Appreciation of Top Favorite Music Reviewers
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Top 10s and lists
Forum Description: List all your favourites here
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=91322
Printed Date: June 08 2025 at 23:01
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Topic: Appreciation of Top Favorite Music Reviewers
Posted By: Kati
Subject: Appreciation of Top Favorite Music Reviewers
Date Posted: January 04 2013 at 17:43
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I think reviewers do not get enough credit or the acknowledment they deserve, especially considering all the dedication, time and work they put into writing their reviews. For the reader or prospect buyer, Reviewers may play a major role in helping bands to get noticed. Therefore, in no spefic order, I would like you to name your current top 5 or more favorite reviewers? Also if you wish, please describe the reason why you like them?
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Replies:
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: January 04 2013 at 18:47
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I like greenback because he has similar tastes to mine, and is rather objective in his reviews (ex : GTR, Anderson's 'walk into light' and Yes's '90125' get quite good ratings while devin townsend's 'Terria' is very poorly rated /// often the opposite with die-hard progsters). Be careful with some reviewers : sane trane abhors all that is linked to neo-prog so you will never find any positive review of a neo-prog album by him. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: Sumdeus
Date Posted: January 04 2013 at 19:24
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i don't have any favorite reviewers. To be frank, I don't even know the name of any reviewers in particular. I hardly ever read reviews. When checking out new things all I really need is some historical context which can be easily found online usually, and beyond that I'm fine with making my own opinions about things.
------------- http://sumdeus.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - Sumdeus - surreal space/psych/prog journeys |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 04 2013 at 19:56
Hi Lucas  You made a good point there actually; some bands may be in the wrong category. Who decides them? Now this said; Lucas I never read any of your reviews, however thank you for being nice and having patience to reply to newbies. Your knowledge about music besides being vast is exceptional i.e. the suggestions you give are always relevant to the person you are speaking to, this includes their music preference, genre and bands, you even go further as to suggest other bands that they might be interested resembling those. This is a rare thing, really. I tend to focus on bands or music that I like yet you make an effort to read and understand other people's preferences/taste (this I speak from personal experience) what they like/their own perpective what they think is good by suggesting them to hear bands which they might not be familiar with. Thank you, Sonia/Kati
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lucas wrote:Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 04 2013 at 20:14
Sumdeus, hi This a fair argument, seriously. I know
understand what you mean, certainly do not agree either with a lot of reviews
and I too make up my own mind before reading most review.I do know a few reviewers, in fact I met one of P.A.
Collaborator last year in Sweden (at the time I was there to see Pos, Beardfish
and Gungfly perform), we became great friends and he is very dear to me. In
terms of music tastes, he missed the ball completely on one that I believe is
the new most exciting best thing, true tastes differ (thank goodness for that
or considering democracy we would all love Justin Bieber or Rap music ) Reviewers are human, tastes and preferences differ, however
if they like something they do help spread the word more so compared well to me
lol and they have credibility in this harsh industry. I personally like
reviewers who take me into a journey (especially if they use humor/humour) not necessary objective but those who make
me feel as if I was there listening with them how the album might sound like |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 01:26
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I agree halfway with Sumdeus. I don't rely so much on reviews to make up my mind. A lot of my friends depend on recommendations from other friends for music and I don't necessarily do so to the same extent. I just want some reviews, discussions or articles to get the word out on an artist so that I might then check out samples of their music and decide if it's for me. But I do like to read reviews of reviewers who are really good at describing music, even if I don't agree with all of their opinions. Exitthelemming, Chicapah, Certif1ed, Epignosis, Negoba, AtomicCrimsonRush, ClemofNazareth, tarkus1980 (John McFerrin) are some reviewers that I enjoy reading. Outside PA, I know professional reviewers seem to get a lot of flak on almost every music discussion forum but I like some of Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Bruce Eder's reviews for Allmusic. The website might sometimes try too hard to contextualise poor releases of big bands/artists but other than that, many of their reviews are well constructed and if you read the reviews for all the releases of a band, it puts their work in perspective. I find them less opinionated than the typical Rolling Stones affairs (not to mention Christgau). |
Posted By: zeqexes
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 01:32
Agreed. ------------- 
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Posted By: HarbouringTheSoul
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 03:11
I agree, but unfortunately Allmusic has that really stupid system where the album ratings are decided by a committee and half of the time they don't match up with what the review has to say. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 04:48
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My two top favourites: 2. Erik Neuteboom - I bought most of my Italian cd's because of his reviews; too bad he is not active on the site anymore Further on: I appreciate the following reviewers: Easy Livin', Greenback, Cesar Inca, Fuxi, Iván Melgar M, Atavachron.
