Why do so many people dislike Death of a Ladies Man?
.J. Norman: (nja@le.ac.uk): I think there are a few reasons. One is that LC himself doesn’t like it — but he has a rather odd view of his back catalogue (the superb Recent Songs has almost been written out of the official story — he tends to imply that the album after DOALM was Various Positions). One is that it contains a couple of what by LC’s standards are real stinkers — “Don’t Go Home…” and “Fingerprints”. It doesn’t sound much like any of his other work — that’s the reason a lot of people dislike “The Future”, as well. I think the production is muddy, LC’s singing is not very good, and the fact that he was suffering from deep depression when he recorded it is all too clear from the lacklustre performances. On the other hand, there are some of his best songs there (“Paper Thin Hotel”, “Memories”), and the title track is great — I don’t think it’s too long at all, and the world-weary style is suited to that particular song. It’s one I listen to quite often when I’m walking t
