1803 quotes by critics for you to enjoy

Because record companies do not routinely release sales figures the way film studios do, the weekly charts in trade publications like 'Billboard' provide the best independent measure of record appeal. Robert Hilburn

Like David Bowie, Madonna visualizes music so that her best work seems equally designed with the stage or screen in mind - not just the jukebox. Robert Hilburn

Work Music Best Mind Stage Madonna Best Work Seems David David Bowie Like Bowie Equally Just Screen Her Designed

In 1980, after 10 years at 'The Times,' I was at a crossroads in my personal life. I loved my family, but I was also so obsessive about my work that I found myself devoting more and more time to it. I wanted to be everywhere there was a good story, and that meant I had to choose between that and being with the family on important days. Robert Hilburn

Life Work Time Myself Good Family Important Personal Life Everywhere About Crossroads More More And More Good Story Had Between Obsessive Days Also Years Times Personal Being Wanted After Loved Story Meant Choose Found

I'm guilty of being perceived as having narrow taste. I went after the artists that I thought were important - Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen and stuff. Robert Hilburn

Thought Important Guilty Perceived Bruce Bruce Springsteen Having Joni Mitchell Stuff Narrow Mitchell Springsteen Were Taste Artists Being After Dylan

It was a secular cathedral, dedicated to the rites of travel. Robert Hughes

Travel Secular Rites Cathedral Dedicated

Landscape is to American painting what sex and psychoanalysis are to the American novel. Robert Hughes

Sex Painting American Psychoanalysis Landscape Novel

It was the basilica of gossip, the Vatican of inside dope. Robert Hughes

Gossip Dope Inside Vatican

The premise of Nossiter in 'Mondovino' would have been a lot more accurate when I started writing about wine in 1978 than when the movie was made in 2003. When I started, I was enormously critical of California wines, and I thought the entire wine industry was on a real slippery slope. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Writing Thought Made Wine Slippery Slippery Slope Critical Slope Would Entire About Wines More California Industry Real Been Lot Than Accurate Movie Premise Started

After years of infertility tests, the best decision we ever made was to adopt, and in 1987, we were bestowed a three-month-old baby girl from an island off the south coast of Korea called Cheju Island. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Best Decision Made Girl Baby Bestowed Adopt Island Korea Were Years Tests South Off After Coast Ever

No sane man can afford to dispense with debilitating pleasures; no ascetic can be considered reliably sane. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Man Considered Pleasures Debilitating Afford Sane Sane Man Dispense

What's important in a cellar is having wines that have a broad range of drinkability, which California Cabernet does. Wines with a broad range of drinkability give you a lot of flexibility; they are the sort of wines that make me feel secure. I think of my wine cellar as security - if the apocalypse comes, I can just go down to the cellar. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Me You Wine Important Down Think Broad I Think Range I Can Secure Security Give Wines Having Feel California Make Sort Does Go Lot Cellar Just Which Apocalypse Flexibility

When somebody wants to write an article attacking a scoring system or the influence of wine writers, who's right in the cross hairs? It's not Steve Tanzer, it's not Marvin Shanken, it's me. These other people, it's not like they don't have some influence, and I'm more than happy to share it. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

I think the Japanese love young, tannic red wines much more than most Americans do. Perhaps it is because Asians have a great fondness for tea, and tea is a very tannic beverage. Therefore a young, tannic red wine is something familiar to an Asian palate. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Love Great Wine Young Tea Think I Think Something Wines Fondness More Red Beverage Perhaps Red Wine Most Because Very Familiar Than American Japanese Asian Asians Much Therefore Palate

There is no question that Australia's most dramatic assault on the world market has been with its value wines. These are generally not from specific appellations but blends made by huge enterprises like Penfolds, Rosemount or Casella Estate - the group behind Yellow Tail. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

World Value Made Group Dramatic Market Enterprises Has-Been Wines No Question Tail Generally Blends Like Most Been Question Yellow Huge Australia Behind Estate Assault Specific

I believe that the responsibility of the winemaker is to take that fruit and get it into the bottle as the most natural and purest expression of that vineyard, of the grape varietal or blend, and of the vintage. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Fruit Natural Responsibility Believe I Believe I Believe That Purest Take Bottle Blend Most Get Grape Expression Vineyard Vintage

Trevisan is one of the few Paso Robles producers to recognize the potential of the region's old-vine Zinfandel, which he blends with Syrah and Mourvedre and labels with fanciful names such as Problem Child, the Outsider and Cherry Red. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Problem Few Recognize Potential Outsider He Red Blends Names Cherry Labels Child Which Fanciful Region Producers

Wine to me is something that brings people together. Wine does promote conversation and promote civility, but it's also fascinating. It's the greatest subject to study. No matter how much you learn, every vintage is going to come at you with different factors that make you have to think again. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Me You Conversation Together People Matter Wine Every Think Promote Something Civility Factors Study Come Also Make Learn Greatest Does How How Much Subject Going Different Again Much Fascinating Vintage Brings

Back in 1990, there were fewer than 20 wineries in and around Paso Robles, a farming community midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Most of the wines produced there were rustic, highly tannic and alcoholic, with little charm or finesse. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Community Back Francisco Angeles Finesse Charm Wines Rustic Highly Between Most Around Los Los Angeles Were Than Fewer San San Francisco Little Midway Produced Farming

My first trip to Japan, in 1998, began with an enormous crowd of Japanese paparazzi and television crews, all waiting for me to clear customs in Tokyo (a first-time experience for this wine critic). Over the next five days, the attention never waned. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Me Waiting Experience Wine First Enormous Paparazzi Television Critic Trip Crowd Never Clear Attention Over Days Began Five Japan Japanese Customs Next Tokyo

No scoring system is perfect, but a system that provides for flexibility in scores, if applied by the same taster without prejudice, can quantify different levels of wine quality and provide the reader with one professional's judgment. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

I've always followed the rule that anything worth doing is worth doing excessively. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Worth Rule Followed Excess Always Doing Anything

When I put my nose in a glass, it's like tunnel vision. I move into another world, where everything around me is just gone, and every bit of mental energy is focused on that wine. Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Me World Vision Wine Energy Gone Every Everything Bit Focused Mental Mental Energy Put Glass Like Another Around Move Just Nose Where Tunnel Tunnel Vision

Quotes by Critics