Well Ben (and Phasecorrect), I couldn't disagree with you more about The Lips simply being a flavor of the moment. It seems as if my passing comment about the critical reaction to them has been misinterpreted. I personally don't give a care about what critics say - I couldn't even name you one critic anymore whose writing or opinions I turn to. I'm old enough, have heard enough (my personal music collection runs over 10,000 pieces), and am certainly opinionated enough to figure shit out for myself. Ben, disregarding the Lips issue for a sec, I don't know whether I ought to be more concerned by the fact that you may have actually read what I've written before coming to the bizzare conclusion that I'm some kind of trendinista, or that my writing might be so obtuse that all my readers can do is throw up their hands, glance at the words "international rock press" or "Alex Chilton", and jump to an easy and cynical conclusion. The reason I brought up critical reaction at all was to draw some possible inferences about The Lips' chances to really break through in the public consciousness. Yours is certainly a strange attitude for a Springsteen fan to take, considering that his was one of most extreme examples of being the instant beneficiary of becoming a critical darling in the whole history of rock and what is written about it (leaving to the side the question of whether or not he may have been entirely deserving of this, and also the strong possibility IMO that he may still be, 25 years later, getting more than a little of an easy ride from the rock press generally). Ditto for the Alex Chilton/Nick Drake juxtaposition - their stories of critical resurrection and new-found veneration are actually quite similar.
It was not my intention to get into some kind of pissing match about what's good and what's overrated. None of the artists I listed were supposed to constitute some kind of pantheon of greatness or anything. Basically, I was trying to drop some clues that a reader might employ to help figure out where I'm coming from, so my Lips ravings might be put into some kind of context about just who the hell I am. My list of artists with true individuality could never have been complete anyway - that wasn't the point. Of course I love Miles and Dylan, and of course they fit that description. Maybe I've just taken the wrong approach in trying to talk to you, Ben; maybe I just should have said that my all-time favorite bands are The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (and the critics didn't exactly hate them), or that much of my collection consists of older music so obscure and forgotten that it's never been critically considered, or that I love quite a few bands that the critics have always hated or ignored in their day. I mean, c'mon now - give me some credit, will ya?! Almost the whole point of my posting this thread in first place was to celebrate the fact that there is finally a band who is on the periphery of the radar screen these days who I actually can and do love - 99% of what the media has promoted as being important in rock during the last 15 years I feel has been way overblown. I'm excited because people may actually be getting it right for once, and noticing one of the only bands today I can listen to without getting depressed for the state of the music. You may disagree about The Lips (although I'm not convinced you're speaking from enough experience there to be taken too awfully seriously), and I may disagree about Springsteen's later efforts, but I think it's a shame you seem to be letting that degree of difference persuade you to take an attitude of superiority and condescension in dealing with me or what I have to say. You and I would agree about a lot more than you obviously suppose. The fact that you insist on continuing to try and draw some kind of superficial parallel between Styx and The Flaming Lips, despite my making clear in no uncertain terms that I dislike Styx at least as much as you do (and yet giving your criticism the due consideration and reasoned response you deserve for taking the time to offer it), lets me know that you appparently are not interested in taking me seriously or having an open-minded exchange. In the case of The Lips, if not my own, I'll just say that it's your loss.
Phasecorrect, I couldn't agree with you more about some of the other bands you mention getting undeserved critical hosannas, or at least being overrated. Radiohead in particular, but I should also admit that their whole bag is not to my taste. Beck and especially Mercury Rev have intimate Flaming Lips connections, as I'm sure you know (and I assume that's why you brought them up), but just to give you some perspective on me, I wouldn't buy anything of theirs, though some stuff is OK, just nothing special. Beck is the kind of performer who I might want to like in theory more than I actually do. I find it mildly encouraging that he's moving away from 'rap', but still am not that interested, depite his latest touring band's being the subject of this thread. As for The Strokes, The Vines, The Hives, et al, nobody who wasn't born in the 90's is in any need of this stuff (although I have to say that even I think The Strokes are getting a bit of a bum rap being constantly mentioned in the same breath as the others - they do have a sound and can write hooks, and aren't just trying to get by on phony bluster, though they're about as derivative). I suppose I should appreciate the spirit or something, but really, you and I both know that it's such an uninpsired retread as to actually verge on some kind of insult to the real thing (and also that there are and always have been underground bands doing this kind of stuff for 20 years now, many of whom are/were much better). I also agree with your assessment of the Brit press (doesn't everybody?). But the press liked The Smithereens a lot too, and that doesn't make either them or you wrong about that band, even though I had to dissent somewhat. (And it also doesn't mean I consider you to be any more influenced by the "hip" factor than I am - sometimes the critics and you will just like the same thing.) Anyway, you think there's any chance our friend Ben here could grow to like some of the older Lips stuff that you (and I) dig so much?
P.S. - BTW Phasecorrect, are you a Redd Kross fan? I briefly had hopes for those guys in the 90's too, before grunge snowed everything under, but after their last record stiffed (deservedly so I'm afraid) and the death of their lead guitarist, I don't know if they'll ever get it back together again now.
