With Age Comes Who Cares

As I am now 40 (more on that later) I find it easier to laugh at much of the world whereas I, as a younger, angrier man, would have screamed. Looking back at the year 1994, as The Reader did this week, I am reminded of how much I disliked Bill Wyman, their former music critic, and how much I loved Steve Albini, who I still think has made a significant contribution to music though he is indeed an asshole. Here’s a great letter war that makes me laugh like hell now, though at the time it seemed like pretty serious business. And time has definitely made some things clear: Albini was mostly right. Urge Overkill? Who cared then and who cares now? Liz Phair has always sucked in my opinion. Overrated at first and now not able to produce anything even the critics can forgive. She’s well beyond her greatest hits days. And Smashing Pumpkins—Gish aside—never made a record to get too excited about. This was evident right around the time Corrigan penned what remains one of the ten worst lyrics in rock history: “Despite all my rage I’m still just a rat in a cage.” Deep, Billy. Deep.

So enjoy and laugh and remember when any of this mattered (if you are my age).