I have stacks and stacks of old Rolling Stone issues laying around. The magazine used to be my favorite source for new music. When my subscription ran out back in December '05, I couldn't bring myself to re-subscribe for some reason. Maybe because I realized it was simply MTV in print, but mostly because the music review section lost all of it's balls. As I read through my old issues looking for albums I may have missed, I couldn't help but notice that they give 90% of new albums 3 out of 5 stars. Turn to a random page of music reviews in any issue, and you'll see a page full of 3 star reviews. Come on. Tell me you love it or hate it. Or kind of love it. Or kind of hate it. But no,
"All of the new CD's that came out this week are: average".
Better to be safe than sorry, I can hear the editors thinking. It's like they just can't imagine giving something 1 star or 5 stars and look like jack-asses at the end of the year. I remember reading their review of Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi, and it was given 2/5 stars. Yet it was one of their top 50 albums of 2005. Hmmm, I say.
This is the reason that I appreciate Pitchfork. Yes, they can be pretentious assholes, and we love to hate them, but they are usually right. They've written several reviews that have turned me on to great music. Case in point: The Soft Bulletin by the Flaming Lips. Prior to reading this, I hadn't heard much of the Flaming Lips music other than "She Don't Use Jelly" back in the early 90's, and at the time, I just thought it was silly. And it's still silly. But after seeing the perfect score that PF gave to The Soft Bulletin, I had to check it out.
Mind blowing.
Cheesy at first listen, and then mind blowing. If you haven't heard it, you're missing out. I've only taken LSD once, but if I ever try it again, I'm listening to The Soft Bulletin. Gorgeous "ooohing" and "aaahing" all over the place, awesome lyrics, cool synth-bass, and great drums. Each song is like a little journey into space. My favorites are "The Spark That Bled", "Slow Motion", "What is the Light", "Waitin' for a Superman", and "The Gash". I'm sure that most of you have heard it, but I'm a late bloomer, thanks to Pitchfork.
And what rating, you ask, did Rolling Stone give The Soft Bulletin? You guessed it: 3 stars
Download "The Gash" and "Waitin' for a Superman" here
My Trusted MOGs
Hahahaha...awesome post! I couldn't agree with you more. p.s. Transatlanticism deserved higher.....
My Trusted MOGs
Thanks! I haven't actually heard Transatlanticism, but that review was so condescending that I had to include a link.
My Trusted MOGs
Yeah man, good example. You can't go wrong with Death Cab for Cutie The Photo Album, is an awesome record and Transatlanticism is a pretty good record too. Now Plans was pretty disappointing, a few good tunes and a few that really sucked.
My Trusted MOGs
I saw the video for "Soul Meets Body" and loved the song, which got me to get the album. The rest of Plans is pretty boring to me. I'll have to check out the older stuff.
My Trusted MOGs
i wasn't too impressed with "yoshimi", but i'll give soft bulletin a try. i'm not really the type of person to take critical reviews of music seriously, but i appreciate that sites like pitchfork are willing to introduce music that i would otherwise never hear about. boomkat.com is another one that i check religiously, they always have a ton of new reviews and releases and the standard 30 second samples, which are nice.
My Trusted MOGs
Ehh... Reviews of anything (music, movies, books, etc.) are little more than one person's opinion. I never let a review keep me from checking out things that interest me... and when reading a review I never take the writer's word as gospel (even if I happen to agree with him/her completely).
It's always cool though to find a resource with opinions that consistently closely match your own. No doubt about it. :)
My Trusted MOGs
"Yoshimi" and "At War With the Mystics" are nowhere near as good as the Soft Bulletin. I think the Lips tried to continue on the same vein of Bulletin with "Yoshimi", but it doesn't reach the same heights.
And boomkat.com is rad! They even have a review of Grizzly Bear's Yellow House, the album I've been trying to shove down everyone's throat.
My Trusted MOGs
You're absolutely right, Miss Mayhem. I prefer recommendations from friends or other moggers over critic's reviews. But sites like Pitchfork and cokemachineglow give me at least an idea of what I'm getting myself into, and introduce me to music I might not have heard otherwise. I like reviews that help me notice things about the music I'm hearing that I would've otherwise missed.
I'd make for a horrible critic.
My Trusted MOGs
Reviews that lead you toward finding new music or things about the music you're already listening to that you may never have noticed otherwise are KEY!
I'd make a horrible critic also. I try to keep an open mind in all things, but very rarely do I feel a 3-star opinion about anything. I either like it... or I don't. So I'd probably give lots of 1, 2, 4 & 5-star reviews. hahah! ;)
My Trusted MOGs
I will freely admit that a lot of the new music I listen to is based on good reviews. If everyone's going crazy about how great this band or that band is, I'm gonna check it out. Beirut's CD is spectacular, and I agree with the reviews. The new TV on the Radio, however, isn't that good to me, and it's universally acclaimed. The point of my post was to say that at least Pitchfork tells it like it is, rather than play it safe.
My Trusted MOGs
Dude, I love Pitchfork! They will rip into any semi-shitty album with the fervor and wit that you need from a good reviewer. And I hate Rolling Stone too,so don't feel bad. I think it started around the same time that they said Jack White was the best guitar player in the world. Brutal stuff.
My Trusted MOGs
Oh man I'm glad I missed that issue. I could do with or without Jack White, but best guitar player in the world?
Also, I have decided that my opinion on Bob Dylan is that I have no opinion on Bob Dylan. Rolling Stone named "Like a Rolling Stone" the greatest song of all time (go figure), and while I think the lyrics are genius, the music itself doesn't do anything for me.
My Trusted MOGs
You guys are funny.
I mean, seriously... Could there ever be an undisputed "BEST guitar player in the world" or "GREATEST song of all time"?
Different people like a lot of different things for different reasons.
Otherwise we'd all be bored to death.
My Trusted MOGs
True, true Ms Mayhem. Here's to 6 million bands for 12 billion ears. I'll drink to that!
My Trusted MOGs
For every wound, a balm. For every sorrow, a cheer. For every storm, a calm. For every thirst, a beer.
CHEERS!
What is your personal greatest song of all time? You favorite guitar player?
My Trusted MOGs
Sweet, I'm using that at my next party!
My favorite song? Oh to pick only one....(thinking).....
"Exit Music (For a Film)" by Radiohead. It's got probably the best-build up a band can make. Although my iTunes tells me my favorite song is "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens, which I heart a lot.
Favorite guitar player...hmmm....I honestly can't say that I have one, but I'd choose Jimi Hendrix over Jack White.
My Trusted MOGs
before all of those records, even before 'she don't use jelly' the lips released one of the greatest indie rock guitar records of all time, 'in a priest driven ambulance.' it was amazing then, and it's still amazing now. if you appreciate 'the soft bulliten', you should check it out. it's equally as devastating and as beautiful. only noisier.
My Trusted MOGs
Will do!
My Trusted MOGs
Hahahahahahahahahaha!! I give this post... 3 out of 5 stars. ;)