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 05:04
Ah, so that's the reason why there's often a discrepancy between review and rating. I didn't know, thanks! Yes, I like Allmusic and I check that often too. For me also favorite reviewers Bruce Eder and S.T. Erlewine. The same with the top PA reviewers: I don't always agree, but it's still insightful and valuable. Only the Camel rating on AMG is wretched, but apart from that, great site, which I often check for non prog.
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Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 05:48
Thank you very much Sonia for all these kind words. I wrote some reviews, most of the time in a hurry, hence their short length. I did an effort for the Lebowski review, which is very detailed, and I plan to review Methexis shortly. In my reviews, I tend to focus on the music itself, the melody, the overall mood and arrangements, regardless of the level of "progressivity" (or complexity, which some may use as a criterion for their ratings). Therefore, I may rate very poorly a complex album in the RIO field, and rate very highly an album with simple melodies, pertaining here to prog-related subgenre or crossover. I like to recommend artists/bands whenever someone asks, as a knowledge in a field is made to be shared and I myself am very happy/thrilled whenever I am recommended a new artist (biggest discoveries with PA's forum were Cardiacs, Sagrado Coraçao da Terra and IONA - bands that I would still not be acquainted with otherwise). ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: jude111
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 12:45
I [cross out "loathe," add "have had a beef of late with"] All Music. One of the most important contemporary producers, whose production has had a monumental impact spanning across differing genres, is Burial. And they can't be bothered to review his releases. In fact, of his many EPs, not a single one has been reviewed. A Burial release hasn't been reviewed since 2007. The EPs SOUTH LONDON BOROUGHS, STOLEN DOG, KINDRED, and TRUANT have all been ignored (despite all of them ranking among the highest releases of the year in a great many music publications, including Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, The Quietus, Pop Matters, Drowned in Sound, Tiny Mix Tapes, The Wire, Fact Magazine, Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, et al). Also ignored by [cross out "the jerks at"] All Music is his EP with Massive Attack, and his EPs and singles made in collaboration with Thom Yorke (of Radiohead) and Four Tet. *Everything* Burial releases is major news in the music community - except for [cross out "the doofus brains at"] (Not) All Music. Once is an oversight. Thrice is sheer incompetence. But *EIGHT RELEASES???!* That's an insult, [cross out "and renders them utterly irrelevant and unqualified. Frack 'em."]  |
Posted By: HarbouringTheSoul
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 14:17
Yes. Another thing that really irritated me is that they gave all Gentle Giant releases from Acquiring the Taste to Free Hand 4.5 stars (which I appreciate) except The Power and the Glory, which gets 2. The review for that one is also a headscratcher, with such strange statements as "There seems to be a unifying theme having to do with one's place in the social order, but it's very vague in contrast to Pink Floyd's re-creations of the post-'60s drug experience" (when did Pink Floyd ever do that?), ""No God's a Man" is an infinitely more challenging piece of music than anything on Jethro Tull's Aqualung" (not only is it one of the most accessible songs on the record, it also doesn't warrant a comparison to Jethro Tull in any way) and ""Playing the Game" and "So Sincere" were the most accessible tracks and ended up as key parts of their concert set." (Hah! "So Sincere" is accessible?) |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 19:47
Kindred is a masterpiece. Love it. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 19:52
Exactly. Just as brilliant as Untrue - even if it's an EP. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: jude111
Date Posted: January 05 2013 at 20:30
I rate UNTRUE the highest, but I'm pretty fanatical about all his stuff. He released a new EP, titled TRUANT/ROUGH SLEEPER, just before Christmas. It kind of slipped under the radar due to its release date, but I really like it a lot :-) |
Posted By: DiamondDog
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 03:50
| Reviewers are generally nerds who know nothing more about music than your average punter (which is next to nothing in the first place) but think their opinion is more valid than anyone else's. They are closely akin to DJ's and game show hosts. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 04:51
