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Marty McFly View Drop Down
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Points: 3968 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2010 at 05:40
^ Well, for me it's very difficult to read such reviews. It's human nature.
There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless,"

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Points: 22989 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2010 at 02:48
I don't have a problem with one-paragraph reviews because I concentrate on reading them  Tongue
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Points: 19643 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2010 at 01:46
Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

Don't read reviews that bug you.

[/thread]


Edited by progkidjoel - June 11 2010 at 01:46
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Points: 7826 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2010 at 19:31
I have a tough time with single-paragraph reviews as well, and I try to avoid those. Of course, if they're on the shorter side it isn't a problem, but it really bugs me when there is a really long review as only one paragraph.

The other two really depend for me. Comparing an album to other bands can be very useful when it comes to lesser-known acts, and some track-by-track reviews are helpful as well. It all depends on the review and the person who writes it, though.

Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime
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Epignosis View Drop Down
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Points: 32566 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2010 at 13:11
Don't read reviews that bug you.

[/thread]
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
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Points: 3196 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2010 at 12:44
I agree with all three to some extent, although I like to have at least one track-by-track review on the site for each album.
 
Also, for albums with not very many songs (Close to the edge, hemispheres) it becomes natural, because it breaks the album down into a few concise parts to talk about.
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Points: 17410 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2010 at 21:50
There have been so many "reviews discussion" threads, including the one titled just that, that I wonder if this thread couldn't just be rolled into one of them. 

But that's up to the A-team.  Smile
...that moment you realize you like "Mob Rules" better than "Heaven and Hell"
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Points: 512 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2010 at 21:45

While I totally agree with #1 (who wouldn't?), I only agree with the second two to some extent. Whereas I personally wouldn't write a comparison review or a track-by-track review, I do see the usefulness in both. 

You have already highlighted the usefulness of a comparison review so I won't expand. However, I personally like track-by-track reviews while I'm listening to an album. I like some in-depth analysis of all the tracks sometimes. I wouldn't consider such a review the ideal review to read when looking for new albums, but I consider them useful while listening.

If these were the only reviews for albums, I would agree. But when albums often have 10+ reviews and sometimes a lot more, I prefer a variety. It's just more interesting that way and offers multiple perspectives. 
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Points: 220 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2010 at 21:03

Before I get started, I want to say that I'm not trying to tell people how to write their reviews, or saying that reviews that do these things are necessarily bad. These are merely things that bug me with reviews that I see constantly. Feel free to add your own, or tell me why I'm crazy for letting these bother me Wink

1. Writing a review as one paragraph
 
This is the biggest offender stylistically. Not even for reviews, but really any post on forums in general. This just makes everything really difficult to read, and gives the impression that there's no organization to a review, but simply random thoughts that came to the reviewer.
 
2. Writing a review by ONLY comparing the sound of the music to another band or album.
 
I think up to a point, comparisons to another band can be useful to the reader. For example, if the review says "If you like Popular Band X, then you should try this," then a pretty good amount of people who read the review will know if this music will or won't fit their tastes. But if the entirety of a review is comparisons to another band, it just seems lazy to not even attempt to describe the music for its own merit. Even if the comparisons are accurate, I think its useful to read what the music is like, rather than who it is like.
 
3. Breaking down every single song on an album
 
Whether this is the entire review, or just a portion, this one always baffles me. I really enjoy reading musical analysis, but when I read a review, the purpose is to find out if I will enjoy an album or not. While this could satisfy that purpose, it's a really roundabout way to do it, and isn't nearly as effective as describing the music in a general sense. Also, I think when reviews do this, it takes away the surprise from a first time listener (if they choose to read it). I don't think anyone would describe every chapter of a book in a review, so I don't understand why this gets done on this site so much. This also tends to make reviews extremely long.
 
 
Those are the big 3 that I notice a lot. I'll add more if I see them.
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