Feeder - Silent Cry

[Charlie Parker]

Silent Cry is Feeder’s sixth album but it could easily be any of them as they all sound the same. Bland rock acts can sometimes muster offense by their blandness but Feeder can’t even reach that pinnacle of Snow Patrol turdness.

Brisk drums, banal guitar work married to insipid vocals and melodies are the order of the day in a fashion that makes the Stereophonics resemble the Supersuckers.

We Are The People opens the record on would be chest beating anthemics, “Why do we pray? Why do we talk about angels flying on their golden wings?”. Even fucking Creed would’ve thought twice about this track’s pompous metaphysics, marrying rubbish lyrics to big diet-metal guitars. Dragged out to nearly five minutes, We Are The People well…drags.

Follow up Itsumo is more or less the same song but with louder bass in the mix. Miss You is slightly better, a brisk pop punk number that rattles along and manages the record’s...

Click here to read the entire review

[MarkMono]

Originally Posted by Largest of Als

Maybe we didnt get a copy to review.. maybe Mr Parker was just feeling particularly vindictive that day?



Al

You don't have to be vindictive to give an album, or a band, a bad review. Personal taste innit.

[Ghostsuit]

Originally Posted by MarkMono

Reviews are, in essence, opinion writing.

Totally and our opinions on the review are just the same.

Originally Posted by Tacky

So really, it is pointless then!

Ok, so unlike magazines that NEED to kiss bands arses because of deals and links they have with music labels, etc, our reviews are probably more realistic and trustworthy?

Yes and no, you find reviewers who's opinions are similar to your then it's pretty handy also if the reviewer mentions other bands in the review and compares them it can help. Personally though in the new age of media it's alot easier to sample before you buy now so I do think reviews have alot less value than in the past.

Originally Posted by poprock

That’s a commonly held misconception. Music magazines are not ‘the man’. Unless you’re talking about the little advertising sheets given away in HMV to promote new releases or something similar, there is no such backscratching going on. Reviewers really do just tell you what they honestly think. That’s their job.

I wouldn't be so sure about that when it comes to magazines. Recently read an article in a Games mag about "review balancing" etc where pressure is put on the reviewers of certain mags to aim for a certain score etc. So it does actually happen especially in the age of huge advertising budgets. Still it doesn't happen nearly as much as people think and it's never happened here, the worst I've had is for another Charlie Parker review where the PR contacted me and asked why I allowed someone to be so rude about the band.

Sometimes theres a point where a review passes from fair comment to just insulting and personal I feel sometimes (on a rare occassion) CP does get a little carried away.

[poprock]

Originally Posted by Ghostsuit

I wouldn't be so sure about that when it comes to magazines. Recently read an article in a Games mag about "review balancing" etc where pressure is put on the reviewers of certain mags to aim for a certain score etc.

Videogames are a different matter, it definitely happens in that world. Not so with music though, in my experience.

[MarkMono]

Can't see why the same rules wouldn't apply, to a greater or lesser extent.

Originally Posted by Ghostsuit

Totally and our opinions on the review are just the same.

That was the gist of my very next post.

[poprock]

Originally Posted by MarkMono

Can't see why the same rules wouldn't apply, to a greater or lesser extent.

Established norms, is all. I know folk in both industries, I know which I see corruption and backscratching entrenched in and which I don’t.

I think gaming is such a relatively new medium that it has grown up in the mass-media capitalist age*… PR has been able to get it claws in a lot deeper from day one.

[Largest of Als]

Originally Posted by poprock

Established norms, is all. I know folk in both industries, I know which I see corruption and backscratching entrenched in and which I don’t.

So.. if I read you right, you're saying there isnt much corruption or backscratching in the music business?





Al

[MarkMono]

He's saying he hasn't encountered any, which is still a bit strange.

[poprock]

I mean in music journalism as opposed to games journalism, Pedantry Young Team.

[Largest of Als]

Originally Posted by poprock

I mean in music journalism as opposed to games journalism, Pedantry Young Team.

Still have to disagree with you Tony.. even the hint of a bad review can get someone on the black list, which means no interviews, no pics, no tip offs.. it's rife mate..



Al

[poprock]

Fair enough. Guess my friends have just avoided it then.

[Charlie Parker]

haha this thread's great. A month later I discover its humongous hilarity. LESTER FUCKIN' BANGS!

at the end of the day I thought it was rubbish. I amused myself writing it. hooray!