Davey Moore's (along with many other posters here) writeups alone are better than anything I've ever read in any magazine or on any website.

Yeah, I'd say most people here are better at describing the music than Christgau, Sheffield or any of those douchebags.

But I have to say I don't consider myself to be very good at reviewing albums, I have a habit of just describing the music in a very specific way and don't really try to make analogies or stuff like that.

But I consider that to be better than not talking about the actual music at all, which is my main problem with magazine music critics, or anyone who tries to emulate the style of those critics.

Pitchfork especially do those kinda impersonal reviews that are not concerned with trying to get you into to the albums at hand, it's just some good ol' ego stroking based on whatever obscure music they discovered that they know is gonna inspire a bunch of idiots to rave about it regardless of how indisputably horrible it is. It's like they're trying to be as pretentious as humanly possible.

Their job is to get bring attention to whatever organization is paying them. More attention = more advertising $$ so if music critics get attention (for any reason) they are earning their keep.
It's all just business. Employers of critics give no sh*t about the critics' opinions or their writing.

"Rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, in order to provide articles for people who can't read."

^^^
I was just about to post that. Just not directed towards anybody.

It is.

Why worry? I take no notice of reviews by professionals and I have never visited allmusic or read much on Pitchfork. In this day and age of downloading it's easier to just download and judge for yourself. The only people I take notice of are people who post on forums or blogs etc. I put my faith in them a lot more.

Good thing I don't want to be a rock journalist. Jazz is my thing :)

I think the problem with music critics isn't so much them themselves but how they are perceived as having to be a musical honcho who's opinions are the be all and end all. I take reviews off of Allmusic and the like as equal to the ideas of someone on here, at the end of the day it's all opinions no matter how eloquente it is. We get classic rock bores like Christgau here all the time but i wouldn't give either of them a harder time, even though i don't share their ideas. The fucker's have to get some credit because most of them end up getting paid!

i only came across RC when i heard on the radio he'd slammed Macca's Ram. I read the review and it was harsh. Then i came across hiim again when i read the review from the link on wiki for Alan Parson's Project-Eve album which he accused of being misogynistic. I've not heard it so i can't comment. I have heard Ram though and it's a great inspired and thoroughly enjoyable album as is the easy listening version Macca recorded as Percy 'thrills' Thrillington