Should Ratings Be Abolished?

1. I think people will give ratings in their reviews anyway, whether or not a PA-facilitated system is in place.
2. Rating is fun. It isn't necessary, or very beneficial aside from the charts exposing users to albums. Early on, I scoured the charts and found a lot of albums I loved there. I'd hate to lose that.
3. It's odd that people are complaining about overly "subjective" reviews. Faced with an objective rating system, people look for more objective reasons to praise or decry an album. Unfortunately, here that translates to "the playing... the compositions..." examining the music like it's a table (is it solid?) and not someone's personal expression. I'd rather hear people review as human beings and talk about the themes of the album and how certain elements of the music might heighten or undermine what the artist is trying to express.

Guldbamsen wrote: Don't get me wrong - I would love for things to be different; I just don't see any proof suggesting that members or visitors read READ the frontpage.....and I happen to love writing reviews I do read em though. Man I don't know what I would've done if I'd missed Michael's (Neu!mann) recent Amon Düül write-up. That thing was hilarious and wonderfully written.

The downfall of the reviews as a guide to buying music was something that dismayed me a bit as well. Reviews are occasionally read still, but as far as purchasing decisions go they aren't what they used to be indeed.

But some still care for them.

- The artists themselves. Reviews, especially well written reviews, are a core feedback system for many artists. They will also use reviews of quotes from them for various promotional activities, and many reviews will also help the artist to determine where and how to direct marketing

- Labels. Partially for reasons above if the artists is signed, but also as reference material if they are considering signing an artist. Something that still happens, although on rather different terms than in the glory days.

- Promoters of various kinds. They will look through reviews to see whether artists will fit certain type of events or not, again as reference material and then one of many.

- Buyers. Perhaps more rare these days indeed, but reviews still make an impact. Often as a part of a totality, a key piece of a puzzle where other pieces needs to be in place as well, but they still have a role to play.

Some years back I started getting promos from a small, UK label called Fruits de Mer Records. They had been trawling MySpace and some other channels for people to write about their releases: Vinyl singles featuring cover versions of mostly old psychedelic classics. I replied them and basically told them to add me to their promo list - but put me last in line.
The first few years the promo letters I got were extensive, flashy affair with multiple pages of gold and colored paper attached to the CD-R promo. I later got to know that the label had a hard time finding people willing to write about their products, and that they were sort of suffering from the spell of silence.

Fast forward a few years and the label have reviewers in place, are played and promoted on radio, their promo sendouts, now more regular one-sheets and with generally less stuff sent out, sell at fairly steep prizes whenever they hit ebay. Their vinyl releases have a tendency to sell out while on pre-order, they have expanded to do albums and original material, and artists and magazines actually approach them for inclusion and coverage respectively.

A grand totality which includes reviews have made that possible, combined with high quality releases this created a buzz that started feeding on itself and spreading. The reviews alone wasn't important, but without them this wouldn't have happened. Other elements, like word of mouth, radio stations picking this up, minor magazine features...all of them played a role, and all of them had to be in place for this development to take place.

You can to some extent see something similar on a more general level. Releases by Inside Out will typically sell more, often much more, than releases by labels such as Mellow, Musea or Lizard. Reviews have their role there as well, again as an element in a greater totality.

The age of reviews as a standalone, important and vital marketing feature that directly leads to sales is gone. They are still important, but now on a different level and, to some extent at least, as a part of a different context as well.

Dean wrote: If you personally want to add artists then prove your worth and become a collaborator on one of the teams.

mogol wrote: Dean wrote: If you personally want to add artists then prove your worth and become a collaborator on one of the teams. No, I don't promote myself here :) I have my blog where I can add any artist, so my ego is satisfied. I just do believe that giving more rights to simple users can breathe some fresh air into this site and help it develop. I think that it's the users that are the most valuable resource. The most part of database here has been filled and reviews written not by administration, but by users. At the same they in general are not trusted.

Windhawk wrote: What is lacking are reviewers. New reviewers, quality reviewers. If this site had a reviewing team, it would soon be swimming in enough promos to fill up a swimming hall. Or three. Especially if said reviews were highlighted in some manner - upper half of the front page for instance. That would also, hopefully, create a drive for the ordinary reviewers to develop their skills well enough to become official reviewers. In this age of music streaming left, right, up and down as well as in the middle, those who would need pointers for material to try out on, the unreviewed album list for instance, could get easy guidance to those. Something that over time would lead to more reviews and better reviews.

