Is It Still Good to Ya? sums up the career of longtime Village Voice stalwart Robert Christgau, who for half a century has been America's most widely respected rock critic, honoring a music he argues is only more enduring because it's sometimes simple or silly. While compiling historical overviews going back to Dionysus and the gramophone along with artist analyses that range from Louis Armstrong to M.I.A., this definitive collection also explores pop's African roots, response to 9/11, and evolution from the teen music of the '50s to an art form compelled to confront mortality as its heroes pass on. A final section combines searching obituaries of David Bowie, Prince, and Leonard Cohen with awed farewells to Bob Marley and Ornette Coleman.
- Cover
- Contents
- Introduction. Robert Christgau’s Greatest Hits: Volume III
- Prologue. Good to Ya, Not for Ya: Rock Criticism vs. the Guilty Pleasure
- I. History in the Making
- Ten-Step Program for Growing Better Ears
- Dionysus in Theory and Practice
- B.E.: A Dozen Moments in the Prehistory of Rock and Roll
- Let’s Get Busy in Hawaiian: A Hundred Years of Ragged Beats and Cheap Tunes
- Rock Lyrics Are Poetry (Maybe)
- “We Have to Deal With It”: Punk England Report
- Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster: The Music Biz on a Joyride
- Not My Fault, Not My Problem: Classic Rock
- A Weekend in Paradise: Woodstock ’94
- Staying Alive: Postclassic Disco
- Afternoon of the Roar: Lollapalooza ’95
- Harry Smith Makes History: Anthology of American Folk Music
- Getting Their Hands Dirty: Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life
- A Month on the Town
- U.S. and Them: Are American Pop (and Semi-Pop) Still Exceptional? And by the Way, Does That Make Them Better?
- What I Listen For in Music
- II. A Great Tradition
- Pops as Pop: Louis Armstrong
- Not So Misterioso: Thelonious Monk
- First Lady: Billie Holiday
- Folksinger, Wordslinger, Start Me a Song: Woody Guthrie
- Caring the Hard Way: Frank Sinatra: 1915–1998
- Like Ringing a Bell: Chuck Berry: 1926–2017
- Unnaturals: The Coasters with No Strings Attached
- Black Elvis: Sam Cooke
- Tough Love: Etta James
- The Excitement! The Terror!: Miles Davis’s ’70s
- Sister, Oh Sister: Kate & Anna McGarrigle
- Two Pieces About the Ramones:
- Nevermore: Nirvana
- A Long Short Story: The Go-Betweens
- Generation Gaps: The Spice Girls
- Ooh, That Sound: The Backstreet Boys
- Tear the Sky Off the Mother: ’N Sync
- The World Is His Boudoir: Prince
- Two Pieces About Aretha Franklin:
- 1· Queen of Pop
- 2. Familiar and Fabulous
- Two Pieces About Bob Dylan:
- 1. Dylan Back: World Goes On
- 2. Secrets of the Sphinx
- Ain’t Dead Yet: Holy Modal Rounders
- How to Survive on an Apple Pie Diet: John Prine
- The Unflashiest: Willie Nelson
- III. Millennium
- Music from a Desert Storm
- Ghost Dance
- The Moldy Peaches Slip You a Roofie
- Attack of the Chickenshits: Steve Earle
- Facing Mecca: Youssou N’Dour
- Three Pieces About M.I.A.
- 1. Burning Bright
- 2. Quotations from Charmin M.I.A.
- 3. Right, the Record
- IV. From Which All Blessings Flow
- Full Immersion with Suspect Tendencies: Paul Simon’s Graceland
- Fela and His Lessers
- Vendant l’Afrique
- Dakar in Gear
- A God After Midnight: Youssou N’Dour
- Franco de Mi Amor
- Forty Years of History, Thirty Seconds of Joy
- Tribulations of St. Joseph: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Music from a Desert War
- V. Postmodern Times
- Growing by Degrees: Kanye West
- The Slim Shady Essay: Eminem
- Career Opportunity: The Perceptionists
- Good Morning Little School Girl: R. Kelly
- Master and Sacrament: Buddy Guy
- The Commoner Queen: Mary J. Blige
- A Hot Little Weirdo: Shakira
- What’s Not to Like?: Norah Jones
- No Hope Radio: Radiohead
- Rather Exhilarating: Sonic Youth
- Adult Contemporary: Grant McLennan: 1958–2006
- Titan. Polymath. Naturalist.: Ray Charles: 1930–2004
- He Got Us: James Brown: 1933–2006
- Old Master: Bob Dylan
- Estudando Tom Zé
- Gypsy Is His Autopilot: Gogol Bordello
- Triumph of the Id: Lil Wayne
- Brag Like That: Jay-Z
- Paisley’s Progress: Brad Paisley
- Smart and Smarter: Vampire Weekend
- The Many Reasons to Love Wussy
- Hearing Her Pain: Fiona Apple
- Firestarter: Miranda Lambert
- Monster Anthems: Lady Gaga
- Dancing on Her Own: Robyn
- Three More Pieces About M.I.A.:
- 1. Spread Out, Reach High: Kala
- 2. Illygirl Steppin Up
- 3. Spelled Backwards It’s “Aim”
- The Unassumingest: Lori McKenna
- VI. Got to Be Driftin’ Along
- Who Knows It Feels It: Bob Marley
- Shape Shifter: David Bowie: 1947–2016
- The Most Gifted Artist of the Rock Era: Prince: 1958–2016
- Forever Old: Leonard Cohen: 1933–2016
- Don’t Worry About Nothing: Ornette Coleman
- StickingIt in Their Ear: Bob Dylan
- Sensualistic, Polytheistic: New York Dolls
- Index
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