Robert Christgau

"The '90s saw more albums produced and distributed than any other decade. It was a fertile era for new genres, from alt-rock to Afropop, hip hop to techno. Rock critic Robert Christgau's obsessive ear and authoritative pen have covered it all - over 3,800 albums graded and classified, from A+'s to his celebrated turkeys and duds. A rich appendix section ensures that nothing has been left out - from "Subjects for Further Research" to "Everything Rocks and Nothing Ever Dies." Christgau's Consumer Guide is essential reading and reference for any dedicated listener."--BOOK JACKET.

Two generations of American music lovers have grown up listening with Robert Christgau, attuned to his inimitable blend of judgment, acuity, passion, erudition, wit, and caveat emptor. His writings, collected here, constitute a virtual encyclopedia of popular music over the past fifty years. Whether honoring the originators of rock and roll, celebrating established artists, or spreading the word about newer ones, the book is pure enjoyment, a pleasure that takes its cues from the sounds it chronicles.

"Any Old Way You Choose it examines a wide array of artists - from Joni Mitchell to the New York Dolls, from Barbra Streisand to Frank Zappa - as well as the descent from Monterey to Altamont, sexism in rock, the commercial pitfalls of the pop game, and the ethics and aesthetics of the marketplace.". "From prescient observations on Bob Dylan and the Eagles to trenchant discussions of Stevie Wonder and Tom Jones, this book amply illustrates the integrity, acumen, and sense of humor that make Christgau's most acerbic pronouncements impossible to dismiss. Newly expanded with essays on Wilson Pickett, Jefferson Airplane, and Captain Beefheart, Any Old Way You Choose It is an indelible testament of the enduring power of rock and roll."--BOOK JACKET.

The Dean of American Rock Critics, Robert Christgau takes us on a heady tour through his life and times in this atmospheric and visceral memoir that is both a love letter to a New York long past and a tribute to the transformative power of art.