ALLAN BLOOM, HEP CAT: And from Michael Tinkler (the Cranky Professor): I fall back on the great, misguided, but useful division of all into Apollonian and Dionysiac and/or listening music in opposition to dance music. The condemnations of the waltz are very much the same as the condemnations of Brand New Lover (B.N.L. and Right Round Baby are both in high rotation on my iPod this month!).

I think that part of this can be put down to middle age, and part of it to temperament. Bloom was obviously just not much fun at parties.

Now I know that’s shallow, biographical criticism, but we’ve all known people who elaborate positions about the world to fit their temperaments, and I fear most musical commentary falls into that category.