PLEASE stop listing band lineups

[mx]

It looks really unprofessional for a review to start with the band lineups, the release information, any background information you can find, etc. Your primary focus should be the review, and the rest should be in the band information page. Not only does it distract from the review (especially since we have a whole page for the band on sputnik), but it makes the main page look silly when your review is featured.

I've written this in the actual review section but this seems to be relatively ignored.

[morrissey]

I agree. Back in the CD reviews forum it was helpful, but I think some people are just accustomed to adding it in, and newer reviewers might have caught on to the habit by reading older reviews.

When I get around to it I'll edit that information out of my reviews (not that any of mine will be featured).

[Dave de Sylvia]

I think it looks well when done properly.

[DFelon204409]

Originally Posted by mx

It looks really unprofessional for a review to start with the band lineups, the release information, any background information you can find, etc. Your primary focus should be the review, and the rest should be in the band information page. Not only does it distract from the review (especially since we have a whole page for the band on sputnik), but it makes the main page look silly when your review is featured.

I've written this in the actual review section but this seems to be relatively ignored.

That's exactly where I'm coming from. I don't do track by tracks any more becuase of that incentive.

[superpeer]

Yeah, it does look bad on the main page.

[pulseczar]

i think i did that at first, but then i just mentioned every band member somewhere in the review instead of listing them. It does look better, plus it gives you more to write about i guess

[Jom]

When the review is featured, yes, it looks bad on the main page... but Sputnikmusic is picking up in traffic, and the main feature doesn't last for all that long.

I typically start my reviews with a little blurb about the band that isn't found on the artist page because a) there already is a biography for the band, and b) some people don't search by artist and just click on reviews in the main page. Not many people search by artist, so adding a little bit of information shouldn't hurt, I don't think. What am I supposed to do, re-write a biography on a band and try to replace a good one that's already there? What's the point in that?

Originally Posted by SOP

I think it looks well when done properly.

Right. But that's just me, and of course, I'm one of the most unprofessional regular reviewers on all of Sputnikmusic, and my opinion shouldn't matter, I take it.

[masada]

I just did a review with a lineup, but that's because the band is relatively unknown to the rest of the site.

[mx]

Why can't that just go in the band description page?

[Jom]

Originally Posted by mx

Why can't that just go in the band description page?

If there's already a band description page, then why try to write over it if it's especially clear and accurate? It'd be a waste of time, and Med and Damrod wouldn't allow the modification, I don't think. Besides, band line-ups change and evolve, and some people find it important to share this in the review if there is a new line-up.

[Dave de Sylvia]

I don't know if it's possible to have a little box for the the line-up the way there's a box for tracklisting, release date etc. If that could be done I can see no problems. Otherwise, I just think it helps the review to have the band down. I don't think 'professionality' goes that far. The kind of person who goes to sputnik, in my view, is more interested in accessibility than good writing. It's obviously better from a literary point of view not to write the band on top, but I think it's the most efficient and communicable way.

[Bartender]

I think the best solution would be just to put any lineup (etc) information at the end of a review instead. Lineup information could go on the band page, but not all bands keep the same lineup from album to album.

[mx]

Okay, just an example:

The latest review started with this:

Primus-Suck on this (1990)

Primus is-
Les Claypool-Bass and Vocals
Larry La Londe- Guitar
Tim Alexander- Drums
__________________________

Primus - Suck on this was a double listing, because the title was already at the top of the page. The release date should have been put in the releasedate field. The band lineup should be nonexistent or at the end of the review. Basically people are posting just as if sputnik was still in the forums. There's a reason I went to all the trouble to organize things =) I'm going to have to lay down the law here and say that lineups go at the end of the review, or on the band pages. PLEASE just start right with the review. That's not too much to ask.

[Axe]

noted

[br3ad_man]

I normally write a short paragraph about the band's history leading up to the release of the album being reviewed and then I put in a lineup. I like the way my reviews look with the lineup in it.

[sunsinger]

Originally Posted by br3ad_man

I normally write a short paragraph about the band's history leading up to the release of the album being reviewed...

That's what I normally do, but I usually write stuff like whether the album was a success or what was happening to the band at the time and how they had evolved musically etc. I never though that would be a problem.

[Shadows]

So the preference is no line-up listed in the review? I usually put a summary paragraph before the line-up because it looks stupid to have the technical info featured, but if the line-up is going to be listed under band info than there is no point in adding it into the review.

[Damrod]

Originally Posted by ShadowsFallen

So the preference is no line-up listed in the review? I usually put a summary paragraph before the line-up because it looks stupid to have the technical info featured, but if the line-up is going to be listed under band info than there is no point in adding it into the review.

People would just have to submit it to the band info page. But not too many bother to do so.

I mean if people want to put it in the review so badly, it's ok if the put it somewhere that is not the first paragraph

[Shadows]

Originally Posted by Damrod

People would just have to submit it to the band info page. But not too many bother to do so.

I mean if people want to put it in the review so badly, it's ok if the put it somewhere that is not the first paragraph

I'd rather make full use of the band info page. It's there for a reason but it's been ignored by most everybody. Leaving out things like band line-ups and biographical things would make reviews look nicer and would make the lives of guys like me easier who tend to go overboard with history.

[br3ad_man]

Sometimes bands change their lineups. I don't submit things to the band info pages much anymore because I don't think people read them very much.