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Salient. Victoria University Students' Newspaper. Volume 39, Number 23. September 20, 1976

Mumbo Jumbo Attacked

Mumbo Jumbo Attacked

Dear Sir,

I'd like to back up the views of Hong Hong Ms Garbo in her criticism of the deterioration of the Salient rock reviews, exemplified in the recent ones of Katy Corner.

After the criticism of her Sarstedt review she bounced back last week with a pitiful attempt to examine the Jerry Garcia album. The review was full of typical inane comments.

She starts with the chat-chat with her old mate Jerry telling him she is "truly sorry" but his album just doesn't come up to her very high standards (what exactly are those standards?). She also comments that "Garcia's two previous albums are as different from each other as they are from the Dead's (Grateful Dead) albums, despite the fact that most of the Dead are on the first two as well". What does this tell me? What's different about them? Where's some intelligent comment?

But on we go......"My copies of the first two Garcia's have just about worn out, but I've a feeling Reflections will stay intact for quite a while." It sounds like good hip talk, but what does it mean? Does it mean that she has been using the first two albums as flying saucers in the back yard and the third one is made of a stronger vinyl, so its less likely to break?

Her criticism of the first track on side one is typical of her treatment of albums in general. She says of "Might As Well" (looking up her book of cliches beforehand) that it "only stands up to about three playings - nowhere near as bad as 'Hot Stuff ad nauseum - Garcia will never make me ill." What sort of comment is this? What does it tell the perceptive rock fanatic about the track? What is the meaning of this particular track? If the track had simply been a repetition of three hyena laughs, would Katy Corner have made the same comments? Is there any significance in this track that could give us a ruler to measure the achievements of Jerry Garcia?

This sort of vacuous comment is what Katy Corner's review is full of. She says that by the time she gets to the end of side one she feels "full of a long Garcia 'statement' with unique, out-of-tune voice and soft, piercing guitar in the solos." What is the statement he is trying to make? I'm sure Katy Corner doesn't know? Or is she playing the "I know, but I'm not going to tell you" game with the readers? All she's mentioned is how she's become bored, about the "repetitive monologue", and how a new "timbre" is needed. How does this amount to a Garcia "statement"? Enlighten me Katy.

I think it's probably a waste of time going into her comments on side two because they're in the same vein. She talks about "lyrical and melodic feel" to the first track on side two and builds up to her incredible comments on the final track "wrenching guitar at a sleepy tempo ends this rather sad display of Garcia genius." (yuk!!).

I suppose Katy Corner can't really help her total lack of reviewing talent is concerned. She has probably come through the English Department and has been taught that a good criticism of are is based on what you "feel" rather than what the artist is consciously or unconsciously trying to do and how well they are doing that. What is the roll of art in Western society? How does Jerry Garcia fit into that? What is Jerry Garcia's background and what are his ideas? In the light of these quest ions, what makes Reflections so significant ? These are the sort of questions that Katy Corner, or any ruck critic should be asking. Rock, and all other forms of art are not independent of society, should not be the preserve of a small self-appointed elite who know what you are talking about when you mention Jerry Garcia. Most of us do not even know who he is.

So, I urge Katy Corner to either stop writing reviews or to do some research into precisely what the purpose of reviews is, so that next time I can gain some appreciation of the significance of any particular record from the four or five paragraphs that she commits to paper.

Rock on Katy,

(Robert Collins).