A critical review of Christina Aguileras double CD album Back to Basics and CD album Bi-on-ic, written as an exercise

in cultural criticism, with a view to further explicating the principles of cultural criticism, applied to iconic music videos
and the CD albums that result, as a means of promoting better art and disparaging worse art, and moreover thereby
advancing human freedom and social progress

Critics should aim to shape events, not swim with the tide!
Given that Christina Aguilera identifies with feminism, her support for the electoral enrolment campaign some years ago
being on the public record, I shall try to be respectful but also appropriately critical of these works there being many
feminisms in the same way that there are many socialisms and many conservatisms

The mini-documentary bonus video on the second Back to Basics CD has Christina say that Back to Basics is a reprise of
the 1920s to 1940s cabaret singer and nightclub scene whether in the United States, Paris, Monaco, or even, prior
to 1932, Weimar Berlin, or perhaps cosmopolitan Vienna, she does not say
On the other hand Bi-on-ic seems to my ears to be more about poison-is-a-womens-weapon, female vengeance;
no doubt in all sincerity being advocated more in the spirit of mot justice, than heterosexual romantic love, really the
theme of Back to Basics. Perhaps Bi-on-ic is an album for Christinas female fans; those whose bad experiences with
men make them view sugary heterosexual pop askance; those who seek lyrics and instrumentals that help them express
their anger at men in general, wherefore the poison-is-a-womens-weapon theme throughout

Detailed track by track reviews follow, but first may I outline my theory that, whilst in 2014, the weapons of choice in
the culture wars are the music video CD and DVD, from the 1920s to the 1940s the weapon of choice in the cultural
wars was the detective story!

Take Agatha Christie, Cards On The Table, 1936, p14:

Mrs. [Agatha Christie] was extremely well known as one of the foremost writers of detective and other sensational
stories. She wrote chatty [] articles on The Tendency of the Criminal; Famous Crimes Passionnels; Murder for Love v.
Murder for Gain. She was also a hot headed feminist, []. One day her appearance would be highly intellectual a
brow bun in the neck and on another Mrs. [Christie] would suddenly appear with Madonna loops, or large masses of
slightly untidy curls.

Now time zones affect the issues of the day, and in the 1930s womens right to employment and womens right to
divorce were regarded as the most important issues of the day.

Many female detective writers of the 1920s to 1940s used to go on about poison being a womens weapon, for
example Sparkling Cyanide, Christie, 1945 and Dorothy Sayers, Strong Poison, 1930. In a period where a deserted
wife might end up starving in the gutter, this is understandable. Also, Agatha Christie gave advice to secretaries to wear
a hat with large hatpins, to be better able to defend themselves from malefactors who might assault them.

In Decline of the English Murder and other essays George Orwell discussed the culture wars of the 1920s to 1940s
era in terms of the tabloid newspaper, fiction, and notorious crimes passionnels unless one prefers, say, Julian
Symons Bloody Murder, 1992 edition, an internal history of the detective story industry where many identical
points are made, even if described in different language!
On to the reviews further theoretical point-scoring afterwards!
Back to Basics CD #1

1. Intro (Back To Basics)

A short intro a very pleasant good evening ladies and gentlemen an announcer in a 1920s nightclub,
perhaps? Didnt have electric guitars, then, neither!

2. Makes Me Wanna Pray

Great song.

Is the vampiric cabaret singer trying, say, to collect fifty cents from each and every woman and man in the
audience? songstress fines? vagina dentata complex perchance?

Pay the price, pay up! Thats life, doesnt like pirated CDs, either! Be consistent!

3. Back In The Day

Great song.

Go back, way back, to Weimar Berlin! Metropolis! The decadence! Old J, the opponent of M! The creature
of John Buchans Castle Gay, 1925. In the grey fogs of midwinter 1925 Berlin, the cabaret singer begins to sing
They used to say Mr DJ Break out the break out box, replug the speakers, rearrange the deckchairs
the coming disaster, lets not think of it yet

4. Aint No Other Man

Truly great song.

