The MR.com 100% club & perfect ratings in general

[The Rocker]

I've listened to Jimi twice so far & I love it. EM has really nailed the 'Jimi' sound IMO. This is exactly the type of song he should be singing & there isn't a filler on it.

 

Safe? Well that's one word. I would nt call this 'safe' - stuff like bullet in the gun is far from safe, killer I'd call it. Easily a 90% from me.

 

My only (slight) grumble would be a bit more guitar but that's me being picky lol

I agree, a little more crunchy guitars.

[heaven&hell]

I guess it's all personal taste but i don't care to hear the Jamison or Springfield but i love the new Kiss disc and it only got 85%.

[Glen]

I guess it's all personal taste but i don't care to hear the Jamison or Springfield but i love the new Kiss disc and it only got 85%.

 

I was listening to some of that yesterday - some rockin stuff but not sure if it sounded as strong as Sonic Boom? I would have thought 85% was a good score score? Maybe more 80%

[Geoff]

I've listened to Jimi twice so far & I love it. EM has really nailed the 'Jimi' sound IMO. This is exactly the type of song he should be singing & there isn't a filler on it.

 

Safe? Well that's one word. I would nt call this 'safe' - stuff like bullet in the gun is far from safe, killer I'd call it. Easily a 90% from me.

 

My only (slight) grumble would be a bit more guitar but that's me being picky lol

 

'Bullet in a gun' is a stand-out, but probably the only of it's type, and the rest is all quite "safe." Don't get me wrong, it's a nice version of safe, and as you say there's no filler on there. All nice, strong melodic rock with a few killers like 'Air that I breathe' and 'Not tonight.' Please don't mistake my not saying it's the best CD ever recorded as an indication that I don't think it is a very good CD.

[Geoff]

This subject has been raised again in the Brother Firetribe thread and so as not to wreck that thread, I thought I'd resurrect this and just chime in on the subject, again. I agree with all that has been said, and I am yet to hear that 100% album.

 

The subject has renewed interest for me, because although it is a really, really long term plan, I do plan to go through every CD I own, then every CDR, then every MP3, and create the most extensive database of rated albums imaginable. My aim is to eventually have every album I own rated. Out of interest, for reference and just to see what truly are, as per my ratings, my personal top 10 albums of all time.

 

For the last year or so, I've sadly just been rating all the "weaker" albums (mostly 70% and lower), in order to sort out what to put on ebay or not. But just to spice it up a little every now and then, I pick some of my favourite CDs and throw a score on those too.

 

I'm going to agree with Glen in saying that I have thrown a rating on probably over 1000 albums including the last couple of years where I have rated all the new releases and with two exceptions, I am yet to rate an album higher than that 95-96% mark. That seems to be about the pinnacle for a truly excellent disc. I have put some albums into the CD player thinking they'd exceed it, but that's why I regard this song by song rating system so well. Because I don't truly believe you can give a CD 100% until you have sat down and to each individual song on the CD, said 'Yes, you are perfect. The band could have done NOTHING to make this song more perfect than it is right now.' And you have to tell this to the spinning CD 10 times, or 12, or however many songs are on the CD. And for a CD to truly be perfect, worthy of 100%, it takes an astronomical effort, for every single song to be perfect. I personally don't think there's a CD out there that accomplishes this feat.

 

Anyway, we'll see how I go. I'm not a fan of over-rated CDs, but again, that's all in the eye of the beholder. I have no doubt that what I rate high others would not, and vice versa. I personally don't think there has been an album released in 2014, yet, that is worthy of over 90%. For me anyway. My highest rated album so far is a mighty impressive 89%. But the thing I want to maintain in my scores is consistency from year to year. I want to make sure an album I rate 95% from 1990 is as excellent as one I would rate 95% in 2014. I don't want 95% to have a different meaning and level of quality from year to year, and that's the fun of it all. Keeping that balance, from 1984 to 1994 to 2014; from AOR to glam to modern rock.

