WTF Comments: Everyone’s a Critic edition

MUPPET-CRITICS

WTF Comments II: Everyone’s a Critic edition

Jeez, everyone’s a critic these days! Even critics have critics! Welcome to another installment of WTF Comments. This time I collected comments from readers who had a bone (or two, or three) to pick with my reviews!  I realize that sometimes my reviews can be a bit acerbic, but I calls ’em like I sees ’em.  Sometimes I can be a bit harsh, but it’s all in fun.  It serves me right to have some critics of my own take some shots at me! First up, Bryan did not like my 3.5/5 (70%) review for the Rival Sons. Bryan’s comment was lengthy so I took the liberty of highlighting the parts I like best!

your gimmicky comment is idiotic. They record with real vintage gear because they are trying to create that vibe not for one song, but that’s who they are and frankly I’m glad. So much of what is out now is 150 tracks of productions and tricks that cater to the ADD society who needs a new sound effect coming at them every 10 seconds to keep their attention. Just enjoy the fact that these are guys are setting up a few mics into some of the best gear studios can pull out of the closet and they deliver great songs that they can actually reproduce live with backing tracks…hey, there’s a concept. If you can appreciate that you shouldn’t be reviewing music…you know..music???

also, STOP comparing them to Led Zeppelin just because the drums are open mic’d and there’s space. Go back and read the reviews when Zep was playing…the critics killed them…but somehow now their the greatest thing ever. Have you ever hear them live? I love Zep but Jay Buchanan can hit EVERY note on the album live, Plant couldn’t do that a lot of the time. But I don’t even compare the two, just enjoy the band without having to pigeon hole them. Basically your saying here’s this band, but we don’t really validate them because I heard something similar before. The album has potential…Geez.. the album kicks ass so just get past yourself and get on board. How about this for a review…”Hey everyone, in this day and age of laptops and samples, finally a band just plugs in and records to tape and here it is…enjoy some great rock with soul and vibe and enjoy these guys laying it out there while not pitch correcting and time aligning everything. AND, when you see them live they’ll sound like what you heard on your iPod, how refreshing. Rival Sons should be applauded and you should buy the CD”.

:-)

Thanks, Bryan!  I always thought being compared to the mighty Zeppelin was quite a compliment, myself. Then there’s Dave.  Dave also does not think much of my writing skills, in regards to Triumph’s 1986 turd The Sport of Kings:

This article is pretty lame. Please do some research before you post stuff like this. Triumph had issue with the producer Ron Nevison. He wanted them to have a hit single and he was trying to craft the songs to be radio friendly. The band had been pretty much cranking out an album a year for the whole decade and touring in between and the record company was demanding more. The band was spent! Some of the songs aren’t as strong as previous outings, but it sounds like you were never much of a fan in the first place. Never be embarrassed about the music you like…whether it’s Triumph, Kenny G or Michael Jackson. I like what I like and i don’t care what anyone else thinks!

Somebody needs to tell Dave that you don’t have to be “much of a fan” to write a music review!

Then lastly, there’s scm.  He or she isn’t a person of many words, but smc didn’t think too much of my Man of Steel movie review.

You continue writing articles about what great screen writers & film makers bring son. Man of Steel 4.5/5.

For the record: I am not scm’s son!  Hope you enjoyed these comments.

 

36 comments

        1. You know what Derek, it’s not just “lame”…it was “pretty lame”. That’s a whole other level above just “lame”. So I guess he really didn’t like my review.

          I asked him to point out anything factually incorrect that I said in my review. There wasn’t anything.

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  5. Yeah the “do your research ” comment at u is classic! Mike,let’s call a spade a spade as in if it wasn’t for us writing about Triumph whether it’s good Triumph(Allied Forces) or piss poor watered down AOR sap Gil crooning Triumph(Sport Of Kings) no one would be talking about Triumph…..so Fuck EM all !
    If Ya don’t like it……..Move On(Stanley would be proud)
    Keep doing what your doing man……

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    1. He did make one point, which is he felt Progressions of Power was their worst album. I’ll definitely have to give that a listen and decide for myself, in review form.

      Either way that doesn’t excuse Sport of Kings from being a sellout piece of junk.

