Robert Christgau: Rock n' Roll Animal (1999) Part 1 of 4

Documentary portrait of esteemed music journalist Robert Christgau directed by Paul Lovelace in 1999. Features musicians Jon Langford, Arto Lindsay and Modest Mouse and writers Georgia Christgau, Anthony DeCurtis, Carola Dibbell, Nelson George, Richard Goldstein, Joe Levy, Ann Powers, John Rockwell, Eric Weisbard and Ellen Willis.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Robert Christgau
• Jon Langford
• Arto Lindsay
• Modest Mouse
• Village Voice
• Nelson George
• Music Journalism

[applebaj]

Christgau's ego is through the roof

[topraman519]

The problem with this guy is that he's terrible at being objective, and terrible at explaining why he likes or dislikes an album. Even if you like his writing, you have to admit that it has more literary merit than functional merit. I can't tell whether I'll like an album based on anything he says. He's full of himself, just like most of the first gen rock critics.

[quieropatas]

dud

[bentrend]

As terse as it is sprawling, and as labored as it is vitriolic, Chrisgau's writing hardly makes for cozy bedside reading, but there may be hope for him yet, so long as he doesn't succumb to the types of masochistic iconoclasm that he wishes his heroes never invented. C+

[grands1am]

Man, I really can't stand music critics.

[KrfNYC2]

OH MY GOD!...This Nelson George guy is everywhere!...EVERYWHERE! His face pops up on everything...EVERYTHING!!!!

[FilmPhilospher]

Whether or not I agree with his reviews, and trust me I don't agree with most of them, but I admire him as someone who likes to listen to music just as much as me.

[brandonsyl85]

John Rockwell is a hundred percent right. Objectionable??? You'll never get above cut and paste criticism with your Pitchfork approach to rock write.

[Hog4n]

@84heroes1 Hah, did Robert give your favorite album a bad review or why are you so pissed? ;) It's funny to notice how personally people take robert's reviews when it's just his opinion of it.

[misterthingy]

This guy helped form my taste. I don't always agree with him, but he's usually thought-provoking. Is he an ass? Probably--I don't know. Does it matter? No. No, it does not.

[HolyRomanEMperor90]

Robert Christgau is basically the ultimate troll.

[Rottenostalgia]

@topraman519 Funny, most of the commenters here are pretty terrible at being objective, too. Please explain to me how you can review an album objectively without simply describing exactly what is on the album. If you want to recommend it to people, you're already being subjective, as there's most certainly someone who will disagree with you and you can't prove them "wrong" without an assumption or other subjective point...being a critic generally requires being subjective.