DYLAN’S TRACKS GLORIOUSLY BLOODED: Chuck Rips

…Mr. Ricks’ work is filled with offhand Empsonian brilliance, uncanny erudition and a belief in literary value that will, hopefully, finally shut up the poorly read types who waste time questioning whether Dylan’s works have earned the “right” to be called poetry. What a useless argument: Of course they have earned the right, but we have the right to think to them as songs as well…



–Ron Rosenbaum in the Observer.


…Lars deserves bonus points for being shorter than his wife, and his remark that the band’s “in a bit of a shit sandwich” wins the most-blatant–Spinal Tap–reference award. But he’s not nearly as lovable as his ancient Danish dad, Torben—a bucktoothed, troll-bearded ex-Wimbledon third-rounder, jazz muso, painter, poet, filmmaker, and arts journalist who looks exactly like the wizard-of-the-rings mountain man inside Led Zep’s Zoso gatefold. He’s also the only person brave enough to tell Metallica their music sucks…


–Chuck Eddy solos on SOME KIND OF MONSTER in the Village Voice.