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lucas View Drop Down
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Points: 8138 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: no star for 2 reviews ?!?
    Posted: May 25 2004 at 15:33
PROCOL HARUM - Procol Harum
Review by Alberto Ramos Ibargüen @ 2:46:39 PM EST, 5/25/2004
0 stars  —   Most of the times when it comes to review an album, I set my eyes first on some other prog reviewers' work to get an idea of what I actually wanna talk about and then I come with my own stuff, you know, to criticize within a critic; but this time that ain't that kind of situation. More than a review, this is a call for all of those reviewers, prog experts and webmasters of Prog Archives to be more careful about what you upload to the site in order to give a pure, clear info to all prog starters and for all of those prog devoted fans as well. I know I'm gonna be bombed away and gonna get criticized as well for this, but I'm aware of that and I'll take it as the prog fan I am now! For what I know and heard during all these years within the prog world, PROCOL HARUM ain't no progressive music; this is neither art nor prog rock, this is a reactive kind of music that came up the music scene as a response to the other genres. Don't tell me you PROCOL HARUM fans that you aren't appealed to JOE COCKER's music or CREEDENCE CLEAR WATER REVIVAL even BRUCE SPRINGTEEN? Well, PROCOL HARUM's gotta go in there with those guys… Let's put things sparkling clear so we don't get mixed up or confused at the time we give each group a space or a category. I'm not saying I hate their music, not that I love it in the other hand; but, it's imperative to be realistic in order to be able to compare and judge, because this is a matter that should be pointed out. The fact of this band appearing during the early 70's (late 60's) doesn't determine that they must be progressive rock musicians or anything related to it, they have a style of their own that goes hand in hand with other contemporary bands; but this is certainly not prog rock, that's it. Think of KYRIE ELEISON for instance, an Austrian band formed first in 1974 by three school friends Gerald Krampl - Keyboards, Felix Rausch - Guitars and Karl Novotny - Drums, together with Wolfgarng Wessely - Vocals and Gerhard Frank - Bass that by the year 1976 went into an in fact very cheap studio, and began to record nearly under live conditions with only 2-track recording machines. The release of the album in January 1977 was quite a sensation, as if was one of the first independent releases in Austria and therefore highly acclaimed by the press and music magazines. They played in all major cities in Austria, as well as on same big open on festivals together with bands like VAN DER GRAAF, COLLOSSEUM, AMON DÜÜL, EELA CRAIG, OPUS, etc. They played and produced great music, they are indeed huge prog rockers, they are one of the European top most memorable prog rock bands and still, they just didn't make it to qualify for a spot in this site due the standards of the reviewers yet the experts. Instead we can log on to PROCOL HARUM and THE MARS VOLTA's page and think of them as Progressive music…
EMERSon, LAKE & PALMER ELP Love Beach progressive rock album and reviews EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER (ELP) - Love Beach
Review by Matt @ 2:16:09 PM EST, 5/25/2004
0 stars  —   LOVE BEACH???.... LOVE beach???..... love BEACH???..... love beach???..... (WTF?) Love Beach??? Waitaminutewaitaminute....LOVE BEACH??????? I'm sorry, for a moment I thought you said Love Beach..... Really!!! You're kidding!!! LOVE BEACH????? (OK, this isn't much of a review, but this isn't much of an album.)
 
 
How is it still possible ?
"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
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Points: 7559 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2004 at 02:57

'Coz no stars is advising proggers that it's a bad album and not worth buying. This was decided a while ago - unless that decision has been changed, I don't think it's a bug - it's a feature

Personally, I have more of a problem with the reviews themselves - hardly objective or explaining why the albums are bad - just junky opinion pieces typical of those you might find on Amaz... I mean, other sites with reviews on

Here's one I did - still pretty much an opinion piece, but at least I attempted to rationalise why I had formed that opinion, and left room for people to check out the free mp3 and decide for themselves;

GALAHAD (EN) Following Ghosts
Review by Certif1ed @ 6:55:53 AM EST, 5/4/2004
PROG REVIEWER

0 stars  —  With the exception of "bug eye", truly horrible. The best moments in other tracks are those stolen from Camel and/or Twelfth Night.

The lyrics are, perhaps, the most consistently painful, being riddled with badly used cliches and awful rhymes.

The opening track, "Myopia" features a half-stolen, half-mangled Diamond Head riff. which has been interspersed with an atrocious attempt at a 5/4. "Imago" is the most horrible Camel/TN cross - really someone should tell them that a bad riff does not get better if you repeat it several times!

I really don't want to go through the remaining tracks individually, as there is not much evidence of musicianship or craftsmanship in the music, just a never-ending series of short riffs repeated and layered in an "Oh, this will go with that" type of methodology. However, the track "Bug Eye" is the very best on this album - do not buy it on the strength of this track alone, though!

That said, they do try to layer up a multitude of different sounds and styles, which occasionally work fairly well - but those vocals and dreadful lyrics spoil anything nice that comes out of the mix. It is obvious that they have put a lot of work into this album, so credit where it is due - but sadly, credit does not improve the music.
 

Any and all comments welcome. Maybe we should review the reviews to try to make ProgArchives THE definitive place to come for an album review? Just a suggestion!
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Points: 4028 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2004 at 08:22
What do you mean precisely Certif1ed ? Review reviews ?
Prog On !
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Points: 5243 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2004 at 10:43
I've noticed two reviews (so far) locked in a battle over whether Procol Harum is Prog or not Prog. The forum is the place for arguing a point, not the reviews in the Archive. By reviewing the reviews, these meaningless squabbles would NOT dirty the waters of the Archive. They serve no purpose.  

Edited by danbo
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Points: 7559 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 27 2004 at 03:44

Exactly so, danbo - obviously, to go through them all one by one would be a nightmare. Instead, maybe it would be an idea if members flagged inappropriate reviews - just like flagging inappropriate posts - and the Admin reviewed the flagged reviews (when he had a moment...).

The reviews help people make up their minds about music - while a certain amount of reviewer bias is bound to creep in, the place for argument or discussion is the forums. Maybe a thread or sub-forum on the reviews is needed?
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Points: 6667 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 21 2004 at 10:26
Maybe someone could make a tool that people can vote whether a review was helpful or not?
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Points: 7559 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 21 2004 at 11:42

Originally posted by Joren Joren wrote:

Maybe someone could make a tool that people can vote whether a review was helpful or not?

Just like Amaz... other sites that have reivews, you mean?

I like that idea!
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Points: 6667 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 21 2004 at 13:00

Yes, that's what I mean!

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Points: 4028 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 21 2004 at 13:03
GREAT IDEA guys !
Prog On !
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