TakeNote's On the M60

[jpchip]

[lcmike]

[TakeNoteLady]

[trdave04]

i'm gonna start with my rant and then move on to nicer things. now i understand that people have different tastes, so i'm not upset with valerie for having a rather disparate rating from the other two reviewers. and i'm not upset that she didn't like all of the soloists - nobody ever does, especially when you don't know the people you're listening to. but i do take exception to the way that she expressed it by singling a person out... first of all, i disagree. but mostly i just don't see how comments like those are necessary. i know it's been debated to death on here, but i'm sure it's reviews like that one that dissuade some groups from submitting their cds. who needs that??

just be careful with your words people, you're not always working with professional singers who've generally had enough encouragement in the past to move on from comments like those. constructive is the word. look to tekay's review if you need help.

now on to the nicer things!! minkoff and tekay's comments were awesome. minkoff's review was spot on and freaking hilarious. tekay's was balanced and well written. although i thought the tigeroar reference sort of took away from take note's well-deserved spotlight, i'm loving that clemson acappella is finally making waves in the acaworld. and i'm glad to report to Tekay that TN is in fact already arranging more of their own songs - including an original that i'm looking forward to hearing at their show on the 26th!

and these are just my thoughts: even though innovation wasn't really mentioned, i believe that if you could hear their previous cds, they would have definitely gotten 4's and 5's for that category. even though i enjoy their earlier cds, this one is just so much better all around. it's cleaner, fuller, more energetic, and the soloists absolutely rock! every single soloist is great, plus some are just incredible - i.e. the well-deserved CARA nod for Jen Stephens...

anyhow, i'm excited for Take Note as they begin making their mark - keep shakin' the southland, ladies!

[streetnix04]

As a newbie RARB reviewer, I'd like to put a disclaimer that this is my opinion, and not that of RARB or any other reviewer.

Things like this come up anytime there is a negative view, and I don't think you are wrong for wanting explanations of why a reviewer said the things that he/she said. I suggest that if you want an explanation, e-mail the reviewer privately (we all have links to e-mail us) instead of publicly calling out a reviewer for doing a volunteer job. I'm pretty sure every RARB reviewer has received hate mail at one point or another.

But the point that I want to make, is that it is not our job to only say what we liked or what is good about an album. We are reviewing the album, so anything is fair game -- the good and the bad. If a reviewer doesn't like something, and thinks a potential CD-buying public should know about, that it is within his/her right to do so. And if they feel strongly enough to write about it, then they definitely should do so. "Irritating soloist" is just as acceptable as "outstanding soloist."

Take everything with a grain of salt. We know that you worked hard on your albums and that you put your heart and soul into every note. A negative comment about a soloist or an arrangement is not a personal attack, it is an opinion. On my group's most recent album review, The SoCal VoCals, one reviewer criticized one of my arrangements. He/she provided no explanation why it bothered him/her. And you know what? I agreed to disagree with the comments, and moved on. The people in my group, my local a cappella community, and my group's fans happen to love that song, and I took solice in that.

It is not our job to tell you how to improve on something. We are not here to make you a better a cappella group. We are here to review albums; what you decide to do with it -- let it affect your decision to purchase an album, use it as a measuring stick for your group, find ways to improve yourselves -- is up to you.

Don't forget, we do this completely on a volunteer basis. We do not get paid one measly cent. We do this because we love music and we love a cappella. It is not fair to put the immense pressure on is to give a perfect review every time.

Ok, now that I am off my soapbox, let me just say that I cannot wait to begin reviewing albums. I feel honored that you have entrusted me to judge/review/criticize the final product of your hours and hours of hard work.

Sincerely,
Corey Slutsky

[singyourheart]

[TakeNoteLady]

[trdave04]

[tekay]

[singyourheart]

[nuzzle77]

[vkolko]

[tekay]

[TakeNoteLady]

[TakeNoteLady]