reading your views and was a little surprised. As someone who takes music and film criticism seriously, I can appreciate the love/hate relationship it is possible to have with a critic. When I read a Pauline Kael review that felt on target, it always increased my own awareness of the film and usually heightened my enjoyment. But it was devastating when she would trash a film I enjoyed. It was painful. Likewise with music critics, and one of the things I have learned over years of loving music is that critics are going to have opinions, and some of them you won’t like. What I respect is the voice. I respected and sought out the writings of Mr. Marsh, in the same way I seek out your writing, but I have come to understand sometimes our thoughts will diverge, and that’s OK. I still enjoy the insights you and folks like Dave Marsh offer. Thanks.
The Heart of Rock and Soul and The Book of Rock Lists intensified my love and study of the music. I especially liked his juxtaposition of genres; how else could you compare two singles as drastically different as Porter Wagoner's "The Cold Hard Facts of Life" and Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart?" Let alone this acid retort to Allan Sherman's "Pop Hates The Beatles" - "History has told the story; Paul McCartney got a bigger obituary than Sherman without dying."
I recognize the name but hadn't realized what a central role he played in rock criticism. Thanks for giving him the spotlight, this was a great read.
Thanks for your comments on Dave Marsh. I enjoyed reading your views and was a little surprised. As someone who takes music and film criticism seriously, I can appreciate the love/hate relationship it is possible to have with a critic. When I read a Pauline Kael review that felt on target, it always increased my own awareness of the film and usually heightened my enjoyment. But it was devastating when she would trash a film I enjoyed. It was painful. Likewise with music critics, and one of the things I have learned over years of loving music is that critics are going to have opinions, and some of them you won’t like. What I respect is the voice. I respected and sought out the writings of Mr. Marsh, in the same way I seek out your writing, but I have come to understand sometimes our thoughts will diverge, and that’s OK. I still enjoy the insights you and folks like Dave Marsh offer. Thanks.
Marsh’s love of 70’s Philly Soul, definitely influenced my love of that genre. And his 1982 Elvis book was the first book on Elvis I read.
The Heart of Rock and Soul and The Book of Rock Lists intensified my love and study of the music. I especially liked his juxtaposition of genres; how else could you compare two singles as drastically different as Porter Wagoner's "The Cold Hard Facts of Life" and Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart?" Let alone this acid retort to Allan Sherman's "Pop Hates The Beatles" - "History has told the story; Paul McCartney got a bigger obituary than Sherman without dying."