Oh, so THAT's who that is! Actually, it's great...er...

Of course I do this - the key bit in your quesiton is "EVEN FOR A SPLIT SECOND" - my opinions are very rarely fixed and shift about a lot depending on how I'm listening to or thinking about something. On the other hand I've never claimed not to be full of shit or trying to impress people: I think people who do are full of shit, or trying to impress me.

Example - I was listening to a CD that for some reason I thought was a Japanese band, and I thought it was rather good, until I found out that it was really an Afro-pop comp, then for some reason I started thinking it was really shitty, and in fact I turned it off. Now, why would I have this reaction? Do I just have 'higher standards' when it comes to Afro-pop, and something I would find 'acceptable' by J-rock standards just doesn't cut it in the other field? Or is it just childish resentment at guessing the track wrong? I don't know if I'm making it any clearer, but I hear it a lot from people, funniest example being a drum'n'bass freak who was told (maliciously and falsely) that a track was an 'Oasis remix', after which the guy fulminated for ages about "shitty indie bands jumping on the remix bandwagon destroying drum'n'bass, and this remix sucks anyway" etc etc

Really it's a kind of benefit of the doubt. You hear something bad, you find out it's by somebody who's done good stuff before, and you think OK, maybe it's not so bad, I'll listen harder/listen again. Then generally you end up thinking it is bad after all.

I do this but more in the sense of "oh this is good, what is it".

For example yesterday I heard Basement Jaxx remix of Missys new song (hadn't heard the original) and I was like "this is fantastic". Then I found it it was a Basement Jaxx remix and I was like "thank god, I like them already".

Actually, this happens most often for me when I hear an artist, am not really aware of them, and then months later go back because I'm more familiar with them and re-evaluate what I heard. Someone sent me a mix tape with Fennesz's version of "Paint It Black" a few months ago, which I was not amused with. However, I did go back to it with a greater interest recently after having liked Endless Summer, and knowing more about the artist. Still don't really like it though.

yeh, this happens pretty much all the time. you often have opinions of stuff before hearing that much by someone, based on what you know 'at that point'. this is really open to change, and any bad artist can suddenly make a good record at any point. its often down to how likely you think that is going to be

Is related to context, no? It all makes more/less sense if you know who, what and why something is made. Don't think I have experienced that feeling lately. Not consciously anyway.
Bonus crow-eating points if you are a critic
Aren't we all critics?

We're all just prejudiced and accrue lots of value to who the person is or their name than their musical output. Hence, "how I learned how to stop worrying and love the Strokes" (I know this can be interpreted in the sense that if you're trying to be cool you'll set an oppositional stance against it but the Strokes' charm will eventually win out) but it also illustrates the prejudice harboured by 'all' of us. I don't supply names with my compilation tapes to friends so that I can get an honest judgement on the music and not the person. That's all we want as critics, no? Well, maybe.

Aren't we all critics?

No. And I have never changed my opinion on things after I know who they are.

Maybe because the few things I think are irredemable shit - Primal Scream, Radiohead, Basement Jaxx - only make music for people who are impressed by that sort of music.

I've had this experience before. It does make you wonder whether you're not full of shit, but maybe there's a good explanation for it. Context is important in understanding and evaluating a work of art or music. For example, what's the difference between John Cage's famous "4'33" and dead air on the radio? If you know you're listening to the Cage piece, you're likely to react differently than if you think the transmitter is broken.

"I was listening to a CD that for some reason I thought was a Japanese band" ---- I've done this for something I thought was Japanese too, but that's because I'm also interested in the culture behind Japanese music. When I realized they weren't singing in Japanese. It wasn't as good.

A few years ago this guy i knew in a band was playing a gig to a bunch of stupid indie kid BA students and they announced that they're gonna play a Velvet Underground song, so all the kids cheered and got up and danced while the band played an obscure Guns'n'Roses song in the style of VU. uh it was pretty funny but i guess you had to be there.

learned how to stop worrying and love the Strokes

Maybe this will happen to me soon. A good while back there was a song I heard on the radio which I liked a lot. Time passed, and heard it again, this time learning it was The Modern Age (??) by The Strokes. I went to the rec store to look for a record and found a shortish EP and the info that an LP was forthcoming. Decided to wait. In the meantime all the hoopla really kicked into full gear, and it really turned me off.

I think that you can't help but be influenced by media and popular opinion. After all the crap splattering around MTV, then here come the Strokes, how can I be expected not to think less of them??