The daunting task of distinguishing between a good review and a not-so-good review haunted me until I finally began the search. How am I supposed to review a reviewer, having never done a review myself? I began to flip through popular musical blogs and world renowned newspapers and periodicals.
The first questionable review I stumbled upon was on the self pronounced, “Essential guide to independent music and beyond”, and otherwise known as Pitchfork. Ian Cohen’s review of Weezer’s latest “Hurley” album left me with a dry mouth. I was unable to discern on any accounts what the album even remotely sounded like, but alas I will breathe easily at night knowing that “Nobody is going to confuse this with 1990’s Weezer.” Cohen skims around the actual sound and dives straight into the lyrics which he does little to expound upon his disdain for:
“Smart Girls” is laughably half-assed, which is more that I can say about lyrics that lack so badly for any sort of detail that you could simply replace “Smart” in the title with “Dumb” or any other Adjective.”
This review was written for those in the know; Weezer’s closest admirers or their harshest critics. It seems as though Cohen went on a tangent about all the reasons he hates Weezer, including in his diatribe their record label and of course lyrics but never really delves into why it is not up to his level musically.
My second chosen review of a show comes from the New York Times. Jon Carmanica opens his review with a bit of angst and arrogance when he mentions the arena the artists have chosen, “For Jay-Z to inaugurate the new Yankee Stadium as a concert hall: uninteresting. Playing for tens of thousands of hometown fans: been there.” My head begins to spin only for the fact that I find myself seeking the relevance. The artist must own their stage and not let it overpower them, how many other stages can these artists play, and ultimately, if there is a demand to see these artists why not hit the big stage?
I was able to appreciate the remainder of Carmanica’s review because I felt like I could truly envision the show and the artists that hit the stage. Each guest bringing a different element to the show in which Carmanica brought their persona to life in a rather colloquial way.
“A telling moment during his set came when Eminem re-emerged, rather quietly, to perform their collaboration, “Renegade.” On record, it’s two titans squaring off, but here it felt like two giants conscious of each other’s space.”
I feel like this review went into all different aspects of watching a live show. I especially enjoyed the fact that there was historical dating mentioned with nearly every song. He took the time to parlay through every song and surprise guest
Weezer, “Hurley” (Epitaph, 2010)
Review by Ian Cohen of Pitchfork.com
Jay-Z and Eminem’s “Home and Home Tour” (Yankee Stadium, 1 E. 161st Street NY)
Review by Jon Carmanica of the New York Times
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