"I'm a man. I'm a killer-diller." (Bo Diddley)
"Don't send me no flowers, I ain't dead yet." (The Breakers)
"I ain't no God damn son of a bitch -- you better think of that, baby!" (Glenn Danzig)
"I'm a swinging guy. Throw a belt over the shower curtain rod... and SWING." (Mike Patton)
"I don't have to be here right now. I don't have to show up here. With my vast financial holdings, I could be basking in the sun in Florida! This is just a hobby for me! Nothing, you hear!! A HOBBY!!!" (Handsome Dick Manitoba)
"Rock 'n' roll ain't worth the name if it don't make you strut." (Lemmy)
"Life is not worth living (but suicide's a waste of time)" (Lester Bangs)
"Alte Filme sind mein Leben. Abgedreht, und doch nicht fertig." (A5)

I'm a totally normal, average, nice, white, male, middle-class, mid-to-end-30s, human being! You don't wanna know this shit! Lemme alone! Stop stalking me!!

I'm a nerd, I like listening to music, I like rating stuff, I like making lists, so I guess it was destined to end up here.

My musical odyssey began with 60s rock/pop (Beatles, Kinks), 70s hard rock (AC/DC, Motörhead, Deep Purple) and 80s indie/prog rock/pop (U2, Simple Minds, Marillion), then shifted to 90s alternative rock/metal (Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine). After a pretty confused time when music was not so important to me, I discovered 60s garage rock, and, a little later, thanks to music blogs, the underground punk of the "golden age" 1977-82. Since then I'm a sucker for the dirtier areas of rock'n'roll, but I also like the occasional droplet of pop.

My special interest (and probably the only area where I humbly consider myself an expert) is German new wave and punk from the years 1977-82. Even the most obscure band that fits that label awakes my interest and a need to listen to it. But I still have much to do. Thank Gods!

At the moment, I am listening through the most popular albums on RYM. There's a lot of stuff I missed, or I haven't rated, and I think I should have a serioius listen to Van Morrison etc., even if I'm pretty sure it's boring music for sentimental sissies :)

Moviewise, I'm pretty open, though I like movies with a darker touch. I abhor pseudo-intellectual artsy stuff and actually prefer light entertainment, trash, pulp etc. Sci-fi and giant monsters are always welcome.

I also like reading. Not surprisingly, my tastes here are similar to movies. I've got some focus on sci-fi and (to a lesser extent) fantasy, but I also dig some "serious" classics.

Other interests include history, programming, eating, drinking, sleeping, breathing, and loving my beautiful wife.

Unfortunately, I have to waste a lot of time on work to help others make money.

Many people are wondering about my absurd rating system. Here's a few notes on it. (Actually it's quite boring!)

I have no specific system as to how I rate music, nor would I want one. But I can give a few general rules about how I tend to do it:

1. Subjectivity I am trying very hard to stay subjective when rating the music. That is, I try to ignore what I have read what others think of that music (which I find very hard), and I also try not to compare it with what I have previously listened (which I think is impossible).

2. Emotionality: Emotional intensity is what is most important to me. I really do not care much about how well the guys and girls play their instruments or sing; as long as they evoke something in me. I don't care much about the kind of emotion; I'm a bit suspicious about melancholy and aggressivity though, as it is so easy to produce musically. Even the best, most creative and original

3. Originality: I give "bonus stars" for originality, creativity and general weirdness, although I find purely intellectual experimental music quite boring, even if it's original (much of Zappa's work, for example). I give vast amounts of bonus stars for truly unique and extreme stuff (Metal Machine Music, or The Shaggs).

My rating system looks like this:

***** perfect
Desert island stuff; my all-time favourites. The only thing that distinguishes this from "great" is that, for some reason, I have a strong personal and emotional attachment.

****½ great
Love, awe and admiration. Truly flawless and exceptional. 100% enjoyable. Recommended to anyone. This is music that I consider essential in one way or another. Can be listened to several times in a row.

**** outstanding:
Remarkably good, impressive. Nearly great, but a few parts I didn't like too much, or which left me cold. Also for used for stuff that I think as highly creative and original, but which I didn't really enjoy for some reason.

***½ good
Solid. Enjoyable. Had a good time listening to it. May have some flaws, and/or may not be very special, but I geninely like it as a whole. Still, I probably would choose something else to listen to if I could.

*** m'kay
It's not bad, I didn't mind listening to it, and enjoyed stuff here and there, but on the whole, it's flawed, patchy and/or unoriginal. May appeal to others though.

**½ average
Not really bad, but also not good. Very patchy or derivative. Didn't leave any impression in any way, or as many good as bad impressions. Some tracks may have been skipped. I don't care.

** boring
Not exactly bad, but very close; uninspired, and completely superfluous. This is what most pop music on the radio would get from me. Definitively lots of skipping.

*½ bad
I really didn't like it. A complete waste of time. Only very few good things in here, which drown in mediocrity or worse. To be avoided.

* awful
This is crap. Listening to it is a real pain; it's uninspired, badly made and totally unoriginal. When this is played on a party, I have to leave the room.

½ torture
So shitty that it's just incredible. Reserved for the worst of the worst. This is so shitty that some may call it good, but I just can't. It's just too horrible. Scientology music tends to get these rating from me.

My exquisite taste is legendary and above all criticism. People often approach me and humbly ask: "General Error, what can you recommend me?" For those, I have assembled a few "custom collection links".

First, the great stuff (meaning 4.5+ stars):

aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.5-5.0,ss.e,Great stuff (albums, singles etc.)
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,typs,r4.5-5.0,ss.e,Albums

And here's some outstanding stuff (4.0+ stars) if you're interesting in the same musical genre as myself:

aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_h/Rock%20&%20Roll,Rock & Roll
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_h/Garage+Rock,Garage Rock
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_h/Punk+Rock,Punk Rock
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_h/New+Wave,New Wave
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_h/Indie+Rock,Indie Rock
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_h/Alternative+Rock,Alternative Rock
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_h/Experimental,Experimental

Yet more outstanding stuff (4.0+ stars) for different kinds of releases:

aat,albjh,v,tn,g,typi,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,Singles
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,type,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,EPs
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,typc,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,Compilations
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,typb,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,Bootlegs
aat,albjh,v,tn,g,r4.0-5.0,ss.e,strm_a/Various+Artists,V/A releases

And, finally, a list of films I rated 4.0 or higher:

r4.0-5.0,Outstanding films

These are mainly for my own use, but you might find them helpful too.

RYM Wiki Links
Albums without cover that you own
Add V/A release
RYM Wiki: Collection Links
RYM: Helpful tips (own list)
artists you know without profile
releases you know without genre
releases you know without cover art
releases you know without label
releases you know without track listing
releases you know without reviews