Defend an album with the fewest 'stars' on AMG

[CJ Shearn]

*** for this review

"This is a collection that looks better on paper than in reality. Though Blakey is joined by Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers, and Jymie Merritt, the addition of drummers Philly Joe Jones, Roy Haynes, and conga player Ray Barretto makes this of interest mostly to percussion fans. While the music is fine, the overlong drum features can test the most durable jazz fan's ears, even with the obviously high level of musicianship. — Ken Dryden"

I think maybe Mr Dryden just doesn't dig drum solos. I find this to be a wonderfully executed disc, in terms of playing and realization of a drum session in a hard bop context. It certainly to me is better than "Orgy in Rhythm" or "Drum Suite" in that regard. Another thing about Scott Yanow I notice, after reading several reviews of different artists, that if the music is not particularly straight ahead, very electric in nature (e.g. Metheny Group, Yellowjackets, etc) or groundbreaking stylistically or in the history of jazz, it gets the phrase tacked on "is not all that essential, or "enjoyable, but not all that essential". Albums can be very good if they contain just solid music. Quite a few albums I buy may not even be classic, but just good music.

[connoisseur series500]

Just found another. AMG gives Jimmy Smith, "Root Down: Live" only 2 stars, probably because it is electrified, but it's worth at least 3 stars.

[Rooster_Ties]

Oh man, "Root Down" is at least 3.5 stars in my book, or more like 4. Not a perfect album, by any means - but one of Smith's more interesting albums out of anything he did in the late 60's or the entire 70's. Good catch, Conn500.

[Big Wheel]

Whaaa?

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Artadqj6yojda

[Swinging Swede]

I thought the star rating was only in reference to the work of the artist in question and not meant to be compared with ratings of other artists.

Exactly. It seems that many posters have misunderstood the AMG ratings. No matter how good you think that John Patton is, an average Patton has got to have 3 stars, according to the AMG system. No matter how bad you think Britney Spears is, an average Britney Spears album has got to have 3 stars. Something in Patton's catalogue must receive less than 3 stars. It can't all be 3 and above, if 3 is going to represent the average.

[undergroundagent]

I'm reviving this thread b/c I need to point out a huge oversight on AMG's part.

Maybe, it's just me, but that two star rating they gave Coleman Hawkin's "Soul" album is a crock!!! This album grooves heavy, and I think Burrell lights it up.

If you have ever thought about buying this one, don't hesitate. Great band!!!

[.:.impossible]

I wouldn't be caught DEAD with a two-star album!

[undergroundagent]

I wouldn't be caught DEAD with a two-star album!

[ghost of miles]

Jazz, Rock, Pop - pick any genre.  Go to the AMG, and sift through several of your favorite artist's/band's bios, and take note of which album(s) of theirs get the very fewest number of 'stars' of any in their entire output.  Presumably that would mean that the AMG considers that album (or those albums) to be that artist's/band's "WORST", out of their entire recorded output.  (And let's stick with actual "albums", and not mess with compilations ("Greatest Hits" and such) ---- although 'live' albums do still count.)

Anything stand out to you as just being plain "wrong"??? - in your own opinion, of course.  Or are there any that you really like, even though it appears nobody else does???

I'm sure there are many.  Here's one of mine...

R.E.M. - Monster (1994)

The AMG only gives it a measly 2 stars, the least of any R.E.M. album.  And yet, "Monster" really is my all-time favorite R.E.M. album.  Do I think "Monster" is R.E.M.'s very 'best' album?? - well, probably not.  But "Monster" really is my favorite (and to various degrees, I really like most of R.E.M.'s output).  "Monster" seems to me, to be the one that is least full of clichés, and it has the most 'left turns' in it for me, of any R.E.M. album.

Cool idea for a topic, Rooster--came across it while I was doing a search to see what, if any, discussions we'd had here about R.E.M. (I'm listening right now to the album that they recorded here in Bloomington--LIFES RICH PAGEANT.) Thing is, I think I agree with the two-star rating in this instance, at least by R.E.M. standards... Ironically enough, for a long time Bill Berry insisted that FABLES was R.E.M.'s worst album. ( )

[Guest]

If you read the preface to AMG's various books, star ratings on only applicable within the artist's discography, in other words, a 4 star Miles Davis CD isn't necessarily inferior to a 4.5 star title by another player.

I don't believe that a bell curve should be applied to an artist's work. Some artists are so damned consistent, they will produce a lot of 4 star releases.

[Guest]

Two albums come to mind for me, both from the same artist and given 1,5's. Larry Young is the man and Fuel and Spacceball are the albums. These two albums explored the electric keybaord in ways i have never heard before. For reference I loved the Switched on Bach albums; These two albums employ similar sounds in a jazz/funk context. Fuel is the crazier of the two, with Spaceball being more laid back in the groove. However, there is a bad side of these albums: the vocals. The only enjoyable vocal parts for me were the scat elements, don't really care for the rest of them.

[Brad]

One album I can't defend and I have no idea what AMG rates it -- nor do I care -- is Hank's Reach Out. Had it, sold it and won't buy the Conn.

[Morganized]

One album I can't defend and I have no idea what AMG rates it -- nor do I care -- is Hank's Reach Out. Had it, sold it and won't buy the Conn.

If you can delete the "cover" tunes it isn't too bad. I experienced the same feeling recently with a Sonny Criss cd. I think a number of jazz artist were trying to reach a broader audience and covered pop tunes of the period with varying success. The Criss record was/is absolutely great but for me the cover tune just doesn't work. Has a great version of Scrapple from the Apple on it though. It was a hard time for jazz and I try to overlook and forgive the players for trying to make a decent living. It's almost like they phone in the cover tune just to satisfy the record company and then say, let me show you the "real thing" with the rest of the record.

Just my opinion.

[ejp626]

We probably could use a thread on the "worst" highest-rated album on AMG. I can't recall off hand but I bought one or two CDs (probably Steve Lacy solo ventures) that were highly rated but that I couldn't get into at all.

[but back to the topic at hand, I agree with Rooster Ties, Monster is one of my very favorite REM albums because it was so different from the rest of their work.]