Gee thanks Larry!

[Karen Newcombe <kln@sirius.com>]

Larry you son-of-a-gun . . . gaffa just got too quiet for you didn't it.
Yes, I know your insidious ways, your wry sense of humor.

I can see you now, sitting up at midnight, your mischievious chuckle
filling the air, composing a post about Tori guaranteed to cause weeks
pointless discussion.

It worked!  Laugh, Larry, laugh! 

Okay, enough melodrama . . . the Love Hounds who suggested that record
companies often prompt reviewers was correct.  Demo copies sent to
reviewers sometimes have nice packages with them -- posters, bios, 8X10
glossies -- and nearly always some kind of description of the new album,
usually with the most alarmingly over-the-top gushy prose you've ever seen.  

I stopped writing reviews before Tori appeared on the scene (wasn't that
just yesterday?) so I never saw any of the promo material for her albums,
but it is typical of these packages to suggest three or four other
bands/musicians to compare people to.  When you have half a dozen new
albums to listen to and comment thoughtfully on in a week, you sometimes
have to resort to the promo material to help you out.  

The nearly unanimous use of Kate's name by reviewers of Tori's first few
albums would suggest to me the record company supplied that comparison in
the first place.  

There's a lot of money at stake in launching someone, and they knew that a
lot of people who appreciate Kate's work would appreciate Tori's.  Record
companies want to sell units.  Comparisons are a good way for record
companies and reviewers to indicate to the public who might like any given
product.  

Larry, you devil.

Karen  kln@staralliance.com