Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

feature

A matter of taste
A matter of taste
jvergho by Julia Vergho January 26th, 2002
Everyone knows music is a matter of personal taste (although, if you're talking about commercial success, that's debatable. But obviously that's not what I'm talking about), and that's how it should be. Lots of different people like lots of different kinds of music. Simple as that. Now why is there always someone who's trying to convince everyone else that he or she is right about everything and knows what's 'good' music and what isn't? There's not much point in trying to convince, say, a UK garage fan that guitarpop was the future, is there? Same goes for bands of the same 'genre'. There are no good bands and no bad bands, as there will always be someone who likes or dislikes that band. And how would you define a 'good' band in the first place? Musical ability? Bollocks to that! Who cares? If you think something sounds good, it sounds good. And it doesn't matter if it's made up from, like, three powerchords. Lyrics? Aha aha aha. Most lyrics are about fuck all. What I'm trying to say is: if you like a band, you like a band. No one should have to justify why they like whatever they like. And no one should walk around thinking their personal opinion was some kind of universal truth either.

Obviously the same has to apply to people's different approaches to writing reviews (be it gig reviews or singles or whatever). People should write what they want to write. How they go about it is their personal choice. Arguments along the lines of 'your review sucks and I know why' are pointless. So what's the point in bickering about what should go into a review and what shouldn't. I have to admit, that I find some of the reviews up here pretty atrocious. But then, someone else thinks they're really good. That's how it is. Take it or leave it, but, for God's sake, stop trying to tell people how to write.


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees

Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »




LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    Interview


    Ace of Bass: DiS Meets Royal Blood

  • 97097
  • feature


    DiS meets At the Drive-In

  • 12223

    feature


    A Month in Records: August 2008

  • 33467
  • feature


    Nicky Wire on the press, Shirley Bassey, and th...

  • 50002

    Discography Reassessed


    Oeuvre Here: An 18 Album Voyage Through Ringo S...

  • 100438
  • Interview


    Life, Death and Broken Bells - DiS meets James ...

  • 82768

    In Depth


    Fade to black: DiS meets The Horrors

  • 48012
  • feature


    Radiohead's In Rainbows: the fans' verdict

  • 27997
MORE
Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND