Jasonaparkes
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Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 12:00
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I've been browsing Unsung as I feel compelled to do a few Unsung reviews some time soon and am slightly baffled at the selections appearing. Particularly odd are selections that include albums raved over at the time (Lazer Guided Melodies) or recent albums that were critically well received all of a few months ago (Salem's King Night - the NME or someone started some stupid Witch-core scene). & These New Puritans' Hidden ain't remotely Unsung - getting great reviews at the start of 2010 and turning up in many an end-of-year poll - # 5 in the Guarniad and LP of the year in the NME!!!!
Even stranger is the inclusion of an Earth LP not out until tomorrow that is getting the best reviews they've had...how the fuck is that "Unsung?" Does the reviewer just want people to know they've heard the new Earth LP before it was out? Perhaps they should review/blog on new albums - I don't see that as Unsung-material. Review 'Earth 2' if someone else hasn't already...
I don't think the well reviewed 'Embyronic' by Flaming Lips counts either.
Scrolling down it gets worse - how the fuck is 'Forever Changes' by Love Unsung? The first Grinderman LP (does Cave ever get bad reviews?). The first Roxy Music LP. 'Merriweather...' by Animal Collective was raved over in 2009 and topped most polls...not Unsung then. 'A Love Supreme' - the kind of an LP a yuppie character in 'This Life' raved over in the 90's Unsung? 'Y' by The Pop Group...Unsung. Really?
I think some deletions of these titles should occur; though am amused that an OMD review stayed when my OMD review of Dazzle Ships got deleted several years ago. & the grief I got for a Pet Shop Boys review...when there's one there now. Odd.
I love Unsung reviews, but some of the selections don't fit the bill...
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ToneStone
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 12:46
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NME didnt start the "Stupid" Witch House scene it was started and coined by a band called Shams and a guy from Denver called Pictureplane. and personally its the most intresting new music since Dubstep appeared years ago.
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zphage
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 13:10
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i agree
however, no one is going to agree
it has evolved maybe differently than intended,
as has this board
though they all appear to be well written
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machineryelf
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Edited Feb 12, 2011, 13:37
Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 13:34
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2 reviews in Spainish? A Sethman review of the first Roxy LP I can't judge the first 2, and I'm not going to argue with the Sethman,but ho, what's this! a missing OMD review, can I smell sour grapes here?
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Lawrence
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 13:42
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Well there was only one time I posted an advance review of something -- this was the "Bact-er-e-um" compilation (I'm not looking up how it was spelled on the review.) Just that my friend Andy from Praying For Oblivion was egging me on to print a review of it as it was on a new label and they needed as much press for their new comp as they could. Well I did it although I had some qualms about doing so, and it is a good compilation but probably not everyone's taste...
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head-first
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 13:50
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I guess it depends where you draw the line between 'mainstream' and 'alternative' music, because Salem probably is obscure for most people. But there's a case for saying that more popular music can still be 'unsung' if it's fallen off the radar, or if someone reevaluates it from an interesting angle.
I think Cope himself used to review artists like James Brown and Van Halen! I always enjoyed those reviews because I had some reference points.
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Mart
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 14:15
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its all subjective isnt it. i actually think the first Girls Aloud album is pretty unsung....
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head-first
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 14:29
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:o)
Let's not stretch the revisionist approach TOO far!!
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IanB
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 15:02
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Would be interested to know what the average age is around here as that surely has an impact on perspective. LGM is a 20 years old album. If you are under 35 then it could easily be perceived as a forgotten classic. I suspect the average age here is actually going down year on year given some of what is written. When I first came here around the time of Citizen C / Dark Orgasm I would have laid big money on it being largely populated by people who were born no later than '65. I think that could easily be '75 now or even later.
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jb lamptoast-morsley
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Re: Dubious selections for Unsung albums...
Feb 12, 2011, 15:39
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IanB wrote: I suspect the average age here is actually going down year on year given some of what is written. When I first came here around the time of Citizen C / Dark Orgasm I would have laid big money on it being largely populated by people who were born no later than '65. I think that could easily be '75 now or even later.
Given some of what is written? What are you referring to there Ian? It sounds like you want to ban people that are younger than 35 because they don't know about music? For the record i was born in 77' so maybe you want to ban me?
personally i don't tend to look at unsung reviews, but don't see why people need to get hung up about what unsung means - i would see it as a platform for people to rave about whatever music has touched them, and they feel people need to know about or reevaluate. Maybe that doesn't meet the remit of the unsung section but there you go.
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