Forum Home Forum Home > Site News, Newbies, Help and Improvements > Help us improve the site
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Why add more artists?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedWhy add more artists?

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123>
Author
Message
Cesar Inca View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: May 19 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 4888
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2007 at 14:49
Originally posted by Vibrationbaby Vibrationbaby wrote:

C`mon lighten up I was sort of half joking. But  "seriously"  I`ve found a few albums from Easy Livin`s list that deserve to be reviewed which I`m going to dig out and listen to such as Norweigan band Ruphus` `76 album "Let Your Light Shine" which unbelievingly has not been reviewed yet. 
 
Great band: I dicovered them through Myspace. Someone created a blog devoted to that band's exciting music. There's lots of Myspace blogs devoted to not-so-famous prog bands from the glorious past: SF&F, Pulsar, Arachnoid, Gotic, etc.
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2007 at 16:42
I think there's something like 50 people involved in adding bands and potentially 15,860 forum members reviewing a total of 16,217 releases...
 
okay, the maths doesn't quite add up, 357 of you guys are going to have to review more than one album...
What?
Back to Top
Peter View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: January 31 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9669
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2007 at 20:03
Again (this should be obvious): people can't review albums they don't have.
 
Obscure albums are obscure because, by definition, few people own copies of them. Of those who do, most will likely NOT be members here, and of those people who do access this site, I'd wager that most don't write reviews.
 
I review the stuff I own -- sorry if it's not rare or out of print enough for you, but guess what: I've never HEARD of that stuff. Send me some free obscure, unreviewed CDs and I'll review them (but I'll be damned if I'm going to spend my limited music dollars on stuff I know nothing about, just to please some smug strangerWink who has a bunch of obscure stuff in his ginormous collection).
 
Music and music reviews are a hobby of mine -- not a job. This is a FAN site. Archives reviewers are unpaid. They review their OWN albums because those are all they CAN review. (Again, that's also why most of our reviews tend to be favourable: people tend to buy stuff from artists they like, or can expect to like, based upon a listen via radio, or a well done professional -- thus likely more neutral -- review.
 
We often hear folk say here that such and such a band is "just as good as Genesis, Yes, etc, but they never get mentioned."  Duh! Genesis and Yes, et al, are FAMOUS. That's like complaining because the local guy who sells his self-published book from the back of his car isn't as famous as Steven King. Not all artists can be famous (assuming they even deserve to be).
 
It's easier to get people to talk about Coors Lite than that tasty, not-for-everyone stout from that little craft brewery, because many more people have heard of Coors Lite via its huge advertising budget, have ready access to it via its huge marketing & distribution system, and have tried it.
 
Go ahead: review that little-talked-of, barely-sold gem from your collection, but don't expect me or many others to follow suit. We just don't own a copy! Sorry!
 
(And we likely won't buy it, if it turns out to be a fifty dollar import that will take 6 months to ship.)
 
This seems too obvious to have to point out again. What do you expect from a FAN site? Justly or not (that's not the issue) obscure bands have few fans. Few fans = few (or no) reviews. Stern%20Smile
 
Those "no one ever talks about (or reviews) X" posts really irk me. People simply can't talk about topics which they know nothing about -- unless of course the subject is God, or the afterlife. Then they'll go on forever, and likely kill you if you disagree with their version of "the Truth" (as "revealed" to some ancient schizophrenic). Wink


Edited by Peter - November 04 2007 at 22:14
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
Back to Top
Vibrationbaby View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 6898
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2007 at 10:30
My point really was that we don`t need 15 million reviews of Dark Side Of The Moon, Foxtrot or Tubular Bells ( although I reviewed it for the hell of it because someone asked me to ). 
Back to Top
Vibrationbaby View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 6898
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2007 at 14:58
I also think maybe the reason why some guys come to this site is to find a starting point for these lesser known bands ( I wouldn`t call them obscure )`both new and old. When I started back in the `70s it was the record shops and that was it. My starting point was with many of the lesser known bands particularily from continental Europe as well as Eastern Europe. While the textbook bands like Yes, King Crimson, Genesis are all great there`s so much more out there to discover, not because theyre obscure but because they`re damn good bands.
Back to Top
andu View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: September 27 2006
Location: Romania
Status: Offline
Points: 3089
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2007 at 17:55
Seeing your review on the homepage Vbaby lets me know the answer for the question "why did Igor add Kostarev?" Wink

Clap
Back to Top
jikai55 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 21 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 296
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2007 at 22:37
I applaud your post, Peter.

I like cheese and I like metal! --Mikael Åkerfeldt
Back to Top
Vibrationbaby View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 6898
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 03 2007 at 10:59

Both the Kostarev Group`s two phenomenal albums can be heard for free through the RAIG wesite. Similarily , other bands from The Russian Federation make available their recordings available through their RAIG supported wesites or their own myspace.

Back to Top
Prog-jester View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: June 05 2005
Location: Love Beach
Status: Offline
Points: 5909
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 04 2007 at 03:41
Originally posted by andu andu wrote:

Seeing your review on the homepage Vbaby lets me know the answer for the question "why did Igor add Kostarev?" WinkClap




I need to make a special post as for free Russian mp3 albums I guess - to avoid unreviewing. BTW, VESPERO's "Rito" reviewed, wanna write another one - PM me!!!
Back to Top
Peter View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: January 31 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9669
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 04 2007 at 17:39
Peace Vibe, ol' comrade in prog -- and keep reviewing those obscurities.  A river can start with a trickle....
 
But sorry I cannot join in -- when I was first getting into prog, and in my circle, my explorations of non-English prog bands like PFM, Can, Amon Duul II and Triumvirat   -- even Nektar -- were forays into the "obscure." We simply did not have any way to hear of -- let alone buy -- stuff that was any less "mainstream." (In prog fan circles, that is.)
 
