CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
Black music is subject to economic oppression just like all other aspects of black life in America. Until the advent of disco it was a singles music— the low median income of its consumers assured that. Radio outlets responded in kind, rarely programming album cuts, which meant in turn that producers concentrated on 45s to bait otherwise undistinguished albums.
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
Robert Christgau
Black music is subject to economic oppression just like all other aspects of black life in America. Until the advent of disco it was a singles music— the low median income of its consumers assured that. Radio outlets responded in kind, rarely programming album cuts, which meant in turn that producers concentrated on 45s to bait otherwise undistinguished albums. Not that it always worked this way—most of the artists below did put out terrific albums once in a while. But that's more a tribute to their overflowing talent than anything else, and in any case greatest-hits formats are still an ideal way to hear their music. If you can find them, that is—the economics of minor and major labels alike means that about half the 70's albums below, are functionally out of print. Happy binning.