Hi Mike,

I really enjoyed reading your email to Pitchfork; it was articulate and intelligently argued. But it doesn't change the fact that that Liz Phair single is absolute rubbish.

Cheers,

Dave.

Hi David-

Thanks for writing. I'm glad you enjoyed the letter. Clearly we have different tastes; I think it's a damn good song, if not as good as "Rock Me." But I will say that despite the fact that Pitchfork wants to portray the album as a miserable failure that no one could ever possibly like, it's already on the best-of lists of pretty respected critics like Robert Christgau, Sasha Frere-Jones, and Keith Harris, to say nothing of various other positive reviews it's garnered. Certain people seem to feel "betrayed" by it, but it's a record, not a relationship, and I think if they were able to take a few deep breaths and give it an honest listen they wouldn't feel the same. (Ryan, as I noted, still admits to an irrational hatred of it.) Maybe you should bring the album out again in a few years and see if it doesn't sound kinda OK. But then, maybe it's just not to your tastes. And that's OK, too.

Sincerely,
m.