Robert Christgau is “The Last Critic”

When it comes to grading albums, Robert Christgau is tough.

Here are three albums that he considered “duds”:  Neil Young – Live At Massey Hall, The Long Winters –Putting The Days To Bed, and Paul Simon – The Concert In The Park. Is that harsh? I thought so. But then I saw the new documentary The Last Critic –A Film About Robert Christgau, and it changed my mind. I changed my opinion about him, not the three albums listed above, to which I give a B+.

Just released, The Last Critic, directed by Matty Wisnow, is a must-see for anyone interested in music criticism. Christgau talks extensively about his decades-long knowledge of records and genres as he walks through pathways of LPs, CDs, and music books in his office. The piles seem never-ending. There’s a shot of him viewing his storage unit; he does not know where to look and shrugs, “What do I do with this?”

Christgau is obsessed with music writing. The film has plenty of talking heads, including Randy Newman and Thurston Moore, who praise his writing; some read their favorite reviews of his. At one point, Joni Mitchell’s Blue is discussed. Christgau’s review gives Mitchell the respect she deserves. He reviews her work as great and, unlike many reviews, does not stress the “woman’s perspective.” That’s not the point; the artistry (and the art) counts.

On a lighter note, Greil Marcus makes an appearance at one point, and the subject of The Ramones is batted around between them. One of the two thinks The Ramones have amazing energy and shimmering pop sensibilities. The other thinks The Ramones are a one-trick pony performing a trick that’s not good. It does not matter who believes what; the exchange of opinions counts.

Along with interviews of musicians and writers, Christgau’s personal history is reviewed. He’s seen walking and talking with his wife, and the two appear to have a strong connection. They’re New Yorkers and talk about CBGBs and other NY performance spaces. But the film always returns to Christgau’s writing.

He had remarkable success with his Consumer Guidebooks. On his Dean of American Rock Critics website wrote, “The Consumer Guide has a long history. I wrote my first batch of letter-graded capsule reviews for The Village Voice in July 1969 and published them regularly till I was hired by Long Island’s Newsday in March, 1972.

He adds, “Rarely do I give anything an ‘A’ without having passed it through my mind-body continuum at least five times (usually more); even Honorable Mentions get three to five (often more). But my second biggest gift is that I know what I think. I don’t write about something till I’m pretty sure how much I like it, and I’m skilled at recognizing when that is.”

One of the best things about the film is getting an appreciation of Christgau’s Zen work ethic. In the film, he says, “I listen to it, and it moves me. I’ll then write why. If it does not, I’ll write why.”

“A lifetime of listening has taught me that, more than movies or even books, recorded music is ideal for re-use. I want to make sure my ‘A’ albums can be savored and enjoyed rather than chewed up and spat out.”

-Vincent Maganzini

Fair use image from The Last Critic