I’m composing this from my phone, so stick with me. I just read a long, detailed, highly critical review of The Lone Ranger on Grantland. The critic rips the movie to shreds, not in a mean way, rather from the perpective of a kid who feels betrayed by the art form he grew up loving.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9445983/the-lone-ranger-johnny-depp-troubling-career-turn
Rock critics used to slam big, blockbuster releases all the time. It seemsit’s been years since a major media outlet has simply broken down all the ways a crap mega-album stinks. It can’t be that no records by big artists stink any more. But critics act like everyone’s got something to say. I’m not buying it. Can anyone dig up an intwlligwnt, critical piece on a rock album from the last 5 or 10 years?
Critics bought into the music business years ago, perhaps about the time Rolling Stone went from interesting read to industry shill. Say, about 1980. Music reviews now are basically a waste of time. I’m sure there have been the odd scissor jobs, but I can’t be bothered searching them out.
Agreed, Rolling Stone started this approach. Even idiotic tv shows get skewered.
Isn’t Pitchfork still a legendary purveyor of hateful record reviews?
I like t go to Metacritic and look at the oddball bad review like this:
http://cokemachineglow.com/records/kanyewest-yeezus-2013/
Someone’s not getting a free sample next time!
I think Pitchfork hates everything. They should call themselves Bitchfork.
Bitchfork is the all-woman food and restaurant review site. Well, it should be anyway.
It must be daunting to write an intelligent piece that rightfully rips an album to shreds without trying to come across like a new member of the “Noise Boys”. It seems to me that most writers are more interested in discovering the “new thing” rather than knocking “Brian Wilson bedroom wannabees” and pretentious buffoons down a few pegs.
Yet it seems much easier to tear down movies. Even Roger Ebert never let up in his later years from taking down a few writers and directors. A lot of young writers can learn from his books or reviews.