I'm getting very confused as to the roll of the CD reviewer who's reviews get published in folk magazines.

Before I go on , please, let me assure people that I have never personally been the subject of such a review but have become increasingly concerned that some reviews that I have recently read would appear to be so unbiased as to suggest that the reviewer had a particilar axe to grind.

I have therefore started to question how useful CD reviews are.
Am I alone in this?

Do magazines actually read the reviews that they publish?
Do people actually read reviews and are they influenced by them?
Should it be made clear in the publication that a review is just the reviewers personal opinion and in some cases is in no way based on fact?
Should a reviewer refrain from reviewing something that they personally dislike?

What do you think?