Half-Star Ratings - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Easy Livin View Drop Down

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Posted: May 11 2006 at 13:39

Nice summary Joolz!

Psychedelia View Drop Down

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Posted: May 22 2006 at 16:50

a ten star system would be the best. It would just give a much better indication of how good the album is

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Angelo

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Posted: May 24 2006 at 06:56

Easy Livin wrote:

Nice summary Joolz!

Case closed I'd say. The problem is not in the number of stars, rather in the definitions. I know from experience in other areas than music that no matter how many scoring levels there are - people will always feel like needing half steps. If we changed it to 10 stars now, a year from now we'd have the same discussion on adding halfs.
In only once case have we ever changed the number of levels, and that was downward - from five to four. Main reason there was to avoid discussion on whether the middel score belonged in the top or bottom group - since decisions on further actions were based on this grouping.

Leave PA scoring as it is - the definitions are in place, so if we all stick to those we should be just fine.

Just my two (euro)cents.

Angelo Smile

ISKC Rock Radio
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dalt99

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Posted: June 02 2006 at 17:49

MikeEnRegalia wrote:

The point is that the current system gives me exactly two options for albums which I really like. 3 stars are already mediocre. Let's face it - an album which you rate "good, but non essential" is not an album that you would recommend to anybody.

So that leaves me with 4 or 5 stars for my favorite albums. Not enough for me!

I disagree. I give "Deadwing" 3 stars for example but that doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it to someone that loves that style of prog. It's juist not my style. I do agree however that it wouldn't hurt to add a half star system of some sort because the difference from 3 to 5 stars is HUGE but is only 2 points difference!

Best of 2006 that I've heard:
PFM-Stati Di Immaginazione
Zenit-Surrender (Best "unknown" album)
Oaksenham - Conquest of Pacific
2007:
Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
La Torre Del Alchimista - Neo

Kord

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Posted: June 06 2006 at 09:24

Psychedelia wrote:

a ten star system would be the best. It would just give a much better indication of how good the album is

I agree: I think a ten star system would express better your ideas about the album......it would be more precise.

Edited by Kord - June 06 2006 at 09:24

Angelo

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Posted: June 06 2006 at 13:28

dalt99 wrote:

So that leaves me with 4 or 5 stars for my favorite albums. Not enough for me!

Wrong! The rating should reflect the score of the album within it's 'style of prog', not whether or not you like that style.

ISKC Rock Radio
I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected]

Bj-1

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Posted: June 09 2006 at 04:35

Add half stars. The overall ratings will be much more accurate then!!

RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!

erik neuteboom View Drop Down

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Posted: June 09 2006 at 08:11

I write many reviews and many times I have to choose between "only for fans" with 2 stars and "good" with 3 stars, the gap is too big between these two possibilities, in my opinion really annoying! So the last months I rate 2,5 stars in order to give the right rating ...

Joolz

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Posted: June 09 2006 at 09:55

erik neuteboom wrote:

I write many reviews and many times I have to choose between "only for fans" with 2 stars and "good" with 3 stars, the gap is too big between these two possibilities, in my opinion really annoying! So the last months I rate 2,5 stars in order to give the right rating ...

Why does it matter? Surely the important thing is what is written in the review.

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Posted: June 09 2006 at 10:36

Of course does it matter because if you choose to use stars, these stars should be a good indication, at this moment the rating of the stars is insufficient.

MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down

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Posted: June 09 2006 at 10:49

Currently the ratings can be interpreted like this:

- 1 & 2: Bad
- 3: Average
- 4 & 5: Good

IMO a three star albums is not recommendable unless the person you recommend it to already likes the band or the genre. If I rate an album 3 stars, it basically means that it's a good effort but there are some major drawbacks which make it a not so pleasant listening experience. Usually I don't listen to 3 star albums unless I have to.

So it's like I said on the last page: You only have 2 stars for the really good albums. There really isn't any need to have more steps for the bad albums, but 4.5 stars would a really great new feature.

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Sean Trane View Drop Down

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Posted: June 09 2006 at 10:56

Joolz wrote:

Why does it matter? Surely the important thing is what is written in the review.

I agree that the gaps between stars are too big and not just between 2 and 3 , but also 3 and 4 and 4 and 5 also.

I started almost right from the start using halfstars over two years ago

Joolz, I agree with you , unfortunately, most people look at the star rating first and take too much importance of it because of the top lists on the site.

MikeEnRegalia wrote:

Currently the ratings can be interpreted like this:

- 1 & 2: Bad
- 3: Average
- 4 & 5: Good

IMO a three star albums is not recommendable unless the person you recommend it to already likes the band or the genre. If I rate an album 3 stars, it basically means that it's a good effort but there are some major drawbacks which make it a not so pleasant listening experience. Usually I don't listen to 3 star albums unless I have to.

So it's like I said on the last page: You only have 2 stars for the really good albums. There really isn't any need to have more steps for the bad albums, but 4.5 stars would a really great new feature.

I agree with people misunderstand it because of its non-linear nature! our system, although non-linear, is straightforward and there will always be people to misinterpret even the simplest of concept.

3= GOOD

What the hell is so complicated about that. You are right, though : I would not recommend an album with 3* because it is just plain good >> I recommend only great albums (which means 4* and more), therefore an album which I rank as 3.5 stars is almost recommended because close to being ESSENTIAL , but not quite therte yet

A three stars album is also an uneven album with some superb tracks but also many average!

In short I think we must concentrate on whether an album is essential more than just stating it as good

Edited by Sean Trane - June 09 2006 at 11:04

let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword

Joolz

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Posted: June 10 2006 at 07:00

MikeEnRegalia wrote:

Currently the ratings can be interpreted like this:

- 1 & 2: Bad
- 3: Average
- 4 & 5: Good

PA has defined what each rating means - 3 is good, 4 is excellent, 5 is a Prog classic. Does this need to be 'interpreted' differently?

IMO a three star albums is not recommendable unless the person you recommend it to already likes the band or the genre. If I rate an album 3 stars, it basically means that it's a good effort but there are some major drawbacks which make it a not so pleasant listening experience. Usually I don't listen to 3 star albums unless I have to.

In my opinion you seem to be giving 3 stars in a case where I would give 2. My 3 star albums are good to listen to.

So it's like I said on the last page: You only have 2 stars for the really good albums. There really isn't any need to have more steps for the bad albums, but 4.5 stars would a really great new feature.

Sean Trane wrote:

Joolz, I agree with you , unfortunately, most people look at the star rating first

I guess I too look at the star rating first - but my mental process is "ah, he gives it 4 so it might be good, I wonder what he says about it?" NOT "he gives it 4 therefore it must be good". In other words, I use it as a rough guide and I am sure that is how it was envisaged - most magazines seem to use similar rough systems too.

and take too much importance of it because of the top lists on the site.

This is why the ratings are given unwarranted importance, and an undue amount of discussion. I have never understodd why people place such importance on Charts. The music industry loves them as a marketing tool, but why we fans should be so wrapped up in them is beyond me.

Incidentally, I had to smile the other day when I saw in the forum that someone said that Prog lovers took no notice of charts.