So yes I’ve voted.
When I was reviewing for DPRP way back when I had a 15 second rule. I’d play 15 seconds of each track, then forward to the next to get a flavour of the record and decide whether I ‘liked’ it. Because, and to be brutally frank, so much of what we got sent was by Porcupine Thief, Pineapple Beard, Dream Tree and Spock Theater clones as to really not warrant much interest. And certainly not pronouncements that they were ‘masterpieces’ and ‘contenders for album of the year’ as I read so much now.
I got to the point where I felt ‘new music’ was overwhelming the good, nay excellent material that for whatever reason people might have missed from a few months, a year or longer ago. Today’s headlines are tomorrow’s fish and chip papers and all that. Except those pesky Europeans no longer allow us to wrap our food in packaging materials that may have been used as cat litter or bin liners.
Decent – to my ears at least – music got downtrodden and largely forgotten by virtue only of the fact that it was released in one month and not the next. This apathy led to the end of some bands I think that if they were around now would be superstars insofar as there are such things in the progressive rock community. I can think of Pure Reason Revolution and Spiraling to name but two.
We do a disservice, I feel, to some artists by building them up so much that they honestly believe they are the ‘next big thing’. And then they get upset when they attract a handful of folk to their CD release party at a boozer in Walthamstow. Or Williamsburg. And half of those attending are family members. Now I know they can always massage their egos by paying to play on cruises and festivals and the like but my point is this:
The new Anderson/Stolt is over 9 minutes in already and there’s no way I’m fast-forwarding this. Not a chance in heck.
And I don’t want to sound rude but I’m not angling for loads of people posting as to whether they like the record or not. As I pointed out to someone recently it’s not your level of insight or erudition I’m bothered about. It’s whether I like the record. Sure, it’s no Blue Oyster Cult (I’m still at a loss as to how to get the umlaut above the O) but then what is?
For those folks wondering as to whether to buy it or not I’ll be spinning a track or two on forthcoming Not The AmericanProg Shows. So have a listen. And make your own mind up. But make sure you do.