edgarde's Journal: Christgau syntax challenge

Found this old thread in an unrelated search. I'm not sure if it's interesting to someone who doesn't read Xgau. It's not a Xgau-bashing thread, tho bashers pop in.

http://ilx.wh3rd.net/thread.php?msgid=3285775
(Search page on "Momus" for an interesting tangential overview.)

Summary: Xgau writes in a shorthand that's only comprehensible to someone who regularly reads Xgau plus at least some other V. Voice rockwrite. Thus the writer, whose stated intentions are (were?) democratic, becomes an "in" scene, to diminished usefulness.

Forced Exposure used to receive similar letters (1980s, print only) about Byron Coley, whose capsule reviews were much more obscure. However, once you figured him out, you could read 200 album reviews and compile a good shoppin' list in a single afternoon.

Personally, "20 dense words, then move on to the next subject", works fine for me, especially w/ Xgau since most of his subjects don't interest me much. His prose influenced mine a lot.

Richard Meltzer, with whom (like Coley) I agree more, had terrible logorrhea (sp?), giving me time to wonder "Why am I wasting my time on such subject matter?"

This is me being Sielwolf-on-Ebert.

Damn I just found good stuff in my junk folder. First time that's happened in a couple years.