Great Post from CA.com -- local journalists take note!

The link is here.

I've also transferred the whole thing in case you want to read it over here.

Some thoughts from a professional by compman1
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Okay, "professional" might be stretching it. I am a "serious" musician who has been writing songs since he was about 14(now 34). I grew up playing electric guitar (lead and rhythm) in hard rock bands and went on to become a "classical" composer(orchestra, piano, strings, and so forth). I am currently a professor of music theory and composition. I still enjoy writing "pop" songs though it is not my focus. Now that you know my background, please consider what I have to say about Clay, his album (which I thoroughly enjoy), and the music critics:

I am sure that there are many of you who are bummed about the bad reviews Measure Of A Man is receiving. Even though you probably expected it, it still gets your blood boiling, right? It's like a personal attack--"you like this garbage, so you must be stupid and gullible" seems to be the attitude of most reviewers out there.

PLEASE remember, that musicians and critics are two completely different animals. The reality is this: even the musicians who get rave reviews from critics have very little respect for music critics. Most musicians NEED good reviews, however, and so they court the critics as necessary. Sometimes a phenom like Clay comes along and simply doesn't need the reviews to succeed. The critics become irrelevant, and I imagine they don't appreciate being a footnote(not getting advance copies). I think this does explain some of the "mean" reviews.

However, at the same time, I believe that these reviewers are telling the truth when they say they don't like the album. The truth is, critics are usually mediocre musicians and excellent writers (of words). I would rather read book reviews, because at least the critics are writing about their own area of expertise! When you read a pop-music review, the opinion of that particular writer is about as valid as the kid you know down the street who plays in a garage band. You know, the one who can play rhythm okay but isn't good enough to play solos. The one who thinks he is a lot better than he actually is. The one who has about as much chance of making it big as your 86 year old grandmother(unless your grandma knows Clive Davis).

Most excellent musicians(like studio musicians who never get famous, or classical musicians who play in orchestras) are very open-minded about styles of music and wouldn't hate something simply because of the genre. That is because an advanced musician can critique a piece of music of ANY genre. To simply say that a song is bad because it is too "easy-listening" is a ridiculous way to think about music but that is exactly what most music critics do. When musicians listen to music, they say, okay, this a heavy-metal song so I will listen with those types of ears. Is it a good heavy-metal song? To simply say it stinks BECAUSE it's a heavy-metal song is ludicrous. But that is what most reviewers nowadays do. "It's pop-pablum" they say. Or it's good because it is "edgy."

They also think Clay has no talent because he doesn't write the songs himself. Again, MUSICIANS who know anything know that some musicians are performers and some are composers. Yo-Yo Ma isn't a composer. Does that mean he has no talent? These types of reviewers reveal their mediocrity in the field of music when they make these types of generic statements.
They don't know enough about chord progressions, harmonies, how to write a good melody, form, orchestration, etc. to truly critique the quality of the music.

So don't get blue about the bad reviews. Laugh them off. Most musicians I have spoken with regard Measure of a Man as a great POP album. The songs are all well-written, the arrangements are strong, and Clay's performances are all outstanding. These are the types of things that MUSICIANS appreciate. Listen to the musicians, not the critics.

My comments: What a great post! And for your information, Clay DOES write his own songs, just that they haven't been made "public" yet. I have no doubts that he's got even more magic up his sleeve, and I can't wait to see it all happen -- hopefully in the near future. :)