johnhe wrote:Well Rob can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think what he's trying to say (and I agree) is that if you're going to submit your album to RARB, then you need to consider whether or not the standards by which RARB is going to measure your album are your standards, or standards that you would accept. You mention that RARB is one of the only ways groups can learn "right from wrong." That assumes, though, that the group has accepted the "right and wrong" that RARB prescribes to.
Groups can certainly make music and record it for many reasons, as outlined by Rob's post. Speaking from my own limited personal experience though, groups often think that simply because they've recorded an album, the "thing to do" is to submit the album to RARB, and then the cross their fingers and hope for the best, and then when the critical reviews come in, they're upset. Their approach to recording is not in line with RARB's philosophy, and as such they can't understand why they received a poor review and as such can't learn from the experience.
Basically, to summarize, a group can record an album however it wants. If they're going to submit said album to RARB, though, they should be ready to have their album evaluated under the standards that RARB sets forth.
Exactly, right on!
I personally view RARB equally as an educational resource and a source for review for the rest of the community. I have never, nor will I ever discourage a group that genuinely wants feedback from submitting to RARB (nor have I ever, or will I ever tell a group to just give up and stop recording). Just make sure that if you submit you know that you're being graded, you understand where that grade comes from, and you feel as though that grade will be helpful and useful to you and/or your group. No need to submit an album that you don't feel confident in just because submitting to RARB is the "thing to do." It's only so if the process of review is in line with your goals!
Robert