The Rating Thread

[len(songs)]

is anyone even reading this thread? lol

2 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 2 anonymous users

 

len(songs)*

 

I've also seen quite a few other members reading this thread... just not many have replied.

 

I have read all of your reviews though...

Edited December 27, 2014 by len(songs)

[Mr. Not]

is anyone even reading this thread? lol

 

No less than other elaborate reading/rating threads are read here. I've looked at all your ratings and read half of your reviews, if it at all helps your confidence to know that

Edited December 27, 2014 by Mr. Not

[bluefox4000]

i'm reading em........the rating system exploded my brain so i won't be writing one.

 

much as i know i'm the most important reviewer here, lol

 

yea......not really Mick, lol

 

Mick

[len(songs)]

i'm reading em........the rating system exploded my brain so i won't be writing one.

 

much as i know i'm the most important reviewer here, lol

 

yea......not really Mick, lol

 

Mick

Which part confused you, the numbery-lettery bits or the "out of 15" part?

Edited December 27, 2014 by len(songs)

[EagleMoon]

I'm looking at them but to be honest it seems like a goofy way to rate something. Instead of assigning numbers, which is kind of pointless, it would make more sense to just write out a paragraph about each song. But then it's all personal opinion anyway. :) Edited December 27, 2014 by EagleMoon

[bluefox4000]

i'm reading em........the rating system exploded my brain so i won't be writing one.

 

much as i know i'm the most important reviewer here, lol

 

yea......not really Mick, lol

 

Mick

Which part confused you, the numbery-lettery bits or the "out of 15" part?

 

number/Letters mainly.

 

Mick

Edited December 27, 2014 by bluefox4000

[Segue Myles]

i'm reading em........the rating system exploded my brain so i won't be writing one.

 

much as i know i'm the most important reviewer here, lol

 

yea......not really Mick, lol

 

Mick

Which part confused you, the numbery-lettery bits or the "out of 15" part?

 

number/Letters mainly.

 

Mick

 

I just go with the flow...

[Segue Myles]

i think i get it!

[len(songs)]

i think i get it!

Well, none of your ratings seemed to disagree with your reviews... so I'm going to have to agree :)

[Segue Myles]

i think i get it!

Well, none of your ratings seemed to disagree with your reviews... so I'm going to have to agree :)

 

Yay!

 

It seems an interesting method of rating, but maybe best for those who obsess over lists (like me!).

[Mr. Not]

the part that got me was 10's role...

 

1 - 9 = 1 - 9

A-F = 10-15

10 = 16 (basically)

[len(songs)]

the part that got me was 10's role...

 

1 - 9 = 1 - 9

A-F = 10-15

10 = 16 (basically)

That did lead to a bit of a mishap... I was thinking "Is Up The Downstair really one of his favorite records of all time?"

Edited December 27, 2014 by len(songs)

[Mr. Not]

the part that got me was 10's role...

 

1 - 9 = 1 - 9

A-F = 10-15

10 = 16 (basically)

That did lead to a bit of a mishap... I was thinking "Is Up The Downstair really one of his favorite records of all time?"

 

Well it's set in stone now ;)

 

It's okay, if the entire album was of the quality and uniqueness of Synesthesia / Always Never then it likely would be one of my all time favorites.

[len(songs)]

Oh yeah, and an explanation of the "rubric" for the album grades (mostly copied over from JMF's site):

10 (16 base-10): The pantheon of my collection. Only about a dozen albums crack this tier. A++.

F (15 base-10): All-time great. No real reason for failing to crack the 10 barrier other than gut feeling (len's note: Disagree with this, I always saw the difference as a lack of something to make an album truly "special" along with "just" great songs). A+

E (14 base-10): Great, close to the all-time level. Solid A to low A+

D (13 base-10): Great, bordering on very good. Solid A- to low A.

C (12 base-10): Very good, bordering on great. Definite A-.

B (11 base-10): Very good. B+ or A- depending on my mood. Any album with this rating or above should be considered to have a "must own" recommendation from me.

