Real name:  Martin M.
Location: Czech Republic
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Forum Joined date: 3/23/2009 | Posts: 2282| Last visit: 9/3/2010 3:49:22 AM EST
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If you are a musician, artist or band member (or band) and want me to review your music, feel free to contact me on: matespkm@seznam.cz

For purpose of reviewing, you can send me CD by postal services (preferable - CD is CD, full experience instead of, let's say, not so good CD's) or mp3's to download

It's hard to say how good am I, that's for others to decide.
So here are facts:
But I'm quite prolific, with about 2 reviews written each day. I have a lot of positive feedback, both from common listeners and also from bands. I dealt with about 30 artists in this CD for reviewing purposes, and these artists were usually satisfied and happy about outcome. I usually write shorter reviews spanning in average from 200-400 words (which I believe is enough to keep reader's attention). I usually write in non-conventional and unique style of my own.















WISE SAYINGS SAID BY MARTY
01)In my life, I knew just two mouses that didn't make a "click" sound.
02)We're discussing with my girl who's more appropriate to be Rincewind. We find out that we're both suitable Rincewinds.
03)My life is dedicated to joking
04) (18. 11. 2009) - my average rating is 3.91111
05a)I'm an atheist. Nothing to be proud of, but also nothing to be ashamed and blamed for. All my real-life friends are. And it's something as being "average" here in Bohemia, Czech Republic.
05b)It's also nothing to be proud of.

However there are certain points of Christian teaching I like - good deeds / behavior, something I myself am trying to do / be like. Behaving politely, calmly etc.

06)I'm trying not to bash particular genre, even I there were hard times we had together
07)Everything in my current life is more or less influenced and targeted to my girlfriend, whom I love a lot. It's easy to love her, when she loves me and is devoted to me completely.



Rating system

Well, this will be hard. I use rating system that roughly fits into PA rating system.
(from worst to best)

5+........5.00 - 4.85........
............4.84 - 4.50........5 -
4+........4.49 - 4.00........
............3.99 - 3.60........4-
3+........3.59 - 3.30........
............3.29 - 2.80........3-
2+........2.79 - 2.30........
............2.29 - 1.80........2-
1+........1.79 - 1.40........
............1.39 - 1.00........1-

And while I use 5 star quite often (currently forms about 30% of my ratings, I'm trying to lower it on 25%), then mostly 4 stars (that makes about 40-45% of my ratings, no regrets here) and 2-3 stars (have 20%). I use 1 star very sparingly, reserved only for very ugly albums that makes me almost sick and feeling bad.

There was a long discussion about it here:
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=61257&PN=1

_____________________________________________________________________________________

You want to hear shortest, short, or long story ? I have all of them prepared.

Please, send me PM with suggestion and comments to my biography

Longer version

birth / situation here / history / father

Well, my name is Martin, but my friends call me Marty. AI was born 20 years ago in quite small, Central Europe country Czech Republic. It was one of these Soviet-satellites, with harsh conditions here. Regime ended virtually 17. 11. 1989 (our style of dates) with quite non-violent demonstration (Velvet Revolution), six days from my name-day (11. 11., nice date). I was born 10 months before, so I can boast with mocking line: "I was born in days of deep communism, to the atmosphere of fear and terror." But it's not so far from being truth, even by 1989, conditions were getting better. I'm talking about it, because it's simply our national thing. And most good Czech bands presented here were fighting with political situation to different extent. "The Plastic People of the Universe" were probably the most persecuted ones, but also well known ones. From these times, the most important person in my life has risen. My father (*1962), who grew up in this terrible situation (70's were the worst in terms of human rights, then came 80's with music so plain and boring. Yes, as you probably can guess, our Czech synth/disco hits from this era were as bad as in Western world). Despite his not so big formal education (he's manual worker, the school is "apprentice training centre" I suppose), he's just electrician. But his knowledge about music that he acquired by all these years of listening music are still larger than mine, even when he don't know internet (at all) and I'm here all day long, trying to equal him (but it's long time run). And not only music, also books and movies. Yep, recently, he lost his grip into this, but that's another story. He knows basically every movie before let's say 1995, every good rock band and the same thing about books. Except this, jokes and stories are his domain. For example the funny reason why he's (in here, we sort electricians to two groups, heavy and weak current) heavy-current expert. It's because nobody will ask him to fix their TV. He was the one, who told me long ago about this culture, I was the one, who made my way to it, through the timed

So, father wasn't important to me back then, but I can fully appreciate his help now when I'm an adult. I didn't use to admire him so much. My mother used to be sci-fi fan (grew old on 80's music) turned spiritual things (nature energy, nature at all, ethnic music, Africa, cactus growing etc). Dad lives in countryside now, enjoying his departure from civilization, while playing his VHS with good movies + some CD's of rock / folk music, reading classic books etc).

So, when I was a kid, my I was mostly interested in going out and play in nearby park/forest (ten meters from my house)



to be continued


With decade 2000-2009 almost over, one can't help it and is thinking about "another" ten years over. For me, my second decade only. Well, two years ago, I've started to be interested in prog and so now, after two years, albums that I still listen regularly, that I love completely and so on. When these are on, I can enjoy virtually EVERY sound here (mostly for both Beardfish).


HALL OF MY LIFE


HALL OF FAME
New surprises (and new decade will be here soon)
Desperate decade, I had a hard time to find something
So called terrible eighties, but for me, good decade
And continuing, still in seventies, another good bunch
Golden age of prog, you know - these I like the most
LSD decade (actually, 5 years)

years 2002-2004	Pink Floyd, Queen
years 2005-2007	Jethro Tull, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Doors
2008 first half	Dream Theater, Jeff Beck, Stevie Vai, Frank Zappa
2008 second half	The Flower Kings, Ayreon, Magenta
2009 first half	Moon Safari, Beardfish, Transatlantic, Magic Pie, Genesis, Pendragon
2009 second half	The Dear Hunter, Arena, The Enid, Symphony X, Renaissance, Gazpacho

HALL OF COMICS

1)Proof that Siths can be quite progressive, but still, I like Light side of force more.
2)And another proof of possible connection between Siths and Proggers. They have whole MOONS.
3)While light side can offer some quality too
4)It's all 'bout progress