Expanded Edition, 2000, Cooper Square Press, 360 pages.
Original Edition, 1973, Penguin Books, 330 pages.
From the back cover of the Expanded Edition:
In this collection of more than forty pieces, Robert Christgau shows
why he is a leading critical voice. With an ability to pack more
insight into a single phrase than most critics can work into a lengthy
piece, he rarely misses the mark. Any Old Way You Choose It
examines a wide array of artists--from Joni Mitchell to the New York
Dolls, from Barbra Streisand to Frank Zappa--as well as the descent
from Monterey to Altamont, sexism in rock, the commercial pitfalls of
the pop game, and the ethics and aesthetics of the marketplace.
From prescient observations on Bob Dylan and the Eagles to trenchant discussions of Stevie Wonder and Tom Jones, this book amply illustrates the integrity, acumen, and sense of humor that make Christgau's most acerbic pronouncements impossible to dismiss. Newly expanded with essays on Wilson Pickett, Jefferson Airpland, and Captain Beefheart, Any Old Way You Choose It is an indelible testament of the enduring power of rock and roll.
