Write a Review Guide

[mx]

As per Hep Kat's suggestion, let's make a list of reviewing tips, tricks, and rules that can evolve into some sort of updating reviewing guide. Let's make two sections: full review and soundoffs.

Stuff like:
Don't go overboard with bolding, italicizing
Use notepad or wordpad instead of word, etc

[Cocaine]

Maybe try to avoid track by tracks?

[mynameischan]

Well, if you do a t-b-t, make it very detailed.

[thunderzstruck]

Use notepad or wordpad instead of word, etc

is word not very good? (sorry not very savvy with computer so i just was wondering)

[Cocaine]

Word is fine, but it has curved apostrophes/quotation marks.

What I do is write it in Word, for the spell checker (shut up), then when it's done, I copy/paste to Wordpad and replace (ctrl + h) all the curved stuff with regular ones.

[Serpento]

Try to keep them unbiased, like only pointing out what you liked/didn't like.

[Jom]

For Reviews

1. Reviews can be seen as somewhat similar to writing an essay for school - you can't just turn in an essay or discertation without an introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Having these elements in your review is crucial because it gives your review a focus. A review without an introduction/conclusion and only body paragraphs will look less pleasant to read than a review that has an intro/thesis, body paragraphs, and then a conclusion.

2. Write in the style that you are most comfortable with. Do not pay attention to people who tell you that you should write reviews a certain way, because odds are they aren't the greatest writers themselves.

3. Don't be gimmicky in your reviews. Highlighting songs within the review is fine (bolding, italicizing, etc.), but do not be overly distracting with having a whole bunch of colors. The reader is interested in the actual review, not how flashy it looks.

4. Run a spell-checker and a grammar-check before you submit to Sputnikmusic. If you do not have access to one, then e-mail your review to a friend or two and have him/her look it over. Remember that most spell-checkers and grammar checkers do not account for human error, so being your own critic will be beneficial.

5a. If you're going to write in track-by-track format:

- Be as specific as you can without being overly nerdy (you don't need to write about the specific progression the guitars take ['He switches from a chromatic scale to a pentatonic in the key of D...'], but you should explain as best you can what you hear).

- Try not to give a play-by-play of the music ('At 1:04, there's a guitar solo... at 3:32, the song ends...'). You can state specific times when something dynamic occurs, but don't give a minute-by-minute account of the track.

5b. If you're going to review in an overall style:

- Provide an overall (duhhhh) feel for the album as a whole, not the sum of its parts (because that's more for track-by-track accounts). You can tackle this a number of ways: in chronological order, analyzing by instrument, etc.

6. The most important aspect of your review is your analysis of the album. This is YOUR review, so give YOUR take on it. However, you need to support your claim with numerous examples, or else nobody will care. Say WHY you like/dislike [something], and provide examples as to WHY your like/dislike exists.

7. Give life to your review, but don't do it via inside jokes. A review is bolstered with the use of transitions, for instance, and not what your best friend on the Internet said two weeks ago.

8. If you get stuck or need help or another pair of eyes to read over a review before you submit it, by all means, do not be ashamed to ask for help. This is a community site, after all, and there are plenty of users on the site who will take the time to give you their feedback. If you are a peer editor, give constructive criticism. If you are seeking a peer editor, don't take offense to their comments - they only are trying to make you a better writer. If you want contact e-mails for Sputnikmusic's peer editors, see the Sputnikmusic community forum.

[Cocaine]

I want to add:

Don't post the review as soon as you finish. This is the same as with any other thing you've written; let it sit for a few hours, overnight, whatever. Re-reading it when it's not fresh in your mind will help you make sure it's actually well written.

If you're reviewing something that already has a review, try to make sure you're doing more than re-iterating the same facts over and over; add a unique twist to it.

[Jom]

For Soundoffs

1. The purpose of the Soundoff feature is to give your opinion on an album in a few moments (a paragraph or two is a good goal to strive for) instead of writing an actual review. Therefore, you do not need to go as in-depth as you would for a review, but you should avoid sentences like 'This album is excellent' or 'I like the guitars on this album.' You need to say WHY you think the album is excellent or WHY you like the guitars on the album.

2. Soundoffs are less formal than reviews, but you should still strive to provide an informative take on the album you're sounding off on.

[Serpento]

Just a little add-on to soundoffs...

3. Grammar/spelling/etc. are just as important on a soundoff as on any review.

[DesolationRow]

Well, I like Word for the features it has. But my only tip is to use a thesaurus, and expand your vocabulary. Using new words in reviews and incorporating them into your everyday vocabulary is a tremendous help.

[Jom]

That's true, but you also don't want people to over-do it to the point that any polysyllabic word must be in the review. People shouldn't be afraid of using words like 'good' or 'great' in their reviews, but I do agree that people can use a thesaurus (if need be) to expand their vocab.

And the reason why people shouldn't use Word is because of the apostrophe/quotation mark problem that has been popping up. On Notepad, that doesn't happen (at least, it hasn't for me, and I always write my reviews on Notepad to begin with).

Certainly, you can use the spell and grammar check on Word, and then bring it over to Notepad, but you will soon find out that the quotation marks will come out weird when you copy it to Notepad.

[DFelon204409]

Well, if you do a t-b-t, make it very detailed.

Or, instead of just being detailed, make sure that instead of just describing what you hear, qualify that information and explain how it reveals or represents a cool feature of the particular album you're reviewing. Nobody wants to read, okay there's a breakdown here, and another one at the end of the song. It's more important to know why you think it's good or not rather than it just physically existing.

[Oddsen]

Try not to make a bunch of short paragraphs
Talk about who this album would appeal to
Compare and contrast the album between others

[Jim]

-I like the thesaurus suggestion. I do it and it works great guns.

