100 Ratings - Music - Forums : Best Ever Albums

babyBlueSedan
Used to be sort of blind, now can sort of see

Gender: Male

AfterHours wrote:

Probably because his views and ratings (discounting exaggerations in certain points on his Beatles page), tend to follow a consistent flow of applied and uniform logic (whether one agrees with his logic or not) plus the obvious conviction and persistence in the scope of his work, and so is difficult to discount entirely, and this probably strikes a nerve or sustains interest (depending on one's opinion of him/his views).

Is it possible that this is just what appeals to you (and other who like him) about Scaruffi? When I read his reviews I can definitely see the patterns in the things that he likes. But his writing just bores me, as he focuses so much more on composition and uniqueness than the emotional impact he gets from the music. Which is fine for some people, but I don't search for albums with certain song structures or textures or whatnot. I'm sure if I paid more attention to Christgau or Fantano or anyone I could gather similar patterns in their tastes even if they describe them in ways that don't necessarily adhere to strict guidelines.

My opinion on this comes from the fact that the only reason I listen to music is because it's fun and I form an emotional connection to what I listen to. I look for things that I find relatable based on my own experiences and well as things that keep my interest. I can't explain why I like the guitar tones Modest Mouse used on their early albums, or why the sound of the drums on Slanted and Enchanted always draw me in, or why Kanye saying "uh" at the start of "Good Morning" will cheer me up no matter what mood I'm in. And part of me doesn't want to know why - if I start approaching music from a more analytical angle I think I would stop enjoying it. Sure, I'll check out highly rated releases and I strive to become more well versed in different genres and artists, but it's not because I simply want to learn more about music or become a better reviewer. I'm just always on the prowl for new music that I really enjoy and can be passionate about.

I don't want to bring up objectivity vs subjectivity again but I think it's important to remember that everyone approaches music with different experiences viewpoints. Some people heard Father John Misty's latest album and heard an incisive take down of modern trends and human vices. I heard a boring slog of an album with a bunch of vague sloganeering without any particularly fresh criticisms. No amount of debate is going to determine who is right, and I don't think either opinion necessarily is right. But both opinions are valuable - they can help others who usually agree with the holder of each opinion figure out whether the album might be worth their time. But a debate about the album where one party is simply trying to convince the other that they listened to the album wrong or evaluated it incorrectly isn't going to go anywhere. No amount of debate is going to convince me that the FJM album isn't terrible, the only thing that can do that is the music - if I listen again I might form a different opinion on it. But even then, I'm not going to listen to an album I don't like over and over just because it got good reviews and I might end up liking it. I listen to music for fun, and listening to things I don't like because others are encouraging me to is not fun.

So I guess to sum up, I don't find it terribly necessary for anyone to defend why they like the Beatles, or any artist for that matter. I love reading gushing reviews of albums because it shows the true passion that some listeners have for music. But any explanation that comes from someone being asked to explain why they like something is probably going to be a bit defensive and not straight from the heart. And I would question why anyone would care that a large group of people enjoy an artist that they don't really care for - it doesn't stop you from listening to the music you enjoy. I agree theirs a bit of elitism in this and it almost feels like trying to make others better music listeners but I digress...

To answer the original question, I've rated around 30 of 1700 albums a 100. I like keeping this number fairly low but also high enough so that others can see what albums really epitomize my taste in music.
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theblueboy

AAL2014 wrote:

RockyRaccoon wrote:

If I were a prospective new member of this forum, I’d read this thread and run as fast as I can.

I’m starting to see a bit of truth in Romanelli’s frequent complaint of a sense of elitism in these forums.

You must not have been here for the Nevermind thread then.

I personally didn't feel there was any elitism on this thread but Ive not read everything so might have missed something. People don't always like it when someone disagrees with them but surely this is fair game on a forum like this as long as this is conveyed respectfully. Seemed like that was the case but as I said I didn't read everything.

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

babyBlueSedan wrote:

Is it possible that this is just what appeals to you (and other who like him) about Scaruffi? When I read his reviews I can definitely see the patterns in the things that he likes. But his writing just bores me, as he focuses so much more on composition and uniqueness than the emotional impact he gets from the music. Which is fine for some people, but I don't search for albums with certain song structures or textures or whatnot. I'm sure if I paid more attention to Christgau or Fantano or anyone I could gather similar patterns in their tastes even if they describe them in ways that don't necessarily adhere to strict guidelines.

My opinion on this comes from the fact that the only reason I listen to music is because it's fun and I form an emotional connection to what I listen to. I look for things that I find relatable based on my own experiences and well as things that keep my interest. I can't explain why I like the guitar tones Modest Mouse used on their early albums, or why the sound of the drums on Slanted and Enchanted always draw me in, or why Kanye saying "uh" at the start of "Good Morning" will cheer me up no matter what mood I'm in. And part of me doesn't want to know why - if I start approaching music from a more analytical angle I think I would stop enjoying it. Sure, I'll check out highly rated releases and I strive to become more well versed in different genres and artists, but it's not because I simply want to learn more about music or become a better reviewer. I'm just always on the prowl for new music that I really enjoy and can be passionate about.

I don't want to bring up objectivity vs subjectivity again but I think it's important to remember that everyone approaches music with different experiences viewpoints. Some people heard Father John Misty's latest album and heard an incisive take down of modern trends and human vices. I heard a boring slog of an album with a bunch of vague sloganeering without any particularly fresh criticisms. No amount of debate is going to determine who is right, and I don't think either opinion necessarily is right. But both opinions are valuable - they can help others who usually agree with the holder of each opinion figure out whether the album might be worth their time. But a debate about the album where one party is simply trying to convince the other that they listened to the album wrong or evaluated it incorrectly isn't going to go anywhere. No amount of debate is going to convince me that the FJM album isn't terrible, the only thing that can do that is the music - if I listen again I might form a different opinion on it. But even then, I'm not going to listen to an album I don't like over and over just because it got good reviews and I might end up liking it. I listen to music for fun, and listening to things I don't like because others are encouraging me to is not fun.

