Are Album Reviews Obsolete?

A recent New York Times music podcast (Popcast) is titled: “Do We Need Album Reviews Anymore?” Popcast host Jon Caramanica had a conversation with writer and musician Jamie Brooks about the history and future of album reviews. Brooks recently tweeted about whether music journalism was too concerned with reviewing individual albums and thereby focused less on more holistic, bigger-umbrella approaches to covering artists and scenes. It was a fascinating conversation and got me thinking about the role of album reviews in my life as a 65-year-old musichead.

My music education was primarily album reviews from professional music critics published in music magazines. My main sources were Down Beat (jazz), Rolling Stone (pop), Spin (pop), Musician (pop and jazz), and Stereo Review (an audiophile magazine that had excellent album reviews of a wide range of genres). I lived for album reviews from those magazines. The music I was interested in was not on the radio. I had to buy a physical LP (a record) for a substantial dollar amount ($30-$35 in 2023 dollars – remarkably close to what new wax costs now). Often my only information about an album was album reviews, band profiles, and interviews in music magazines. I would read reviews and if the review piqued my interest in that album I would spend my meager wages to buy the LPs (later CDs – then LPs again). Album reviews were a critical resource in helping me to decide and prioritize what to buy.

Fast forward to today, I no longer rely on record reviews – I just stream. Each Thursday I look at the new releases on the Electric Fetus’ website and pick some albums that intrigue me. Then starting on Friday at midnight Eastern Time, I stream those selected new releases. I don’t need an album review, I can just sample it (and because I am an audiophile, I prefer to stream in high resolution – at minimum CD quantity). If I like an album I buy the vinyl to support my obsession with owning physical media and my sentimental love of listening to vinyl on a good stereo (I would be lying to claim buying the LP was an act of benevolence toward the artist, but that is a bonus too).

How do I decide what new music to stream?

◦ Artists that I am already familiar with (who I keep track of primarily on social media)

◦ Artists that have come to my attention by surfing the internet, social media, podcasts, online newspapers, and magazines (there are record reviews I read here – but mostly ignore those reviews until I write my own review*)

◦ Suggestions from my streaming services

◦ Suggestions from family and friends

Even though album reviews are not important to me, I write reviews and post them on my blog and social media (primarily Instagram @catchgroove and Facebook at Jim Welby). I write reviews not to be read, but as a kind of music listening journal. Writing a review helps me critically listen to an album.

I agree with Jamie Brooks that the traditional album review is obsolete. There is still a purpose for professional music critics, for example, concert reviews, artist profiles, scene profiles, biographies, etc. Again, the conventional album reviews are no longer necessary. In light of this conclusion, I will reevaluate what I am doing on my blog and social media. But again I mainly write record reviews as a means to more engaged and active listening.