Someone explain this to me

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An odd quote from limp article from a dwindling magazine currently posing as the publicity firm for the Strokes.

"The band hit on something with 'This Is It', marrying the wry, jerky energy of British new wave to the sweet, classic pop structure of early Motown."

Who else hears "the sweet, classic pop structure of early Motown" in the Strokes?

― don weiner, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 20:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Not me.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Saw that also. I'm no Strokes hater, but that is just preposterous. He may as well have added "with tinges of lullaby-zydeco and the skiffle-lite spirit of early horror-rap."

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe some sweet classic motown was on in the background when the marketing guy the Strokes song.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Did a sentence get edited out, sort of like "The band hit on something with 'This Is It', marrying the wry, jerky energy of British new wave to the sweet, classic pop structure of early Motown. Oh, whoops, that's the wrong CD I have in there."

He couldn't even get the name of the album right!

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

oops, the title error in that quote was my transcribing and was unintentional (which I will blame on my toddler who was trying to unplug the computer cables when I was posting.)

As for the quote, while writer Marc Spitz of SPIN is at least partially at fault for such a completely inane observation, the last line of defense for shit like this is the editor. It's inexcuseable. But certainly not surprising given the venue. How much farther can SPIN sink?

― don weiner, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"sweet, classic pop structure of early Motown" = verse chorus verse chorus bridge, etc?

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 21:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno, "Last Nite" had some "You Can't Hurry Love" in it, to my ears at least. it sounds more like shorthand for "he writes very traditionally structured pop songs, and the drummer's good."

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

limp articles, dwindling magazine, no wonder it's krap

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno, "Last Nite" had some "You Can't Hurry Love" in it, to my ears at least.

Exactly. Initially I had heard "This Charming Man," but Marcello wisely noted the correct line of descent via Motown that both Mike Joyce and Strokes drummer-dolt used.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

When you said "a dwindling magazine currently posing as the publicity firm for the Strokes" I automatically assumed you meant the NME. Have the Strokes got something on the entire music press or something?

― Nick H, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

So the drum line on one song is the connection between the Strokes and Motown? Maybe I'm just dim or can't remember the hours and hours I spent listening to my parent's Motown records, but when I think of the classic Motown sound, I never ever think of the drumming. And while "Last Night" possibly nicks the beat off of "You Can't Hurry Love", I don't see much else about the Strokes debut that is similar to what might be considered classic pop structure, let alone what was going on in/on Motown.

The Motown reference is specious. The least that the Strokes domestic cheerleading squad could do is come up with some good writing in the midst of all the flacking.

― don weiner, Wednesday, 24 September 2003 01:38 (twenty-two years ago)

but when I think of the classic Motown sound, I never ever think of the drumming

You really should.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

nicking the velvets style they do IS nicking classic motown by one level of indirection.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe I should Eyeball; even if I did, it wouldn't overshadow the killer vocal work and lush instrumentation that defines Motown to me. And I still haven't heard a good argument where the Motown sound is anywhere other than "Last Nite." Luckily, I will admit to being wrong if it happens. I actually kind of hope it does.

― don weiner, Wednesday, 24 September 2003 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

drumming isn't instrumentation?

― dave q, Wednesday, 24 September 2003 09:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno, "Last Nite" had some "You Can't Hurry Love" in it, to my ears at least.

Come to think of it, it reminds me a lot of (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher. Apart from that song, it's not the most obvious analogy (imo). I can't hear anything pre-punk...

― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

dave, why bother with something rhetorical like that? What's your point?

― don weiner, Wednesday, 24 September 2003 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

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