| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Trickster F. 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 10 2006
Location: Belize
Status: Offline
Points: 5308
|
 Posted: November 13 2006 at 13:53 |
|
The latest two ITW reviews are by Dieter Fischer, who I think summed up the albums very well (I have different approaches to express pretty much the same thoughts though). I am not sure which reviews were those you read though.
|
|
sig
|
 |
UtUmNo1
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 29 2006
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 114
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 13:44 |
 Trickster F. wrote:
I prefer reading for "substance".
Myself, I do not concentrate to accomplish on a specific length when I am writing my review, I just try to express myself as thoroughly and detailed as I can, it just always happen that they do not turn out short. However, I would never allow myself to write a review without an introductory part or a conclusion, so you can say it is a well-thought process.
The length does not matter, the content does. |
If yours were the ones I read the other day (there was a few revieing In the Woods I think) then you do a very good job. I did mean to give you a pat on the back at the time but it too skipped my mind.
I'm not concerned by the length of the review (reading, as i haven't written any yet) but it's content. I'm not too concerned about, and prefer not to read the, song by song reviews either. I like to know the style of the album, its obvious influences, sounds like....., for fans of....., and the feelings that the album invokes.
|
|
Abstrakt
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 18 2005
Location: Soundgarden
Status: Offline
Points: 18292
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 11:35 |
|
Opinion number 7.
Too long reviews are boring, so is too short ones.
|
|
Chicapah
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 14 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 8238
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 11:32 |
|
I go with medium, including short descriptions of each song. I
want to feel like the reviewer listened to the work more than once or
twice before coming to conclusions about it. I rely on the
reviews posted here to give me a consensus about something I'm
considering as a purchase and if they are long-winded with a paragraph
about each song I tend to skip over them and read something I have time
to digest.
|
|
"Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain
|
|
sleeper
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 09:53 |
|
In general I like the longer reviews (about 600 words, which is about how long my own are) and for the review to give a good overview of what the album is like, both good and bad points, without giving away too much of what the music is like.
I must admit I detest the plethora of really short reviews that almost everyone seems to be posting these days, they just give me no idea about what the album is like. I also like to get a bit of background information on the band/album, but not too much as its not totaly necassary.
|
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
|
|
bhikkhu
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 06 2006
Location: A² Michigan
Status: Offline
Points: 5109
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 09:39 |
|
It all depends on what it calls for with me. Most of my reviews are brief, but sometimes I have gone into more detail. I just let the case dictate what I will do.
|
|
|
|
Joolz
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: March 24 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1377
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 08:09 |
|
one word can paint a thousand pictures .... concise astute observations are best .... it is a rare skill
but I do like some background ....
Edited by Joolz - November 13 2006 at 08:10
|
|
Bj-1
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: June 04 2005
Location: No(r)Way
Status: Offline
Points: 31663
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 05:21 |
|
200-350 words, a good overview does it for me!
|
|
RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
|
|
Pseudonym
Forum Groupie
Joined: October 30 2006
Location: Estonia
Status: Offline
Points: 55
|
Posted: November 13 2006 at 01:57 |
|
medium reviews are the best, i like to read personal opinions and ideas about an certain album, to get a introduction to an album what is it and what emotions it brought up in different listeners.
|
|
Atkingani
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: October 21 2005
Location: Terra Brasilis
Status: Offline
Points: 12291
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 17:54 |
As a Reviews Moderator, I prefer those that are in accordance with PA Guidelines! 
As a reader, I prefer the medium-size ones with a bit of history (if necessary) and comments about the production and tracks. Some hidden information and the way that particular album was received in the reviewer's country are welcome too. Humour (not gaiety or outrageous sarcasm) in small doses counts especially for longer reviews in order to allow us to breathe. 
As a reviewer, I'm only a student since I have to do reviews in a non-native language (English). I can assure you that if I had to do reviews in my native language (Portuguese) they should sound fair.  |
|
Guigo
~~~~~~
|
|
Australian
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 13 2006
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3278
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 17:37 |
I usually write reviews around 600 words. Actually it depends how many songs the album has…
Albums I really like get really long reviews.
