In a message dated 10/02/00 10:23:48 adam@sirius.com writes:
quoted 6 lines back when i used to read CMJ, someone wrote a letter to the editor to the
> back when i used to read CMJ, someone wrote a letter to the editor to the
> effect of "why do you like all the discs that you review? is there
> anything you don't like?" and the editor replied that there are plenty of
> discs that the writers don't like, but that they simply don't review them.
> there is really no point in devoting time to writing about bad discs, and
> that the real idea behind a review is to offer a recommendation.quoted 7 lines i personally avoid opinion in my reviews, for the most part. what is most
> i personally avoid opinion in my reviews, for the most part. what is most
> useful to me when reading a review is *what the music sounds like*, not
> what some jerk i've never met thinks about the artist's new hairstyle. a
> review should illustrate the music by noting similar releases/styles, using
> descriptive words and commenting on the originality/context of the release.
> needless to say, most reviews i read are pretty worthless, even ones in
> professional publications.
Well said. It is one factor to be critical about a release - and by critical
I do not mean just lumping it as a *bad* release and listing all the reasons
why one doesn't like it and how it is not worth checking out because of that.
Being critical is about rigorously examining particular aspects of the
release and the strength of its artistic integrity and
originality. One fine example of how writing about really *shite* records and
slagging off became a popular pastime is the case of NME, who really turned
out to be more of a tabloid music press than anything but quality.
I have no problems with anyone making critical observations of records- but
when it comes to just undermining the strength of the release due to factors
beyond artistic realms then we should have to re-examinine our perception of
what electronic music is primarily all about.
Is it really about the *artists* and the *music* - or is it really about the
*consumers*, their *opinions* and the *politics* that go along with it.
A_Zed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Program Co-ordinator, Ambient Zone
RTRFM 92.1 [
http://rtrfm.ii.net]
Sunday Electronic Listening
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perth, W.Australia (WST) 23.00-01.00 Chicago (CST) 09.00-11.00
London (GMT) 15.00-17.00 Detroit/ Windsor (EST) 10.00-12.00
Frankfurt (CET) 16.00-18.00
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org
For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org