Going Into the City: Portrait of a Critic as a Young Man

Going Into the City is the memoir of Robert Christgau, the self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics" who helped establish rock criticism as a legitimate journalistic form. The book focuses on his early life and career in New York City, from his childhood in Queens through his formative years at The Village Voice. Christgau recounts his intellectual and cultural development against the backdrop of 1960s New York, detailing his engagement with music, literature, politics, and relationships. His evolution as a writer and critic parallels major shifts in American popular culture, from folk to punk rock, as he establishes his distinctive voice and analytical approach. The narrative follows Christgau's professional path through various publications and the development of his signature review style, including the creation of his "Consumer Guide" column. His personal life intertwines with his career trajectory, particularly his relationships with other writers and artists in New York's cultural scene. This memoir serves as both cultural history and bildungsroman, examining how critical thinking and artistic taste develop in tandem with personal identity. The book presents a portrait of mid-century New York intellectual life while exploring the emergence of rock criticism as a serious pursuit.

Readers found this memoir provided unique insights into the 1960s-70s New York music scene and criticism world. Multiple reviewers noted Christgau's detailed accounts of Village Voice culture and the emergence of rock criticism as a serious form. Positives: - Sharp writing about relationships and personal growth - Valuable music history perspective - Honest portrayal of formative experiences Negatives: - Dense, academic writing style put off casual readers - Some found the tone pretentious and self-important - Several readers wanted more focus on music criticism, less on relationships Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (136 ratings) Amazon: 4/5 (31 ratings) Representative review: "A fascinating look at how one of rock criticism's key voices developed, though Christgau's intellectual style isn't for everyone" - Goodreads reviewer Multiple readers noted the book works better for those already familiar with Christgau's criticism and writing style rather than general music fans.

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🎵 Robert Christgau earned the nickname "Dean of American Rock Critics" through his pioneering work at The Village Voice, where he created the Consumer Guide review format and graded albums on his distinctive A+ to E- scale 📝 The memoir reveals Christgau's fascinating relationship with fellow critic Ellen Willis, who later became a prominent feminist writer and cultural critic at The New Yorker 🏙️ The book provides an intimate look at New York City's cultural landscape from the 1960s through the 1980s, particularly the Lower East Side's arts and music scene ✍️ Christgau developed his critical voice while writing for Esquire magazine in the late 1960s, where he published one of the first serious critiques of rock criticism itself 🎸 The author's early coverage of genres like punk, hip-hop, and world music helped legitimize them in mainstream music criticism, as documented throughout the memoir's pages