Can anyone recommend a good website that reviews CDs?

Posted by: Miles David on 31 January 2007

Does anyone know a good cd review website? I've had good luck in the past with some magazines' reviews but would prefer to go online. My music interests are jazz and classical, but also some folk, country and pop. Does anyone remember the mag CD Review? I bought some great CDs based on their recommendation. What I liked was that it gave ratings on both the performance and the sonic quality of the CD.

The dual ratings are important. For example, I find Gordon Lightfoot's new CD Harmony to be superb in respect to the music but almost terrible sonically. Anyone agree?

Posted on: 31 January 2007 by Gianluigi Mazzorana

http://www.good-music-guide.com/forum/index.php

http://www.classicstoday.com/index.asp

Posted on: 31 January 2007 by ewemon

Try using the following for folk, country

www.puremusic.com

if you want artist reveiws etc. The one everyone quotes.

www.allmusic.com

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by Old Mister Crow

I second the request - reviews that clearly indicate the sonic quality (in a trustworthy fashion, not in a "sounds great in my car" fashion) would be extremely useful. Since shifting from DQM9s to SBLs, I've been surprised at how wide the variance is in sound quality among my previous favorites from my collection. Thus I worry that many music reviews may be written from the perspective of a sound system that simply can't draw out the difference in recording quality.

Gianluigi's classicstoday recommendation is very nice in this regard. What else is out there?

Best regards,
Carl

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by naimshake

I've spent far too long on allmusic.com since ewemon's recommendation (thanks ewemon

), and while I really appreciate a fine sounding disc it's got to be about the music for me - fab sound's only ever a bonus. Of course, it's different with classical, where you might have 5 or more interpretations of the same work by different orchestras/producers.

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by Gianluigi Mazzorana

quote:
Originally posted by Old Mister Crow:
Gianluigi's classicstoday recommendation is very nice in this regard. What else is out there?

Best regards,
Carl

Hi Carl!
It's not flour of my sack but Timnaim, a forum member, gave it to me.
The matter is that the links i have are in italian just like
http://forum.audiophilesound.it/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?
Btw if get something interesting i'll post it.
Cheers!
Gianluigi

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by Old Mister Crow

Thanks, Gianluigi.

---

Naimshake: there's a similar issue with many jazz recordings, where one can choose among multiple remasterings of the same material, often with drastically differing qualities.

-Carl

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by ewemon

quote:
Originally posted by Old Mister Crow:
I second the request - reviews that clearly indicate the sonic quality (in a trustworthy fashion, not in a "sounds great in my car" fashion) would be extremely useful. Since shifting from DQM9s to SBLs, I've been surprised at how wide the variance is in sound quality among my previous favorites from my collection. Thus I worry that many music reviews may be written from the perspective of a sound system that simply can't draw out the difference in recording quality.

Gianluigi's classicstoday recommendation is very nice in this regard. What else is out there?

Best regards,
Carl

Carl there is a very good forum out there run by Steve Hoffman the sound engineer. He is a specialist in remastering and is used by a lot of major artists and companies for such. Have a look at his Music forum I don't necessary agree with everything on it but for discussions on best sounding copies and quality recordings I don't think you can beat it.

You will find it at

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by ewemon

quote:
Originally posted by naimshake:
I've spent far too long on allmusic.com since ewemon's recommendation (thanks ewemon), and while I really appreciate a fine sounding disc it's got to be about the music for me - fab sound's only ever a bonus. Of course, it's different with classical, where you might have 5 or more interpretations of the same work by different orchestras/producers.

My pleasure naimshake. I always check there first for reviews of old discs and tips on what albums are an artists best. Then I will go to Amazon US or Barnes and Noble for samples and make my mind up.

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by matt podniesinski

For indy, semi-obsure stuff you can try pitchforkmedia.com

Mayy

Posted on: 07 February 2007 by J.N.

Hi Miles;

I find written reviews to be next to useless. One man's meat etc.

If you register with All Music Guide 30 second track samples are available of virtually everything on there. I find that very useful.

Good listening.

John.

Posted on: 11 February 2007 by northpole

quote:
I find written reviews to be next to useless. One man's meat etc.

Couldn't agree more. What you need to find, if such a person exists, is a reviewer who shares the same or very similar take on music as yourself. I used to have that a fair bit with Mojo, but times and journalists change...

Proceed with caution!

Peter