A (10 base-10): Very good, bordering on good. Low B+.

9: Good. Solid B.

8: Good, bordering on mediocre. Solid B- to low B.

7: Mediocre, bordering on good. Solid C+ to low B-.

6: Mediocre. Solid C to low C+.

5: Mediocre, bordering on bad. Solid C- to low C.

4: Bad, bordering on mediocre. Solid D+ to low C-.

3: Bad. Low D- to low D+.

2: FAIL. F.

1: BEYOND FAIL.

0: I don't even want to try to comprehend what kind of album would get a 0 on this scale.

Edited December 28, 2014 by len(songs)

[len(songs)]

Hmmm... I would post some Beatles ratings (later stuff mostly) but there's not much that I could say about them that hasn't already been said a few thousand times... Edited December 29, 2014 by len(songs)

[len(songs)]

Shit, I need to do that Apostrophe review

 

Though I would rather do Overnite Sensation first...

[Segue Myles]

Buckingham Nicks- Buckingham Nicks

 

1. Races Are Run 15/15

2. Stephanie 12/15

3. Without A Leg To Stand On 13/15

4. Crystal 13/15

5. Long Distance Winner 14/15

6. Don't Let Me Down Again 14/15

7. Django 12/15

8. *Races Are Run* 15/15

9. <Lola (My Love)> 11/15

10. Frozen Love 15/15

 

Average Rating: 13.4 (Rating D)

 

My Rating: E

 

A fantastic little album, this predates Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's debut appearance with Fleetwood Mac by two years, and yet it is amazing how solid the soon to be ubiquitous Rumours-era sound is on this album. Beautiful melodies, and some stunning guitar work combined with the ethereal grace of both members voices make this a must have for all Fleetwood Mac fans.

 

My definite highlight is the gorgeous ballad Races Are Run, one of my favourite songs and a lost classic. How they overlooked this song for the Fleetwood Mac album is beyond my comprehension, especially considering they used the less impressive (but strong in its own right) Crystal instead. Races Are Run would have surely become a major fan favourite given half the chance!

 

Not that I want to knock the instrumentals, but Stephanie would have surely been better served with lyrics, and as it is Django feels a tad unsubstantial. But it works perfectly as a segue into Races Are Run.

 

Lola (My Love) is a rather lacklustre moment that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Races Are Run would have perfectly set up the drama of Frozen Love, which is just beyond all words a masterful classic that, again, could have stormed the charts if they used this with Fleetwood Mac.

 

Yes, I have compared this album to FM several times in this review, but considering Nicks and Buckingham essentially continued this sound with the one time blues giants, such comparisons are fair.

 

It is such a shame that this beautiful record has never seen an official re-release since its vinyl debut, as it is obvious after one spin that the myriads of Mac fans worldwide would eat this up in droves.

 

I have raised the rating from the average based score of D to E, as the strongest songs on this release are amongst my top tier favourite songs.

[len(songs)]

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (1973)

*Dancing With The Moonlit Knight*: 15/15

I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe): 12/15

Firth Of Fifth: 14/15

<More Fool Me>: 10/15

The Battle Of Epping Forest: 13/15

After The Ordeal: 12/15

The Cinema Show: 13/15

Aisle Of Plenty: [ ]/15

 

Overall rating: E (Great)

