Mike Bennett: April, 2001

These Guys Sound Just like Big Star!

Comparisons are an essential component of record reviews. Artists tend to loathe them. Some readers love them - some aren't too keen on them. As my reviews indicate, I am very pro-comparison. When I review a record, I'm not only trying to give my opinion, but I'm trying to give the reader an idea of what it sounds like. Thus, when I slam a record and dismiss it as being a 'mere Jellyfish clone', if you're a Jellyfish fan, this might signal to you: a) that Bennett is such an asshole; and, b) I might want to get that record.

Of course, comparisons are tricky. Sometimes I get real worked up when I see the term 'powerpop' misused. I remember losing it once when a review described Toad The Wet Sprocket as powerpop. Geez, if Toad was powerpop, then The Spongetones are heavy metal - give me a break! In my review of The New Pornographers this month, I note that the names of Big Star and Cheap Trick have been bandied about by other writers rhapsodizing about the Vancouver band. Where these wrongheaded comparisons came from is beyond me. There is not a single song on the album that sounds remotely close to any Big Star tune. And though Cheap Trick may be somewhat in the ballpark, as comparisons go, it's in the Uecker seats, if you get my drift.

In pop circles, Big Star and Cheap Trick are two of the most overutilized comparisons. My theory on Big Star is that many critics like to cite them because so few people have heard them - often a Big Star reference could be replaced by a more accurate Beatles or Byrds comparison, for example. And in the minds of many critics, Cheap Trick = loud pop-rock band, and it's not worth the bother to maybe think beyond that.

Look - I realize that no one can make perfect comparisons. Yet no one is served by laziness. Granted, you have to realize that your readership's knowledge is widely varied. If every comparison is screamingly specific, too many people get shut out. So I try, though I don't always succeed, in mixing general and specific comparisons. There is nothing wrong with a Beatles, Beach Boys, Hollies, Raspberries, Buzzcocks, etc. comparison - these are vital, since they should be familiar to most everyone. But I'm doing a disservice if I don't call a spade a spade - if a tune sounds like Dumptruck or The Parasites or Fools Face, I'm going to say it. Sure, maybe only 5 people will get it, but it needed to be said.

Finally, Andy Partridge once noted that when reviewers would compare an act to XTC, the band would normally sound like the jumpy, caffinated early XTC. Point well taken, Andy. It's difficult to do this every time, but it is important to try to make a distinctive comparison, even with a familiar band. Merseybeat Beatles or White Album Beatles? Early Replacements, or more refined later stuff? Big Star becomes an even better example - all three of their albums bear a distinctive stamp.

Hmmm…maybe I should make a rock comparison chart, like those cards that tell you how much to tip in restaurants. There are some writers who could use it. (Final note - this writer was inspired by Michael Chabon and Alasdair Gray, and if anyone detects it in this column, please let me know).

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