Considering the general level of knowledge expressed by the members
of this list, I suspect that we do not care if the review in question
is a "puff" piece.  No one can convince me to purchase another copy of
Beethoven's Opus 67 unless I am interested in the conductor, regardless
of how highly the recording itself is praised.  To use a popular music
analogy, do you think that the purchasers of the latest Mariah Carey or
Janet Jackson album actually wait for a favorable review before they run to
the store and plunk down their money? Ditto for us, I believe.  I will use
Fanfare and other magazines to alert me as to what is available, not what
to buy.  If they wish to indulge in a form of payola for positive record
reviews, then so be it.  I might feel differently if they were the only
magazine and had sole control over record distribution but since they
don't, I can tolerate their "larceny".

"Harold C. Verdun" <[log in to unmask]>