AMG improving?

I wish it would let me click on a reveiwer's name and pull up all the other reviews they've written.

I use it for artist bios and timelines.

From home that 3% would include me.
And if I could update to a better IE I would, but I can't.

Here's an example:

*****

EMINEM - The Eminem Show

It's all about the title. First time around, Eminem established his alter-ego, Slim Shady — the character who deliberately shocked and offended millions, turning Eminem into a star. Second time at bat, he turned out The Marshall Mathers LP, delving deeper into his past while revealing complexity as an artist and a personality that helped bring him an even greater audience and much, much more controversy. Third time around, it's The Eminem Show — a title that signals that Eminem's public persona is front and center, for the very first time. And it is, as he spends much of the album commenting on the media circus that dominated on his life ever since the release of Marshall Mathers. This, of course, encompasses many, many familiar subjects — his troubled childhood; his hatred of his parents; his turbulent relationship with his ex-wife, Kim (including the notorious incident when he assaulted a guy who allegedly kissed her — the event that led to their divorce); his love of his daughter, Hailie; and, of course, all the controversy he generated, notably the furor over his alleged homophobia and his scolding from Lynne Cheney, which leads to furious criticism about the hypocrisy of America and its government. All this is married to a production very similar to that of its predecessor — spare, funky, fluid, and vibrant, punctuated with a couple of ballads along the way. So, that means The Eminem Show is essentially a holding pattern, but it's a glorious one — one that proves Eminem is the gold standard in pop music in 2002, delivering stylish, catchy, dense, funny, political music that rarely panders (apart from a power ballad "Dream On" rewrite on "Sing for the Moment" and maybe the sex rap "Drips," that is). Even if there is little new ground broken, the presentation is exceptional — Dre never sounds better as a producer than when Eminem pushes him forward (witness the stunning oddity "Square Dance," a left-field classic with an ominous waltz beat) and, with three albums under his belt, Eminem has proven himself to be one of the all-time classic MCs, surprising as much with his delivery as with what he says. Plus, the undercurrent of political anger — not just attacking Lynne Cheney, but raising questions about the Bush administration — gives depth to his typical topics, adding a new, spirited dimension to his shock tactics as notable as the deep sentimental streak he reveals on his odes to his daughter. Perhaps the album runs a little too long at 20 songs and 80 minutes and would have flowed better if trimmed by 25 minutes, but that's a typical complaint about modern hip-hop records. Fact is, it still delivers more great music than most of its peers in rock or rap, and is further proof that Eminem is an artist of considerable range and dimension. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Basically I think he is a mediocre writer and there are numerous other folks writing for AMG (including yourself, Ned) who I'd much prefer to read.

Well, if you translate his Eminem review into French via Babelfish and then translate it back to English via the same route, you get something largely incoherent but definitely more entertaining (and at times more poetic) than STE's original:

EMINEM - The Eminem Show

It is all about the title. First time around, Eminem established its to change me, ombreux thin? the character which deliberately shocked and offended million, transforming Eminem into star. The second time at the beater, it proved to be the gathering Mathers LP, major excavation in its past as while indicating to complexity an artist and a personality which helped to bring an assistance even larger to him and much, much more polemic. The third time around, it is the exposure of Eminem? a title which signal the public persona of this Eminem is before and central, during the very first time. And it is, because it spends most of the album presenting its observations on the circus of media dominated its life since which the release gather Mathers. Does this, naturally, surround much, much of subjects of familiar? its childhood worried; its hatred of his/her parents; did his turbulent relationship with its ex-wife, Kim (incidental notorious including when it attack a type which embraced it allegedly? the event that that led to their divorce); its love of his/her daughter, Hailie; and, naturally, of all the polemic which it produced, in particular surplus of furor its homophobia pled and it his thundering of Lynne Cheney, which leads to furious criticism about hypocrisy America and its government. All this is a production very similar to that of its predecessor married with? available, brilliant, liquid, and vibrating, punctuated with a couple of the ballades along the manner. Thus, the this means the exposure of Eminem, but is it is primarily a being held model glorious? one which proves Eminem is the gold standard gold in the music of noise in 2002 for, to deliver elegant, the music involving, dense, funny, policy which seldom panders (independently of a ballade of power the "dream on" the rewriting on "sings the moment" and perhaps the blow dry and hard "drainages of sex," which is). Even if there is the small news broken ground, the presentation is exceptional? DRE better never resounds as a producer that when Eminem pushes it ahead (are pilot singularity of dizzy spell "dances of place," traditional of left-field with a sinister beat of waltz) and, with three albums under its belt, Eminem proved to be one of the support of multiple consoles absolute of traditional, astonishing as much with his delivery which with what he says. More, undercurrent it of political anger? not simply Lynne attacking Cheney, but to raise questions about the administration of bush? give the depth to its typical matters, adding new, spirited dimension with its tactic of shock as notable as the deep scratch sentimental as it indicates on its odes to his daughter. Perhaps the album with a short little too length with at 20 songs and 80 minutes and to better run if balanced by 25 minutes, but it is a typical complaint about the modern hip-hop discs. Is the fact, it a music larger than the majority of its pars in rock or dry and hard blow, and always provides is more proof of that Eminem is a considerable artist range and dimension? --Stephen Thomas Erlewine

