Dear Will Hodgkinson,
I write this letter with the utmost respect, really I do. I wouldn’t go out and buy The Times every Saturday if I didn’t maintain that the quality of its journalism is undoubtedly outstanding. I have one bugbear; something that sits across the music press but which is highlighted by your review of Rihanna’s Talk That Talk this week.
More people are accessing more music in more varieties from more sources than ever before. It’s a thrilling age for music fans; a vastly increasing demographic whose tastes have become highly unpredictable. Beyond this, in the digital age music lovers are accessing previews of records online, reading widely around them via the blogosphere and are making their minds up before the music press goes to print. The quality of these blogs aside, it’s clear that the people behind them are getting the point of music releases; they’re exciting. The fact that the blogosphere is conveying a text-speak written but nevertheless enthusiastic zeal for music (and one that comes free of charge) makes it a constant threat to intelligent and informed music journalism.
Before you assume this a gripe about the need to be EXCITED! ABOUT! ALL! MAINSTREAM! AND! POPULAR! RELEASES! REGARDLESS! OF! REAL! OPINION! ALL! THE! TIME!, please bear with me. Plenty people won’t be won over by the Rihanna album. To that effect, it’s a 3-star album. Those who enjoy that sort of thing will, but those who don’t won’t. Fine.
Not fine. Those unaffected by the Rihanna release aren’t going to be really interested in what journos have to say, are they? Those most likely to read the review are the listeners anticipating the release, who may have heard some of it and await a professional’s entertaining and argued assessment. To me, there is one key ingredient lacking across the board of music titles and newspaper sections, which has nothing to do with star ratings. I am filled with dread by the concept of five star rating systems; the amount of 3-star film reviews I’ve written in the past year is embarrassing. This is about the reviews themselves, and more importantly, the reviewers commissioned to write.
Read More
