My PA rant: Stop reviewing sub-genres you dislike

If we had only positive reviews for albums wouldn't it gain a higher rating than it deserves?

As a rule, I only review albums I consider 3, 4 or 5 stars (fair-to-good, very good-to-excellent and exceptional/essential). I really don't have time to rate the dogs. That being said, I can see where that may well skew the poll (as I noticed other reviewers have posted the same or nearly the same criteria). Conversely, I don't much look at the stats because I don't agree with half of the albums that are on there anyway. More than half. Nearly two-thirds.

I couldn't agree more, Torodd! Listening to unfamiliar (and, at one time, wasn't it ALL unfamiliar) subgenres and bands has been educational, mind- and heart-expanding, and quite amazing. I would never have learned to be able to listen beyond the growls, behind the power chords, behind the dissonance, or into the layers of noodling were it not for BOTH the knowledgeable and biased reviewers here. To see the ratings of an album continue to remain high despite my first impressions makes me think I'm being unfair, that I'M missing something, that I need to grow. And, fortunately, I'm all about growth! Thus, I've had the amazing (though expensive) privilege of getting to know bands like Rush, Jethro Tull, Caravan, Natural Health, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Agalloch, maudlin of the Well, Kayo Dot, Leprous, Fen, Ciccada, After Crying, Riverside, The Mars Volta, Isis, Red Sparowes, My Education, Karda Estra, Nexus, Ulver, Anglagard, Gentle Giant, Van Der Graaf Generator, and even Porcupine Tree--some of which I never gave a chance, some of which I would have never heard had I not become acquainted with ProgArchives. Admittedly, I go through phases--as we all must. 

Horizons wrote: Nathaniel607 wrote: Horizons wrote: If we had only positive reviews for albums wouldn't it gain a higher rating than it deserves?   Well... here's the thing. Now, you have a genre like neo-progressive rock, which many people have a bone to pick with. If you're a fan of neo-progressive rock, you want to know how good it is. However, due to people who hate the genre reviewing, you might find a certain effect. You will find that the more famous neo-prog albums - the flag carriers - will probably have a lot of one-star ratings from people who hate neo-prog. Obscure ones probably won't - since non-fans won't know them. So this means that ultimately, the rating won't reflect the actual quality of the album. Note I don't know if this effect is actually present - just a hypothesis.  Now, I kind of agree for that reason. But... if someone has actual gripes with an album - other than just "I hate genre x", it seems like they should be able to review it. Yet if someone is just on a crusade against a genre, they can probably never be won over, so it seems unfair for albums to be subjected to reviews by such unchangeable people.  Man, this is one hell of a complex issue.  Ultimately, however, I feel the best solution is just to let people review what they want... the people will have to assess the relative accuracy of the rating judging by the popularity/fame of the album. We all know there are more people that judge albums from multiple genres fairly than people that are out on these "crusades" agaisnt a genre. So wouldnt the album still have an approprate rating?   And like you said they would only target popular albums, so more reviews that are good to the heart will come in. Albums like The Lamb have prolly had their share of people that give the album 1 or 2 stars, for whatever reason. But it remains to have a 4.5 rating.   Anyways we both agree, i just don't understand how a terrible review given to a popular album with cause it any grief.

Wow, great discussion, and lots of passion. that's what I like about PA personally.
    It's funny this topic just came up because in the last week I noticed several review for ELP albums by someone who obviously has a big hate on for them. And that's fine except that the "review" wasn't a review at all. It was spewing hate plain and simple and for that I have no tolerance. The 'reviewer' (and I use that term loosely) clearly has no idea of how to review a recording. So while it may affect the overall rating of an album it means nothing to me because he said nothing.
   Art, like food, is a very personal thing. You can review a meal by detailing ingrediants, presentation and overall preparedness without really liking the taste. The same goes for music. Tell me about the recording, the song writing, the performance or production. Is it a step forward or backward for the artist based on previous efforts (I know that can be subjective).
   But please oh please, comments like "I hate his organs" don't belong in any review. I don't really care what you like or don't like. This isn't about you, it's supposed to be about the music. So tell me what the issue is.
   At the end of the day I truly believe that most people know whether a reviewer is truly contributing to the whole or just pounding their chest. Those apes are mostly dismissed for what they are the the others will rise above.

It's entirely possible to favourably review an album you don't like and vice versa. I don't award stars on how much I like an album, but rather how much merit I think it has. Most of the time I'd like to think my likes and merit are similar, but (for example) I intensely dislike 'In The Court of the Crimson King'. I gave it 5 stars though, because you can hear how significantly it influenced a generation of musicians.

So why not review albums in a genre you like less than others? The implication your ratings will be lower just isn't borne out by the evidence: RIO/Avant prog, my least liked genre, actually has my highest average rating (3.64) followed by my second-least-liked genre, Jazz Rock Fusion (at 3.5). My favourites (crossover, symphonic, heavy etc) are lower because I listen to both the good and the bad, while in the genres I dislike I only listen to the better albums.

Slartibartfast wrote: Snow Dog wrote:   I swear people answer me as if I know nothing. I need to take a break from this place before I blow a f**king fuse. I think in this day and age you are more likely to trip freakin' circuit breaker.

Ian is old skool.

DON'T SHOUT IT MAKES PEOPLE WONDER IF THIS WHOLE THREAD WAS ILL-CONCEIVED AND POORLY EXECUTED. A RANT THREAD HAS NEVER CHANGED ANYTHING IN THE HISTORY OF THE INTERNET. 

As I said when you were complaining earlier, there is a place for people who are not already fans of a certain style to talk about the most well known/accessible albums of it so others who have no experience with the genre know what they are getting into. Especially if they share the taste of the person writing the negative review. 

Dean I'm impressed you worked your way through that whole thing

Triceratopsoil wrote: Dean I'm impressed you worked your way through that whole thing

Dean has been going above and beyond the call of duty lately. But I'm afraid that if he keeps reading moshkito's posts he may go mad.