D Stephen Heersink wrote:

>If ever there was a periodical needed to prove that British can talk
>a hell-uva-lot and still not say anything, Gramophone should be a classic
>example....

Our British members will likely have a little to say about Stephen's view
on their communication skills.  As for me, I'm usually taken aback when I
hear or read criticisms of English speaking review periodicals.  There are
so few of them that I'm glad that any exist at all.

Sure, none of them is perfect, but each one provides me with "something"
of value, and I snap them up when they hit the street.  In the case of
Gramophone, although the reviews are relatively short, they do provide me
with purchasing insight, and they easily outdistance the others in letting
me know what's coming up in the recording arena.

Each of these periodicals costs less than a full-priced cd, and I consider
them a relative bargain for my needs.  I also enjoy reading them (or parts
of them).  Agree with them most of the time? Hardly, but that's just a
matter of personal taste.

Getting back to communication, I always assumed that the British were
excellent communicators, and materials I've read have just reinforced
that opinion.  Sometimes I think that there's a negative perception of
the British for losing their Empire, but I consider that to have been an
inevitable and healthy process.

Don Satz
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