[kj] [OT] Music Snobbery

[Alexander Smith]

It's a long story that I'm sure I've told before, but in a nutshell, I  
was once asked to review EMF's debut album for a tiny music rag I was  
scribbling for in the early 90s. I didn't go overboard in lambasting  
it, but I wasn't exactly kind. About a month later, the band came to  
town, and the same editor who'd assigned me the review asked me to  
interview them. So I did. Trouble is, the editor came along. To make a  
long story short, at the tail end of the interview, the editor whipped  
out copies of the mag to show the band that we'd reviewed their record  
-- OBLIVIOUS of the fact (despite it being his own magazine), that I'd  
basically panned the album.

The EMF boys were very professional, but it was clear in very short  
order that the interview was OVER. I have never been so mortified in  
my life (and really let my editor have it on the street outside --  
fisticuffs were nearly involved). Still, it was a valuable lesson.  
What the fuck have I done? It's all well and good for me to sit on my  
lofty critic perch and take a shit on someone else's album, but how  
many albums -- successful or otherwise -- have I made, eh?

Alex in NYC



On Jul 8, 2009, at 2:39 PM, folk devil wrote:


> I have written for one or two mags and rags myself in the past. I  

> wouldn't do it.

>

>

> From: vassifer at earthlink.net

> To: gathering at misera.net

> Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 14:19:59 -0400

> Subject: Re: [kj] [OT] Music Snobbery

>

>

> Negative reviews are easier and -- quite frankly -- more fun to  

> write. Sad but true.

>

> Alex in NYC

>

>

> On Jul 8, 2009, at 1:43 PM, folk devil wrote:

>

> I've always had a gripe with people who just dismiss a track by  

> saying 'it's shit'. If you don't like it, you don't like it. And if  

> you're inept of being able to give it a critique, shut up.

> I have also never understood the point in a negative album/single  

> review. At the end of the day, music is Subjective.

>

>

> Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how.  

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