THE CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
Queen: “Queen II” (Elektra). Wimpoid royaloid heavyoid android void. C minus. Elton John: “Caribou” (MCA). I give up. Of course he’s a machine, but haven’t you ever loved a machine so much that it took on personality? I was reminded of my first car, a ‘50 Plymouth.
THE GHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
Robert Christgau
Queen: “Queen II” (Elektra). Wimpoid royaloid heavyoid android void. C minus.
Elton John: “Caribou” (MCA). I give up. Of course he’s a machine, but haven’t you ever loved a machine so much that it took on personality? I was reminded of my first car, a ‘50 Plymouth. Then I decided Elton was more like a brand-new Impala I once rented on a magazine’s money. Then I remembered that I ended up paying for that Impala myself. Yes, I hate the way he says “don’t diszgard me,” but “The Bitch Is Back” is my most favorite song. B plus.
“Phoebe Snow” (Shelter). This woman’s languorous, swaying folk-jazz fusion is striking enough to suggest that her debut LP will become some sort of cult item. And it’s better than most cult items. But her groove does not quite carry cuts as protracted as “It Must Be Sunday,” and the most commercial lyric on a verbally distinguished album, “Poetry Man,” is ^lso the most fatuous, not an encouraging sign. The plus is for encouragement, and for the graceful way her voice combines nasality and smoothness. B plus.