 

Anyway, I'm really looking forward (seriously, I know I'm a nerd) to getting ratings on all the best CDs to ultimately see what my 4th to 10th favourite CDs of all time are. To capitalise on what I was saying above, I took out Boys Like Girls 'Love Drunk' and 'A Change of Pace 'Prepare the masses' the other day as I truly thought both would be at the pinnacle of my list when it's all said and done. But that's what I mean about sitting down and taking in each song. Until you dissect an album one song at a time, there's no accurate way of telling how good the album truly is as a whole. The BLG album ended up with a highly respectable and well earned 93% and ACOP an equally admirable 89%; both much lower than I anticipated. But that's how it rolls. All you can do is give your honest ratings and see how the cards fall in the end.

 

Anyway, really boring post. Haha. More just me sitting here pouring out rubbish on this subject, but hey, at least I didn't ruin the Brother Firetribe thread for it.

[Glen]

For what its worth I agree with every word you said (apart maybe from the rate for Boys Like girls lol!).

 

Whether I will ever get to rate all the albums through the 80's is questionable. I was going to try 1989 but even that looked daunting at over 75 albums!!!

[AlphaMale]

Not many perfect records out there.

 

Some of those mentioned are at the top of my list:

 

TNT "My Religion"

 

and

 

Dokken "Back For The Attack"

[AlphaMale]

And most of those 100% rated discs by Andrew are nowhere near 100% in my book. Most of them aren't even 90%.

[Guest JoeS]

There are two different ways to rate records (To keep both simple and short, because I want to watch some tv before bed). The first is to grade it the same way an educator would grade a student on a school assignment. Did the student clearly illustrate his point, did he use brilliant language, did he satisfy the criteria of the assignment, and as a whole, did his effort display a command of the material and did it make an impression that impacts positively on his audience.

The second method would be to grade on a curve, and judge a work based on its greatness relative to previous efforts within the genre, based on personal preference. In other words, ranking albums, which is different than rating them.

This isn't a slight, but Andrew's reviews, for instance, are worthless to me. The ratings are insanely high, but I hope that the reason for that is that he's just grading albums, like I said, as a teacher would, because I can't fault him for that. There are many, many releases that deserve a high 'grade'. However, as a reader, I'm more interested in whether I'll personally enjoy an album, not whether it's a just a quality, well constructed display of tuneful musicianship that meets the criteria of the assignment.

I want reviews that reveal the particular tastes of the reviewer. It seems most of you rarely rate anything lower than 80%, and that tells me nothing, firstly because I don't know if you're grading an album just on its merit, and secondly, because if you're not, why aren't you using the other three fifths of the scale? If you limit yourself to only using the upper twenty percent of a one hundred point scale, it squashes the dynamic of your critique in the same way that compression in modern production techniques limits the dynamic range of an audio recording. There's not enough room for those that read your reviews to get a real feel for your true tastes if you don't utilize the entire dynamic range that is available to you. It makes it difficult to find someone with whom you can more faithfully trust and side with.

Think about the sheer number of albums out there, and how more precisely a person could dial in their musical identity, for everyone's benefit, if one weren't afraid to place a 'good' release in the fifty percent range. Much more breathing room for the great releases, and you'd end up with a true bell curve that more accurately represents your true tastes...

Blah, blah, blah... I need to catch a Cougartown re-run.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

There are two different ways to rate records (To keep both simple and short, because I want to watch some tv before bed). The first is to grade it the same way an educator would grade a student on a school assignment. Did the student clearly illustrate his point, did he use brilliant language, did he satisfy the criteria of the assignment, and as a whole, did his effort display a command of the material and did it make an impression that impacts positively on his audience.

 

The second method would be to grade on a curve, and judge a work based on its greatness relative to previous efforts within the genre, based on personal preference. In other words, ranking albums, which is different than rating them.

 

This isn't a slight, but Andrew's reviews, for instance, are worthless to me. The ratings are insanely high, but I hope that the reason for that is that he's just grading albums, like I said, as a teacher would, because I can't fault him for that. There are many, many releases that deserve a high 'grade'. However, as a reader, I'm more interested in whether I'll personally enjoy an album, not whether it's a just a quality, well constructed display of tuneful musicianship that meets the criteria of the assignment.

 

I want reviews that reveal the particular tastes of the reviewer. It seems most of you rarely rate anything lower than 80%, and that tells me nothing, firstly because I don't know if you're grading an album just on its merit, and secondly, because if you're not, why aren't you using the other three fifths of the scale? If you limit yourself to only using the upper twenty percent of a one hundred point scale, it squashes the dynamic of your critique in the same way that compression in modern production techniques limits the dynamic range of an audio recording. There's not enough room for those that read your reviews to get a real feel for your true tastes if you don't utilize the entire dynamic range that is available to you. It makes it difficult to find someone with whom you can more faithfully trust and side with.

 

Think about the sheer number of albums out there, and how more precisely a person could dial in their musical identity, for everyone's benefit, if one weren't afraid to place a 'good' release in the fifty percent range. Much more breathing room for the great releases, and you'd end up with a true bell curve that more accurately represents your true tastes...

 

Blah, blah, blah... I need to catch a Cougartown re-run.

A lot of truth in there. Personally, I don't assign numbers or grades to albums; it's too much like work. I do, however, admire the amount of time folks like Geoffrey, Glen, and Russ put into their ratings. Though I generally disagree with them.

 

As for rating nothing below 80%, like I said, I don't use numbers, but I also typically don't bother mentioning albums I don't love. Before I spend the effort to track down and listen to an album, I read the reviews and recommendations that are listed on this site. That gives me a good idea of what to try, and what to pass. So, most of what I listen to is already what most would consider to be in the 80%+ bracket. Not to say I never listen to shit albums, but, as I stated before, I don't bother bringing it up.

[PeterS]

Perfect album will always make me think of the Kerrang review of Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation where it gave it 110% for side 1, 110% for side 2 and 110% for the hole in the middle. Or whatever their ranking system was.

 

The perfect albums to me are the ones I just keep coming back to year on year.. And telling is most of them are from back in the day. Disks I personally think of as perfect:

 

1. Sisters of Mercy - Vision Thing

2. Rock City Angels - Young Man's Blues

3. Enuff Z Nuff - 1st

4. LA Guns - 1st

5. Guns and Roses - Appetite

6. Romeo's Daughter - 1st.

Of Andrews probably only the Treat album has grabbed me and shaken me to pieces.

 

I'm sat there looking at the new HEAT album being rated at 100%. Fabulous album. Listening to it in a year, let alone 20? Probably not.

[Glen]

JoeS - as for not rating anything less than 80% - be patient my friend....my list for 2014 will be pretty damning ;-)

[Geoff]

I hope I'm not being included in the all over 80% rating club, lol. As I have for the last 2 years, I've had everything from about 10% up to the 90% mark covered in my ratings. This 80% comment, I assume, is based on single reviews in various threads on popular CDs, perhaps? If you're only reading threads for HEAT, Brother Firetribe etc. you'll only see high ratings. But if/when comprehensive summaries of all the releases in a year are posted (like that Geoff dickhead does every year) you will see every number of the alphabet covered.

 

Also, for those people like Karpetface, who only buy "sure bets," and don't waste their time with weaker discs (which is the smart way to go... the way I wish I would go), the lowest rated disc is always going to start at a much higher score than if you rate anything and everything you hear, from shit to brilliance.

[melodicrock]

Always nice to hear my reviews are worthless.

 

I would state - as I always do - that if you actually READ the review, there won't be anyone left surprised or mislead by the review as the content of any one I write will always describe what you are getting.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Always nice to hear my reviews are worthless.

 

I would state - as I always do - that if you actually READ the review, there won't be anyone left surprised or mislead by the review as the content of any one I write will always describe what you are getting.

Yep. And that's what I've always appreciated about your reviews: your words. I may not agree with your numbers, but your words have often given me a good idea of what I'm getting myself into.