Picking her man singling him out caught my eye the singer finds a mate for the night The 1920s
nightclub scene the cigarette smoke Baby Jane wanna play around, no married monogamy for her, but
female philandering! What a nice confection! Saluting sweat sugary heterosexual romantic love!

How true it be to the nightclubs of that era: no living memory!

5. Understand

Filler.

However, essential part of this concept album, I would see this differently, as follows

Historical understanding. Misunderstandings. Everybody can see what? Mutual incomprehension? Mutual
incomprehension fueled by diametrical opposition? If no values, agendas, issues, in common; if in diametrical
opposition, just dont agree, the social construction of not reality itself, but of blame, the allocation of blame,
ideology the allocation of blame, the social construction of social realities!

6. Slow Down Baby

Good song.

Take it slow, let me make up my mind Maybe shes a tease, just wants to be admired from afar, but not
possessed?! Dont want to waste your time Slow down baby

7. Oh Mother

Good song.

Piano flourishes soft, understated , sad and melancholic and mournful Things money cant buy love
friendship family feeling faiths commitments

Perhaps dedicated to Christinas ancestors who told her truths, rather than white lies, of the past??

8. F.U.S.S.

Filler.

Doesnt sound so resonant! Half believed still

More piano flourishes soft, understated, sad and melancholic and mournful not KAOS? .. the Kinder
Kche Kirche Ksse deceits needed to persuade the KKK to take their orders to undermine the religious rights
order in the United States With double dialectical intent! What stupid patsies and cats-paws! Whilst
other religions and minorities were under attack elsewhere The terrible sadness of it all The utter futility
of the whole world at war, the whole world at cross purposes, the blame always dumped on the other side, the
blamed innocents, the utter futility of it all

9. On Our Way

Filler.

Very soft, rising, louder and louder trilling piano Rather formulaic instrumentals They say we turned
the page The Hegelian illumination traps birdie, eagle, albatross, aardvark, quintessence persuaded the
detective story reader to maintain the puzzlement and turn the page???? Look, I dont see eye to eye with
Christina: feminist detective story writers frankly were sending rather different ordnance across the Pacific and
Atlantic than, say, conservative writers such as Mr Rex Stout! Or deep cover communist writers such as Mr
Edgar Wallace!

10. Without You

Good song.

Starts with a piano playing trilling wonderment. Lyrics start: impacted second order demanding love, overlaid
to mixed narcissism and possessiveness. A song for a woman to play should she wish exclusivity!

11. Still Dirrty

Good song.

A reprise of her renowned Dirrty track from the previous album Stripped. Defiant strong wilful lyrics, backed
by a loud drumbeats and loud horns. Themes suggest mock defiance to being vengeful should any man treat
her wrong. Men who attend such mock fights as the Dirrty music video depicts should expect vengeance
unlimited should they treat her kind wrong

12. Here To Stay

Great song.

Some want to criticise Yeah! Say what you will! Yeah! Done that, see above!

13. Thank You (Dedication To Fans)

Filler.

Same Time Same Website Next Week Reviews Of:-

Back to Basics CD #2
1. Enter The Circus
2. Welcome
3. Candyman
4. Nasty Naughty Boy
5. I Got Trouble
6. Hurt
7. Mercy On Me
8. Save Me From Myself
9. The Right Man
10. Bonus Video: Back to Basics Double CD, The Making Of

Bi-on-ic CD
1. Bionic
2. Not Myself Tonight
3. Woohoo
4. Elastic Love
5. Desnudate
6. Love & Glamour
7. Glam
8. Prima Donna
9. Morning Dessert
10. Sex For Breakfast
11. Lift Me Up
12. My Heart
13. All I Need
14. I Am
15. You Lost Me
16. I Hate Boys
17. My Girls
18. Vanity