 MikeEnRegalia wrote:
Peter Rideout wrote:
 You know what I don't like, Mike. Have you got any extra copies of albums that you might like, but think I'd hate lying around? Does it perhaps need its overall rating lowered? Would you be able to tolerate me making fun of it, mainly for the purpose of exercising my creative/funny side, and giving my ratings more "balance?" Would you be able to laugh too, even if you strongly disagree with my opinion?
I'll just hold my breath, and keep checking my mailbox.... |
I think the problem might be that you sometimes sound like you're open to recommendations or suggestion, but you're really not. *You* know what you don't like, and your opinion won't change - so where's the point in committing my time to find something new that I think you might like, when all you would do is listen to it a few times with "closed ears" and then write a scathing review just for the fun of it? I don't think that you would really listen to anything which I recommend, as you have already decided that I listen to bad music.
BTW: I *hate* scathing reviews for albums that are generally (read: statistically) accepted as at least "decent" ... 90% of these reviews are unfair . And it doesn't have anything to do with whether I agree with them or not. It's just that often the authors of these reviews are either misinformed about what the musicians tried to achieve, or they simply hate the genre of the album and use the album review as a platform to release their anger or to advertise other genres or albums which in their opinion should be rated much higher.
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Sigh.
Mike, I made it perfectly clear that I wanted something which you thought I would not like, and what I wanted it for. Please read my post again. I did not ask anyone else, and I certainly did NOT expect you to send me anything. (My winking emoticon at the end makes that, and my joking tone, obvious.)
I have read some very funny scathing reviews over the years. Here, for example, there's Tony's witty ELP one, and I think my Styx and Renaissance "Camera Camera" reviews are passably amusing. Both bands have done stuff I like, as I make clear. I invite you to read those reviews, and see if they truly exhibit the hatred, ignorance, or trumpeting of other music which you say are common traits of the negative review.
I take the attitude that it's just music, for goodness sake -- not world politics, global warming, or religion. Different groups of people have different tastes and attributes, and sometimes that can be a source of humour. Much of comedy is based upon "tensions" and dis-connects between genders, generations, races, city vs country people, etc. It's good to laugh at our foibles.
I, in turn, have a creative idea for what I think would be a genuinely funny review, but (without giving my concept away) the music has to be very loud, fast and aggressive, with growly vocals. I honestly think that many people -- including some fans of the music who are able to laugh at themselves, and see the potential for a humourous reaction to the music -- might find it funny. I like ELP -- Tony's ELP review made me laugh. I am a prog fan -- I have read many things here (eg. "Are you a proghole?") that make fun of prog fans and our stereotypical image, and I have laughed to see us so accurately, if exaggeratedly, skewered. In short, I can laugh at myself, and at a musical form that often takes itself too seriously for its own good. Yes, it's just music, and music is a source of pleasure, and fun, for me, and many others.
BTW, Bryan sent me some prog metal so that I could see the diversity and "progginess" of the genre, and I listened and responded to it with an open mind -- just ask him. I have also said publicly here in the past that I can understand why prog metal is here. That is more of an olive branch than you get from some! I have read some stuff that is very much anti metal-as-prog here recently, but as far as I know, you did not respond. You always seem to zero in on me, even when I try to defuse tension, and joke with you, as I did in my prior post here.
Still, however, I find that the two main genres generally have very different fan bases (and always did, historically) -- different in generation, outlook upon the world, and outlook upon beauty, humour, etc. I think the two groups often don't mix very well, and I think that a forced union of older prog and younger metal fans was unnatural, and bound to lead to tension (as you've seen it does -- and it's not all down to me, is it? Many older fans of classic prog feel as I do about metal being dubbed prog.) Perhaps laughing at some of those difference would do us all good, and in the end, bring us closer, or at least decrease tension, and increase tolerance.
Do you think there would be no tensions among different fan bases if alt country and more sophisticated hip hop were to be renamed "prog country" and "prog hip hop" (people have asked for the latter), then grafted on here? Imagine the acts that folk would then lobby for including!
With all due respect (and I do respect you as an obviously intelligent person who passionately advocates and defends his favourite music), I honestly think you sometimes lack a sense of humour, and take it all too seriously, and personally. You sometimes react much as if you wrote the music in question, and as if I am somehow evil, or deliberately deceiving.
Again, regrettably, I find you determined to disparage my personality and integrity, and unable to even fully understand me, so I see no real point in continuing this. We always seem to clash, in the end, so let's just stop this. It's pointless.
Edited by Peter Rideout - November 10 2006 at 09:31
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Way to reduce # of 5 star ratings
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Now I've given the game away though....