[Nightrain]

I think people got intimidated by Andrew's reviews because of the numbers, and not the words. Because most of the time, I guess Andrew's description of an album is spot on. He did a song-by-song analysis but not do a song-per-song calculation like we did, so if a track he like or grew well on him, then it's a ten, so if he likes all songs and backed with an excellent production, then it's a simple 100. Although I still don't understand how to set apart a 100 with 97 or 95 or 92 ?

 

I don't think it matters because what we rated here is art, not math, there's no exact right or wrong. If you're not willing to give an album 100 based on the opinion of 'there's no such thing as the perfect album', then you shouldn't also give a particular song a 10, because 'there's no such thing as the perfect song', but the fact is for those who don't believe in 100%, most of the times, I guess they're willing to give a song a 10, so why not a 100 for an album that you really like? Out of 5,000 or 10,000 or 20,000 albums you ever heard in your entire life, sure you have your own top 10 or top 100 of all time and I don't see a problem if people gave it 100%.

 

Sometimes an album has that 'spiritual feel' that could be the X factor for the perfect score. For example, I knew a friend who almost jump from a building because he's totally depressed, only to back down after listening to one particular album twice, and I can totally understand if it's a 100% album for him, although it's probably a 60% for me. Or maybe, an album that you and your wife has listened over 100 times, never got bored by it, and that album is the one that really bond you for say 20-25 years of your marriage ? Or maybe an album that you spin 3-4 times while waiting for your first born son ? Something like that

[PeterS]

I personally love your reviews and have got to listen to many great albums because of them. I think what people struggle with is the 100%. Thankfully we all have different tastes or we'd all be after exactly the same women.

[Captain Howdy]

I dont really even see the point of this thread. One persons diamond is another mans coal. If someone reviews an album as 100%/10 out of 10/whatever grading system used, thats their opinion.

There are loads of albums in my collection that I would class as perfect, and if I gave a percent grading, would be 100%, and am sure people would disagree with me as well.

As for journalistic reviews, you take them for what they are, one persons opinion. Generally if you are familiar with that reviewers style, you will have a good idea if you are going to like the album or not, but for me it doesnt matter how much people rave about something, I will never get too excited or let down by a review because I know what I want from an album isnt what everyone wants.

If MR wants to give 100%, then who are any of us to question it?

Hell, you only have to look at the Winger thread at the moment, with Geoff being so negative against the album, with everyone else pretty much being positive (to differing degrees). I know Geoff is wrong in this case (sarcasm), but its a perfect example of how reviews are only a reference point and not a bible.

[Glen]

Always nice to hear my reviews are worthless.

 

I would state - as I always do - that if you actually READ the review, there won't be anyone left surprised or mislead by the review as the content of any one I write will always describe what you are getting.

I always read your reviews with interest, but you cant be annoyed with people scratching their heads over the numbers.

 

So many albums get over 90%.

 

For example this year - was Magnum really worth that score? I think its slightly misleading - vigilante maybe?

 

& what about Gotthard. When I read that review you dissed half the songs on the album but still gave it over 90%?? For the record I reckon Lipservice would be about 90% and the newie around 65-70%...its pretty weak overall with only about 4-5 classic sounding Gotthard songs (imo of course).

 

In general I like your reviews but really think with the new site you should either dispense with the scores altogether, revamp the scoring system or maybe rank against their discographies??

 

Just thoughts thats all.

 

Cheers

[Geoff]

I don't think it matters because what we rated here is art, not math, there's no exact right or wrong. If you're not willing to give an album 100 based on the opinion of 'there's no such thing as the perfect album', then you shouldn't also give a particular song a 10, because 'there's no such thing as the perfect song', but the fact is for those who don't believe in 100%, most of the times, I guess they're willing to give a song a 10, so why not a 100 for an album that you really like? Out of 5,000 or 10,000 or 20,000 albums you ever heard in your entire life, sure you have your own top 10 or top 100 of all time and I don't see a problem if people gave it 100%.

 

There certainly is no problem with it at all. As most have noted, it's all just personal opinions and there will be no two single people on this planet who, for example, rate any random 10 albums exactly the same as each other. So who's right and who's wrong? No one; all just personal opinions.

