2012 Jazz cd compilation: Down Beat magazine

A sincere question, out of curiosity: do people use these lists that appear at the end of each year to make purchasing decisions? I ask since I often am swayed by something I read and make a purchase; I also like to listen to the radio in the car and make purchasing decisions based on that also. I am usually more satisfied with the discs I buy based on a radio play rather than a written word. I think this means, for me, that I know my tastes, and they often differ from music critics, etc. Do others see something here they can identify with, or am I out of touch? This has nothing, specifically, to do with jazz, or any other art form, or downbeat, etc.

I would personally use a list like that to not only see if artists I enjoy (but don't keep up on) came out with new material but more importantly to discover new artists. I then use sites like Amazon to listen to tracks to see if I like them. However NPR has been my greatest source of new (to me) music.

I use a list like this as well as mentions in equipment reviews to look into new music ideas. I then will listen to them on my small system, (Dynaudio Xeo 3, Arcam rDACkw and online sources like spotify) to make purchase decisions. I am at a point where I only buy new LP's or SACD's of special material I really want to hear at their best on my main system.

Mags like DownBeat are good to become aware of new releases or reissues. Then I go to Amazon. I trust the reviews on amazon the most. Pay close attention to the negative reviews and comments. Some are silly, but they will most likely be the deal breakers. A lot of the favorable reviews are from loyal fans and cheerleaders. But numbers count. One or two reviews, positive or negative, mean little. If I can't listen to a snippet on Amazon, it goes on the 'Save for later' list.
Cheers

Without the luxury of being able to hear snippets, a few years back after reading a full page review of the Eric Whitacre release “Cloudburst”, I plunked down $30.00 and bought it. I remember the review going on and on and on about how magnificent and brilliant the composer was (Eric Whitacre). The liner notes say “Magical new sounds, singability and a special atmosphere, simple and resourcefully achieved – considerable achievements from a composer twenty-two at the time, whose exposure to classical music and its notation was non-existent just a few years previously”.

I’m here to tell you that was and is the last CD I’ll ever purchase without being able to listen to snippets.