Thursday, November 20, 2008

Klostermann reviews Chinese Democracy





One of the icons of rock reviews takes on one of the icons of rock.

In the end, he gives it an A-

But as anything with Chuck, it ain't the destination, it's the journey that is so much fun.

Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It's more like
reviewing a unicorn. Should I primarily be blown away that it exists at all? Am
I supposed to compare it to conventional horses? To a rhinoceros? Does its
pre-existing mythology impact its actual value, or must it be examined inside a
cultural vacuum, as if this creature is no more (or less) special than the
remainder of the animal kingdom? I've been thinking about this record for 15
years; during that span, I've thought about this record more than I've thought
about China, and maybe as much as I've thought about the principles of
democracy. This is a little like when that grizzly bear finally ate Timothy
Treadwell: Intellectually, he always knew it was coming. He had to. His very
existence was built around that conclusion. But you still can't psychologically
prepare for the bear who eats you alive, particularly if the bear wears
cornrows.

No comments: