Don't Buy The Hype! "Exile.." is great, but is it great for you?

       A thought that comes up too often with me, is that albums with a sense of adventure are more important to praise than traditional offerings.

       Currently, publications are falling over each other to praise The Rolling Stones Exile On Main St.  A great record for sure.  I love the album, but let's say you want to know how other musical movements affected your favorite artists.  Like, how did disco, punk, or reggae affected The Stones?  Well, if one of these styles of music is your favorite, you then say to yourself, "What songs of theirs is in said style," or "What were they creating during what particular year and why?"  Also, "Was it good?"  And was it good by your standards, not some numb-nut who refuses to grow beyond The Stones of Beggar's Banquet or Let It Bleed.  Did you know the hardest The Stones ever got was on the album Dirty Work?  A record that also has pop tunes on it, so music writers discount ever mentioning this album instead of steering hard rockers to it.

       I've read too many reviews that think they're smart for comparing an artist's new work to their classic work.  (Like the last two Robert Plant albums, Band Of Joy and Raising Sand, getting compared to early Zep.)  Don't trust them unless you agree knowing the references in question and they ring true.  Otherwise, do what they won't.  Get familiar with an artist's entire catalog, then make the call.  That's all you gotta do.  It's fair to the artist and yourself.  Of course, this all matters only if you care.

       So, happy listening.  And listen to it all.  At least once through.