My second favorite Genesis record, and often the crux of their legend for "prog-era" fans. While I wouldn't go that far (I prefer Foxtrot by a slim margin), it's not hard to see why: this record claims a near perfect balance between accessibility and complexity (as opposed to Foxtrot, where complexity was generally favored, though this isn't really a problem for me), with song after song of both great melodies and busy arrangements (with a few exceptions). Dancing With The Moonlit Knight demonstrates this right away, taking its place as one of the greatest Genesis songs of all time, starting out with Gabriel a capella vocals and gradually building to a bombastic chorus, as Gabriel calls us to "follow on, 'till the gold is cold", before launching into one of my favorite Genesis instrumental breaks, with Hackett demonstrating many of his favored guitar techniques, before ominous keyboards kick in and lead us to a huge climax, before Hackett reprises his previous parts in reverse order. As Hackett ends his demonstration, ominous mellotron choirs kick in and Gabriel takes us back to the cold reality of modern-day England with lines such as "laying out the credit cards she plays fortune", leading to another bombastic chorus (this time with a "boppy" section inserted for no clear reason, but which still works just as well), before Banks takes the spotlight with his break. Hackett gets another, more "normal" solo in, before everything comes to a halt and a high-pitched acoustic part is repeated as the song fades out. Coming out of this, we hear the sound of a lawnmower fade in, launching into I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe), a funny little pop song that I used to hate for whatever reason, but which I find just fine now, with ridiculous lyrics about a cross-dressing lawn mower and interesting percussion parts during the "spoken" sections. I still find the oboe solo near the end a bit irritating, but otherwise the song is great, with an entertaining (not to mention catchy-as-hell) chorus interpolating with a half-spoken, half-sung verse as our dear mower's back story is explained. Not the most musically substantial thing on the album, but extremely enjoyable nonetheless. Next is the longer-form Firth Of Fifth, with somewhat stupid (Banks-written, not surprisingly) lyrics that only slightly mar an otherwise flawless track, with an amazing piano-intro by Banks and perhaps Hackett's best-known solo. Now, the next track is weaker, but I still like it. More Fool Me is a somewhat go-nowhere acoustic ballad (wih Phil singing lead), but this is redeemed by the very good chorus, even if it's still easily the worst track on here. Up next is the insane The Battle Of Epping Forest, which bounds through several different sections in the first few minutes before we come to the tale of the Reverend and his fall into sin. The story is a hoot anyway, even if it has nothing to do with the main story of a gang battle (inspired by a real story Gabriel read in the news), which, by the way, is one of the most hilarious you'll hear in a musical context. Next is the pleasant Hackett-led instrumental After The Ordeal, which may strike one as somewhat unnecessary on first listen, but which works marvelously following the bombastic conclusion of Battle. Up next is The Cinema Show, with a gorgeous (albeit more than a little reminiscent of Lover's Leap from Supper's Ready) first part followed by a five minute keyboard solo that may well be Banks's defining moment. Closing the album we get the reprise Aisle Of Plenty, recycling parts of DWTMN (though feeling a bit disjointed at times), before the album fades out with Gabriel ranting over the "fat old lady" part. There may not be any new material introduced here but it remains essential as the capstone to the album, and a while I may prefer Foxtrot in the long run it's not hard to see why this album gets as much attention as it does, and after all I nearly do prefer it to Foxtrot. This should be one of your first two Genesis purchases (for the prog era), along with Foxtrot, to get acquainted with their general sound in that era.

Edited December 28, 2014 by len(songs)

[movinghemispheres]

Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying (1990)

 

1. Tailgunner 10/15

2. Holy Smoke 07/15

3. No Prayer for the Dying 11/15

4. Public Enema Number One 08/15

5. Fates Warning 09/15

6. The Assassin 09/15

7. Run Silent Run Deep 11/15

8. Hooks in You 07/15

9. Bring your Daughter to the Slaughter 08/15

10. Mother Russia 10/15

 

Overall rating: 09

The 90's didn't start that well for Iron Maiden. After seven albums in a row ranking from great to perfect (more details on later reviews), the 8th one is a true disappointment. Maiden decided to go back and write short rockers à la Killers instead of the epic songs they've been doing during the last few albums. But what worked ten years before doesn't work anymore, the songs aren't that bad, it's just that there is almost nothing you will remember once you've finished listening to the album. Apart from one or two nice songs like the title track (even this one sounds like it could have been longer but they deliberately decided to keep it at 4 minutes), there is nothing great in here. Let's not even mention Bruce's vocals, by far his worst in years (the only exception being the end of Run silent run deep, where for a few seconds he has that nice and clear voice again). So, not a bad album to listen to from time to time but not one you will be like "oh yeah, this is the album that has that great song, the one that starts with that killer riff or that amazing melody...and so on"