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^Are you always this cheerful? Some reviewers actually know what they're talking about. Sometimes they've even spent half a century with a specific album. It's about love, feel and how you manage to get that across, without reducing oneself to phrases like "WOW" or "Bugger me, if it ain't a bassless tune" and "Rush are just about the most proficient symphonic band out there". A good review can be as meaningful as the music, albeit in a very different media - presenting itself as a long lost soundtrack companion. May I just suggest that you lay off the generalisations for a bit? It doesn't suit you - and it will almost certainly alienate you from a lot of good people around here. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 06:22
I've been called some things in my life, but DJ and game show host??  That hurts. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 06:55
Amazingly constructive comment from someone who in 1.5 years has posted only five reviews, all of them with 5 stars (I will refrain from commenting about their quality, it's not my habit to be rude in the forum)  And in any case the forgettable remark has nothing to do with the topic. Any reviewers who are indeed perceived by the readers as not deserving any appreciation would simply not get appreciation. As for those whom many readers think do deserve appreciation, if you don't share the majority's opinion it's your problem. |
Posted By: DiamondDog
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 07:01
| 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. |
Posted By: DiamondDog
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 07:10
See my previous reply. I thought the topic about reviews referred to professionals, as in nerdy magazines and public-pandering grovelling, not amateurs reviewers as we are on here (including and especially myself). The joy of being an amateur on prog archives is we can say what we think, even though it's only relevant to ourselves or any like-minded lemming who staggers our way. Generalisations are sometimes the safest house to throw a brick in. The natives would get even more upset with real specifics, clinging as they do to their rituals and beliefs.
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Posted By: jude111
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 07:22
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.] |
Posted By: DiamondDog
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 08:02
See my other posts on this subject. These comments for meant for professional reviewers, not you or any amateur reviewer on the archives. The topic seems to suggest that professional reviewers should be the subject matter, not we amateurs. Certainly no reflection on you - I'm sure you are nothing like a DJ or game show host! If you were, you wouldn't have been offended in the first place.
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 08:10
| I believe that the topic was clearly aimed at us people who post reviews in PA but OK, I gladly accept the clarification. |
Posted By: DiamondDog
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 11:24
| Looking at the topic again, I'm still not convinced it relates to amateur prog archive reviewers; it mentions the effect on readers and prospective buyers; that seems to suggest major mags and pro web review services like All Music/Rovi etc. Then again, it's hard to tell, perhaps the topic isn't laid out clearly enough. I certainly would not have written the piece I did had I thought of it relating to mere members of the public like us. Obviously, we are not important enough to influence anybody. |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 12:11
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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.
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 13:01
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.
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Posted By: jude111
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 13:54
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...) |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 17:56
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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 |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 17:58
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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 ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 18:41
Fully agree with the choice.
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Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: January 10 2013 at 18:46
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I think Rollie does a really nice job and seldom gets mentioned in these threads.
