Superlatives from the All Music Guide

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Anybody have any good examples of lofty praise of some band or album from the All Music Guide (http://www.allmusic.com)? Mere five-star ratings and "one of the best/most..."'s don't count. Here are a few to get started:

Pavement was "the best band of the '90s." - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, on the review page for "Terror Twilight"

"Lambchop was arguably the most consistently brilliant and unique American group to emerge during the 1990s." - Jason Ankeny, on the main Lambchop page (Come on Jason, say what you mean, don't hedge your bets with "arguably")

Bonus points for reviewers contradicting themselves.

― jorje c, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bonus points for reviewers contradicting themselves.

Likely I've done that a lot -- hey, there's that schizophrenia someone was talking about! ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As far as contradicting oneself goes...

The Au Pair's "Shocks To The System: Very Best Of". 4 1/2 stars, but it's "catalogue recycling at its worst"?

― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Au Pair's "Shocks To The System: Very Best Of". 4 1/2 stars, but it's "catalogue recycling at its worst"?

Guilty! I based the rating on the content of the disc. As I said, "The tracks are well chosen, and the material is solid." However, I felt the need to mention the pointlessness in making a "very best of" album out of two studio records that have little filler to begin with. I just can't look at a track listing like that one and think "two stars" or whatever. I fully realize that my rationale could be seen as screwy.

― Andy K, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This should be an excellent thread, but I have to take issue with the opening salvo, since I was just speaking the truth -- Pavement IS the best band of the '90s, hands down. Menswear is second, of course.

Jason, however, was completely off track on Lambchop. Still, for my money, his best dose of hyperbole is the conclusion of Beth Orton's Central Reservation: "its underlying message of healing and perseverance is powerfully life-affirming — her music hasn't merely discovered the light at the end of the tunnel, it's now bathing in it. "

I eagerly await any contradictions anybody may find, especially in anything I've written.

― Tom Erlewine, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Menswear is second, of course.

See, I'm not disagreeing with this statement at all! :-)

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

How could you, Ned? You know that I speak the truth.

And, yes it's true: there hasn't been a year since 1995 that I haven't listened to Nuisance at least twice.

― Tom Erlewine, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not alone! Vindication! The revival starts here! Etc.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thank you! It feels so good to know you're not the only 'Swear fan out there.

Second album is pretty good, too, but nothing beats that debut...

― Tom Erlewine, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There's Brian as well -- we tormented Nicole one time with a homemade tape of the B-sides I had made when we were on a trip to SF. Admittedly a bit mean of us...

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Anyway, full proof of my love.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Omigod Ned -- not only is that a great article, capturing the very essence of the band, I am SO jealous that you saw them in concert. To think, I used to lord over my friends that I saw Suede and Pulp, when you actually saw the best, purest Britpop band of them all...

I do have a Menswear bootleg, though -- the Wired For Sound disc, featured at http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll? p=amg&sql=Axu7ibkd9kakv ....

― Tom Erlewine, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And, really, I didn't want to turn this thread into a Menswear-love fest -- I really do want to hear the superlatives and hyperbole on allmusic.com...

― Tom Erlewine, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I will cut Jason all the slack he needs since he wrote Tigga Please.

The revival starts here!

Not if I can help it.

― Andy K, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Here's a direct link to that Menswear bootleg. Enjoy.

― Andy K, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

THANK YOU ANDY.

― Daver, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

RAWK. Who knew? ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Pavement IS the best band of the '90s, hands down."

Look I know you are professional reviewer and all that (and I am just a professional wise-ass) BUT I think that this is one of the most laughable statements maybe ever (insert Rex Banner cough/laugh here-- YOU KNOW WHAT A LAUGH SOUNDS LIKE, PEOPLE). Pavement was a halfway decent band who had a decent EP or two, before they morphed into one of the MOST boring bands of the '90s, hands down (and don't get me started on the wretchedness of the ex-Pavementer's solo careers). Anyway everyone knows the best band of the 90s was Korn. Or maybe Radiohead. I mean come on haven't you read SPIN lately!

― Alex in SF, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Seriously Alex, who do you think is the best band of the 90s?

― Mark, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh no that's a hard question (not easy like the best record--you can just say Loveless on this board and hardly anyone is gonna argue)! I would say that Stereolab or the Boredoms or the Wu Tang Clan (who have an advantage cause they released like six million albums) should deserve some serious consideration and they are some of the only bands to spring to mind hahaha (I hate being at work as this is a much easier question to struggle to answer when you are actually looking at records).

― Alex in SF, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sidenote () Band of the 90s () Dead Can Dance

― I'm Not Nitsuh, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hahaha my answers PROVE that I probably read SPIN at some point!

