Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of ''

Creem ''Creem'' (often stylized in all caps) is a monthly American music magazine, based in Detroit, whose main print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. Influential criti ...

'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

'', ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'', and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'', and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

. He is also a committee member of the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

Early life

Marsh was born in

Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada *Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. Moving to

Waterford, Michigan Waterford Township is a charter township in the geographic center of Oakland County, Michigan, United States. In 2020, the population of Waterford Township was 70,565. Communities Waterford Township has five unincorporated communities: * Clin ...

in 1964. He graduated from

Waterford Kettering High School Waterford Kettering High School is a public high school in the Waterford School District located in Waterford, Michigan. The official name of the high school is Charles F. Kettering High School, named for the automotive industry pioneer. History ...

in 1968. He then briefly attended

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

in Detroit.

Career

He began his career as a rock critic and editor at ''

'' magazine, which he helped start. At ''Creem'', he was mentored by close friend and colleague

Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for ''Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock music c ...

. Marsh is credited with coining the term '' punk rock'' in a 1971 article he wrote about

Question Mark & the Mysterians ? and the Mysterians (or Question Mark and the Mysterians) are an American garage rock band from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan, initially active between 1962 and 1969. Much of the band's music consisted of electric organ-driven garage rock a ...

. While supportive of punk music in general, he said in a 2001 interview that "I don't know that it was any more important than

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

," and believes

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

is more significant than punk in the history of rock music. He has written extensively about his favorite artists, including

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

, whose song "

I Heard It Through the Grapevine "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a ...

" he chose as the number one single of all-time in his book ''The Heart of Rock and Soul: the 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made'', and

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

, whom he called "one of the greatest musical adventurers rock has ever known." Along with ''Rolling Stone'' magazine publisher

Jann Wenner Jann Simon Wenner ( ; born January 7, 1946) is an American magazine magnate who is a co-founder of the popular culture magazine ''Rolling Stone'', and former owner of '' Men's Journal'' magazine. He participated in the Free Speech Movement while ...

, Marsh has been involved in organizing and maintaining the

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. Marsh has at times courted controversy with his style of maintaining selections. Marsh has published four books about

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

. Some of these became bestsellers, including ''Born to Run'' and ''Glory Days''. Marsh has edited and contributed to ''Rock and Roll Confidential'', a newsletter about rock music and social issues. The newsletter has since been renamed ''Rock and Rap Confidential''. Marsh contributed to the 1994 book ''Mid-Life Confidential'', a book about and by the

Rock Bottom Remainders The Rock Bottom Remainders, also known as the Remainders, was an American rock charity supergroup, consisting of published writers, most of them both amateur musicians and popular English-language book, magazine, and newspaper authors. The band ...

, a rock band composed of American authors. He has also worked for ''

'' and ''

The Real Paper ''The Real Paper'' was a Boston-area alternative weekly newspaper with a circulation in the tens of thousands. It ran from August 2, 1972, to June 18, 1981, often devoting space to counterculture and alternative politics of the early 1970s. The o ...

''. Marsh's book ''360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story — Legends and Legacy'', was released in October 2012. In the same format as ''Heart of Rock and Soul'', this book covers the 264 greatest songs from Columbia Records beginning with the 1890 performance of

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...

's "

Washington Post March "The Washington Post" (often called "The Washington Post March") is a march composed by John Philip Sousa in 1889. Since then, it has remained as one of his most popular marches throughout the United States and many other countries. History ...

" and working its way chronologically up to

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...

's "

Rolling in the Deep "Rolling in the Deep" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, '' 21'' (2011). It is the lead single and opening track on the album. The song was written by Adele and Paul Epworth. The singer herself des ...

" (2011). To promote the music of Columbia Records, ''Legends and Legacy'' is available as a free eBook on iTunes."

Derision of musicians

Marsh has been characterised as a "grumpy rock and roll journalist" due to his acerbic comments on popular musicians whom he dislikes.Suttle, Tim
"New Book Rips U2′s Bono as a Lap-dog for Neo-liberals"

Patheos Patheos is a non-denominational, non-partisan online media company providing information and commentary from various religious and nonreligious perspectives. Upon its launch in May 2009, the website was primarily geared toward learning about re ...

. May 9, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013. In 1976, he wrote that

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

had an "insurmountable flaw" in drummer

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove,J ...

(who has topped multiple all-time greatest drummers lists), whom he saw as "something like clinically incompetent" and responsible for marring every Zeppelin album to date. Marsh wrote in 1978: "

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

isn't here just to entertain. This group has come to make it clear exactly who is superior and who is inferior. Its anthem, 'We Will Rock You', is a marching order: you will not rock us, we will rock you. Indeed, Queen may be the first truly fascist rock band... wonder why anyone would indulge these creeps and their polluting ideas." Marsh had previously described Queen frontman

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...

– who is regarded as one of the best rock singers of all time – as possessing a "passable pop voice". Marsh described

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

's 1980 album '' Against the Wind'' as "absolutely cowardly". He was much more supportive of Seger's earlier work. In the 1983 ''Rolling Stone Record Guide'', Marsh called

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

"a dead end for San Francisco area rock", and their music "calculated". He awarded every single Journey album released up to that point – seven studio albums, a compilation album and a live album – the minimum possible score of 1/5 stars. When asked about Marsh's unrelenting derision of Journey on a 1986 television program during which other critics had defended the band, lead singer

Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co ...

called Marsh "an unusual little man who all too often thinks that his subjective opinions translate to inarguable fact". Also in the 1983 ''Rolling Stone Record Guide'', Marsh described

Air Supply Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. It consists of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five hit ...

as "The most calculated and soulless pseudo-group of its kind, which is saying something". In 1989, Marsh referred to the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

as the "worst band in creation". Regarding a possible Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction for

