No Spoilers

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

One reason I don't read music reviews much: if there's something really good in a record - a lyric or moment or inflection or bit of 'punctum', whatever you like - it's tempting as a reviewer to write about that. (Right?)

But then doesn't that moment lose its impact for the person who listens having read? Or - worse maybe - gets too much emphasis or impact?

Should reviews come with spoiler warnings? Should reviewers avoid quoting particularly great lines? How do you feel when a particularly good writer infiltrates your hearing of a song?

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

this is exactly why my favourite way of reading reviews is after i've heard the album - to compare and contrast my view with the writer's. i've never used them as consumer guides: all it takes for me to want to investigate a song or album is for the right person to say "this is good".

the other problem with reviewers talking of puncta, great moments etc, is that they're built up too much and there's heightened expectation, where it's always possible that the greatness of the moment came from the surprise factor in the first place (eg "I know what you're thinkin'! You been thinkin' 'bout my butt!"). (the same goes for reviews of albums in which particular songs are highlighted.)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes and listening to the moments you're forever aware that you're kind of listening to them through someone else's ears - maybe it's precious of me to get annoyed by that, though.

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

Only partially relevant - in the sense that critical highlighting could be classified as metadata - but have you read this (http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2006/01/new_musical_exp.html) lengthy, slightly fusty, but worthwhile essay on technology and music?

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

oh bah i really MUST finish my ahem chef d'oeuvre (then ppl will cite me and not eisenberg) (or possibly not)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Best spoiler of album = seeing said band do it at a gig

eg MES & His teh Falls, MIA viz the only new albums I've heard this year like