Edited December 28, 2014 by movinghemispheres

[Mr. Not]

Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun (2000)

10/15 Lightbulb Sun

11/15 How is Your Life Today

11/15 Four Chords That Made a Milion

12/15 Shesmovedon

13/15 Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before it is Recycled

10/15 <The Rest Will Flow>

12/15 Hatesong

12/15 Where We Would Be

13/15 *Russia on Ice*

12/15 Feel So Low

12/15 Buying New Soul

 

Rating: B

 

My last rating

My last Porcupine Tree rating

Edited December 28, 2014 by Mr. Not

[len(songs)]

I'm looking at them but to be honest it seems like a goofy way to rate something. Instead of assigning numbers, which is kind of pointless, it would make more sense to just write out a paragraph about each song. But then it's all personal opinion anyway. :)

There are some albums where the album is easier to write about than the songs themselves without going into too much detail, and there will also inevitably be some songs where it's too tricky to expand or compress your thoughts about them into a paragraph. Also, ratings are quite effective at setting the "mood" for a review, as well as giving a quick outlook on songs that the reviewer may not have gone into too much detail on.

[Mr. Not]

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (2003)

10/15 Blackest Eyes

09/15 Trains

09/15 Lips of Ashes

06/15 <Sound of Muzak>

13/15 *Gravity Eyelids*

08/15 Wedding Nails

12/15 Prodigal

10/15 The Creator Has a Mastertape

13/15 Heartattack in a Layby

12/15 Strip the Soul

10/15 Collapse The Light Into Earth

12/15 Drown With Me

13/15 Chloroform

 

Rating: 8

 

Wedding Nails & The Creator Has a Mastertape particularly go on for too long, the song lengths of both could have been cut by a necessary third if written more effectively. The two non-lowlight songs that I rated 10/15 I find to be rather generic: Collapse Light into Earth being maybe a Taylor Swift ballad only with more sophisticated lyrics and orchestration. Blackest Eyes, again, is slightly more sophisticated than what I may associate it with (a song most alternative metal bands could've created) but I do not find it to be elevated from the norm (for a reggae song I don't favor, I sure reference vital signs a lot!) enough to be anything special or worth listening to often. So those songs have received 10/15s, which I see as 6/10, or "barely passing". Sound of Muzak is my least favorite song of the album, if I ever listen to this song, it's for Gavin's drumming on it. How does arrogant Wilson justify making a song criticizing the music industry when he uses a chorus like that? And ending the song with "ba-da-bap, ba-da-badabada"? Maybe this is supposed to be some sort of attempt at musical satire? But then, this isn't the first or last time he embraced pop. Much like with Radiohead's OK Computer, I think In Absentia is PT's most successful album as it reaches audiences from outside of PT's fans, and the album appeases more to "demographic gives what you want" ;)

The songs I've italicized represent what the album does offer to me, and if I were to isolate those tracks in their own album and call it "In Essentia", the album would get a B likely (since the other tracks wouldn't weigh down / drag on the album).

Edited December 29, 2014 by Mr. Not

[Segue Myles]

I have to say, this method of rating and the sharing of reviews is fun!

[len(songs)]

I have to say, this method of rating and the sharing of reviews is fun!

Agreed... I was hoping for a bit more discussion of the reviews themselves but I think the thread is going well as is. Are you tackling Buckingham Nicks/Fleetwood Mac next?

[Segue Myles]

I have to say, this method of rating and the sharing of reviews is fun!

Agreed... I was hoping for a bit more discussion of the reviews themselves but I think the thread is going well as is. Are you tackling Buckingham Nicks/Fleetwood Mac next?

 

Yes! Then maybe No Doubt or someone obscure.

 

I am trying to do bands and artists that aren't typical Rush fan favourites!