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

, Marsh said: "Kiss is not a great band. Kiss was never a great band. Kiss never will be a great band, and I have done my share to keep them off the ballot." Kiss were ultimately inducted in 2014; in the lead-up, Marsh said: "I was done with them before I ever turned the first album over to the second side... all that mediocrity was harmless enough until the boastful bassist decided to turn it into a propaganda machine for the only two things he's ever loved:

Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; he, חיים ויץ, ; born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American musician. Also known by his stage persona The Demon, he is the bassist and co-lead singer of Kiss, the hard rock band he co-founded with Paul ...

and money." Lead singer

Paul Stanley Paul Stanley (born Stanley Bert Eisen; January 20, 1952) is an American musician who is the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's most popular ...

described Marsh as "pompous", and pointed to his derision of Led Zeppelin and Queen as evidence that he had "no clue" about music. In the March 13, 1975 edition of Rolling Stone, Marsh was one of a number of critics asked about Bob Dylan's ''Blood on the Tracks.'' Marsh wrote: "The long songs, particularly, suffer from flat, tangled imagery, and the music, with all its hints at the old glory, is often incompetently performed. I suppose it's all a matter of what you're willing to settle for."

Talk shows

Dave Marsh hosts three

Sirius XM Radio Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...

shows, one called ''Live from E Street Nation'', airing on

E Street Radio E Street Radio is a Sirius XM Radio channel broadcasting on Sirius 20 as well as on Dish Network channel 6020. Its format concentrates on Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, including interviews, guest disc jockey sessions, studio outtake ...

and the second ''Kick Out the Jams'', airing Sundays on music talk channel

Volume Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). The de ...

. The title references the

MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...

album ''

Kick Out the Jams ''Kick Out the Jams'' is the debut album by American proto-punk band MC5. It was released in February 1969, through Elektra Records. It was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom over two nights, Devil's Night and Halloween, 1968. The LP p ...

''. Marsh's third Sirius program, the political talk show ''Live From the Land of Hopes and Dreams'', airs Sunday afternoons on Sirius Left, channel 146 and America Left, channel 167 on

XM Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio (XM) was one of the three satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable television. Its s ...

Charitable causes

Marsh is a co-founder and trustee of the Kristen Ann Carr Fund,The Kristen Ann Carr Fund
/ref> created in memory of his step-daughter who died in 1993 from sarcoma, a form of cancer. The fund is dedicated to supporting research in the treatment and cure of sarcoma, as well as improving the lives of young adult cancer patients and their families. Marsh is also a member of the National Advisory Board of PROTECT: The National Association to Protect Children.

Bibliography

* ''Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story'', (Doubleday) 1979 * ''The Book of Rock Lists'', (Dell) 1980 * ''Elvis'', (Times Books) 1982 * ''Rocktopicon: Unlikely questions and their surprising answers'', (Contemporary) 1982 * ''Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who'', (St. Martin's Press) 1983 * ''Fortunate Son'' (Random House) 1983. A collection of his journalism and criticism. * ''The First Rock and Roll Confidential Report: Inside the Real World of Rock and Roll'', 1984. Compilation. * ''Sun City: The Making of the Record ,(Penguin) 1985 * ''Trapped: Michael Jackson and the Crossover Dream'', (Bantam) 1986 * ''

The Rolling Stone Record Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

: Reviews and Ratings of Almost 10,000 Currently Available Rock, Pop, Soul, Country, Blues, Jazz, and Gospel Albums'' (first and second editions 1979, 1983) * ''Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s'', 1987. A sequel to ''Born to Run''. * * ''Heaven Is Under Our Feet: A Book for Walden Woods'', co-editor with

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Despe ...

, (Longmeadow Press, 1991) * ''50 Ways to Fight Censorship: And Important Facts to Know About the Censors'' (Thunder's Mouth Press), 1991 * ''

Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and r ...

: The History and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock'n'Roll song; Including the Full Details of Its Torture and Persecution at the Hands of the Kingsmen, J. Edgar Hoover's F.B.I., and a Cast of Millions; and Introducing, for the First Time Anywhere, the Actual Dirty Lyrics'', (Hyperion), 1992. * ''Merry Christmas Baby: Holiday Music from Bing to Sting'', (Little Brown) 1992. * ''Pastures of Plenty: A Self-Portrait'' with

Harold Leventhal Harold Leventhal (May 24, 1919 – October 4, 2005) was an American music manager. He died in 2005 at the age of 86. Leventhal's career began as a song plugger for Irving Berlin and then Benny Goodman. While working for Goodman, he connected ...

and featuring the writings of

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

(Perennial) 1992 * ''The New Book of Rock Lists'' with James Bernard, (Fireside) 1994 * ''Mid-Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude'' (Viking) 1994 * ''Sam and Dave'' (For the Record series), (Harper Perennial) 1998 * ''Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History'' (For the Record series), (Quill) 1998 * ''George Clinton & P-Funkadelic'' (For the Record series), (Harper Perennial) 1998 * ''Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts : The Definitive Biography, 1972-2003'', (Routledge) 2003. Combines earlier two works about Bruce and adds a new chapter. * ''Forever Young: Photographs of Bob Dylan'' with Douglas R. Gilbert (Da Capo Press) 2005 * ''Bruce Springsteen on Tour : 1968-2005'' (Bloomsbury USA) 2006 * ''The Beatles' Second Album'' (Rodale Books) 2007 * ''360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story - Legends and Legacy'' (Chronicle Books) 2012

References

External links

''Rock and Rap Confidential''

The Heart of Rock and Soul
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Dave 1950 births Living people Wayne State University alumni American music critics American music journalists Bruce Springsteen Grammy Award winners Writers from Detroit Rolling Stone people