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Rating: 
Summary: A hilarious romp and a labor of love
Review: Before you read anything else, if you're one of the following, do NOT buy this book (elevated blood pressure and a desire to strangle Jim will inevitably follow):
* A die-hard audiophile (preferring a superbly recorded version of a mediocre performance to a lousy recording of a great performance),
* Someone who only listens to early music (something Jim infers most of us don't do), and
* An afficianado of recordings by Harnoncourt, Leonhardt, von Karajan or Robert Shaw.
With this caveat on the table, I'll say without reservation that this is a must-have book for any music enthusiast. Even if it were not packed with excellent recommendations for your music library, Jim's often merciless humor alone is worth the price and will supply hours of belly laughs.
I find myself giggling even when Jim is lambasting one of my favorite recordings and admitting to myself that perhaps he might have a point (however small).
I'm looking forward to the next edition...
Rating: 
Summary: Highly biased but also highly useful
Review: I don't agree with everything Jim Svejda says, but I prefer a man with opinions to a guy out to please everybody. His views on Karajan, Harnoncort and the Goreki 3rd are right on target, and I've never purchased any of his recommendations with regret. I've owned every edition of this marvelous book, and he has certainly grown with the times: his acceptance of the early music movement and awakening to the Paganini violin concertos attest to that. Will he one day see the light of the Teleman Parisian Quartets or perhaps realize that Vivaldi did occasionally write a piece worth hearing? We shall see. Yet I refer to this book again and again, for second and (more often) first opinions. It's by my bedside, always fresh and entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: His recommendations are often poorly recorded
Review: I enjoy listening to Mr. Svejda on KUSC and enjoy his enthusiasm, immense knowledge, and many opinions. Almost without exception, I can refer to this book after hearing even an obscure piece for the first time and find a thoughtful discussion of it and its composer. My complaint with his reviews is his lack of concern for recording quality to which he openly admits. He has a tin ear when it comes to good recording engineering. Even the recordings he describes as well recorded are often duds in terms of sound quality. For me, there is little enjoyment hearing a fine performance that sounds as if it were recorded in a freight elevator through a fluffy blanket. Those like me who, while not minding less than audiophile grade recordings of the musical giants who preceeeded high fidelity, find little excuse for the inexcusably poor recording quality of so much classical work by contemporary artists and ensembles, should take his recommendations with a grain of salt. Several times, I've bought cds recommended in this book only to be dismally disappointed by a poorly executed recording.
Rating:
Summary: Svejda is a witty, erudite, and honest critic
Review: I'm a long-term Svejda fan, starting years before he wrote the first of these books. I've bought and loved every edition of this book, and encourage every lover of classical music to do the same. Do I agree with Jim on every point? Of course not! I don't even think he'd want that--he thinks for himself, and I believe he wants everyone else to do the same. He is, at least, honest enough to admit that a book of his opinions is highly opinionated. I have found him to be a remarkably educated and perceptive critic of classical music, and I always turn to him before I turn to any bland, confirm-the-popular-taste, ruffle-no-feathers, milk-toast of a critic. In most cases I find his opinions to be accurate; in other cases I see his point, but beg to differ. But he is always witty, erudite, and honest. You can't buy a book that will infallibly tell you which recordings you are going to like the best; any author who claims that is dishonest or delusional. But if you want an illuminating, thought-provoking guide to recordings that you should, at least, consider for your collection, this is the place to turn!
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing, opinionated, and insightful
Review: If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to classical music, Penguin or Gramophone make a better choice because this guide generally only recommends one "best" version of a work. Nevertheless the Insider's Guide is a highly valuable and entertaining addition to the group of classical music guides. The author is not afraid to bash icons such as von Karajan, or to praise older recordings that have fallen out of favor, all while acknowledging that ultimately taste is a matter of subjectivity. Also, given the format, this guide tends to devote more discussion to each recording than the other guides, which is highly useful in terms of knowledge of the piece itself. An excellent complement to either of the two more comprehensive guides, and fun reading too.
Rating:
Summary: The funniest book on music I've ever read
Review: Jim Svejda is a comic genius; that he also knows more about classical music than most of the world put together is just a bonus. Where else can you read about the harpsichord sounding like "two skeletons copulating on a tin roof?" That he is not particularly fond of baroque music (outside of Handel) is the only major flaw in his reviewing; I too was somewhat disappointed in his slighting of Bach's cantatas, and his handling of Bach in general. Fortunately, the latest edition redresses that fact somewhat. But I happen to agree with Svjeda that Harnoncourt and Leonhardt have largely butchered the cantatas, as well as practically every other piece of music they've ever recorded. Svjeda does have his musical obsessions: besides Handel and Mozart, he is truly obsessed with Fritz Reiner and other composers who take a Romantic slant on whatever they're recording. But having bought nearly a hundred recordings based on Svejda's recommendations alone, I can honestly say that I've never been disappointed, and I've often been delighted. The book is worth every penny; I've read the last three editions from cover to cover, and I use it to keep track of my recordings. Since I have over a thousand cds, it's become increasingly hard to keep from buying a duplicate copy of something I don't listen to regularly. Long live Jim Svejda!
Rating:
Summary: The funniest book on music I've ever read
Review: Jim Svejda is a comic genius; that he also knows more about classical music than most of the world put together is just a bonus. Where else can you read about the harpsichord sounding like "two skeletons copulating on a tin roof?" That he is not particularly fond of baroque music (outside of Handel) is the only major flaw in his reviewing; I too was somewhat disappointed in his slighting of Bach's cantatas, and his handling of Bach in general. Fortunately, the latest edition redresses that fact somewhat. But I happen to agree with Svjeda that Harnoncourt and Leonhardt have largely butchered the cantatas, as well as practically every other piece of music they've ever recorded. Svjeda does have his musical obsessions: besides Handel and Mozart, he is truly obsessed with Fritz Reiner and other composers who take a Romantic slant on whatever they're recording. But having bought nearly a hundred recordings based on Svejda's recommendations alone, I can honestly say that I've never been disappointed, and I've often been delighted. The book is worth every penny; I've read the last three editions from cover to cover, and I use it to keep track of my recordings. Since I have over a thousand cds, it's become increasingly hard to keep from buying a duplicate copy of something I don't listen to regularly. Long live Jim Svejda!
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't include newer recordings
Review: The author's view is outdated as well as the book itself. He overestimates Reiner too much, and the fact that he grew up in Chicago listening to Reiner's concerts makes the bias more evident. Overall, he is too biased towards American orchestras and old recordings.
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