So I guess to sum up, I don't find it terribly necessary for anyone to defend why they like the Beatles, or any artist for that matter. I love reading gushing reviews of albums because it shows the true passion that some listeners have for music. But any explanation that comes from someone being asked to explain why they like something is probably going to be a bit defensive and not straight from the heart. And I would question why anyone would care that a large group of people enjoy an artist that they don't really care for - it doesn't stop you from listening to the music you enjoy. I agree theirs a bit of elitism in this and it almost feels like trying to make others better music listeners but I digress...

To answer the original question, I've rated around 30 of 1700 albums a 100. I like keeping this number fairly low but also high enough so that others can see what albums really epitomize my taste in music.

I don't know if I'm right or wrong about the sustained appeal/disdain of Scaruffi, it's just a general hunch about the whole thing. Maybe something worth discussing (doubtful), but if so, on another thread...

I think, in general, I agree with you about the rest, but regardless, the gist of it has already been replied to in various posts/ways (if I'm not mistaken), so forgive me for not doing so again...
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

AfterHours wrote:

babyBlueSedan wrote:

Is it possible that this is just what appeals to you (and other who like him) about Scaruffi? When I read his reviews I can definitely see the patterns in the things that he likes. But his writing just bores me, as he focuses so much more on composition and uniqueness than the emotional impact he gets from the music. Which is fine for some people, but I don't search for albums with certain song structures or textures or whatnot. I'm sure if I paid more attention to Christgau or Fantano or anyone I could gather similar patterns in their tastes even if they describe them in ways that don't necessarily adhere to strict guidelines.

My opinion on this comes from the fact that the only reason I listen to music is because it's fun and I form an emotional connection to what I listen to. I look for things that I find relatable based on my own experiences and well as things that keep my interest. I can't explain why I like the guitar tones Modest Mouse used on their early albums, or why the sound of the drums on Slanted and Enchanted always draw me in, or why Kanye saying "uh" at the start of "Good Morning" will cheer me up no matter what mood I'm in. And part of me doesn't want to know why - if I start approaching music from a more analytical angle I think I would stop enjoying it. Sure, I'll check out highly rated releases and I strive to become more well versed in different genres and artists, but it's not because I simply want to learn more about music or become a better reviewer. I'm just always on the prowl for new music that I really enjoy and can be passionate about.

I don't want to bring up objectivity vs subjectivity again but I think it's important to remember that everyone approaches music with different experiences viewpoints. Some people heard Father John Misty's latest album and heard an incisive take down of modern trends and human vices. I heard a boring slog of an album with a bunch of vague sloganeering without any particularly fresh criticisms. No amount of debate is going to determine who is right, and I don't think either opinion necessarily is right. But both opinions are valuable - they can help others who usually agree with the holder of each opinion figure out whether the album might be worth their time. But a debate about the album where one party is simply trying to convince the other that they listened to the album wrong or evaluated it incorrectly isn't going to go anywhere. No amount of debate is going to convince me that the FJM album isn't terrible, the only thing that can do that is the music - if I listen again I might form a different opinion on it. But even then, I'm not going to listen to an album I don't like over and over just because it got good reviews and I might end up liking it. I listen to music for fun, and listening to things I don't like because others are encouraging me to is not fun.

So I guess to sum up, I don't find it terribly necessary for anyone to defend why they like the Beatles, or any artist for that matter. I love reading gushing reviews of albums because it shows the true passion that some listeners have for music. But any explanation that comes from someone being asked to explain why they like something is probably going to be a bit defensive and not straight from the heart. And I would question why anyone would care that a large group of people enjoy an artist that they don't really care for - it doesn't stop you from listening to the music you enjoy. I agree theirs a bit of elitism in this and it almost feels like trying to make others better music listeners but I digress...

To answer the original question, I've rated around 30 of 1700 albums a 100. I like keeping this number fairly low but also high enough so that others can see what albums really epitomize my taste in music.

I don't know if I'm right or wrong about the sustained appeal/disdain of Scaruffi, it's just a general hunch about the whole thing. Maybe something worth discussing (doubtful), but if so, on another thread...

I think, in general, I agree with you about the rest, but regardless, the gist of it has already been replied to in various posts/ways (if I'm not mistaken), so forgive me for not doing so again...

Re: Scaruffi ... Thinking about it a little more, certainly his views on the Beatles and some of the more obscure acts he champions gained him notoriety and made him semi-famous. So that's a factor in the sustained disdain and/or interest...

It is interesting to note that the older his choices go (such as his Classical, painting or literature selections), the less obscure they tend to get, and the more critical consensus seems to agree with him. So it will be interesting to see (if it happens in our lifetime) if his more recent obscure choices eventually gain a lot of acclaim too -- not that this would necessarily render them any more or less valid...
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Last edited by AfterHours on 12/24/2017 06:37; edited 1 time in total

creator

Age: 36
Location: chicago

I don't have anything meaningful to add to the discussion, but has anyone read Scaruffi's conscious-centric approach to quantum mechanics and relativity? It feels like he read a few summaries of the subjects and then wrote a book report on them with his own interpretations. It's all very bizarre and frequently misleading.

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

creator wrote:

I don't have anything meaningful to add to the discussion, but has anyone read Scaruffi's conscious-centric approach to quantum mechanics and relativity? It feels like he read a few summaries of the subjects and then wrote a book report on them with his own interpretations. It's all very bizarre and frequently misleading.

I haven't. I generally don't pay attention to his views outside of art.
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