I have yet to "understand".

Love the magazine - good writing, in-depth articles, my kind of content and tastes: I've been given many good recommendations. But that bloody cover disc I can live without. My wife does not need any more bird-scarers for the allotmment, so I have taken to taking the cover-mount off and leaving it in the shop. One track of OK content and 10 of assorted Americana or whatever lesser cuts from an unsellable CD does not make a good free gift to me. Just keep with the optional download from the mailout for those who like that sort of thing, and let the rest of us save the planet. Only the Mojo cover disc delivers - as compared to the dull magazine.

Pipe-and-slippers, gramps-pop combo that was "The Duckworth Lewis Method" and "The Liberty Of Norton Folgate“

I find the Word's and other magazines' cover CDs invaluable. If not for them, I'd probably waste a fortune buying some of the music they recommend.

I don't like any of it, and other months like December 2010, it really hits the spot and flows like a real album.

As for bum steers, nothing springs to mind, he finishes lamely.

Other damning comment a bit tough on the lads from Racey.

Belle & Sebastian?

Although to be fair, it was (elements of)the Massive rather than the mag. Oh alright, it was Joe R. Epworth and Hellen are not fans, if the podcasts are to be believed.

Nope. Just not getting it. Sure, he's a handy guitar player, but I tried some of the music and it's just (*whispers*) a bit dull. And that "having a pop at Sting" thread the other day made me reasonably determined not to persevere.

And C.W. Stoneking is a novelty act, no more or less.

But really, I can't think of many magazines who can so accurately cater for what I tend to like, even if I stopped listening to the CDs a couple of months ago.

did it for me. She was completely over the top in her enthusiasm for Joanna Newsoms second album YS that I felt it must be bloody brilliant. I went out and bought it even though I had the first and didnt rate that. Guess what? The second is unmitigated shit. Now very sceptical about listening to Jude ever again when it comes to reviews even though she seems a thoroughly good sort of course.

found the "Australian Tom Waits" utterly resistable.

In fact the Word podcast showcasing him & his musical stylings has been the only one I haven't listened to all the way through after finding him a dull charmless inarticulate interviewee, and his music sounding less than essential

But the comments about The Feeling from Berncastel are odd, unless he/she is overseas. The Feeling were played to death on UK radio prior to the release of Twelve Stops And Home. I'd been heavily exposed to them prior to my buying the album.

And they're great live. I'll hear not a bad word said against them.

....but the championing of Midlake's 'The Courage of Others' was, for me, just wrong.

It really is dull, tedious, monotonous, boring, turgid stuff.

I gave it a fair crack of the whip - maybe 15 listens, all the way through - in the hope that it would click into place as it clearly had for others in this neck of the woods.

It's been a timely reminder to always, always, always sample before buying.

Divine Comedy's latest and the execrable Phenomenal Handclap Band

Saxon's Into the Labyrinth was less than accurate: "a majestic, ball-crushing return to form from Biff and the boys... thirteen seminal anthems to make you pick up your broadsword and rock."

No hold on a minute... maybe that was in Classic Rock...

I'm in Glasgow, but my exposure to UK radio is limited to Radio 2 breakfast time. They Feeling may have been rotated heavily on Uncle Terry/That mad cat lady, but I honestly didny pick up on them there.

"Me too" on the Duckworth Lewis method and Belle and Sebastian (in Scotland it is a crime punishable by flogging to cry aloud "they have no clothes!") Both inoffensive, but - sigh - a bit, weedy , insipid and pointless.

I'm just about to buy John Grants album (again, nudged by my gurus...)

Am I crashing in the same car again - Is it pants?

New relaases on digital download for £7.99 WOW! what a result! Until I discovered you can buy them in retailers like FOPP for less, upload them and throw the original away.

Now, this should really be on the "things you never thought you'd see" thread, but who would have thunk that?

Now I feel better can we start again, oh and why no reviews of Everything Everything and Owen Pallett and Why were Field Music not in your top ten albums of the year ?

based on the reviews haven't been disappointed and the approach I take to the cd is that it's free music - some is good, some is ulistenable and have kept a lot more than I have thrown away. From my perspective, Word hits the mark more often that it misses.

Ahh, them were t'days.

What a load of old cobblers. Fiver wasted thanks to enthusiastic Word review. She can bugger off and take her day-glow lip gloss with her.

I dislike a great many acts that have received much praise in these quarters, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in reading or listening to what they have to say. Take John Grant for example, whose appeal mystifies me. I absolutely loved the conversation with him recorded at Latitude. Interesting guy, I thought, I just don't like his music. Similarly I enjoyed the interview with Tinie Tempah in the latest issue despite never having heard his records. He came over really well as an engaging and thoughtful chap with a refreshing humility. I doubt very much that his tunes are going to float my boat, but that doesn't matter. I know what I like with regards music, and I have next to no interest in contemporary pop. But an interesting person is an interesting person, regardless.

Well, so it is.

Another vote here. I needed another CD for HMV's 2 for a tenner so picked up a copy of I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. It's not awful, just very average, can't get excited about it.

To be honest, I rarely follow up on the recommended acts or listen to the CD. But the magazine is invaluable because of the columns and interviews, which are far more interesting than the lightly rewritten press releases you see in so many other publications.

I think the idea of the 'bum steer' isn't quite fair. My impression is that the magazine is a bit like a really enthusiastic, well-informed friend whose opinions you tend to respect. Essentially it's the equivalent of one of my mates sending me a Spotify link to an album they can't stop playing. I know roughly what their tastes are, I know where we sometimes disagree, and I make a call based on that knowledge.

What I've found is reading the Word has opened me up to music (and other media) I might never have otherwise discovered. I listened to Tinie Tempah's album after the last issue; granted I thought it was a dreadful racket, but I probably wouldn't have even tried it if it wasn't for the well-written review. Same goes for John Grant - one of my favourite albums of this or any other year which I only bought after a great interview in the magazine. I've found that the new less-is-more approach to reviews means that instead of a barrage of artists to read about, I now take note of a few albums in particular and seek them out online to see what I think of them. With Spotify and the like available, you don't really need to take a punt as you can try before you buy...

The CD also helps in this respect - many of the acts included are covered in the magazine, so they act as a virtual soundtrack. I know people complain about them, but I don't see the problem: they're intended as a taster and they fulfill that function at the very least. Some of the better ones seem to work as albums in their own right.

Having said all that, I'll never understand the magazine's apparent obsession with Springsteen, but there you go.

We've all bought music that we don't like before, in some ways it's all part of the fun. Some of the best albums I've bought have been ones I've taken a bit of a punt on. Then over a period of time they reveal themselves to you in full colour.
However if you want to avoid disappointment, I can't believe none of you check it out on Spotify first. I did this several times with the John Grant album before purchasing it. A great recommendation from Word.

Absolutely subjective. Some I like, some not at all. Win some lose some. Ah well.

I do want that week of my life back I spent reading David Nicholl's 'One Fine Day' though.

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