It didn't matter that Charlie Chaplin may not have been a great director or a great anything else. He made great movies.
Jon LandauIn the end, the sign of Aretha Franklin's artistry is that she always leaves her mark - first, on the music, then on us.
Jon LandauOn first listening, Joni Mitchell's 'Court And Spark,' the first truly great pop album of 1974, sounds surprisingly light; by the third or fourth listening, it reveals its underlying tensions.
Jon LandauElton John can be a master of the sleight of hand. The arrangements make it seem like there are substantial melodies underneath the tracks - but almost nothing demands repeated listenings. Similarly, he always sounds like he's singing up a storm, but his voice glosses over the material, reducing most things to an uninteresting sameness.
Jon Landau