------------- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sQD8uhpWXCw" rel="nofollow - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...Road Rage Edition |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 19 2013 at 17:20
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I have a few favorite reviewers myself and I too will mention my personal top 10 also giving the reasons behind it, however there is one that made me laugh so much, I loved his review, it was most amusing yet articulate too, this was Tzirmay. I will not mention the band for which the review was made but there is one word that to date sticks in my mind, "Fluffy" hahaha, this is a band that is quite ecclectic, having diverse genre styles all-in-one album. here are some funny quotes from Tzirmay: "....an unfathomable quasi-religious foray into the essence of progressive rock, a delirious symphony of sound, atmospheres and structures where the compositions have merit both as sonic arrangements as well as showcasing individual performances by the musicians involved. They have elected to incorporate a wide array of influences covering the entire prog spectrum, avant-garde Zappaisms, profound psychedelia, pastoral prog -folk, bluesy rock, swirly space, euro- eclectic and the kitchen sink! The whole sonic buffet is rather difficult to assess on first listen, simply to cornucopaic to swallow at first but what a menu! Welcome to Snippetville! All aaaaaboard! Pull up your boxers, here we go!" "What a crew this is, three masterful weirdoes surrounded by a few friends!" Now the best/funniest part that stood out for me in this review, was for a track which is the most crossover of the entire album, kind of rock ballad really, this is how Tzirmay very nicely/kindly described it and I quote: " Pleasant and fluffy. " hahahahahaha!!!! This was so funny when I read it and it is still stuck in my mind those last words above hahaha
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: January 20 2013 at 01:14
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Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 00:09
hahahahahaha!!! Lazland you're so funny hahahaa you make me laugh hahaha!!!! too funny haha |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 00:13
Gerinsky you are a great reviewer too!!!! Even if you trashed my ultimate favorite band, you are really good, what you write is most articulate in terms of what you enjoy and like really Hug to you
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Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 00:23
On my forum topic everyone is free to speak their mind as long it's decent and not insulting on a personal level.  I have great admiration for reviewers, others might not but I do.This said, bands do work hard to accomplish what they do, they invest a lot of time, money and effort into producing an album, reviews can be very constructive even if they are not positive however if a fan does not agree with one reviewer THEY SHOULD NOT TAKE IT OUT ON THE BAND!!! Common, this is true reviewers take it personally when their reviews are critiqued, meanwhile forgetting that the band made a heck of a lot of effort to produce what they did while being prone to critique. 
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Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 00:58
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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
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Posted By: resurrection
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 13:01
| It's always interesting to read people's views on music, whether or not they are professionals. |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 13:03
Resurrection, I think the same |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 13:26
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Lets see: 1.- Gatot: We have a very similar taste (If I see a high rating from him, I buy the album blindly), and like his style. 2.- Easy Livin': Impartial, fair, and accurate 3.- Sean Trane: Many times disagree with him, but he's unique. 4.- Andy Webb: A poet with the words but always accurate 5.- Atkingani: Great reviewer and better friend, he really introduced me to Brazilian prog I won't mention AtomicCrimsonRush and SouthSideoftheSky, because they are part of my team and will sound too self serving, but they know that their reviews are one of the reasons why I asked them to join.
------------- 
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 13:30
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I don't like any reviewers here. Don't expect them to like me either. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 14:16
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Good to know. I like Andy's reviews as well. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 14:32
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I'm pretty sure there's no reviewer here, or anywhere, that shares the exact same taste as me, and I mean to the point where I could look over someone's reviews page and find the same (or close to the same) ratings I'd rate for each album. But ain't that part of the beauty of it? ------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 14:33
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Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, the one and only...Vibration Baby! ------------- |
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 14:55
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I have several favourites, some of which have been mentioned above. Let me just mention one more that I think nobody has yet mentioned: http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=11349" rel="nofollow - kenethlevine |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 17:11
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Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: January 27 2013 at 21:27
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There's too many great reviewers on this site to mention (and I echo many of the previous mentions) but a few that stand out to me are: AtomicCrimsonRush: Needs no explanation, his reviews are thorough (extremely so!) and very insightful. Epignosis: To me, his reviews are the easiest to follow and the most helpful that I've seen. I enjoy the way he describes music and he is very fair and balanced with his reviews; I can read a negative review from him that will make me want to buy the album! Altaire: His reviews are very interesting because they have much more of a personal slant and an emphasis on the emotion and profundity of an album; trying to capture the emotional power of an album in words, which he does, is incredibly difficult and I admire the way he tries to share his personal experience of an album with the reader. Not to mention some of his reviews are flat-out hillarious. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 01:33
lol Snow Dog ok I am not a reviewer but I like you a lot
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Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 01:34
 thank you, presdoug |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 01:37
I don't know why but i seem to compare Andy and Conor's reviews, have not read many of Andy's but Conor is is my fav and indeed an excellent reviewer, very insightful too!
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