THE CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
Clarence Carter: “Sixty Minutes with Clarence Carter” (Fame). The title doesn’t describe the record — it’s yet another play of this soul survivor’s back-door routine. But thanks to Rick Hall’s confident cop of the Duane Allman high lick and an unusual things-ain’t-getting-better lyric from George Jackson, this isn’t all routine.
THE CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
by
Robert Christgau
Clarence Carter: “Sixty Minutes with Clarence Carter” (Fame). The title doesn’t describe the record — it’s yet another play of this soul survivor’s back-door routine. But thanks to Rick Hall’s confident cop of the Duane Allman high lick and an unusual things-ain’t-getting-better lyric from George Jackson, this isn’t all routine. More listenable than his best-of. B plus.
Harry Chapin: “Short Stories” (Elektra). Harry had a problem. He wanted to write a song about a deejay, kind of a follow-up to “Taxi,” just to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Harry doesn’t meet many real people, so cabbies and deejays provide that touch of social realism. He wanted to set the song in Boise, Idaho, not because he had anything to say about Boise, but because “Idaho” rhymed with “late night talk show.” Unfortunately, call letters that fat west start with K rather than W, which fucked up his rhythm. Akron, Ohio? Wrong rhythm again. Denver, Colorado? Nope. So he called it “WOLD” and hoped no one would notice. Note: this analysis is nowhere near as long-winded as Harry’s stories. D plus.