The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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To score or not to score, that is the question

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You can still read the reviews on Pitchfork but to see the score, you have to become a paid subscriber. This raises an interesting question: does a score add or detract from a written review? I spent 15 years reviewing albums for a publication that didn’t use any kind of scoring method, and i can remember the days when the NME didn’t score reviews but Sounds did with its star ratings (out of a possible total of 5). Can’t remember whether Melody Maker did or not. Now it’s pretty much standard across all reviews.

However, I do think scoring tends to devalue the actual written critique and becomes a kind of over-simplified shorthand. Plus, in my experience, most releases are neither excellent nor terrible but sort of alright (if you like that kind of thing). Around the 3-star grade, or a 6 or 7 out of 10. But when we see an average score, we don’t feel especially inspired to read further, unless the review relates to an artist we’re already invested or interested in.

So, I think Pitchfork’s done me a favour. Now I’ll read the review and judge the album on the writing, not the score.

What do » Continue Reading.

New weird fiction

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I’ve written semi-professionally and professionally for years now, but this is my first serious stab at fiction. My substack is The Cutlass. It’s going to be a series of inter-connected stories that will, eventually, coalesce into a novel. The first of these is titled The Low End, and it’s music-related. I’m publishing it in instalments. Part 1 is out now.

https://thecutlass.substack.com/

Popular preference vs connoisseur’s choice

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I’ve been thinking of how certain artists’ best-known or loved albums aren’t always the ones you might recommend to a new listener, especially once over-familiarity sets in. Sometimes, the less obvious choice sheds more light on their talents.

Examples:

Bruce Springsteen Popular: Born In The USA Connoisseur: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Velvet Underground Popular: Produced by Andy Warhol (Banana) Connoisseur: White Light/White Heat

Lemonheads Popular: It’s a Shame About Ray Connoisseur: Lovey

Bob Marley/The Wailers Popular: Exodus Connoisseur: Burnin’

Fleetwood Mac Popular: Rumours Connoisseur: Then Play On

Mercury Rev Popular: Deserter’s Songs Connoisseur: Boces

Feel free to take issue with my selection, or add some of your own.

In praise of lost compilations

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Music snobs tend to get a bit sniffy about compilations, especially ubiquitous greatest hits collections. But compilations can be the entry points to music we end up feeling deeply connected to. I’ve written about it on my Substack. The link’s here. I’ve focused on two albums: The Who’s Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy and the Stones’ Milestones.

https://thomasridge.substack.com/p/meaty-milestones-in-praise-of-lost

A hidden gem of guitar brilliance

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Something to cheer up your afternoon. Tucked away as a bonus track on the first Fairport Convention album is this stunning rendition of Reno Nevada, with a still teenage Richard Thompson peeling off an amazing guitar solo.

I’m not always a fan of bonus tracks, but this is real buried treasure, despite its audio shortcomings.

Black Uhuru – Showcase

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What does it sound like?:

This remastered CD reissue of Black Uhuru’s second album slipped out quietly in 2021 on the Jamaican Taxi label.

Showcase restores the album’s original 1979 artwork and offers a much-improved sound, compared to the Heartbreak CD reissue from 1987 (when the collection was retitled Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner).

Typically, Jamaican showcase albums feature a selection of an artist’s singles, each presented in extended discomix style, where the dub version follows on seamlessly from the main song. This release follows that blueprint, presenting extended versions of seven tracks.

Of these, “Shine Eye”, or “Shine Eye Gal”, was a latecomer, added later, and supposedly featuring an uncredited Keith Richards on rhythm guitar.

I can’t emphasise enough how much of an improvement this edition is on previous digital releases. Sonically, it’s much punchier, while retaining a warm, organic flavour – Robbie Shakespeare’s basslines on “Natural Reggae Beat” and “Plastic Smile” are mesmerising.

What does it all *mean*?

Showcase highlights a group in transition. The original Uhuru lineup that cut the Love Crisis album (later remixed and re-released as Black Sounds Of Freedom) had changed, with the addition of the American female singer Puma Jones joining » Continue Reading.

Nils Lofgren – Night After Night

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What does it sound like?:

Nils Lofgren has a reputation as a perpetual sideman, albeit a very good one. His own career is overshadowed by his work with Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. This reissued live release from 1977 puts him in the spotlight and is an excellent distillation of his talents.

It includes tracks from his Grin years and his first three solo albums. It was recorded at concerts in London, Glasgow and Los Angeles.

Night After Night has never been officially available on CD in this country and earlier single-disc import versions cut the album’s running time down by abridging and omitting the setlist. At the time of writing this review, Lofgren has pulled all his official albums from Spotify in solidarity with Young, but Night After Night was never on there in the first place.

I don’t it’s has ever found much favour with the critics (Allmusic gives it a measly two and a half stars). This, plus its unavailability, has left it languishing in obscurity. It deserves better.

Fortunately, BGO has now reissued a remastered, two-disc version. It’s great to hear these songs again – I’d even go so far as to call Night After » Continue Reading.