Ben Ratliff, Metalhead

[clifford_thornton]

Okay, so I know I might be letting fly on one of music criticism's easiest punching bags, but this article is totally ridiculous. Not because the premise is bad - in fact, it's totally legit on some levels, especially with ultra high octane energy music & some of the brutal Euro gtr/b/d power improv of late - but Ratliff doesn't know enough about either subject to write intelligently.

Link

OK, venting over.

[7/4]

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[clifford_thornton]

I mean, usually I'm neither here nor there with Ratliff, but this one seemed so ignorant I just had to vent.

No mention of Olaf Rupp, Weasel Walter, Adam Caine, Mats Gustafsson, Raymond Strid or anyone doing anything comparable in approach/sound to anything "metal."

[7/4]

and I thought Steve Smith was the metal head.

It's kind of a flimsy article. Slow news day.

[clifford_thornton]

Slow news day: reprint an old Bad Plus article and save those of us who read the anguish.

[Brad]

The attributes he sees in jazz and metal musicians might apply to many musicians of all genres.

[CJ Shearn]

Actually I can see Ratliff's point. I have a friend who plays drums in a metal band, who also enjoys jazz and we talked about how theres a lot of similarities between the music as far as speed, odd meters and technical proficiency. There are drummers out there like Travis Barker, whom I don't necessarily like, but he has studied jazz, from what I've read somewhere.

[Brad]

My son is a metalhead and so, of course, we listen to a lot of metal in the car. I don't care for a lot of the music but these guy, in my unprofessional opionion, are very highly skilled musicians (say what you want about what they play).

[clifford_thornton]

I'm not denigrating metal at all. I just think that Ratliff is too loosey-goosey in his connection.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

just wanna let u guys know if i ever replaced ratliff i would NEVVVVER write an article like this- i may write about how hank mobley roll call was the "in the air tonight" of the early sixties, but i would NEVVVER write a piece like this

Edited January 7, 2010 by chewy

[7/4]

You could write an article about Hank Mobley and the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

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[CJ Shearn]

Theres no correlation between "Roll Call" and "In the Air Tonight". The latter is a great tune, I love it, but seriously, pun intended.

[Brad]

I'm not denigrating metal at all. I just think that Ratliff is too loosey-goosey in his connection.

Agreed. It was a weird article. Slow day I guess.

[clifford_thornton]

just wanna let u guys know if i ever replaced ratliff i would NEVVVVER write an article like this- i may write about how hank mobley roll call was the "in the air tonight" of the early sixties, but i would NEVVVER write a piece like this

Thank god for you, Chewy... and I mean that in all sincerity!

[AllenLowe]

I don't know about Chewy as a Times music critic; US Senator, maybe, but music critic...................

[B. Clugston]

He could have mentioned that jazz and metal frequently include bassists and drummers and sometimes they have pretty pictures on their album covers.

What a simplistic article. "Jazz and metal are both diversifying at a fantastic rate, feeding on their old modes and languages, combining them and breaking them down." Old news. Jazz has been doing just that for more than 50 years and a lot of the metal innovations date back more than 20 years.

What would have been interesting is if he mentioned how some aspects of jazz and metal are approaching minimalism and modern composers.

[Guy Berger]

He could have mentioned that jazz and metal frequently include bassists and drummers and sometimes they have pretty pictures on their album covers.

What a simplistic article. "Jazz and metal are both diversifying at a fantastic rate, feeding on their old modes and languages, combining them and breaking them down." Old news. Jazz has been doing just that for more than 50 years and a lot of the metal innovations date back more than 20 years.

What would have been interesting is if he mentioned how some aspects of jazz and metal are approaching minimalism and modern composers.

Yes... a stupid article on a topic that could have been interesting.

[BFrank]

I don't think he mentioned Last Exit or Sonny Sharrock, who would have fit nicely in this piece. Maybe even Elliot Sharp or electric Zorn.

Edited January 8, 2010 by BFrank