Reviews discussion

dtguitarfan wrote: Dean wrote: dtguitarfan wrote: Dean wrote: how IS it that people can not like albums you like. Indeed, this IS a mystery....  Yeah, it IS bloody hilarious. Funnier still if people cannot like the albums you like - that would be really something. That would be kind of funny, considering enough people bought one of my favorites to place it at place #6 on the billboard chart - that would mean millions bought something they hated.  Which would indeed be funny.  Maybe all these people I've seen at the Dream Theater concerts wearing their shirts and shouting at the top of their lungs excitedly when they came on stage were just doing it to mess with me....

So Justin Bieber is better than Dream Theater?  Who knew? 

Not sure I've ever known anyone to shout at the top his lungs unenthusiastically. 

Dean wrote: dtguitarfan wrote: Dean wrote: how IS it that people can not like albums you like. Indeed, this IS a mystery....  Yeah, it IS bloody hilarious. Funnier still if people cannot like the albums you like - that would be really something.

That would be kind of funny, considering enough people bought one of my favorites to place it at place #6 on the billboard chart - that would mean millions bought something they hated.  Which would indeed be funny. 

Maybe all these people I've seen at the Dream Theater concerts wearing their shirts and shouting at the top of their lungs excitedly when they came on stage were just doing it to mess with me....

Dean wrote: how IS it that people can not like albums you like.

Indeed, this IS a mystery.... 

Dean wrote: "Quite suddenly he began to leap about the room, smashing things and throwing them about as an animal, screaming in a guttural fashion" - (well, I don't know about you, but I'm fairly confident that Toby Driver did no such thing, ergo Geoff is telling porkies)

I actually listened to the album as I wrote my work of fiction, and the mood swings of "the patient" are representative of certain songs on the album.  The leaping about the room smashing things part was representative of the song "They Aren't All Beautiful."

The review is not in any way a retaliation - in fact, I actually began to develop an opinion on the album long before I even started to take part in the forum.  I had seen it placed very highly in the charts here, and had gone to listen to samples to see if it would be something I would like.  Right away, one of the first samples I heard was from "Birth Pains of Astral Projection" (I think), and when I heard the inhuman, tortured screams I thought "what...the...?  People...enjoy this?"  I decided I wanted no part in this.  But after participating in the forum, I eventually gave the album a shot to try to see what it was all about.  Now, I wonder how long people around here are going to try to invalidate my opinion rather than just accept that it IS possible that some people could love this album and others dislike it.

Ambient Hurricanes wrote: colorofmoney91 wrote:    It's hard for me to ignore that the possibility of Geoff giving an album such as Bath a one star review being instigated by many PA members' open dislike and ridicule of Dream Theater (of whom Geoff is a guitar fan). Basing a negative review off of the likes of other PA members is a very shallow thing to do considering that both people who are members of this site and people who are simply passing by will be reading it. I'm not saying that Geoff was obviously writing this review to spite the musical taste of people who have dissed his profound love for Dream Theater, but it is possible. That is pure speculation about Geoff's motives without any proof whatsoever and as such does not belong here at all; it's only going to incite conflict for no reason.  With all due respect, Alan, I think that this is out of bounds.  I'm not trying to attack you, just please either keep this kind of speculation to yourself or restrict it to PM.

That is a little harsh Jacob. What Alan has said is what many people will have deduced themselves just from reading Geoff's two maudlin of the Well reviews. Sure 'Bath' in issolation does not reveal much in the way of a motive - [aside from the huge swathes of fiction that the so-called review contains - "Quite suddenly he began to leap about the room, smashing things and throwing them about as an animal, screaming in a guttural fashion" - (well, I don't know about you, but I'm fairly confident that Toby Driver did no such thing, ergo Geoff is telling porkies) which would have been mildly entertaining in small doses, does rather labour the joke when stretched to such lengths, which could be construed as "taking the piss" rather than being witty or even satirical] - but viewed in conjunction with the review of 'Part the Second' (even in its current heavily revised state) where the case for people giving his favourites low ratings is questioned while he then proceeds to give that album a low rating - people can be "forgiven" for reaching a conclusion. Now, Geoff has categorically stated that this rating is not a retaliation rating when I asked him the direct question, so we do have to accept him at his word on that.

dtguitarfan wrote:

All I'm trying to say is that I presented MY REACTION to a piece of art.  And that's all this site is - people presenting their reactions to pieces of art.  It shouldn't be taken as anything else - no one is right, no one is wrong.  I took some people's reactions to personally, and now other people are taking one of my reactions too personally.  That's all I'm trying to say.

The Truth wrote: ^ But that further proves it was a reactionary review.

In the court of herp derp?

You know what - yes, it was reactionary in that my review presented my reaction to the album.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I did not say the album was bad.  I did not say people who like it have bad taste.  I only presented my...personal...reaction.  And people seem to be very unhappy that I did so.  So I am merely pointing out how interesting it is that these same people who accuse me of taking things too personally seem to be doing the same thing now.

rogerthat wrote: Nice try but I am not even remotely close to a Toby Driver fan.  But that's basically what you sound like when you go on cribbing about DT haters (even, as I should point out, going to the extent of hijacking a Firth of the Fifth thread to force your agenda) so good to know I hit home, either which way.

I will admit that I have taken some things too personally here.  I am learning to present my opinions on music as merely opinions, and I am working on not taking people on the internet seriously.  Presenting my opinions as nothing but opinion was something I was trying to practice in the review you are complaining about.  But the funny thing is, it seems the door is swinging the other way now - I challenged the greatness of a beloved artist of some of the people who have said not so nice things about artists I love, and now they are reacting in much the same way.  And I think I may have been more kind than they were - so maybe you understand how I felt now?

Ok...backing away slowly....


Edited by dtguitarfan - July 22 2012 at 12:21