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Thread: Ever Avoid a CD After Reading About It Here?

  1. #1
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Ever Avoid a CD After Reading About It Here?

    I'd like to think that we inspire people to buy much more music than avoid it, but I am curious.

    What was it and why?
    Last edited by Sean; 08-06-2016 at 12:07 PM.

  2. #2
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    Yes- Heaven And Earth. The reviews were too consistently poor.

  3. #3
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    Usually it is because I have bought a cd that got rave reviews by a few folks and found that I thought the music was not up to the hype.
    I generally "downvoted" reviews by those folks and wait till others that I trust more have added their thoughts.
    There are too many options when buying new and old music.
    I recognize that not all that is available ( and mentioned here ) is stuff that I would like.
    In fact there are pretty big chunks of the 'progressive rock' genre that leave me cold.
    That does not, and should not prevent others from hyping the shit out of their favorites.
    I have just learned to rely on multiple sources for my purchase decisions, unless I have direct knowledge of the band.
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
    -- Aristotle
    Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
    “A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain

  4. #4
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    Yes- Heaven And Earth. The reviews were too consistently poor.
    First one that came to mind. The reviews were ruthless so I've never heard a word.

  5. #5
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    Yeah. Whenever Walt posts a thread about a cd, i ignore it like the plague.That guy's musical taste is up his ass.What a loser.
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

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    Member Socrates's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by walt View Post
    Yeah. Whenever Walt posts a thread about a cd, i ignore it like the plague.That guy's musical taste is up his ass.What a loser.
    Thanks. I'll follow this advice in the future.

  7. #7
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Socrates View Post
    Thanks. I'll follow this advice in the future.
    A wise move.
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    First one that came to mind. The reviews were ruthless so I've never heard a word.
    Why not just listen on youtube to check it out? When I heard "Believe Again" I knew things where not off to propitious start, energy wise. I've bought a few CDs since I could listen first on youtube as well.

    I bought the Downes/Braide's CD a couple of years ago because someone liked it here and said it had way more energy than H&E, and I could at least listen to the opening track (or much of it) on youtube.

  9. #9
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Usually when someone I trust here comments, it's usually artists I have stuff by and want to explore further both don't want to get buried in dross. Later era Yes, Tangerine Dream, ELP and the like.
    Ian

    Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
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    I have heard that and a couple of other songs, but not the whole album. 'Believe Again' is a fairly poppy song with an unrelated instrumental section in the middle, as I recall, to try and 'prog it up', so to speak.

    The reviews on here (and indeed, elsewhere) told me that there were no buried treasures on it. It's an album I'd buy if I find it cheap, just for the collection, but it'll never be a priority.

    This was true of In The Hot Seat as well, I gave it a wide berth until 5/6 years ago, due to the reviews of that one. They were right...but there are three 'keepers' on it for me.

  11. #11
    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
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    No, people usually recommend me albums I should hear, not avoid.

  12. #12
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post
    Why not just listen on youtube to check it out? When I heard "Believe Again" I knew things where not off to propitious start, energy wise. I've bought a few CDs since I could listen first on youtube as well.

    I bought the Downes/Braide's CD a couple of years ago because someone liked it here and said it had way more energy than H&E, and I could at least listen to the opening track (or much of it) on youtube.
    I just wasn't motivated.

  13. #13
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    All the time. Way too many to mention.



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  14. #14
    The eons are closing
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    Absolutely.

    But not because it was dissed, but because of OTT rave reviews from peeps I know would buy deluxe campaign editions featuring hair clippings from the recording sessions.
    Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit

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    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    weeeeellllll, one could badmouth Dream Theater or Pendragon's latest album (or anyone of the others, FTM) here or on PA and it wouldn't entice to avoid it, since I avoid the whole bands and genres.

