caution
Do the majority of young people think that he or she is a critic (music/film/dining) these days, or that critiquing is the easiest job in the world and just about anyone can do it? It completely angers me when individuals who don’t like a certain genre of music (ie, those who have “everything BUT country” in their music interests section on their facebook/myspace page) “critique” music of that particular genre. Or those individuals who actually have zero opinion and basically like everything that is “cool” at the moment. And the worst type of these so-called critics are those who actually have no music knowledge – you know, old music.
I take music reviews very seriously (judging by this post, maybe a little too much). I trust a small number of publications and people for music advice because I know they will give me an objective review. A few months ago I found myself flipping through a magazine and came across a review for The Magnetic Fields’ new album, Distortion:
…I am giving this album a bad review on the basis that its contrived and only appeals to chicks and the high school version of myself.
I honestly wanted to rip this magazine into shreds, call the office and yell at the music editor, but I couldn’t because a dear friend is a part of this publication. Instead, I stared at the review and read it over and over and let it consume me. I went home and put on the album (YES I BOUGHT IT) and listened to it twice. I asked Rob what he thought. I asked my friends what they thought. I looked online to read what music critics thought. And the general consensus was that the album was fun and solid. Fun and solid = good.
So who is right? Granted, not everyone is going to agree on the same thing. Tastes differ. Did he not like the album simply because everyone else did? Was I angered by this review simply because of the fact that he didn’t like it, and I couldn’t fathom how one could not like the album? I don’t know. By no means am I saying that I have the qualifications to be a better music critic, but I believe I am more angered by the fact that this magazine does not take music reviews seriously, but sees it more as filler. Individuals who wish to contribute to the magazine often do music reviews. Are these reviewers trying to mimic the dry, sarcastic tone of Vice magazine? I don’t get it. I just don’t get how music reviews are simply dismissed. Is it because people don’t buy cds anymore? Nobody cares? THEN GET RID OF THE MUSIC REVIEW SECTION!! PUT IN SOME FUCKING CLASSIFIEDS OR MAKE UP SOME MISSED CONNECTIONS…
On a side note, I find it amusing that this frustration has remained in my system for so long, considering the album came out in January…
