I'm on the don't-review-stuff-you're-not-interested-in side of the fence.
Bearing that in mind, I would say that one kind of negative review I do like
is a disappointed one, ie. where a reviewer who ordinarily likes that kind of
release finds something a terrible let down. And none of this mincing words.
Why should "I didn't like this" be any more offensive than "this is not my
bag"? All that's important is to explain why, IMO.
I also believe that the kinds of things Kent suggested reviewers should look
at to get beyond personal preference (eg. how a release is constructed) are
just as arbitrary as saying "Hey, I like it." More "pre-received" than
arbitrary, actually, if anyone's into lit crit. What I mean is that a reviewer
must make some assumptions on what someone wants a recording to sound like
before making any meaningful comments on whether the thing is well put
together. I'd say these assumptions are necessarily subjective, just like
personal taste.
This is not to say don't do it. I think trying to get outside your own
reaction in a review is a commendable thing. I just don't think it's fair to
claim some kind of greater objectivity over, say, a gushing personal review.
On another note, comparisons are also something that niggles with me in
reviews, if they're not expanded upon. _So_ often I can't understand what
reviewers are attempting to convey in their comparisons. This is especially
the case with those mysterious "soundlcash" comparisons.
"It's like Uwe Schmidt and Tim Buckley grew up together in Surrey, under the
tutelage of Charlemagne Palestine. Half way through the album, Palestine goes
to get a pint of lager, and ends up in a drunken brawl with Mike Paradinas's
chirpy second cousins."
You know the routine. :-) Still, despite being frequently disappointed with
how a comparison fits a release, it does also often inspire me to try to
create what I'd initially imagined!
Michael
np. 'Zuckerzeit' - Cluster (has some very nice, IDM-relevant moments)
^
Hear some Jet Jaguar
http://mp3.com/jetjaguar/
^
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