Appreciation of Top Favorite Music Reviewers

I thought we were talking about professional reviewers, not ourselves (amateurs), that's who i was referring to, and I certainly don't consider myself any kind of meaningful reviewer any more than the rest of the crowd on here. In the case of Prog reviews, I take it as purely personal opinion, with no meaning beyond that, so no offence was aimed at anyone here, my target was professional reviewers, an entirely different animal. For someone who's not in the habit of being rude, you're not doing a bad job, but I'm glad to respond in kind. 

In my opinion, the best thing to happen to music criticism is the internet. Does anyone remember how stodgy, unflexible, and narrow-minded music criticism used to be? There were a few powerful gatekeepers who determined taste. I mean, just go back and have a look at, say, the original editions of THE ROLLING STONE RECORD GUIDE. "Rock and roll" had to conform to their (very narrow) expectations of what rock and roll "is." So Genesis was ridiculed, while Bob Seger was held up as the new Elvis or whatever, and Jackson Browne (anyone remember him?) and Tom Petty were the saviors of rock. Gimme a break. At the same time, if I love, say, an REO Speedwagon song, can't I love it without being ridiculed by the Rolling Stone Record Guide and made to feel like an uncool dunce? Their whole stance could be quite offensive. I'm a former snob myself, and still have snobbish tendencies (), but I much prefer the democratization of taste that the internet ushered in.

[I know I talked pretty harshly about All Music earlier - it has to do with my love of Burial and their ignoring his EPs - but I'm actually a fan of theirs, and how they don't set themselves up as some kind of arbiters of taste.]


Edited by jude111 - January 10 2013 at 07:34

I believe that the topic was clearly aimed at us people who post reviews in PA but OK, I gladly accept the clarification.

Regardless of what the topic was originally about, the discussion had already brought up AllMusic and peoples' dislike of that site and its reviewers.  So DiamondDog's comment was really just an extension of that.  That's how I read it anyway.  I didn't think it was out of line at all.

Gerinski wrote: DiamondDog wrote: Obviously, we are not important enough to influence anybody. Don't underestimate yourself or this site, I find some useful guidance in PA reviews and frequently I prefer the comments from a passionate Prog fan than those from a professional music critic.

I agree. And there's a thing called "reception theory," which has to do with how works are received by critics and by audiences, which critics and scholars and historians are geniunely interested in gathering and studying. (Although, given the ephemeral nature of the internet, there's not much of a paper trail and posts tend not to last very long...)


Edited by jude111 - January 10 2013 at 13:54

Top five?  Let me give just one, for I usually don't have to look farther than his reviews for a good idea of what to expect:
Mellotron Storm

I think Rollie does a really nice job and seldom gets mentioned in these threads.  

SaltyJon wrote: Top five?  Let me give just one, for I usually don't have to look farther than his reviews for a good idea of what to expect: Mellotron Storm

Same goes..............yay Jon !!!

Gerinski wrote: presdoug wrote: My favorite PA reviewers are Mellotron Storm richardh Ivan Melgar M Aussie_Byrd_Brother no long winded explanations as to why-they are great reviewers Fully agree with the choice.

Also I like honest and true people, I am most loyal, my friendship is forever, I do not hold grudges to those who are not nice either, I just switch them off, for good actually gone puff  I much prefer to spend my time and energy loving, smiling, having fun and hugging everyone