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        1. I think the first album is incredible. I love Rock and Roll Machine, the original version. I am not sure I own Progressions. I have a lot of Triumph vinyl and it’s not all together right now. I’m sure I can find it cheap though.

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  6. Bryan. It is hard to take you seriously when you can’t spell Brian correctly. But seriously, I missed your incorrectlyn spelled name on the Rival Sons records since you were obviously there during the recording and production process, since you know they just plug in the mikes and record. I think I might take your advice and see them live when they play Toronto in May, but I am confused as to how the band that is saving rick n roll, and has a lead singer that is way better than Robert Plant is playing a bar for $20, and not a huge stadium. Perhaps if LeBrain had given them the coveted 5/5 review.

    As for Triumph. They are the first band I ever saw live. 1985. Thunder 7 tour. This night goes down in my top ten list. One of those days that even 30 years later I remember every detail. I can relate to this album review. This album was one of those I had to buy, all of my friends had it. We listened to it endlessly, but in listening to it now it doesn’t hold up. I agree both with Mike and Dave here. Triumph had issues with the producer but they had internal problems that were even bigger. Think Van Halen circa 1984/1985. Some members wanted to experiment and go more radio friendly, some wanted straight ahead rock. It worked for Van Hagar, it did not work for Rik Emmet or Triumph. It was sad to see my favourite Canadian band at the time fighting and not playing the way the did on previous albums. I would have given this album a 2.5/5 but mainly for sentimental reasons. P.S. Dave. I take exception to the comment about Mike not being a Triumph fan. In his reviews he will tell you upfront if he is not a fan of a band. I got a different perspective. He was, and still is a fan of the band and was upset that this album let him down. All the while praising many previous albums. If I were in a band, I would want fans like him to tell me when I screwed up, so I could fix my mistakes. Kind of like Weezer apologizing to their fans on the new(ish) song Back to the Shack “Sorry guys I didn’t realize that I needed you so much, I thought I’d get a new audience, I forgot that disco sucks…..” I must say I am jealous that some others here got to see the Triumph reunion. For a Canadian boy, this was a real snub by the band. We are going to reunite for 2 shows. Oklahoma and Sweden. Sorry, thousands of Canadian fans that have waited for 25 years for this day. No shows for you. I have seen Rik Emmet live numerous times, and he is still on my top 10 best guitarist list, but it is not the same without Triumph.

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    1. HAHAHAHAHAH Brian wins the comments today. Oh my God you made me have to clean coffee off my keyboard man. “If only LeBrain had given them the coveted 5/5…” Yeah exactly man!

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    2. And Brian it really is a puzzle to me why Triumph have not played more gigs. I know they always say Gil is really busy, or Rik is really busy. Well to quote Gil Moore, “It takes time to make time,” and we’ve been waiting. I’m glad we got a Sweden Rock DVD out of it — one of the best Triumph live releases yet in my opinion.

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  7. I still have a sealed copy of Triumph at the US Festival I have yet to open. I don’t know why I haven’t watched it yet. I guess I am waiting for the right time. I am still holding out hope for a proper reunion with Canadian shows. Perhaps if I watch it before then it will never happen.

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    1. Brian I know you were speaking about writing your own blog or articles. There’s one right there. Post a blog with your sealed US Festival DVD and proclaim that you will NEVER open it until Triumph plays a Canadian show. Pressure them! LOL

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        1. HAHAH! ANd you know Jay Buchanan would never take the bait and say he’s better than Plant. I mean, I get Bryan(sp)’s point. Compared to Plant, Buchanan is bang-on. Plant was never one for hitting the exact note. But it’s about more than just the technical ability…Robert became a legend for a reason. His lungs, his delivery, his charisma and his looks too made him a legendary frontman…more than a singer but the front man.

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  8. I saw some previous interviews with the band and I heard all of the doublespeak. Basically they were making up excuses to cover the fact that they genuinely despise each other. Mike Levine looked like he would rather go through having his teeth pulled out without freezing than be in the same room as Rik and Gil. It is sad that time has not healed those old wounds.

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    1. That is very sad indeed. As we get older we learn that life is brief. It’s too brief to hold grudges against friends that you have true musical chemistry with.

      I also had the sense that Rik really lost interest in rock music for a good 10 or 15 years there. Kinda like Blackmore seems to have also.

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