 

My posts on this subject are just like everyone elses, which is just my personal views on the subject, and that's how I rate albums and how it best works for me. In no way at all am I saying it's "right" or what everyone else should be doing. Just how I roll.

 

Just on that paragraph above, totally disagree, mate. I think there are plenty of perfect songs out there, personally, but I don't think any one album contains 10 perfect songs, thus making any one album perfect in my eyes. But you must see how you can have perfect songs without perfect albums? If you sit a test of 10 questions and you get nine answers correct - perfectly answered, one might say - but you get one wrong, you're going to score 9/10, thus you have 9 perfect answers, but an imperfect overall test. Same with albums. With regard to my rating system, you have have nine out of 10 perfect songs on a CD, but if one isn't that great, I, personally, can't call that CD perfect.

 

I will say, when rating Cauterize's 'So far from real' there were songs I literally wanted to score 11/10 because I thought they exceeded perfection, and were much better than other songs I had rated 10. Which just goes to show that perfect is not just one single thing, to me, but there are all types of levels of perfection out there. I rated 'One single breath' and 'Wildest Dreams' by Brother Firetribe both 10 - perfect songs to me. But, personally, I think 'Wildest Dreams' is a MUCH better song. Everybody has their preferences, even when dealing with what they consider perfection.

 

Anyway, more stupid rambling. It is a pointless and stupid thread, but hey, that's what the internet was created for.

[Jacob M.]

I thought the Internet was created for porn. As for the perfect album, I don't think it exists. The closest I've heard is maybe Journey- Evolution or Slaughter- Stick It To Ya.

[Glen]

I thought the Internet was created for porn. As for the perfect album, I don't think it exists. The closest I've heard is maybe Journey- Evolution or Slaughter- Stick It To Ya.

Good man. Evolution is my fav Journey album - I think I rated it about 95%

[zacharyamelie]

I love how we get all up in arms over our or others opinions.

 

Even I've not liked albums because others told me not to like it. I've even tried liking certain albums because they get high praise (ie: Winger - Pull)

 

Not sure the perfect album exists, it all depends on how the album strikes me and the longevity of me playing it. No album can be perfect if I stop playing it in a year and barely if ever pull it out again. I find it easier to rate songs as perfection.

 

Here is a brief list of essential albums that I can't live without....sorta as perfect as can be for me.

 

Dream Theater - Images And Words

Queensryche - Operation:Mindcrime

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

Harem Scarem - s/t

Van Halen - s/t

 

recently as in the last 15 years

 

The Magnificent - s/t

Brother Firetribe - False Metal

Waltham - s/t or Permission To Build (basically same album)

 

When Andrew gives an album a 100% rating I know one thing it will generally kick ass and be a great release.

 

If it wasn't for MR.com, Stefan and his neverending posting of new things and everyone else here, I'd still be in the Dark Ages when it come to good music.

[Nightrain]

 

I don't think it matters because what we rated here is art, not math, there's no exact right or wrong. If you're not willing to give an album 100 based on the opinion of 'there's no such thing as the perfect album', then you shouldn't also give a particular song a 10, because 'there's no such thing as the perfect song', but the fact is for those who don't believe in 100%, most of the times, I guess they're willing to give a song a 10, so why not a 100 for an album that you really like? Out of 5,000 or 10,000 or 20,000 albums you ever heard in your entire life, sure you have your own top 10 or top 100 of all time and I don't see a problem if people gave it 100%.

 

There certainly is no problem with it at all. As most have noted, it's all just personal opinions and there will be no two single people on this planet who, for example, rate any random 10 albums exactly the same as each other. So who's right and who's wrong? No one; all just personal opinions.

 

My posts on this subject are just like everyone elses, which is just my personal views on the subject, and that's how I rate albums and how it best works for me. In no way at all am I saying it's "right" or what everyone else should be doing. Just how I roll.

