(In)famous music critic Robert Christgau on how to rile up rock stars
Lou Reed called him a moron, Billy Joel ripped up his reviews, and Sonic Youth sang about killing him. Meet the critic who the rockstars couldn't ignore.
"Ignore the critics." It's advice you've probably received at some point. But as veteran pop music reviewer Robert Christgau can attest, some criticisms are harder to brush off.
Christgau's often pithy but revelatory reviews have infuriated many a rock star: Lou Reed called him a moron, Billy Joel ripped up one of his reviews on stage, and Sonic Youth wrote a song once called I Killed Robert Christgau with my Big F---ing D--k.
- Related: Robert Christgau's consumer guide (includes 13,792 reviews and counting)
Today Christgau joins guest host Jelena Adzic to discuss his storied career, and particularly his 37 years as music editor at the Village Voice. He chronicles his life as a rabble-rousing reviewer in his new memoir, Going into the City.
*Click on the listen button above to hear the full segment (audio runs 19:57)