Well I thought we could all get together "for a change" and give one another a big group hug  and discuss which reviewers we really liked or were influenced to buy a cd because of their well written,passionate, humorous,etc, reviews.

I would like to nominate John Von Bayer who influenced me to buy Amazing Blondel. His humorous and charming approach in describing this fun light-hearted band really won me over.

My other would be Maani whose long(and I do mean REALLY LONG) reviews on the Church had me so intrigued I had to PM him to ask him more. No-one in their reviews showed more passion and detail than Maani's excellent one's on the Church.

and if this Thread goes well we can discuss World Nuclear Disarmament and stop those selfish people from cutting down all those poor pine trees at Christmas Time

Wow, when I came on I was just about to start this very same thread. 

Anyway, I'd like to give a mention to Ivan Melgar Morey (aka Ivan_2068), who despite speaking english as a second language, writes very descriptive, detailed reviews which have inspired me to check out more than a couple of albums.

Martin Dietrich (aka Diddy) also writes fantastic reviews, and does a great job covering many of the lesser known prog acts.

I know it sounds a bit wet, but I really do enjoy (almost) all the reviews. Some are very technical, while others are more about how the reviewer feels about the album. Some will give a track by track analysis, while others barely mention actual track names, but give a picture of the album as a whole. Some are written by people who love what they hear, while others offer a more critical view.

The absolute beauty of this site is that you get a multitude of views of people who ordinarily would not have a means to voice their opinions to so many people. As the site continues to grow, and more and more reviews are added, a superbly diverse array of views of the music we have a common appreciation of develops. 

Gdub:

Thank you so much for your kind words!  ().  Yes, I must admit to being passionate about The Church.  I consider them among the most underrated and misunderstood prog bands on the planet.

It would be hard for me to choose just one or two reviewers - and not just for "political" reasons.  There are quite a number of reviewers whose reviews are intriguing, well-written, passionate, influencing, or a combination of those.  Among them - and please forgive me if I leave anyone out - are Peter Rideout, James Lee, Bryan Adair, Ivan, Guillermo, Hughes, James Unger, Bob McBeath, Gatot, Cesar, Fitzcarraldo and Certif1ed.  All of them (and others) have written reviews that have moved me - either emotionally or intellectually or both, as well as, in many cases, to listen to (and occasionally buy) a particular album.

Note that I do not always agree with some of them.  For example, Bryan and I do not seem to agree on much.  However, I have the utmost respect for his opinion and, especially, for his written expression of that opinion; he is one of the best writers on the site.

Anyway, this is a great thread.  I only hope anyone not mentioned on it will not feel "slighted" for being left out.

"Politically" - and, indeed, on an honest personal level - everyone's contributions are greatly appreciated and important.  Remember: the webmasters might have created the site, and the admin group might administrate the site, but we are less than 10 people.  It is the members - over 840 of you and counting - who really make this site what it is.  Never forget that.

Peace.

Thanks Useful Idiot (hate to call you like that  better call you Bryan from now on) for the kind words,if just one member buys an album I reviewed I feel I'm in the right way.

My vote goes for Gatot Widayanto, who's long but carefully written reviews I find always interesting, love how he always finds a good album to compare the one he's reviewing, helps a lot.

Don't know if Gatot participates in the forum, if he does will be great to know who is him, if he doesn't his contribution will be well received.

And of Course my good friend Cesar Inca, who's passion and technical knowledge are invaluable.

To be honest I find each and every review useful in some way (Even the ones from Andrea Salvador ), and I try to read every one, Peter, Bryan, Maani, Danbo, etc have inspired me to check some albums I recently bought.

Iván

In response to Maani's worries...this thread was meant to be inclusive...not exclusive. I intended it as a feel good thread where we could praise each other. I would hope no-one would feel "left out" just because their name wasn't included on here. Everyone is appreciated on this forum.

not that I think it would occur., but this one wasn't meant to blast anyone either so if you're thinking about that  I must say...

Velvetclown wrote: Up yer ................ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

What's bugging you at the mo......?

It always sounds patronising when an oldie like me uses the expression "for his age" when talking about youth, so I'll try to avoid saying that!

Anyway, for his age (damn said it!) DexF aka Penguindf12 writes some remarkable reviews. According to his biog page he is barely out of short trousers, yet he shows a maturity and perception I would be proud to have myself. His in-depth reviews are well reasoned and well written. Have a look at them via the collaborators page.

Well done Dex, and great taste too!