Personally I still get asked ten times a year (if not more, I'm not counting) to review stuff.  This is some kind of fishing (I don't know how many they contact on site), but obviously they just approach me blindly (probably given I'm still on #2 reviewer on PA), because if they'd read some of them (reviews), rhey might back out

I kindly decline their offer, not because I won't like (since when has that stopped me?); but because I lack time ... and drive... Haven't written a review ever since my laptop was stolen last November

So personally, the last thing I want is to be showered by demands for reviews of stuff I will probably not care the slightest for

Guldbamsen wrote: I get what you're saying Olav, but speaking for myself here: I would hate to be part of a team where I HAD to review certain albums. That's also why I mostly thank no to acts asking for a review. I also highly suspect that noone really bothers reading them - maybe except for the people who also do reviews. In todays day and age people stream their music or look for a rating. Reading 300 words in a row is just too much of a hassle. This is also why I've (almost) stopped doing them. They seem fruitless.

yup, despite the fact that I haven't written a review since the loss of my computer, I was really not nearly as enthusiastic about reviewing anymore - and JS' (Easy Money) attitude  on JMA (though understandable >> good reviewing for jazz is much tougher) nearly killed my drive about 18 months ago.

However, I do think that rsome eviews are being read  while listening to the samples offered (either here or elsewhere). It seems natural to do so - a normal process of  investigation (at least to moi)

Guldbamsen wrote: Don't get me wrong - I would love for things to be different; I just don't see any proof suggesting that members or visitors read READ the frontpage.....and I happen to love writing reviews I do read em though. Man I don't know what I would've done if I'd missed Michael's (Neu!mann) recent Amon Düül write-up. That thing was hilarious and wonderfully written.

Nobody's reviews are more entertaining than Rollie's (Chicapah) IMHO. The man is a gifted writer than sends me back to my keyboard every  time I read one of his reviews.

As for the frontpage; I think people peruse who's reviewed and what album, but probably will not read the reviews there, but will do so in the dedicated pages.
Actually, I suspect that when an album gets reviewed a few times in the last 20 rebviews, it's a reaction to one particular review that might have offended (so some do read them on the frontpage). As for me, I often became aware that so & so was added to the DB because I saw theur album reviewed on the front page.

I read a lot of them

Hugues: Big fan of Rollie's reviews here as well!! In fact, I have a lot of "favourite" reviewers on PA. People who, in the past 7-8 years, continuously have been successful in luring money out of my wallet. Though, as much as I dig his reviews, I'm not sure I ever bought an album on the basis of one of Rollie's. Most of the albums he writes about are ones I already have in my collection (or have heard). I tend to favour the more obscure write-ups, that is if I'm in the mood for love...sorry new music!

As for the current times of allergy to reading, I may have changed my mind - or at the very least changed my viewpoint. Maybe it's enough to have just one person read your review, if he or she got a kick out of it.
(I'm merely trying to talk myself into writing again)


Edited by Guldbamsen - July 06 2015 at 07:16

Guldbamsen wrote: Hugues: Big fan of Rollie's reviews here as well!! In fact, I have a lot of "favourite" reviewers on PA. People who, in the past 7-8 years, continuously have been successful in luring money out of my wallet. Though, as much as I dig his reviews, I'm not sure I ever bought an album on the basis of one of Rollie's. Most of the albums he writes about are ones I already have in my collection (or have heard). I tend to favour the more obscure write-ups, that is if I'm in the mood for love...sorry new music!

Edited by Sean Trane - August 18 2015 at 02:12

Sean Trane wrote: Guldbamsen wrote: Hugues: Big fan of Rollie's reviews here as well!! In fact, I have a lot of "favourite" reviewers on PA. People who, in the past 7-8 years, continuously have been successful in luring money out of my wallet. Though, as much as I dig his reviews, I'm not sure I ever bought an album on the basis of one of Rollie's. Most of the albums he writes about are ones I already have in my collection (or have heard). I tend to favour the more obscure write-ups, that is if I'm in the mood for love...sorry new music!   What scums, uh???   As for Rollie, I know what you mean... it's generally albums I already know (I don't remember reading a review of a énew" (post 00's) album) .... but he's got such a fantastic way to talk about those old albums, hat I immediately reserve/borrow ASAP from the library those I don't own... Just for the pleasure to read him.

Well you're one of em Hugues (and sorry for my tardy response).
I hate having to list my fave writers because I always manage to forget half of em....and then go back endlessly to edit my post with new additions. I don't want to leave any out. One though, who I soarely miss, is Chris (Seventhsojourn).

He did a fantastic job on Os Mundi's Latin Mass.

Guldbamsen wrote: ....and yes I still firmly support the notion of scrapping ratings altogether. Putting a numeric value on something as volatile and changing as music is fruitless and downright silly.

Well, I'm glad you manage to enjoy my sometimes-embarrassing drivel, cos sometimes I'm not sure where I get at. Once my drive to write reviews come back, I'll first attack a few un-worthy reviews, where I can do so much better (Soft Machine and Crimson's studio albums, for ex).  I feel that it is important to do so, because generally my reviews sit in the top of the page, so they must/should be presentable.

I'm still rid of flaws in my written English... Like most Latin people, I tend to do overlong sentences and try to put too much in a single one (namely by using/abusing of brackets for comments or asides or these "-" things), which can be confusing as hell.

Because a lot of reviewer are not English-mother-tonged and their English can be approximative. RYM solved that problem by allowing reviews of all languages (they even allow chinese or cyrillic characters). That's why I'm in favour of keeping them ratings, to make sure one understands or feels the way the reviewer goes.