Ten years later, along came a revised edition of Rolling Stone magazine's album reviews all packed into one increasingly thick volume.
The music world, especially pop, has expanded exponentially since the inception of recorded music and its ever increasing availability to the public. Yet, as fat as this book was becoming, its editors felt there was still room for the Kim Carneses and Irene Caras of the music world. Me, I would've pared things down a bit, trimmed the Meatloaf fat. I mean come on, some of these people hadn't put out an album in ages and back when they were current no one gave a shit about them anyway. I'm looking at you Ray Stevens!
Between the last RS guide and this one's publication in the early '90s, disco had long since died, the first wave of punk had petered out, new wave had flashed in the pan, these new things called synthesizers were dominating something called "adult contemporary," hard rock had fully formed into heavy metal, heavy metal birthed Cain and Abel opposites in death metal and hair bands, and hair bands were being summarily hacked off at the roots by grunge. Rolling Stone figured that that was probably enough material to warrant an updated version of their book.
Overall the reviews/reviewers seem more level-headed and that they are taking more pains to write with forethought. You don't see has many gavel-smack judgements passed on acts. It seems reviewers didn't want to be tied for life by print saying something like "boy bands are dead and gone forever!". Having said, there are still some fun reviews herein. Let me pick out a few good clips for you:
Uriah Heep"It seems reasonably certainly that Uriah Heep is the real-life Spinal Tap."Belinda Carlisle"Carlisle's increasingly wobbly vibrato left her sounding like a flabby imitation of Cher."MC5"The band's first album presaged 2 Live Crew in its First Amendment testing - screaming 'Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!,' gravel-voiced Rob Tyner offended delicate sensibilities as well as eardrums."Linear"Linear is unlike most Miami-sound bubblegum acts in that it relies upon photogenic young guys (not photogenic young women) to fill in the vocal parts. Unfortunately, that's the only difference."
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