Wednesday 20 March 2013

Artists Rolling Stone left out of its guides

Ever since Rolling Stone putout its most recent Album Guide a whopping nine years ago, I came to know the tremendous criticism it received on amazon.com for omitting a number of artists seen as important by other music critics.

When I first read the 1992 edition, it was fascinating to me because I realised there was a world of music far beyond what could be heard in the cloistered confines of Melbourne’s ultraconservative, ultraconformist suburbs. It took me a while to realise I might like some of it: I had assumed that what people called “alternative” was basically loud, thrashy and similar to the worst pop/punk bands of my young adulthood.

However, it did not take me that long to see that there was far more rock music than even Rolling Stone covered, especially when Joe S. Harrington’s and David Keenan’s writings shattered my conceptions of the period and place I had grown up - showing it of no significance to the music world whatsoever. Many of the groups praised by Harrington and Keenan were not even in the other rock guides I possessed, and they intrigued me even with no expectations of liking them.

When the 2004 edition came out, I clearly knew what was wrong with Rolling Stone, yet looking through it really made me think a great deal about how much I had known and have known since. This table is based on a list by “schmidtt” from the Rate Your Music site, and artists I like are italicised.

Those artists included on Joe Harrington’s and David Keenan’s best-albums list are noted in the last two columns. It would be possible to search for rock artists on those lists who have never been in a Rolling Stone Album Guide (Half Japanese for instance)
1979 1983 1992 2004 Harrington Keenan
David Ackles Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Radio Birdman Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Cockney Rebel Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Kevin Coyne Unreviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Van Dyke Parks Reviewed Unreviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Flaming Groovies Reviewed Unreviewed Reviewed Unreviewed #89
(Teenage Head)

Dave van Ronk Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Norman Blake Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

The Red Krayola Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed #44
(Parable of Arable Land)

Pearls Before Swine Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Hawkwind Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed #91
(Quark, Strangeness and Charm

Hatfield and the North Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Henry Cow Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Yellow Magic Orchestra Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Ultravox Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Louis Armstrong Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Robert Johnson Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed
The Complete Recordings
Ella Fitzgerald Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Duke Ellington Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Bert Jansch Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Tim Hardin Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Incredible String Band Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed #88
(The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter)
The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter
Captain Beefheart Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed #45
(Trout Mask Replica)
Trout Mask Replica
The Pink Fairies Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Sparks Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed #67
(Kimono My House)

Badfinger Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

The Raspberries Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

The Shoes Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

The Only Ones Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

The Damned Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

The Saints Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed #30 (Eternally Yours)
#19 (I’m Stranded)

Big Star Reviewed Unreviewed Reviewed Reviewed #55
(Radio City)
Third
Throbbing Gristle Unreviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed Reviewed
Heathen Earth
Giant Sand Unreviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Dexy’s Midnight Runners Reviewed Unreviewed Unreviewed

Grace Jones Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Magazine Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

The Gun Club Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Talk Talk Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

Aztec Camera Reviewed Reviewed Unreviewed

The Chameleons Unreviewed Unreviewed

The Meat Puppets Reviewed Unreviewed

Michelle Shocked Reviewed Unreviewed

Slowdive Unreviewed
Tindersticks Unreviewed
Will Oldham Unreviewed
Godspeed You Black Emperor Unreviewed
My Morning Jacket Unreviewed
Interpol Unreviewed
The Delgados Unreviewed
Arab Strap Unreviewed
The Mountain Goats Unreviewed
Broadcast Unreviewed
The Walkmen Unreviewed

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