Metaphysical Graffiti

December 1, 2018

The takeaway from this slight volume, intended to be a combination of humor and rock criticism, is, unfortunately, nothing more than mildly sarcastic critique. Writer and former musician Kaufman (The King of Pain) mostly discusses what he doesn't like, but without enough insight into what he appreciates (we do know he likes the Beatles and Talking Heads), it's hard to enjoy his commentary. On top of that, with chapters addressing Billy Joel's lack of rock credibility, puzzlement over the popularity of the band Rush, and criticism of cover songs, as popularized by shows such as Glee, there's little here that hasn't been explored by countless other journalists. This book is clearly meant to appeal to fans of Chuck Klosterman or Rob Sheffield, but the writing and content are simply not up to their level. The only truly original piece--a dreadfully out of touch rap version of Waiting for Godot--is painful to read. VERDICT Kaufman is a competent writer, but his essays bring nothing new to the table. Not recommended.--Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA

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