How do you guys choose between CD releases?


This has been been bugging me for some time now and I'm wondering if any of you guys have a sensible way of choosing which release of a CD to buy. I buy the vast majority of my CDs on Amazon and too frequently have to choose between two releases of a CD e.g., 1990 or 2003. If there is a remaster I usually go with it, unless I'm warned off. That doesn't bother me, it's choosing between to releases with no more to go on than the year of release. You can't judge by sampling; you don't even know which release you're listening to, and Amazon reviews are seldom release specific. Should I just buy the newest, the cheapest or (gulp) most expensive? Any secrets? How do you guys decide?
phaelon
Definitely delve further into reviews than the consensus of music reviewers on Amazon. Preferring mostly classical, Jazz, and the ECM catalog it is somewhat easier to gleam useful feedback about this or that recording because very useful websites, blogs, and listener reviews exist. Even in the Amazon reviews you can parch nuggets of faith if you delve into the reviewers history of music reviews, find the top-rated reviewer upon who opinion you have trusted previously. Ultimately you do take a leap of faith with reviews though, such is the nature of opinion.
Oy, I must learn to use preview before hitting post. Gleam should read glean, and parch? Perhaps my old brain is such. Pardon music lovers.
airegin...i just reviewed your review and found that your point of view was worth reviewing. In the end, I found my preview of your review of reviewers had too broad a view, as also within the preview the reviewer reviewing reviewers reviewed too much in my review, at least from the point of view of a preview. just my view.
I reviewed your comments Oakleys. Can I blame the serotonin re-uptake and/or the chemo meds? Oncologists/Pharmacologists on forum fire away.