Reviewing For The Arts

Reviewing Reviews

The first article that I found was Rolling Stone's review of Bruce Springsteen's 2007 album "Magic". To me, "Magic" is probably one of Bruce's best albums to date. While reading the review, I had to notice things that worked and things that didn't work in the article. First off, the thing that works about this review is that David Fricke really paints a picture of some of the sounds that we would hear on the album, that is if noboby has bought it yet. He also describes that this is the most "openly nostalgic record Springsteen has ever made." This is a good way to describe it because there is a sense of that when you listen to the songs and it shows a meaning in how it works on life.

However, the thing that doesn't work is that David Fricke compares some of the new songs to some of Bruce's older songs. It's okay to say that they are in that style, but that they are as great as the old ones are not true. It is never a good idea to say that because there is a difference between comparing something to something being in that style. It's okay to say it's in the style of that because that is easier to say.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/magic-20071018

The other review was Rolling Stone's review of Led Zeppelin's debut album "Led Zeppelin I". I like this album a lot. What the critic does well with is that he describes the sounds that are on the album like "Robert Plant's houled vocals", "lots of guitar rhythm section changes", and "John Bonham smashing cymbals on every beat." The real disappointment about while mentioning all of the band members, they don't mention John Paul Jones because he was a big part of the group as well. No wonder he is probably the most underrated musician in the business.
There is only one sad truth about this review. When "Led Zeppelin I" came out in 1969, the critics, including Rolling Stone, hated them. They didn't like their sound. Everyone thought of them being just a hard core blues band. It says in the review a couple times where the critic mentions the Jeff Beck Group. First of all, they are two completely different groups. The critic references Robert Plant's voice to Rod Stewart's voice. You can't do that because they have two completely different singing voices. Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are two completely different guitar players even though they both played in the Yardbirds together.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/led-zeppelin-i-19690315