so, yes we need music critics ,providing their reviewing is of a high standard,that does not mean the review has to be pages of praise,it means thoughtful criticism with comments that are qualified.
if reviewers are unprofessional then the reputation of critics is brought into disrepute,then no one will end up taking critics seriously.
that is why musicians should be able to reply without it being seen as sour grapes.
if critics expect musicians to be professional it is not unreasonable to expect critics to behave in the same way.Dick Miles