    More seriously, if I have an interest in an album, I"ll listen to parts anyways , despite negative reviews here or anywhere else

    Not sure I ever heard anything from the last two Jon-less yes albums.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  16. #16
    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    the good thing about PE is that some folk are real good at describing music and everybody likes different stuff

    I'm the kind of Prog fan that buys just about everything... except

    stuff with lots of vocals, so yeah, I have avoided things where the description indicates it has lots of and/or a dedicated vocalist who doesn't play one of the key instruments

    but that's only recently

    there was a time when people would rave about some album or it was highly rated on Gnosis so I sought it out and was extremely disappointed
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post
    Why not just listen on youtube to check it out?
    Exactly.. Youtube has saved me lots of money..

  18. #18
    If I see a post saying "check out this band!" on the front page, from a user newly-created ...I ignore them. I'm sure some of them are good...just don't like to encourage the spam.

    Not a band or album, but...a certain series of short-lived but annoying threads has ensured that I will never, ever, visit a certain snake oil website, "lads"

    Edit: actually, I somewhat take that back. Unlikely to ever listen to or buy a Flash or Syn album at this point. I don't mean to be unkind but at some point certain types of self-hype and/or clickbait just push me away.
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  19. #19
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NogbadTheBad View Post
    Usually when someone I trust here comments, it's usually artists I have stuff by and want to explore further both don't want to get buried in dross. Later era Yes, Tangerine Dream, ELP and the like.
    Yes, if it's people you have come to trust, a thumbs up or thumbs down can have a major effect.
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  20. #20
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post
    Why not just listen on youtube to check it out?
    Ultimately these days the written word only need to be something that sways you to check out sound clips to form your own opinion. I could do a random check on 10 new releases and likely find full tracks or albums for at least 8 of them available for streaming on YouTube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc.
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    Ordinary Idiot Captain Geech's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    Yes- Heaven And Earth. The reviews were too consistently poor.
    This one. After reading all the negative reviews, or people trying to convince themselves that "it isn't THAT bad"...I avoided it like the plague. But that's the only one.

  22. #22
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Geech View Post
    This one. After reading all the negative reviews, or people trying to convince themselves that "it isn't THAT bad"...I avoided it like the plague. But that's the only one.
    I think any release Yes related or something that is bound to have a 10-plus page thread discussing it, is going to be full of this sort of sentiment. It's very difficult to get credible reviews from "fanboys" as they tend to be in a little too deep for my tastes. They will listen to something 5 or 10 times, tell others that to do the same (it need to 'grow on you'), and perhaps lose a sense of perspective in the process.

    As such, these albums scream for the "let me hear with my own ears" before making a purchasing decision IMO.
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    Even some of their biggest cheerleaders on here (bongedezou, for instance!) weren't exactly effusive about Heaven And Earth, though. And nor was Steve Howe, before it was released.

    The 'just accept it's great and STOP WHINING!' brigade are never worth reading.

  24. #24
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    Never.
    Quite the opposite actually. I'm looking for something/anything to buy, the trouble is I'm going to have to really like it first. The prog cliché has been beat into the ground, and all I see are zombie-like imitations. (And I'm not talking about the PF, Yes, GG, ELP, etc. 'tribute' bands. That's a different cesspool...). Genre bending creativity seems quite rare (Orb, Sphongle, System 7, etc.) , but - then it's not 'Prog'.
    This website is the best thing ever. There's no shortage of opinions or genres discussed. Whether by a respected expert, a band member, fanboy , or an idiot, I'll take the yahoo's shoutout and Google it on YouTube. I'm looking for 'the next big thing' in my book, and I'll bet I find it here on PE. Film at 11.
    Yes, I bought Heaven and Hell. It's no classic, but it fills a spot in the Yes collection.

  25. #25
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    I don't think so. There are some really strong opinions here, and many seem ruthless, even cruelly so, about somebody's vision of what 'art' is to them, and musical tastes seem to be so all over the map that I just kind of take everyone's opinions with a grain of salt. I did listen to 'Heaven and Earth' and it wasn't really my thing, I didn't hate it, it just isn't really what I'm into, and there's so music I love, so I focus on that. I also don't give any considerations to 'subdivisions' of prog, whether symph, fusion, rio, neo, whatever... I buy whatever sounds good to me, and love anything from 'Big Big Train' to 'Thinking Plague' to 'Kenso' to 'Stereolab'. It's all great music to me.

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