(You grew up in Montreal, no? A more cosmopolitan place than my home, then or now.)
 
BTW, I just bought some CDs during a trip to Toronto. 4 discs, & not a prog one among them (unless you count the Beatles - Revolver). I was looking for IQ, Subterranea, but no luck (though the store had "Ever"). 2 of the 3 major downtown music stores had closed, including the iconic Sam the Record Man.  Draw your own conclusions re the health of the industry.Ouch Even on Amazon.ca, prog other than that from the biggest acts can be hard to find, or afford. The last time I checked, Caravan's In the Land of Grey and Pink was an expen$ive import that (in my experience with the company) might take months to ship.
 
It's one thing to review the lesser-known stuff which you may own, but quite another for most folks to be able to find it, or even afford it. Ermm


Edited by Peter - November 04 2007 at 17:40
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
Back to Top
Vibrationbaby View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 6898
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2007 at 10:40
Peter is right, I was lucky to have had access to so many second hand shops in Montréal where I found most of my albums back in the seventies. We also had a Sam The Record Man here in Montréal but it was not quite as comprehensive as the Toronto store. I`d always start there when in TO and then go to a second hand store a bit further down on Yonge called  "The Incredible Record Store ", or something like that. It was owned by a guy by the name of Jonathan Lipsin, I also used to haul some goodies out of there as well. I understand what you`re saying about $$$$$$$$$$ and CDs. I just bought Moonlight Whispers by Larry Coryell at HMV here in Montréal and it cost me over $40 ( If a particular someone found out I would be crucified ). As for scarcity I actually find that a lot of previously hard-to-find-stuff has become recently available on labels such as Revisited Records and Wounded Bird Records which are readily available through big retailers such as HMV as special orders. While the Revisited Records titles can be a little on the pricey side, the Wounded Bird releases are much more reasonable as low as $19.99 which is what I paid for Jan Akkerman`s Tabernakel. 

Edited by Vibrationbaby - November 05 2007 at 10:41
Back to Top
aapatsos View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: November 11 2005
Location: Manchester, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 9226
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 17 2007 at 20:58
I think the answer is somewhere in the middle...

New bands must be added if they are spotted, so that the site remains comprehensive...
...but someone who proposes an addition must be familiar with a band's recordings or even demos...
I believe this is a fair way, even if it's somewhat hard to find recorded material for every band
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 17 2007 at 21:05
Originally posted by aapatsos aapatsos wrote:

I think the answer is somewhere in the middle...

New bands must be added if they are spotted, so that the site remains comprehensive...
...but someone who proposes an addition must be familiar with a band's recordings or even demos...
I believe this is a fair way, even if it's somewhat hard to find recorded material for every band
The genre teams cannot add a band without hearing a fair sample of the music. If a band is so obscure that samples cannot be found then they cannot and will not be added.
What?
Back to Top
aapatsos View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: November 11 2005
Location: Manchester, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 9226
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 17 2007 at 21:12
^ thanks for making this clear, fair enough
I actually meant that a full demo or album must be heard first so that there is a chance for a review along with the addition of the band in the site
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 17 2007 at 21:14
^ good point, and many of the people who propose a band to the teams are often the first to write a review anyway, but I don't think we should enforce this as a general policy.
What?
Back to Top
aapatsos View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: November 11 2005
Location: Manchester, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 9226
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 17 2007 at 21:30
^ agreed, enforcement is not a good way of achieving goals...
encourage sounds better I guess...
anyway, I believe that albums without reviews need to be minimised
I know it's not easy, but with encouragement something can be done
and of course you need motivation, nobody can be forced to write a review
the list that the Admin Team has set up about unreviewed albums is
a great way to do this
maybe you need to advertise this list more... just a few suggestions...
Back to Top
Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 19557
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 17 2007 at 22:55
Originally posted by aapatsos aapatsos wrote:

^ agreed, enforcement is not a good way of achieving goals...
encourage sounds better I guess...
anyway, I believe that albums without reviews need to be minimised
I know it's not easy, but with encouragement something can be done
and of course you need motivation, nobody can be forced to write a review
the list that the Admin Team has set up about unreviewed albums is
a great way to do this
maybe you need to advertise this list more... just a few suggestions...
 
The problem is not advertising, the problem is economic, take for instance:
 
  • I have 2,000 LP's = US$ 18,000
  • 1026 single CD's = US$ 26,672 at Peruvian price
  • 39 Double CD's = US$ 1,600.00 at Peruvioan Price
  • 150 DVD's ? US$ 6,000 at Peruvian Price being conservative.

It makes US$ 52,276.00 not counting cassettes, CDR's, etc.

Where in hell can i get more money to buy rare stuff living in South America?
 
You can advertise, encourage or even enforce the reviewing of new material, but I don't have the money, I spent too much already, so I have to buy what I'm sure i will like.
 
Iván


Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - November 17 2007 at 23:00
            
Back to Top
Padraic View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 16 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline
Points: 31169
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2007 at 20:54
I'm continually stunned by the variety and volume of prog artists a lot of folks around here listen to.  Do they actually buy that many CDs?  They must not have a wife.  Wink
Back to Top
MonkeyphoneAlex View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: September 27 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 234
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2007 at 10:10
I buy as many as my budget allows for.

Edited by Easy Livin - November 21 2007 at 11:00
"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."
-FZ
Back to Top
Aristilus View Drop Down
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie
Avatar

Joined: August 15 2006
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 32
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 22 2007 at 05:38
Why not. The more the merrier.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.223 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.