No one has ever given me a negative comment, that can be attributed to fact that I pull arms off when I lose. *Wookie Growl* Honestly guys, let the wookie win!!
Edited by Australian - November 11 2006 at 17:41
|
|
|
|
MikeEnRegalia
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 21817
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 17:03 |
Arsillus wrote:
Keep them short and sweet. Tell me something good and something not so good, but if it's a really good album, tell me two good things.
|
Exactly. The most important info for me is: "Why is it good/bad?" A brief, two sentence answer to this sentence gives the reader a good idea of whether he can trust the review or not. For example, if the review says "I don't like this album because it contains growling", someone who likes growling can immediatelly dismiss the review, as it doesn't apply to his own preferences. I think that usually people read reviews because they are trying to find out whether they should further investigate an album or not - so the pattern is (IMO): - Looking at the rating - Reading the review, trying to find out whether the rating applies - If it does, either download/buy the album and listen to it (high rating), or find another album (low rating) - If it doesn't, find a review that shows more "compatibility" to one's own tastes
|
|
|
|
Arsillus
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 26 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 7374
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 16:45 |
|
Keep them short and sweet. Tell me something good and something not so good, but if it's a really good album, tell me two good things.
|
|
andu
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 27 2006
Location: Romania
Status: Offline
Points: 3089
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 16:38 |
hot, short and no sugar, boy! 
|
|
Vompatti
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: October 22 2005
Location: elsewhere
Status: Offline
Points: 67470
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 16:01 |
|
"Medium, only talking highlights, and maybe lowlights, too." I prefer
long reviews to very short ones, but usually it's not necessary to give
a precise description of every song.
|
|
Trickster F.
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 10 2006
Location: Belize
Status: Offline
Points: 5308
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 16:00 |
I prefer reading for "substance".
Myself, I do not concentrate to accomplish on a specific length when I am writing my review, I just try to express myself as thoroughly and detailed as I can, it just always happen that they do not turn out short. However, I would never allow myself to write a review without an introductory part or a conclusion, so you can say it is a well-thought process.
The length does not matter, the content does.
|
|
sig
|
|
Raff
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 29 2005
Location: None
Status: Offline
Points: 24439
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 15:53 |
I voted for "Other", which means I like reviews that are not excessively long, or give a song-by-song analysis, but which manage to convey both the history of the album and some description of the individual tracks (or at least of the most representative ones). My reviews (when I still wrote them... now suffering from a sort of writer's block  ) fall much in this category - they're rarely too long, but hopefully they manage to give a good overview of the album in question.
|
|
Ricochet
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 27 2005
Location: Nauru
Status: Offline
Points: 46301
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 15:50 |
MikeEnRegalia wrote:
I favor short reviews. They should contain just enough info to give the reader an ideaof where the author is coming from, and what to expect of the album.
I used to write very long reviews ... but today I think it's better to write 10 short reviews than one long one.
|
by the highlighted principles, short and simple and astute enough is all it takes. but I'm not by that main rule...
|
|
|
|
MikeEnRegalia
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 21817
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 15:47 |
|
I favor short reviews. They should contain just enough info to give the reader an ideaof where the author is coming from, and what to expect of the album.
I used to write very long reviews ... but today I think it's better to write 10 short reviews than one long one.
|
|
|
|
ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Researcher
Joined: August 17 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4659
|
Posted: November 11 2006 at 15:42 |
For me size matters  .
My reviews are usually long. Some people read them, some don't - I get comments both good and bad. Meh...
I like a review that puts the album in context, either historically or with respect to the development of a particular genre or idea, or just within the context of that band's career.
The song-by-song descriptions are usually worthwhile as well, but if the description of the album's context sells itself, I'm going to buy the album and listen to it and form my own opinion about the specific songs.
|
|
"Peace is the only battle worth waging."
Albert Camus
|
|
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
A Serious Poll: Reviews
