RSSXgau Sez
These are questions submitted by readers, and answered by Robert Christgau. New ones will appear in batches every third Tuesday.
To ask your own question, please use this form.
July 17, 2026
Once more into the Swamp Dogg doc, Mungo Jerry and Richie Valens preferences explained, AI aversion ditto, Portishead still sour times, criticism vs. whoever, Willie vs. Waylon.
[Q] Have you seen the movie Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted (on Amazon Prime)?. Says the NY Times writer, "I had never heard of the songwriter, producer and performer Swamp Dogg (née Jerry Williams Jr.) before pressing play on this affectionate bio-documentary." As an avid Consumer Guide reader, I, of course, have. After watching it, I searched out a couple of his B+ albums. As an avid Consumer Guide reader, I, of course, already own all the A's and Total Destruction. What's next in the series? Peter Stampfel Goes to the Post Office? Last, was that Ira and Georgia at Swamp Dogg's 80th birthday party? -- Rick Henry, Frederick, Maryland
[A]
Carola and I saw the Swamp Dogg movie two years ago at a Brooklyn film
festival at the invitation of Paul Lovelace, an editor and producer on
that documentary as well as on
The Last Critic
who we've known for many years. (Footage from his
1999 NYU student film Rock n' Roll Animal, the subject of which is
yours truly, is used in
The Last
Critic.) I thought the Swamp Dogg doc was both funny and
informative, especially in re the r&b business.
[Q] Hello! Enjoyed reading your response to the following: "This has been going around on Bluesky and I figured you'd have interesting answers: Ten musicians you wish you'd gotten to see but didn't, the more top of head the better." [Xgau Sez, June, 2026: "Charlie Parker, Robert Johnson, Gilberto Gil, Hank Williams, Billie Holiday, Marvelettes, Platters, Mungo Jerry, Ritchie Valens, Nat King Cole, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra."] Noted the majority of the artists you mentioned had all received positive reviews from yourself for albums or compilations. However, why Mungo Jerry and Ritchie Valens? I don't recall you writing about them before, though there are two B graded albums for Mungo Jerry. Why would you have liked to have seen these two perform live? -- James, Liverpool
[A]
Mungo Jerry because they were funny. Valens because he was one of the
first "rock and rollers" to assume an aggressive persona.
[Q] Would you read a novel written by AI? -- Tom Jones
[A]
I remain a stubborn fan of humanity, so I doubt it. But were some
dubious claim to start circulating I'd think about it.
[Q] You seem to really love the Bristol-born Trip-hop genre—you gave A+ ratings to both Endtroducing . . . and Maxinquaye—yet you didn't rate Portishead highly. Given that their music even served as a major inspiration for Kanye's Late Registration album, would you consider re-evaluating Portishead? -- Aseem Arora, London
[A]
Being knocked out by two exemplars of a genre, sub-genre, or whatever
isn't the same as being knocked out by the genre, sub-genre, or
whatever itself. Portishead was a long time ago by me, with a fanbase
who were clearly attracted to what I wasn't and what I called at the
time "shows of misery" and
"solipsistic melodrama." Part of
the job is articulating why you like what you like and why you
don't. Having done so, I see no need to revisit. But if they come up
in some unforeseen context I'll probably recall your query.
[Q] Has rock criticism ever gotten you into trouble with powerful people, like movie criticism did for Pauline Kael? Altercations, fights, death threats, etc.? Or are music folks more relaxed than movie folks? You can skip Lou Reed and Sonic Youth if you want to. -- Muhammad Ahmad Abdul Jabbar
[A]
For the record, I'd be pleased if Lou and SY had paid me more respect
than they did, but am happy with my modest SY connections and regard
Lou as pretty much an asshole where criticism is concerned. As for
Pauline Kael, if she had an enemies list I missed it, but as a matter
of principle am on her side. Kael was a great critic. Did some movie
people put her down? Possibly I suppose for specific offenses
Hollywood resented. Fuck them.
[Q] You reviewed dozens of Willie Nelson albums over the years but only two (2!) by the other great outlaw of country music Waylon Jennings. Have you never found a top-shelf grade-A collection of his best work? Surely he must have at least a few A- records in his catalogue -- Ben Riffen, Grand Rapids, Michigan
[A]
Five, actually, if you count three
Waylon and Willie
records, including the
unfortunately yclept WWII, a B− of which I said "the idea is to
acknowledge that all this outlaw myth is shuck-and-jive and then make
the shuck-and-jive itself seem mythic." Outlaw mythos aside, Willie
Nelson is one of the greatest pop singers of all time. Jennings is
not. Period.