Pete Doherty/Babyshambles/Drug Use in Music

So, I'm listening to the debut album from Pete Doherty's Babyshambles and I'm really liking it. I loved the two Libertines full lengths and this is in that general area artistically, maybe a notch below. What's shocking about it is that to my ears it doesn't sound like the work of a junkie loser as his tabloid exploits in the past 12 months would lead you to suspect : it's wildly ambitious, thoughtful and creative. Meanwhile, early reviews are mixed almost as if some in the press don't want to appear to be "supportive" of his drug habit, by praising too much but recognize the talent evident on here and similarly don't want to appear unhip by launching into a full diatribe against him. It's an interesting dynamic, rock criticism as conservative parental advisory. Should we care about his addictions in relation to the album itself or is it meaningless? Obviously no one wants him to die or anything like that, I'm a fan and wish him the best, I'm just speaking that in relation to his art. I am disappointed how the legitimate music press is playing to the lowest common denominator in reviews, so far at least. I'd be interested in other thoughts about the record if anyone has heard it.



Post Edited (11-12-05 20:43)

Bumping my own thread because, well it's been a few days and I figured somebody must have heard this by now and either wants to call it awful or brilliant.....

You're asking for the adage about James Taylor, et al?

Well, apparently, by some of the reviews in the British Rock Press, drug use + missing live shows due to drug use + being in the tabloids for aforementioned drug use = bad music .....some of the UK reviews by serious critics (you know what I mean !) have been shockingly inept. Can you argue that this is a bad record?.....I think so, it's something of a mess, although it's my kind of mess.....But, I don't think most of the arguments against the record have been cogent, they've been reactionary .....I'm just noticing this strain of cultural conservatism in UK music press for the first time though....or at least this is the most glaring example I can think of recently.

mats84 wrote:


> Can you argue that this is a bad
> record?.....I think so, it's something of a mess, although it's
> my kind of mess.....



mine arrived today, but i'm waiting til i'm a bit more of a mess (probably another hour or so, haha) before i pop it in...

btw, only a touch under 16-ish usd ppd from that wonderful hongkongy cd-wow.com!

Drug usage in music means bad music? That about trashes 80% of everything made since the 60's. And jazz back to just about it's origin.