Quote:
Originally Posted by Uemarasan
True, the reviews are much too short, but I think they're good reviews because he actually described the musical process WITH ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC instead of going "oh I like this song because it touched my heart" or "I remember this song because it reminds me of when my kitty died that's why it's the best" or "I like the song because it is lively and it sounds great!". That's like 90% of the reviews of J-pop I find online. They're always based on extremely subjective experiences. Why not show us an actual grasp of musical knowledge? I have yet to read someone identify the instruments used in Ayu's music and explain how they work and WHY they work and make for a pleasant listening experience. And a review doesn't always have to be clearly positive or negative or pass judgment. It can be merely descriptive, or refuse to pass judgment.
I must say, I don't know how anyone can say they are poorly written. You can argue content, but he uses complete sentences, correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling, and develops his point well throughout. Maybe it's because people have been brainwashed by the shortcuts of Internet-speak? Also, he describes Roxette in a couple of sentences, as a point of comparison! Last I heard, it's perfectly acceptable when trying to put a point across.
He's not a fan of Ayu at all and I disagree with him A LOT of times (I do think Rainbow is one of Ayu's worst albums, though, not in terms of content but the way it's constructed), but going over his site you can't deny that he writes more intelligently about music than most of the mainstream publications out there (or most anyone, for that matter). Most people write about music like children evaluating their food (good! bad! sucks! rocks! pretty! ugh! hot! not! wah!). It's always very black or white, "I like" or "not like". There is no nuance or subtlety. He writes with the same passion and conviction as Christgau and like an actual ADULT. He actually stands for something.
On the other hand, every review on J-fan sounds like it was written by people who obviously haven't found their calling in life.
Pommy, thanks for the correction, I missed that! I've always disagreed with his comparisons between Ayu/Britney and Hikki/Christina. Pretty short-sighted and Western-blind.
That review of Exodus is the best ever written about it (even if I still hate the album). Everything else I've read about it pales in comparison.
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Yes! Thank you! Basically, you put down much of what I was thinking reading the comments here.
also:
i find the hate in this thread really surprising.
i actually really liked the reviews because it was clearly evident that the reviewer actually really sat and listened to the music quite thoroughly.
sometimes a review becomes more of a reflection on the way the sounds impacted you than an actual opinion on "this was good/bad/etc". music is completely subjective anyway. as an artistic expression, each person in the world will perceive it in a different way. there is no way to measure accurately if something is actually "good" or "bad". so, if the reviewer chooses not to like something, that's fine. you can review things you don't particularly like, or are unsure of. I often use reviewing as a way of sorting out my thoughts and feelings for music.
the reviews may be short, but i find them quite potent. they are thoughtful and the feelings of the music as perceived by the reviewer are clearly imparted to the reader. not to mention, they're honest, and the language use is excellent (something most reviewers really need to improve upon). for the linguistic style alone, these reviews are a joy to read; regardless of whether or not i agree with the opinions.
id like to think that this is the type of review i have been writing.
it's strange writing a review of a review!
haha