Reviews discussion

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 Logan wrote:

And although I, like Dean, would like the option not to have rate an album that one reviews, I certainly have been swayed by ratings as to what should be more essential purchases, or at least what is worth further investigation (generally, I've found it a good guide -- I haven't found the placement in the top lists that helpful -- which also depends on number of ratings --, but the overall rating has influenced my purchases considerably.  I do like to listen to mp3s before buying if available -- a representative mp3 is worth a  thousand words, but the ratings often have swayed me towards investigating certain albums, as has going through streaming mp3s alone).  In quite a few cases, it's been a well-written bio that has influenced me.

Exactly, there is most definitely a lot of utility value for ratings and they have swayed me towards particular albums too - it has happened to just about everyone, I am sure - but I just feel that the review being a more in depth exercise should be kept separate from the ratings. While there is a judgmental element in reviews too, the descriptive element is far more important.  It's quite possible that the album the reviewer thinks is bad might be good for me but if he can describe what the album sounds like - and there are most definitely ways to do it without getting lost in a maze of technical jargon - he would still have been helpful to me. 