 

Just on that paragraph above, totally disagree, mate. I think there are plenty of perfect songs out there, personally, but I don't think any one album contains 10 perfect songs, thus making any one album perfect in my eyes. But you must see how you can have perfect songs without perfect albums? If you sit a test of 10 questions and you get nine answers correct - perfectly answered, one might say - but you get one wrong, you're going to score 9/10, thus you have 9 perfect answers, but an imperfect overall test. Same with albums. With regard to my rating system, you have have nine out of 10 perfect songs on a CD, but if one isn't that great, I, personally, can't call that CD perfect.

 

I will say, when rating Cauterize's 'So far from real' there were songs I literally wanted to score 11/10 because I thought they exceeded perfection, and were much better than other songs I had rated 10. Which just goes to show that perfect is not just one single thing, to me, but there are all types of levels of perfection out there. I rated 'One single breath' and 'Wildest Dreams' by Brother Firetribe both 10 - perfect songs to me. But, personally, I think 'Wildest Dreams' is a MUCH better song. Everybody has their preferences, even when dealing with what they consider perfection.

 

Anyway, more stupid rambling. It is a pointless and stupid thread, but hey, that's what the internet was created for.

 

 

The reason of why the opinion of 'no perfect album' surfaced is because we approach an album using a song-by-song calculation. With this case, of course no album will ever get 100% because we always compare track 1 to track 2, and if track 1 is a 10, there's a chance that it's a better song than track 2, thus track 2 is only a 9. But how do we arrive at a 'perfect song' ? Shouldn't we also approach it using math calculation, maybe minute-by-minute ? Sure in a song sometimes the verse is better than the bridge, or the bridge is better than the chorus, but weird thing is we like the whole song as one entity, thus the 10/10 score.

Some people don't use score but using stars, you see so many albums got rated 5 stars in amazon for example, in my opinion, that's a 100% score as well.

 

Now, if the song is rated 'perfect', then sure we can also view an album as a whole entity and not only song-by-song calculation, because there are many x factors like I said before that you like the whole album because of many unexplained emotional things that could complement the several weakness in couple of songs inside.

 

The point of my post is that everyone I believe should have the perfect album in their entire life because there are few albums that really stood the test of time and you keep coming back to them even though it's released 20-30 years ago. Some albums you even bought every version of it, the deluxe, japanese, every other countries release, the fans edition, tour edition, vinyl, tape, whatever it is. Like my friend did with METALLICA's 'Ride The Lightning' and 'Master of Puppets', or KISS 'Destroyer', or GUNS N ROSES 'Appetite for destruction'. That's the definition of real perfect album for them

 

Now, let's back again and see those albums that some of you rated 94% or 95%, i mean, what's keeping you from scoring it to 100% ? it's only 5% shy, is it only for the sake of 'no thing in the world is perfect' ? Don't you think that if that album have an enormous impact of your life that it's worth the 5% to offset the weaker songs inside ? Is it also better to sort things out if you have 100 albums with 95% score, you might as well divide it to say 20 albums with 100%, 30 albums with 98%, and the rest with 95%

[Glen]

Oh wow this is all getting a bit over discussed now lol.

 

The way I see it is if I feel the band couldnt really improve the song I give it a 10. You know cool intro, great verse, interesting pre, a chorus which really hooks you in...perhaps a solo - not essential but will always assist in me pushing to that 10 and doesnt outstay its welcome - ie chorus repeated over and over for no reason!

 

Now I'll admit thats it gonna be difficult for any band to achieve 10 or even 12 songs like this on one studio album so 100% is still in the waiting for me - I genuinely feel there are a few bands out there which could achieve it though - HEAT, Work Of Art, Harem's newie when it hits....who knows.

 

As for some which ive rated in the mid 90s -

 

AOR

 

Journey - Escape / Evolution

Harem Scarem - s/t

Work Of Art - In Progress

 

Prog

 

Marillion - Script

Threshold - Dead Reckoning / Subsurface

 

Metal

 

Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast

Dio - Holy Diver

 

Hard Rock

 

GnR - Appetite

AC/ DC - Back In Black

Skid Row - Slave

 

Melodic Rock

 

WET - S/T

BJ - S/T

Night Ranger - Dawn Patrol

 

Just a few off the top of my head....