can you be talked out of anything?

Good question. Happens with movies all the time. It actually scares me because then it reveals I am actually paying attention the the reviewer. But I think I started to dislike the new Aerosmith song after I heard the album get trashed as a manufactured pop-rock release just to suck in bucks, give a reason for a money making tour, and fullfil a record deal. I didn't buy at first, but the next time I heard the song "Jaded", I found myself bored and thinking it did sound a Matchbox 20 or Goo Goo Dolls B-side throwaway. I flip the station now.

having 100's of unknown indie bands at my downloading access i must rely on reviews to decide what's crap. taking reviews from 5 sources usually gives me a good idea. when i actually bought cd's i had no idea what people thought and therefore have "crap"..candlebox? those guys rocked! blind melon? genius! oh well..i never read reviews for the bands i have liked for years as i could care less..but..reviews help you from wasting cash.

Once I've bought a record and played enough so that I know I like it,I don't believe I have ever been talked out of it to the point where I change my mind completely. That's not to say that I don't get tired of things, or begin to loathe them over time. You could argue that when this happens it's the combined pressure of adverse opinions from reviews, articles and friends which is leading me in that direction. Maybe, but I don't think so. . For example I have owned all the Go-Betweens albums at various times, and gradually began to realise that I don't like them at all. This is despite having several friends who like the band, and a general press consensus that they are good. On the other hand I've stuck with Paul Weller through his solo career, despite the revulsion for him in 'cool' circles. ('Heliocentric' might be the end of the line though.)

I would say that I'm predjudiced for or against records which I haven't yet bought, or may never buy, by the cumulative effect of reading about them in the music press.

Well, I probably would have purchased Move Quickly Dark Skinned Ruler! (GYBE!)'s "Lift your Skinny Fists..", but the reviews ( curiously, I leaned toward's FT's views on the album more than Pitchfork's, even though PF covers that ground more than FT.) convinced me that I don't really need another album of gradually swelling, emotionally draining armeggedon anthems.. and I do think I am rather easily influenced by the opinions of others.. I can't really listen to OK Computer without considering it's underlying politics after reading Tom's reasons for not liking the album.

Although I can't come up with any specific example, my mind could be changed by too many bad reviews, I think it started to change after Whiny Kurt & Lady Cobain started to trash on The Nymphs (a band I actually like a lot at that moment) and every sorry asshole suddenly began to do the same thing. I'm still a bit sensitive to bad reviews of things I like but tuesday when i read a bad review (negative but badly written and thought out) of 'Discovery' I just thought "shut ya stupid trap ya middle-aged cunt" :)No harm done.

I remember when I was in high school, I thought Camper Van Beethoven's "Key Lime Pie" was just fantastic and then my mom walked in my room and casually said, "sounds like maw and paw kettle" and walked out. In an INSTANT I disliked them a little and it grew very quickly to where all I could hear was that hillbilly sound. Before that, it just sounded pretty.

Well, not really, to be honest. I've done the reverse though, not minded an album until I read really GOOD press that wasn't deserved and then decided I didn't like the album at all. I'm starting to worry that I'm going to get that way with Discovery (word from me: it's a perfectly acceptable, good album. It is not whatever the hell Fred was whacking off over on his site, it is NOT the best album ever, it's not even necessarily the best Daft Punk album ever), so now I'm trying to avoid reading anything involving Daft Punk.

But I like to be contrary anyhow.

I remember being intimidated by Maximumrockandroll-type rhetoric when I was way into punk-rock - there was no way I could be that extreme in my rejection of the mainstream, that (hack hack cough cough) "real". But I don't think it led me to reject any specific artists I previously liked.

I'm not easily swayed. Actually, if I read negative stuff I determine to like some bands more than I would otherwise. I've been told countless times that certain bands I like are crap, but I don't mind at all.

I played 'Party fears two' for a friend of mine, thinking he would be astounded by this great song. While it played, he burst out laughing and took the piss. He screamed 'His voice is like an uber-camp Bowie!!...I WENT TO THE SHOP/I GOT SOME JELLY TOTS!!' He has a point and I certainly havent listened to The Associates since then.

Dump your friend, man. They have no taste.

I'm not sure quite how it happened, and I doubt there was any actual verbal persuasion going on, but somewhere between the autumn of '97 and the summer of '98 I went off "Ok Computer" in a pretty emphatic way. That this coincided with a move from the rural North-West (living alone, little social life) to the throbbing heart of South London (lots of new, groovy, Yorkephobic pals) seems to suggest I was, indeed, 'talked out of it'.

I still have a sneaking fondness for "Airbag", but I can't believe I ever found anything to recommend the ones about aliens, androids and tourists.