My music review matrix is not to be correlated with the music review
section of this web page. The matrix is just a set of numbers that
fail to describe my relationship to the artistry of a CD, but it is
an attempt to quantify how much I would recommend a CD to someone and
with what criteria I would base my recommendation.
I use a five dimensional matrix and score each category on a scale
of 1 - 20, with 20 being the "highest" score. The matrix is as follows:
(1) Technical Skill: The high end of the scale is met if the presentation
is appropriate or polished.
(2) Original & Distinct Tracts: The high end of the scale is met if the
tracks have variety, from each other and from other works by this
artist (or even other artists). My judgement does not discount for
covers; I will still look to see how individual the tracks on the
CD stand up against other music by this artist or artists in the genre.
(3) Composition of Lyrics: The high end of the scale is met if the lyrics
are meaningful and sincere. I enjoy music that tells me something
profound about the author, myself, or humanity. While it is not
necessary to contain these elements, it sure helps.
(4) Production: The high end of the scale is met if I appreciate the
choice of instruments, choice of songs, arrangement within songs,
and arrangement of tracks within the CD.
(5) Intangibles: The high end of the scale is met if I experience a lot of
enjoyment listening to the CD, if I learn about the author, myself,
or humanity, if I have a desire to turn others on to the CD, and
qualities like these. This item is extremely subjective, but that's
the point.
A final word:
This matrix is useful for me to rate CDs based on my likes and
dislikes. I am not sure if even I am going to like the scale I have
outlined above, but I'll try it out for a while. Some of you might
take issue with how I rate a CD, and argue that the CD of your
choice, Britney Spears for instance, speaks incredible volumes about
the Human Condition. Fine, in your matrix, Britney Spears may have
the most profound lyrics imaginable. But like it or not, this is my
web page and my matrix and hopefully you get to know more about my
tastes as you read more of the reviews. If you can't stand reading
my reviews, then leave.
My goal in doing these reviews is to understand the production of the
CD what the artist was trying to communicate at the time. Most of the
reviews that I have done already study why the artist chose the title
of a CD. I think that is an appropriate place to start. To me, a CD
is a work of art, a collection of images or snapshots that tell us
about the artist. If this is true, then we are invited to investigate
and interpret, discover and judge.
I hope you enjoy some of what I have to say and invite you to send
your comments to my email address,
tumbarello@lionreviews.com
