The Dean. Respect. Nobody loves Sonic Youth more than that guy, and his reviews remain a steady barometer of quality. It will be interesting to see where he lands. He reviewed the new Dirty Pretty Things album, Waterloo, for Rolling Stone a few weeks back. Here's a sample:
Before we disrespect Barat, though, we should wonder whether we're much better. Is there something voyeuristic, codependent or enabling about the pleasure non-druggies take in the band Pete Doherty made go? The myth that heroin is good for the creative juices can be referred back to the beboppers. Charlie Parker's and Billie Holiday's music survived junk rather than benefited from it, while Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins took quantum leaps after they kicked -- which hasn't stopped way too many rock & rollers from mounting the same horse. Their reasons vary, but Doherty seems a classic case. Dope is another means to the Albion he hopes to reach via music, and our normal lives are enriched and lightened by his uncommon needs. Barat climaxes the cynical "Gin and Milk" by demanding, "Give me something to try for/Give me something to try for." Probably what he should try for is Albion. Whether he can get there remains to be heard.
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