-Emphasize the importance of splitting your review up into neatly sized paragraphs. Also stress the importance of the review having an easy to understand structure. I know individualism should be encouraged, but in my eyes, every review should have a clear introduction and conclusion.

-And others have said it, and that's because it's a biggy. Don't just go through the song structures and explain exactly what happens in the song at certain times. It's just unnecessary.

["Freshly Baked"]

Well, being the accomplished master writer of 2,000 Reviews, here is some advice from one n00b to another:

The Guide To Writing An Okay Review

Try not to do T-B-T's

They are pretty fun to write, but almost never fun to read, especially for someone who doesn't have the same ears as you. But If you feel you must do tbt's, here are some does and don'ts:

1. Song: This song starts out with a totally awesome flute solo, then the drums come it, the drummers bangs the drums really fast :). I think this song totally rocks 6/5

(I'm serious about the whole 6/5 out of five, that makes me want to not listen to it immediately, it's just cheesey and unneeded. Overrating a song can only be done for one song, and that is "Yeah" by Usher, and you have to say "On a scale of 1-10, this song is a certified 20!")

1. Song: The song starts out quietly with a complex flute solo that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The drumming really shines on this song and goes surprisingly well with the flute. The song is a definite highpoint of the album 5/5

2. Song: This song is way boring. The guitar w9ork is really crappy, I think they did too much acid and just decided to leave this on cuz they suck. But this album is a 4.5, so somehow this awful song is a 2/5

2. Song: The song has weak guitar work, and it just feels like it drags on too long, the riffs are a bit sloppy and the lyrics are just boring. Definite filler, and the lowest point on the album 1/5


Start your review out well

The start of the review is the most inportant, if a review has a cute clever little opener, I almost always always finish it. You don't have to be a genious with your intros (aka, you don't have to be Robert Crumb) but at least make them interesting. Try and open with a nice anecdote, or a retrospect, or something the album reminds you of. If you cant think of anything, just give some info, label, year, Members, all that good stuff.

Uhh, shout outs to my girl Bunifa, bunifa I told you I was gonna hook u up on tha internet.... Um, Metallica starts out with B....

The members of Metallica are always seen as the Kings of thrash music, and Master Of Puppets keeps this notion as popular as ever, though the leap wasn't as big from Ride The Lightning as it was from Kill 'Em All, whether you love it or hate it, chances are when someone says "Metal Album" Master Of Puppets will be one of the first albums to come to mind

Code, and do it right

[ ] <---- See that, that's a bracket, put stuff in there to enhance your review

a "b" in between the brackets Makes bold text, this is ideal for titles of songs, albums, or artists. Only use it whe you feel something needs attention.

ZOMG, THIS SONG IS SO GOOD AND I LOVE IT, IT LIKE SEX WITH EVA LONGORIA, I LUV IT, IT IS GREAT

"Song: this song has a real Stone Temple Pilots vibe to it. The Vocals are confusing, but overall the song is very original and peaceful. 4/5"

an "i" is best for sarcasm (But try and go easy on it for reviews, this is sputnik, not the apollo). But most importantly, it's the best for quoting lyrics.
You tell me which looks best:

ReviewReviewReviewReview:
Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics

ReviewReviewReviewReview:
Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics

ReviewReviewReviewReview:
Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics

instert colors into the bracket and you can make certain words standout RAINBOW

This is an alternative to Bold. I Prefer bold but this words fine, just make sure you can actually see the color:

This album is entirely produced by Brian Eno

This Album is entrely produced by Brian Eno


PART 2 SHALL COME SOON

[Jim]

Part 1's alright so far.

[Hep Kat]

Hey, cool. I had a good idea :cool:



Seems good so far, Sputnikkers. I'll try to write something up.

[metallicaman8]

If you like doing concept reviews, that's fine. Just don't do too many in a short period of time. I learned that the hard way.

[Jim]

I just thought of another random suggestion. When discussing the actual band members, use their last names. It makes the review far more professional and less like a fanboy's rant.

[pulseczar]

Something like this should be added somewhere: Don't do letter grades for ratings. Letter grades vary a lot between countries, and even regions, which can cause confusion to people reading the review. The site's rating system works fine already.

[Jom]

Letter grades seem pretty universal, though - it's the percentages that throw people off.

[Sepstrup]

Denmark doesn't have letter grades. They make me feel discriminated... Or something.

You should probably include something about being careful not to overrate the albums you review, and to keep in mind that 2,5 is average, 3 is good etc.

[pulseczar]

Letter grades seem pretty universal, though - it's the percentages that throw people off.
I don't think so. Letters represent different percentages in different areas, so a D could mean 50 in some places, and 60, even 70 in others. Likewise, A could mean anywhere from 80 to 90.

[Jom]

I don't think so. Letters represent different percentages in different areas, so a D could mean 50 in some places, and 60, even 70 in others. Likewise, A could mean anywhere from 80 to 90.

But you are citing percentages associated with those grades.

An 'A' is an 'A' wherever you go, but an 80% in Europe is not the same as an 80% in Canada or the Americas.

[Sepstrup]

Some countries don't use them and c+ or whatever doesn't really mean a lot to me. We use numbers instead. I think we should stick with the universal Sputnik rating system.

[Eliminator]

Sputnik rating system = Rolling Stone rating system.

Basically.

["Freshly Baked"]

Na, we don't hand out that many fours..

... And btw, Horny in italian is "córneo"

[Serpento]

^I love my native tounge.

Eliminator's pretty much right, but letter grades are different in different countries like pulse/Sep said, for the sole reason that percentages are different. That's the first thing people associate with a letter grade is the percentage it goes with.