Unfortunately this is what many critics and major magazines do. Now if someone has a particularly persuasive line in opinion, I will listen to an album but music is an art form no matter how you dress it up and people have many differing opinions. none of them are right.

Is this Art:

http://www.channel4.com/culture/micr...mien-Hirst.jpg


It's only opinions in regard to it's asthetic beauty. No right or wrong.

Ah, you got to love Damien Hirst.

And thats why I don't read them anymore :D

I don't :D

I think most of us who genuinely love music take those narrow minded blinkered fools as a joke anyhow.

I think there's a lot to be said for music journalism when it comes to articles & interviews. I've just never had any time for reviews.

If I write one I use it as a platform to say why I like it or dislike it. Looking at it in an objective way is not something I have ever even given any thought to. I mean why would I?
To do that i'd have to approach it from a distance and thats not why I listen to music. I want to share how a piece of music has affected me , not to break it down into little components and lecture people.

They're still obviously brilliant for getting into music and all the big artists, i mean if there was no NME i doubt i would be into The Smiths, but there comes i time when you should just follow your own tastes and not be spoonfed whatever is being hyped.

I understand what you are saying and on your musical journey, they can help but when you delve into music deeper you realise that most (not all) of them are actually stifling you.

*reek

wouldn't the definitions in themselves be subjective of those who define them? the standardization of someone's subjective opinion on what criteria to include and what to omit would not remove the fact that a living person made choices based on some sort of belief, whether knowingly or not.

B-b-but you have to.