|
|
Welcome to JennJoy's Music Review Workshop!Mar 06 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Books
The Bottom Line Take a look into how I write a music review...It may not be the quickest or easiest method, but it leaves me satisfied that I've written a detailed review!
I come across a number of reviewers that write music reviews and cannot understand why they are not getting Very Helpful ratings across the board. While there is no "right" way to write a music review, there are various ways to go about writing a good one. The following is a look into how I write a music review. I'm certainly not the most read, most trusted or most respected anything on this site, but I've done what I originally set out to do here and hone my writing skills. I concentrate on music because it is what I feel I know best. It certainly isn't a lie when others suggest you 'write about what you know.' Since I joined Epinions last May I have adapted a process of writing a music review that seems to work. I did not start out here receiving only high ratings nor did I immediately get handed an advisor title. It takes time and practice. It is my hope that some of these suggestions will help out other aspiring music writers. Note: I have included, in italics, questions I ask myself at each stage in the review process. Selection I don't just write about any album that happens to sit in my collection. I pick something I know inside and out--not just well. Most often, the album in question will be something I listen to frequently. Why? Well, there are two main reasons. The first, most obvious one, is that an album I listen to often will be fresh in my mind. This is so important when trying to write a detailed, comprehensive review. If you haven't listened to an album at all in months or even years it will be that much harder to review. Second, if I listen to an album a lot it means I am passionate about it. Passion, whether positive or negative, goes a long way in review writing. What is my gut reaction to this album? Have I had it long enough to really know the music? Research My writing style involves gathering a good deal of information on a particular artist or band. I may feel I know all I could possibly know about a performer because he/she is a favorite, but I constantly prove myself wrong. Therefore, I take the time to do some research before I even sit down to write a review. Look up the artist or album online at allmusic.com, ubl.com or do a search. Make sure you know all the little details that might come in helpful when you actually sit down to write. What is the release date of the album? Who are the musicians and what instruments do they play? What are their ages? What other albums do they have? Notes Throughout this research phase it is a good idea to take notes so that you'll remember everything later. I have a little notebook that I keep everything in, but do whatever works best for you. At this point I will write down everything I know about the album I wish to review. Why do I like/dislike this album? How does it compare to this artist's other albums? How does this album make me feel? Would my friends like this album or is it an acquired taste? If I have a hard time coming up with tons of information and ideas I tend to put aside the particular album to review some other time. An inability to do this tells me I am just not interested enough or knowledgeable enough about this album to write a decent review at this time. The Listening Booth Okay, you've found an album that you listen to so much you're afraid the CD will wear out, done so much research that you know more than you ever wanted to on the musicians and taken notes on everything--now what? Listen to the album. Again. Turn off or tune out everything but the music. Replay each song a few times if you have to. But listen like you've never heard the music before. I will sit down with my notebook and take notes on each song as I listen to the album. This gives me the freshest possible view of the music. I always notice new or different things when I listen to an album specifically to critique and review it. What do the instruments sound like? What do the vocals, including backups, sound like? What genre or genres does this artist fit in to? Do all the songs sound similar or different? Does the album flow well? Is there a theme? The Liner Notes After listening to the album and taking notes on the music I will go through the liner notes. You know, all that information contained in the insert in the front of the CD. I do not always pay attention to the liner notes when I listen to an album for purely entertainment purposes. This can be one of the biggest sources of information and/or inspiration in writing a review due to the often highly personal touches direct from the artist found here. Also, many albums include the lyrics to the songs here. I will jot down my favorite or most meaningful lines to include with the review. If lyrics are not in the liner notes, I will take the time to do a bit more research. Remember, what you hear being sung may not be what is really being sung! Who wrote the music and lyrics for each song? Were there any non-standard instruments used? Did any other famous musicians make a guest appearance in some way? (vocals, instruments, production, writing, etc.) Writing Can you believe it, we are actually at the point of writing a real review! I tend to write my reviews in some sort of word processing program. This way, your work is easily saved until you are ready to post and you can edit your work. There are relatively few worries of "accidentally" losing your work. On more than one occasion in my early days at Epinions I lost a review before it was even posted due to computer or internet problems. The chance of losing all of your work if you write a review offline is far reduced. However, the biggest perk to using a word processing program is the ability to edit your work. Most programs come equipped with built-in features that allow you to check your spelling and grammar as well as use a thesaurus. There is nothing worse than spending hours researching and writing a review and having it poorly rated due to spelling errors. If you must write your review online, utilize the Epinions spell-check to correct as many errors as you can. How Much Detail Do You Need? If you have done your homework and are truly passionate about the album you are reviewing it should be easy to write a fairly long review. It is my opinion that even a CD single containing only two songs will take more than the minimum of 100 words to completely describe. No, you do not have to write pages and pages of text, but a really short review usually does not leave me wanting to run out to buy an album I've never heard of. How you set up a review is a matter of personal style. I try to incorporate a personal story about the album or artist into the introduction. I want those who read my reviews to really understand why I like/dislike an album. A song by song synopsis is not always a necessity. I've read great reviews of whole albums that do not break the album down this way. Sometimes there is nothing that distinctive about one song from the next. That's fine, just remember to talk about that in your review! For myself I find I can easily talk about at least half of the songs in some detail even if others do not warrant an in depth look. What to avoid If you take any of the above advice it should be easy to avoid the most common music reviewing mistakes. For clarity sake, the following are things I would not suggest doing under any circumstances. * Do not use words or phrases like, "this band is kewl/rocks, I love XYZ band because the singer is cute, I once heard this song on the radio, I do not own this album, or this band/album sucks. * Do not otherwise show you do not have a good understanding of the music you are reviewing. No, you do not have to know all of the technical aspects of recording or songwriting--I certainly do not! The point is, there must be reasons that you like this album so tell the readers about them. And if you have listened to the album thoroughly there should be lots to say. No matter how much I trust you, simply telling me an album is good because you like it will not make me the least bit curious. * Do not assume that others have any clue who the artist is that you are reviewing. A lot of otherwise great reviews leave me wondering what kind of music it is in the first place. * Do not review one of the most popular albums that already has 400 epinions written and not tell the readers something new. * Do not assume everyone has the same tastes as you. Even the most glowing review should be honest enough to point out shortcomings or the possibility that others will hate it. Happy Writing!  |
| Read all comments (15)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
