Reviews that Stand Out

Ah but who remembers Eliott's reviews of Renaissance albums? I suspect he thought they were too folksy and poppy, but why didn't he say so? (I suspect he fancied Annie Haslam really!)

RENAISSANCE Ashes Are Burning
Review by Eliott Minkovitch @ 10:57:45 AM EST, 6/8/2004
 —  Like with all their albums - vocals are annoying, music is uninspired, too folksy and poppy, not progressive enough, long tracks lack development, instrumentally weak. Very Boring. Try Earth And Fire or Curved Air - great female vocalists, and much better classical/folk/progressive integration.

RENAISSANCE Turn Of The Cards
Review by Eliott Minkovitch @ 10:58:34 AM EST, 6/8/2004
 —  Like with all their albums - vocals are annoying, music is uninspired, too folksy and poppy, not progressive enough, long tracks lack development, instrumentally weak. Very Boring. Try Earth And Fire or Curved Air - great female vocalists, and much better classical/folk/progressive integration.

RENAISSANCE Prologue
Review by Eliott Minkovitch @ 10:52:24 AM EST, 6/8/2004

 —  A weak album by progressive standards - too much folkish influences, sprinkled with some Rachmaninov-sounding piano, but it does not really fuse with the sound. Songs uninspired and boring, longer songs relying on jams rather than on real development. Shorter songs poppy and folky. Haslam's vocals annoyngly piercing at times, other times sleepily folksy. Not progressive at all.

I see Andrea Salvador is back with some more classics!

I just had to post these in here for posterity - my aching sides!!

(To be utterly fair, I blame Babelfish...)

STRAWBS - From the Witchwood
Review by andrea salvador @ 11:25:56 AM EST, 8/18/2004
  —   To good reason the Strawbs would gain the prize for the truest and sincere contamination of the English Folk. In fact knowing mine that listen alone English Folk he adores they and I that I listen nearly only Progressive can not to confirm! "From The Witchwood" is an optimal way in order to return behind in the time and to come catapult in the Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood!

ANGRA - Lisbon (single)
Review by andrea salvador @ 11:47:29 AM EST, 8/18/2004
  —   I admit that i do not love the singles, but this it appeals to me truly. The problem of "Fireworks" LP is that he is mediocre and second me is exited in the mistaken moment. "Lisbon" is a song too much POP. But it is the best song of "Fireworks" and for this it is right to use it in order to promote this LP. beautiuful also "Make Believe (acoustic)" however they better song in absolute and "Angels Cry (demo)". However, I repeat, this is one released to take with motivatings force, because a single one cannot be judged, although excellent like this. But there is always Andre Matos and this enough to judge it.

JETHRO TULL - 20 Years Of Jethro Tull (USA release)
Review by andrea salvador @ 11:11:03 AM EST, 8/18/2004

  —   Of usual the compilations they are for completists. Not this, because it contains various songs recorded or played for BBC to the end of '60. moreover while many compilations play the paper of the stranger succes, this introduces us an other side of Jethro Tull. Finally, although it is not they better LP, it must admit that often after some LP one is based to us, but this is not very for this chance.

 

 

URIAH HEEP - Live in Moscow
Review by andrea salvador @ 1:01:55 PM EST, 8/17/2004

  —   It is not sure historical live, but "Live In Moscow" slides like the water, doing good its it must. It is a typical live album of the '80 and this penalized it. But being recorded in Moscow it becomes historical live that would not have to lack to nobody. Here Uriah Heep demostrates its new genius because it has open roads. Sure Uriah Heep do not have to teach null and of this Uriah Heep must go of fairs.

 

 

URIAH HEEP - Uriah Heep - Live
Review by andrea salvador @ 12:50:30 PM EST, 8/17/2004

  —   "Sunrise", "Sweet Lorraine", "Traveller In Time","Look At Yourself", "July Morning" and "Easy livin'" are songs that difficultly exit from the head. This is not true Prog-Metal, but something much neighbor because to that age this meant pure experimentation! You add best line-up of Uriah Heep and then you say to me if it is not true that this live nearly perfect... To good conoisseur... Litle words.

 

Certif1ed wrote: I see Andrea Salvador is back with some more classics!

If he/she only knew what's been going around here...

Excuse me people, but how dare you sit there and take the piss out of Andrea? You bunch of f**king hypocrites! How you all made me squirm for posting the following;

 "Your review, much like your command of English, is very poor"

I was attacked from all sides and was actually accused of xenophobia (talk about an over-reaction).

I am not impressed!

I'll take it a step further- the last andrea review I read sounded like poetry to me; I could read a hundred reviews and not come away with anything but information (if that much). When I read his/ hers, I often come away thinking about the abstract intricacies of language structure and the imagery behind word choice. This whole thread is about reviews that make an impression beyond what they say about the band and the album; while some may offer little but humor at the writer's expense, most are either personally expressive or intriguingly surreal. I can say all I want about an album, or the history of the band, or how it relates to music in general, but I would never think to write "many compilations play the paper of the stranger success". Between andrea and the translation code we are given a phrase that is hauntingly evocative- a collaboration between man and machine to produce something greater than either alone could have done.

But the thing about the pogs was pure humor

That Clint Eastwood quote is very apt - so I think that reviews whether positive or negative should at least;

1) Conform to site rules and contain at least 50 words.

2) Express some truths beyond the reviewer's opinion.

3) Be carefully thought out, interesting and humourous (optional, but I like reviews that fit this category!).

To just cast aside an album with one scathing sentence is not to review it, IMHO. Opinions are an essential part of reviews - but if you're going to administer some slap down, I think a few considered facts would be polite and a way to "sugar the pill" - after all, this is a prog site with many prog fans of many prog bands, so someone is going to complain about their favourite album getting a roasting - and why stir it up unless it's clearly for fun or to make a valid point - in which case the review should attempt to make that clear.

I definitely do not think that all reviewers should shower golden praise on all that is prog - except for "Script..."