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As far as my records go I have complied a list of Q mag album ratings:
Waiting for the Sirens' Call **
Get Ready ****
Republic ****
Technique ***
Ok it looks like there's something seriously wrong with the way they score albums, when Technique which is generally acknoledged as their best work is outrated by Get Ready and Republic.
Looks like you've aswered your own question there. Granted, the ratings all depend on the personal tastes of the respective reviewers. But anyone who'd give "Technique" three outta five is clearly bananas.
No, they don't matter at all. Besides, anyone who would base their purchases purely on the number of stars a record gets in a review is a nitwit.
Quick answer to your post question.... No.
Long answer.... As with my opinion on the "old board" thread: Q Magazine are shite, they always have been as of the mid 1990s onwards (before they were pretty good!). So long as they substitute "the best ever in the world STAR-STARRY-STARDOM albums" lists for proper musical journalism, they always will be. Any magazine who actually rates Justin Timberlake, is lower than bog roll in my opinion. The fact is the team in charge are highly unoriginal cunts who probably dine quite frequently with the management of U2 and Coldplay; their fave bands ever! They really are an awful excuse for a music publication these days. I fail to see how Waiting For The Sirens' Call gets such a mediocre rating whereas just about everything Oldplay have done get the thumbs up and four stars.
Anyone here who likes Coldplay and dislikes WFTSC must surely see the sheer hypocrisy in their viewpoint, as Coldplay don't have an original bone in their body. It's all vastly mediocre Smith-sy rock with "I really hurt you girl" whiney lyrics, fuck off! Boring! The new NO album has so much more to offer: Turn, Guilt, Hey Joe... it's absolutely superb by comparison! I mean if this isn't enough to turn you off Q, they recently had a mag cover titled "The best songwriters ever" or something and had the lead Chav from The Streets next to John Lennon! I mean, there's something very wrong there.
My two Euros.
Ally.
I have to agree with you on Q. I only ever buy it these day when they do a feature of Joy Division/New Order, which thankfully (I guess we can thank them for this) they do every now and again.
Ronald Kirsch wrote: I have to agree with you on Q. I only ever buy it these day when they do a feature of Joy Division/New Order, which thankfully (I guess we can thank tham for this) they do every now and again.
Indeed. I do the same, I bought it for the Electro special with Depeche Mode on the cover. A very interesting issue! I was mostly impressed and got some electro education in the process. If only the regular Q could be like that all of the time instead of the "best ever" list/MP3 player obsessed rag it truly is.
Ally.
There just seems to be no consistant standard for their ratings. I went back and did some more checking. They rated Raise The Pressure with 3 stars. Now call me crazy but I happen to think that Waiting for the Siren's Call is 100% better than Raise The Pressure
Ah well in five years time they'll probably tell us what a classic album Waiting For The Siren's Call is, same as what happened with Technique which they also gave a lukwarm review when new.
It's different reviewers with different tastes. Alot of reviewers have written New Order off simply because they've been on the go for 25 years. They find it impossible to judge the album on its own merits without constantly comparing it to Blue Monday or Technique. The Q review for WFTSC was lazy. The guy basically said "they've returned to Technique" which is not really true. If he had liked "I Told You So" I think the album would have gotten another star, but he described it as "lumpy". I mean what a weak way to describe a song, lumpy?!?! The cheese sauce that goes with your chicken of an evening may be lumpy but I fail to see what constitutes a "lumpy song"?
Q recently gave U2 four stars and a glowing review for their last album. I like U2 but I'm getting tired of Bono's pompous vocals, Edge's squealing guitar and the overall dull shiny Lillywhite production. They praised U2 through the roof for coming out with the same old U2-rock, yet whenever New Order do something that is similar to one of their past albums it's dismissed as "not the best". They're hypocrites, U2 are their buddies and New Order are not, so who gets the best reviews?
It's obvious.
Ally.
The Q review of the new album was very SHORT.I remember times when you would get a FULL page for a NEW NEW ORDER album.My dog has given the new album the thumbs up.But she is bloody deaf!
Rocket WOOF(er) and TWEETERS!
