Raters who suck

I think Gandalff should poll every single album on the forum and we should all graciously accept the results.   

Edited by hobocamp - September 23 2012 at 09:21

...when?

Epignosis wrote: I would also like to add this: I don't know how this works for other people, but for me, a 5 star album is one that goes beyond enjoyment.  It changes me.  It moves me in a poignant and ineffable way.  It may change the way I think about music.  It may change the way I think about life.  It is, as an album, a premium and rare experience that moves me.  And here's another thing: My mind can conjure up almost any passage from any album I have awarded five stars.  That is why I can never give a 5 star review after one or two listens.  The experience of amazement must not just repeat itself- it must grow in magnitude. A 4 star album may have some of these qualities, but the impact is less profound (or less consistent).  "Turn of the Century" and "Awaken" do the above for me, but "Going for the One," "Wonderous Stories," and "Parallels" do not.  Hence, 4 stars. A 3 star album is simply an album I enjoy.  It's good, but not excellent.  It is the bread before the meal- tasty, but not really satisfying. And no album is without hope!  Well, mostly no album.  A few may remember that I had a 1 star review of Kate Bush's The Hounds of Love here for a while.  But it had a catchy nature that compelled me to revisit it, and I did- many times.  I asked Dean to delete the review, and he graciously (and perhaps quite happily) did so.  I am now prepared to write a fresh review of the album, this time with a much higher rating. I hope this clarifies how I personally review a little.

Quite well said Rob.  I feel the same about the big 5.  It's not just a great album, it has to move the earth under your feet to get that rating.  And it should do that to you for years, not weeks or months.

Perhaps competing album was not the best description. What I am describing is a rater who has a favorite band which he awards a five star rating for the latest album of theirs, this is fine but then he goes the next step and rates albums released in the same year by other artists with one star ratings. There is competition on albums, the competition is manufactured by this site, "Top albums of the year" also eagerly awaited each year is the collaborator best albums of the year. Deceit in rating is a disservice to the site, the artist, and to the other members. Often such raters open up multiple accounts to manipulate. Also I have noticed these raters are not long standing members of PA and some have joined and on the same day of joining have done their mischief. They suck.

HarbouringTheSoul wrote: Epignosis wrote: I would also like to add this: I don't know how this works for other people, but for me, a 5 star album is one that goes beyond enjoyment.  It changes me.  It moves me in a poignant and ineffable way.  It may change the way I think about music.  It may change the way I think about life.  It is, as an album, a premium and rare experience that moves me.  And here's another thing: My mind can conjure up almost any passage from any album I have awarded five stars.  That is why I can never give a 5 star review after one or two listens.  The experience of amazement must not just repeat itself- it must grow in magnitude. A 4 star album may have some of these qualities, but the impact is less profound (or less consistent).  "Turn of the Century" and "Awaken" do the above for me, but "Going for the One," "Wonderous Stories," and "Parallels" do not.  Hence, 4 stars. A 3 star album is simply an album I enjoy.  It's good, but not excellent.  It is the bread before the meal- tasty, but not really satisfying. And no album is without hope!  Well, mostly no album.  A few may remember that I had a 1 star review of Kate Bush's The Hounds of Love here for a while.  But it had a catchy nature that compelled me to revisit it, and I did- many times.  I asked Dean to delete the review, and he graciously (and perhaps quite happily) did so.  I am now prepared to write a fresh review of the album, this time with a much higher rating. I hope this clarifies how I personally review a little. Just out of curiosity, I have a question: How would you rate an album in which half of the album moves you incredibly, but you couldn't care less about the other half? Like if in the GFTO example you mentioned above, you didn't just feel that the remaining three songs are not as great as the other two, but you actively disliked them?

I apologize.  I did not see your question sooner than now.

I like all of Going for the One.  I gave it four stars.

Tarkus is a good example.  I think "Tarkus" is ELP's masterwork and is an essential prog rock epic.  However, the second side of the album is not very good.  I rated it also a 4, mainly on the strength of the title song.

Epignosis wrote: This is the sort of thing I was talking about earlier. Unless I'm missing something. When I've heard they were working on a new album, and that would be a 2 part project called 'English Electric' I was already happy just by heard that. I am now listening English Electric (Part One) (2012) for the first time. And they just can't fail. Their music is full of emotion, charged with a sentiment that you hardly can see in any other band, specially in Progressive Rock. Excuse me?  Writing a five star review while you are hearing the album for the first time?