Polarizing!

Recent reports that a Townsman scored a $2 used copy of Jellyfish’s Bellybutton album immediately brought to mind the image of the front desk of Rock Town Hall’s dream record store, where we would keep a bin of Polarizing Platters, records that cause Townspeople to immediately take sides, in even numbers, pro and con the music value of each album. We would keep this bin at the front counter because Rock Town Hall Records clerks and clientele are always up for a musical debate.

I think this Jellyfish album would qualify for the bin. People around here seem to either love it or hate it, and I sense the feelings for the album are split fairly evenly. An album like The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, on the other hand, has no business being in the bin. Although there are many advanced rock nerds to be found among us who might claim the album is “overrated,” who’s really going to make the argument that the album “sucks” or, more importantly, is somehow harmful to the rock landscape?

Am I being clear? Am I wrong in beginning the stocking of this important bin with this Jellyfish album? Are you really going to tell me that E. Pluribus Gergely and I are vastly outnumbered in our musical and moral objections to this album? More importantly, what Polarizing Platter would you add to the bin?