IT'S NOT ALL ROCK 'N' ROLL

by James Sullivan
Chronicle Staff Critic

Listening to pop music means keeping an open mind to different styles

When I tell people what I do for a living, they invariably ask for recommendations.

"What do you think of the new Fatboy Slim record?" "Who's this Lucinda Williams I keep hearing about?" "Mamas and the Papas, or solo Mama Cass?"

The other thing they ask is, "How do you cover so many kinds of music?"

When it comes to leisure-time activities, most folks stick with what they know. Exploring unfamiliar cultural turf takes effort. But learning to listen with fresh ears can bring life long rewards. Ideally, that's what critics do -- and you should try it too.

I'm a firm believer that there are no bad styles of music -- just bad performances. Whether it's discordant aggro-metal or ditzy folk psychedelia, someone somewhere does it well.

Whenever I review a new record or tender an opinion of a live show, I compare the performance to the artist's intentions and the promises of their particular style.

For example, to hold the teen sensation Hanson in contempt because it seems lightweight is to miss the point. One of pop's most enduring gifts is escapism; Hanson -- sunshiny melodists that they are -- are escapist wunderkind.

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Surely you've got your own favorites and your own guilty pleasures, too. There are many others awaiting your discovery. It just takes curiosity and a willingness to make the effort.

Listening to all kinds of music is like talking to people from all walks of life, learning about what makes the world go around in the process. Something for everyone? With music, those somethings are infinite.

Sampler of Styles
"I hate (fill in the blank)."

We've all heard it before. For some, the sound of fiddles and pedal steel guitars give them hives. Others hear a rap song and gripe, "That's not music."

It doesn't have to be that way though. Here is a sampler of records (I ONLY PUT HANSON) that will help listeners hear often maligned styles in a different way. As George Michael once said, "Listen without prejudice."

• Teeny-pop: Hanson, "Middle of Nowhere" (1997). Sure, they're young, but the Hanson brothers' enthusiasm is contagious, and they had the good sense to hire hotshot producers the Dust Brothers.