CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
“THE A’s” (Arista):: People say they take after the Dolls, but I hear the Boomtown Rats. At its best, their burlesque on a “teenage jerk off’ (a title) who still gets “grounded” (another) is funny and a little too nasty. At its worst it’s boring and a little too nasty. In between it’s got verve and you’ve heard it before. B
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
DEPARTMENTS
by
Robert Christgau
“THE A’s” (Arista):: People say they take after the Dolls, but I hear the Boomtown Rats. At its best, their burlesque on a “teenage jerk off’ (a title) who still gets “grounded” (another) is funny and a little too nasty. At its worst it’s boring and a little too nasty. In between it’s got verve and you’ve heard it before. B
CHUCK BERRY: “Rocldt" (Atco):: Well I’ll be. The inventor of rock ’n’ roll hasn’t made an album this listenable in 15 years—no great new songs, but he’s never written better throwaways (or covered “Ozymandias” either). Both Berry and Johnny Johnson—the piano half of this sound for a quarter of a.century—have tricked up their styles without vitiating or cheapening them, and the result is a groove for all decades. Minor for sure, but what a surprise. B +