***

R.E.M. - Up

New Adventures in Hi-Fi functions as the starting point for Up, R.E.M.'s first album without drummer Bill Berry and their first that truly repudiates the legacy of jangle pop. Up is dominated by keyboards, muted percussion, buried guitars, and moody melodies — only "Daysleeper" finds the group in familiar sonic territory. What's striking about the album is that it doesn't sound like a dramatic departure; even without the ringing guitars, it sounds like R.E.M., albeit R.E.M. trying to be adventurous and hip. To a certain extent, that's a good thing, since it proves that the band has developed a signature sound more elastic than many would have predicted, and that they are skilled enough to successfully take risks with their sound. Above all else, Up is an accomplished and varied record, the work of smart record makers. It is also the work of veteran musicians — for the first time, R.E.M. sounds like they're playing catch-up, trying to keep their hip status intact. Occasionally, they pull it all together, as on the ominous opener "Airportman" and the darkly seductive "Suspicion," but they stretch their capacities to the breaking point nearly as often, as on the Pet Sounds pastiche "At My Most Beautiful," which comes off as second-rate High Llamas. Most of Up, however, falls in between those two extremes, winding up as self-consciously moody, down-tempo songs that fail to make an impression because they either don't take enough chances or they fail to speak directly — they are simply well-crafted tracks that are easy to admire, but hard to love. Ultimately, that is what distinguishes this new incarnation of R.E.M. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

***

R.E.M. - Up

New adventures in the functions of high fidelity like starting point for the album to the top, of R.E.M. first without bay of invoice of beater and their first which denies really the legacy of the noise of jangle. To the top of is dominated by keyboards, the deadened percussion, buried guitars, and melodies moody? only "Daysleeper" finds the group in the familiar sonic territory. What strikes about the album is that that does not resemble dramatic departure; even without sounding guitars, it resembles R.E.M., though R.E.M. trying to be adventurous and of hip. To a certain extent, it is a good thing, since it shows that the band developed a noise of signature more elastic than much would have envisaged, and than they are enough skilful to take successfully of the risks with their noise. Especially differently, to the top of is a disc accomplished and various, the work of the smart manufacturers record. It is also the work of the musicians of veteran? for the first time, R.E.M. resembles them plays catch-towards the top, trying to maintain their statute of hip intact. From time to time, they gather it all, as on the sinister opener "Airportman" and the "soupçon obscurely seductive, "but they almost stretch their capacities at the point of stop as often, as on the pastiche of noises of the pet" to my more beautiful, "which gets clear as high spangled second-rate. Do the majority of upwards, however, fall between these two ends, being rolled up upwards like timidly moody, the songs of worms the low-tempo which do not make an impression because they or do not take enough chances or they do not speak directly? they are simply well-wrought ways it is easy to admire that, but to like hard. Finally, it is what distinguishes this new incarnation from R.E.M.? Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Wasn't this a Public Enemy offshoot?

Ah, well, thanks -- but I will stick to my guns that Tom is a friendly fellow who indeed knows his music and can argue his corner as he chooses. I will freely admit that there are other writers on the site whose style I enjoy more, but that's a matter of personal preference, not condemnation.

-- Ned Raggett (ned@k...), December 11th, 2002.

Dammit Ned, why are you such a nice guy?

"The title alone. Anyone taking the lyrical content here even slightly seriously — and that includes the bandmembers — clearly needs to be taken away by the nice men in the white jackets. Thoughtfully, complete lyrics are provided — thus, a verse from "Vomited Anal Tract": "Your vagus implodes, as nausea strikes/Savaging your body in terminal retch/Violent spasms and decaying enzymes/Engulf your throat as you belch." That this or anything else on the album is completely impossible to understand otherwise is part of the insane fun, of course, which is why Carcass is both one of the best and funniest bands around. Musically everything is basically just one step away from Napalm Death's early sound, if even that far, but there's something just that much more engagingly nutty about what Carcass do. It might be the way that Steer's guitar solos sound like they're turning themselves inside out every time he plays one (with blood dripping from exposed musculature and so forth, no doubt). Alternately, it might be how Owen matches early Mick Harris for sheer frazzle with drums played so fast everything sounds more like a wash of static than anything else. Whatever it is, Reek consists of songs so immediate and there that trying to analyze them in depth is practically impossible — you accept it and let yourself go from the start or you never ever want to hear anything like it again. There are occasional moments of calm — "Genital Grinder," which starts things off, begins with a low bass rumble and a great, chunky riff, a smart way to draw folks in before the final slaughter. Top everything off with the barked, whined and yelped vocals of the threesome in full unintelligible glory, and Reek succeeds thoroughly and completely at what it does."

you know who you are :-o

A.k.a.:

In fact my last message was a version of Babelfish of a report/ratio so that the room is not the worst author in the businesses by a long projectile, and I perhaps selected unfairly on him like representative of a rather common line of criticism of rock. I guess myself just estimated that if a review does not indicate anything, there is really no reason which it must exist. But if ever people make leave something its reviews then which is good.

Genetic flaws, apparently. ;-)

less of this:
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and more of this:
Heather E. Phares

Here's an example of AMG improving: For a long time, the reviews of many CDs on the Document label (out of Austria) were almost exactly the same. They all had the same or similar sentences about the sound quality not being great, the running order being academic and so forth, but it being worthwhile to serious collectors blah blah blah. The problem was that these two things do not apply universally to all Document CDs. I've noticed that in the past year most if not all of those reviews have been replaced with reviews that suggest the critic has actually listened to the album in question, and which make a more informed judgment on the sound quality etc. Likewise the reviews of the big Bear Family boxes, which used to be all the same.

Perhaps this all gives some hint of why I resented STE's reviews: often they just seemed like place-fillers, truly generic reviews meant to provide copy until someone who actually had listened to the album in question, or perhaps who just had something to say about it, could write and post their comments.

Haha, exactly.