Does music journalism/criticism ever directly influence what you listen to or buy?

FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
edited February 2006 in Other Music
Are there journos or critics, and music periodicals, whose articles or reviews you can trust to give you a pointer to music you like?

Would you buy or have you ever bought music on the endorsement of a reviewer, without listening to it first?

Has a music journo ever shown you ways to appreciate a piece of music you thought not to your tastes, on first or second hearing?

Has music journalism any point in "recommending" what's good and what isn't to music fans who have access to a vast number of nultimedia sources for sampling new music?

Just curious as to what people think.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • CM1847CM1847 Posts: 577
    The only album I have ever bought based off of a single review is ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead's "Source Tags & Code" based on Pitchfork's 10.0 rating(actually I probably checked out what AMG said as well). It is an amazing album.

    Other than that I would say that yes, journalists do affect what I make an attempt to listen to. They don't decide what to buy, but if I read on various sites good/decent reviews of an album, I will look into it. If something I've never heard of is getting trashed on a bunch of sites, I won't bother. Good reviews don't sell me albums, but they give me the motivation to use online radio and/or band websites to find out what a band/album sounds like and make my decision from there.

    A good review of a band I don't like or a bad review of a band I do like will never change my mind about buying an album though. If Nickleback gets a 10.0 from anywhere, I will just laugh and continue hating them. If Pearl Jam gets a 1.2 out of 10 I will just laugh and continue loving them.

    More so than journalists, user based sites(like MB's and Launchcast) lead me towards new music.
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    Are there journos or critics, and music periodicals, whose articles or reviews you can trust to give you a pointer to music you like? .
    yes though I don't go to many anymore. I hit up Pitchfork once a day. Though I don't take anything they say for gospel (who would), I will pay attention to something that they rank highly, but could care less about CD's they rank low. Rolling Stone, there are some very fine music critics who do reviews there. Most have completely different tastes and I ignore them. It is all about figuring out who you relate to. I don't care who they write for.

    This forum for example, there are a dozen or so folks that I'll buy just about anything based on their recommendation. It took awhile to get to that point but that is I guess a small reward for hanging out here, good recommendations.
    Would you buy or have you ever bought music on the endorsement of a reviewer, without listening to it first?.
    all the time. in fact 95% of the music I buy nowadays I haven't heard a single note. I find it exciting I guess.

    I'd like to note that I would NEVER do this based on a review from someone I know nothing about.
    Has a music journo ever shown you ways to appreciate a piece of music you thought not to your tastes, on first or second hearing?
    again yes. I am not a music study, I couldn't tell you dick about time signatures, recording methods etc.. So when I think a record is overrated as hell, if someone explains some reasons on what makes it great (outside of the music itself) I can at least appreciate it though I just won't ever listen to it.
    Has music journalism any point in "recommending" what's good and what isn't to music fans who have access to a vast number of nultimedia sources for sampling new music?
    Sure, why not. I don't ever sample music so it helps to pinpoint a few sites where I can blindly purchase with a good understanding of what I am getting into.
  • Definately not directly, but if there's an album I'm considering buying...I'll ask my friends opinion, listen to clips, and absolutely look through reviews to see opinions...
    "The whole world will be different soon"
  • oldermanolderman Posts: 1,765
    no but maybe i should read some reviews BEFORE i buy any more.
    Down the street you can hear her scream youre a disgrace
    As she slams the door in his drunken face
    And now he stands outside
    And all the neighbours start to gossip and drool
    He cries oh, girl you must be mad,
    What happened to the sweet love you and me had?
    Against the door he leans and starts a scene,
    And his tears fall and burn the garden green
  • barcoachbarcoach Posts: 413
    Depends who's writting... If we're talking about Lester Bangs, for example, yeah, he has influenced not only what I listen, but the way in which I aproach to rock criticism and even the way I read and write in general...

    If it wasn't for for the 2003 DaCapo anthology of Best Music Writting on Rock, Jazz, Blues and Country (compiled by Matt Groening, yeah, the same guy that created the Simpsons) most probably I'd never had known about The Weakerthans... and that'd be a shame, 'cause I think The Weakerthans are just one of the best bands around right now.

    So, yeah, it has influenced what I listen... but is not like it always influences what I listen. Sometimes I write about music myself, I don't like to influence people's likings, I don't even like anyone to call me a critic, I just try to give certain orientation for the buyers to spend their hard earned money wisely, and not in some crap that -according to my point of view, there's no other way- that is just not worth the money that could probably have better use like giving food to your family, buying a toy to your pet or just having a good ol' drinking night.
    Stone: Thanks for the pick and the night of complicity, you rock!
    -The crazy guy with the Ramones t-shirt.
    Mexico C. 12/10/05.

    "There is a rose that I want to live for
    although, God knows, I may not have met her"
    -J. Strummer

    "And you'll never know just how dark this screen could be"
  • i remember i bought the Vines album because rolling stone said they were the next big thing...........and it was the WORST PEICE OF DOGSHIT I EVER HEARD!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i remember reading reviews of binaural...........one said it is easy to see why Nothing as it Seems was the first single, cuz it is clearly the best song on the album.........

    another said, it is strange that they picked Nothing as it Seems as the single, cuz it is clearly the WORST song on the album!!

    clearly all personal opinion!

    then i went to see pearl jam, and read the reviews in the papers the next day.....one said eddie's vocals were crystal clear in the mix.......the other said it was hard to hear eddie's vocals, the sound in the venue was terrible.........so one of those reviewers clearly had better seats than the other!!
    "I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
  • hm reading reviews? i do reading reviews, interviews and so on, but it does not influence me that much, in my opinion what i think about a record or something. but i have a supscription of a monthly appearing music magazine called "visions"; i like their taste in music, and their kind of interviews. sometimes it´s interesting what "professional" music journalists think about bands or records i like, so i have to say music magazines are sometimes interesting (often not), but i always have to make my own decision; and i don´t let someone else do this job...
    i hurt myself today,
    to see if i still feel,
    i focus all the pain,
    the only thing that´s real...
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    First of a coupla bumps.
  • I bought the White Stripes' Elephant based on the rave critical reviews it was receiving...

    ... kinda a disappointment, because although I thought it was okay, I just didn't understand why it got all the five-star treatments.
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    One of the few albums I bought (of a band I didn't know) based soley on reviews was Appettite For Destruction. When GnR came out the metal mags were all over them.

    I do by albums by artists I know based on revies though. But you have to get to know the reveiewer.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • shahrilshahril Posts: 288
    i actually believe people on this board quite a lot when it comes to what music to get..
    latest examples over the past months..
    sufjan stevens n elliott smith
    I've seen so many people try and copy Eddie Vedder's voice. It's as if if you don't sound like him you're not a man. - Emmett Roslan

    http://theshahril.blogspot.com

    London 20/04/2006
  • I never read reviews before I go out and buy an album. 99% of writers are a bunch of grumpy assholes and nothing sounds good to them. It could be one of the greatest albums ever and they'll still say its just ok. I could care less what some asshole at rollingstone or some where else says about a band or an album.

    I usually go out and buy an album the day it comes out. So I usually never hear more then one or two songs before I buy it. I like taking chances. Most of the time its the right decision anyways.
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