“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends.” – Anton Ego, Ratatouille
Hello and welcome to the new and improved Pretzel Logic! Today is the beginning of not only a new year, but an entirely new decade. In keeping with this sense of new beginnings, I’ve decided to revamp and focus Pretzel Logic for its second year of existence.
Things That Have Changed
-Content will be limited to only reviews and news, with the occasional random thought if I think it’s important. As much as I’ve enjoyed sharing lists of my favorite musicians and albums with everyone, I want Pretzel Logic to be more accessible and useful. This means dialing down some of my own personal opinions and list-making tendencies.
-I’m also going to be drawing heavily on what other critics are saying. A typical album review under the new Pretzel Logic regime will feature a sampling of what other people are saying about the work at hand, followed by my own opinion and final grade. This blog’s mission statement is to document and comment on music history as it is being written, meaning that being aware of what other critics are saying about these albums is very important.
-My manic posting rate will slow down somewhat. This new reviewing system requires more time and effort, since I have to both A) wait for these other reviews to be written and B) hunt them down. However, the flipside of this should be more in-depth reviews that really dig into how people are responding to new music.
-Finally, Pretzel Logic has a shiny new layout. Keep checking back over the course of this week as I add a few more bells and whistles.
My goal for Pretzel Logic is to do with words what sites like Metacritic and Acclaimed Music do with numbers: gain an overall sense of how critics are responding to new music. This blog will cover the albums that everyone seems to celebrating, along with those that everyone has united against and everything in-between. In the process, I hope to see history being written in front of me, as critics decide who the “winners” and “losers” of the this year’s music releases will be.
All the old Pretzel Logic content from the past year is still in the archive. However, from here on out (with one exception this weekend), Pretzel Logic will be a different beast. No longer will it simply be an outpouring of my own thoughts and opinions. Instead, I hope it will prove to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in what the world thinks about new music.
So, if you’re out there reading, don’t be afraid to interact. I want Pretzel Logic to spark conversations. If you’ve got opinions about the music I’m talking about, share them. If you think there’s music out there I should cover, please tell me. One voice of criticism is virtually meaningless on its own. Add your voice to the many others I’ll be showcasing on a regular basis.
Hello and welcome to the new and improved Pretzel Logic! Today is the beginning of not only a new year, but an entirely new decade. In keeping with this sense of new beginnings, I’ve decided to revamp and focus Pretzel Logic for its second year of existence.
Things That Have Changed
-Content will be limited to only reviews and news, with the occasional random thought if I think it’s important. As much as I’ve enjoyed sharing lists of my favorite musicians and albums with everyone, I want Pretzel Logic to be more accessible and useful. This means dialing down some of my own personal opinions and list-making tendencies.
-I’m also going to be drawing heavily on what other critics are saying. A typical album review under the new Pretzel Logic regime will feature a sampling of what other people are saying about the work at hand, followed by my own opinion and final grade. This blog’s mission statement is to document and comment on music history as it is being written, meaning that being aware of what other critics are saying about these albums is very important.
-My manic posting rate will slow down somewhat. This new reviewing system requires more time and effort, since I have to both A) wait for these other reviews to be written and B) hunt them down. However, the flipside of this should be more in-depth reviews that really dig into how people are responding to new music.
-Finally, Pretzel Logic has a shiny new layout. Keep checking back over the course of this week as I add a few more bells and whistles.
My goal for Pretzel Logic is to do with words what sites like Metacritic and Acclaimed Music do with numbers: gain an overall sense of how critics are responding to new music. This blog will cover the albums that everyone seems to celebrating, along with those that everyone has united against and everything in-between. In the process, I hope to see history being written in front of me, as critics decide who the “winners” and “losers” of the this year’s music releases will be.
All the old Pretzel Logic content from the past year is still in the archive. However, from here on out (with one exception this weekend), Pretzel Logic will be a different beast. No longer will it simply be an outpouring of my own thoughts and opinions. Instead, I hope it will prove to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in what the world thinks about new music.
So, if you’re out there reading, don’t be afraid to interact. I want Pretzel Logic to spark conversations. If you’ve got opinions about the music I’m talking about, share them. If you think there’s music out there I should cover, please tell me. One voice of criticism is virtually meaningless on its own. Add your voice to the many others I’ll be showcasing on a regular basis.
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