The next issue was that the blog was "noticed" by people in the industry and I began receiving numerous emails about the blog. Through the course of a number of emails and conversations, I realized that some of the posts were being taken in ways other then I had intended. I noted one such example in my previous post.
Additionally, at the about the same time that I was commenting on a new album – incidentally, it will probably sell well for the exact reasons that I didn't like it – someone else posted an extremely negative post on the Yahoo Jewish music board about that album urging people not to buy it. I was made aware that there were some who were speculating that I was behind the post. Needless to say, I wasn't.
And, of course, this all occurred as I was swamped with work.
The awareness that this was all going on at about the same time made me decide to temporarily remove the posts while I considered how to address these issues. I didn't remove them to try to hide them -- something that is impossible to do in practical terms anyhow; I removed them because some of them were being taken in ways other than I'd intended, and, I wanted to consider what --if anything -- I should do about it. I should note that it was only a few posts that were at issue, but lacking the time to go through and edit them properly then, I decided to remove them for the moment.
I've decided that the best way to address those issues at this point is simply to offer to publish correspondence with regard to any of these posts. If you feel I was unfair, please let me know and I will be glad to post your comments. All of these posts are archived here:
July '03
August '03
September '03
October '03
November '03
They should appear back in the sidebar soon too!
In general, though, I stand behind what I've written and hope that those of you in the industry who are now reading this blog will do what you can to help change things. Of course, I would like to express my regret if anyone was hurt in a way that I did not intend.
I am also considering having guest bloggers posting periodically. Please let me know if you have any interest in participating.
In closing, I'd like to thank all who emailed their thoughts and support. I received many such emails, but this one really summed it up.
You are the true voice in JM critiquing. It is so important to have that kind of voice in the industry to keep it honest. People need to toughen up if they're going to put things out to the public (I'm talking about the musicians who can't take professional criticism). Some people will like it and some people won't. You support all your opinions with specific examples. It's very hard to find such a good reviewer in any industry.
Maybe find a good Rabbi and get some help with this decision. You are providing an excellent service to the public. I don't think its loshon hora or denying someone a living. Musicians should be held responsible for what they promote, perform or publish.
There is nothing that exists like your blog anywhere. There is no critical voice for JM. I hope you find the strength to put back all your old posts and to continue.It is clear to me that many of us feel the same way about a lot of these issues. Let's join forces and make a difference!