― Alex in SF, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Come on, we all know that the best band of the 90's is Omoide Hatoba.

― o. nate, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

How much does All-Music.Com pay their freelance reviewers?

― Froggy Bottom Frog, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If you're wondering if they can be paid in flies or comfy lilypads, the answer is no.

― Andy K, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You do, however, get paid in corn plasters and frozen Charleston Chew bars, which is very handy.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

'The Rough Guide to Rock' is similarly full of gushing praise for no- mark indie tossers - the Family Cat, Bettie Seervert (who I quite like), All About Eve etc. - that just happen to be the 'pet band' of the assigned writer. 'The Trouser Press' guides suffer from this too, to a large extent. But then quite frankly, who in their right minds is going to be able to speak confidently abt the recordings of Ned's Atomic Dustbin, say, or Swervedriver, apart from a far-gone fanboy? I quite like the way that the 'rock historical canon' is suddenly written to make those rotten groups seem 'important'.

― Andrew L, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Swervedriver! Far be it for me to determine whether or not they were important, but they were the best... rock band of the '90s.

― Andy K, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, it works for me. Why, I was just reviewing the Ned's Brainbloodvolume for the AMG the other day. And Swervedriver remain fucking fantastic in my ears. :-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Paid? We get paid? ;)

― Sean Carruthers, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As I said, CORN PLASTERS AND CHARLESTON CHEWS. Do you not read? ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I suppose you sort of have a 'free pass' on NAD Mr Raggett, wot w/ the name and all. But unless he is actually Mr. Andy Kswervedriver, Andy K has no such excuse.

― Andrew L, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"The best record evah made" = the last line of my last ten reviews. Contradictions and superlatives hurrah!

― Andy K, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

B-b-but I swerve my car to avoid SUVs => I am a swervedriver => do I not deserve "a pass"?

To my knowledge, Ned is not an atomic dustbin, so there, etc.

― Andy K, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

a 'free pass' on NAD Mr Raggett

This is so wrong yet so right. Mr. Perry, where are you?

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And while not a dustbin myself, I of course had to lurve the band for the name alone -- but thankfully the music was pretty damn good as well, and they were good fun live, saw 'em three times. Fave Ned's T-shirt of the...five? six?...or so I own: "I know the way of Ned." Most true.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ned doesn't have an atomic dustbin?

MY WORLD LIES IN TATTERS.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I read, I read, but I still don't have any corn plasters or Charleston Chews. I feel ripped off! *sob* As for superlatives, I don't know if any of my AMG reviews have any such lofty claims, except maybe my claim that the Rheostatics were the most Canadian band EVAH. Which is a dubious superlative, I suppose.

― Sean Carruthers, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

See? That's the type of thing we need to watch more closely, Sean. You are clearly a nuttah since everyone knows that the most Canadian band of all-time was Glass Tiger, unless you count Bob & Doug McKenzie. You should quit trying to canonize your favorite bands.

― Andy K, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So does that mean Rush just live in a pantheon that transcends mere Canadianness? But what about "The Trees," I ASK YOU?

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The best band of the '90s was Pulp, Underworld, Wu-Tang Clan, Massive Attack, the Fall, TLC and DJ Shadow isn't a band but that's just rockist to talk as if bands are all that count.

― Martin Skidmore, Friday, 14 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not really that relevant, other than that my Dad gets a mention on that site for the book he wrote about Buddy Rich (he wrote more than one but not sure how many were credited on the site).

Let the "my Dads better than your Dad" arguments commence!

― Colin Cooper, Saturday, 15 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I am a nut, but I stick by my statements.

― Sean Carruthers, Saturday, 15 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ned's atomic dustbin - title of an episode of The Highly Esteemed Goon Show...

― commonswings, Saturday, 15 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Goons are rub (proof: Prince Charles likes 'em)

― Andrew L, Saturday, 15 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

wel this isn't a comedy forum, but you're patently wrong. spike milligan took every major comedy form from the first half of the century and threw it out the other side revolutionising comedy. no man and no programme has ever had an effect on comedy quote like it

hitler liked dogs. are they rubbish accordingly?

― commonswings, Saturday, 15 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Rush were Rush, they just happened to be Canadian. The Rheostatics are, well wierdly Canadian like This Hour Has 22 Minutes or Air Farce. Sean's comment is only valid since Stompin Tom Connors isnt a band.

― Mr Noodles, Saturday, 15 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Momus do you like dogs?

― Andrew L, Sunday, 16 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Allmusic.com's reviews - in particular your reviews, Tom - always seem to be very even-handed to me. I'd go as far to say I've never seen a website that used less superlatives and hyperbole. In fact, I'm kinda shocked you even named a best band of the 90's. :)

― Vinnie, Sunday, 16 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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