Listens Before Review
Printed From: MetalMusicArchives.com
Category: Metal Music Lounges
Forum Name: Metal Music Lounge
Forum Description: General metal music discussions (no polls)
URL: http://www.MetalMusicArchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1383
Printed Date: 22 Dec 2024 at 5:31am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.16 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Listens Before Review
Posted By: J-Man
Subject: Listens Before Review
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 9:08am
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Here's something I've been wondering about for a little bit... How many listens do many of you give an album before writing a review (on average)? Of course, it's a case-by-case basis: sometimes I'm ready to evaluate after 3 listens, but sometimes it'll take 10 before I understand the music. But in general, how many times would you say you hear something before writing a review? For me, it's somewhere in the 4-7 range usually. ------------- Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Replies:
Posted By: poslednijat_colobar
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 11:24am
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I think with me it's exactly the same! Sometimes I need 10, sometimes 3. For example, The newest album by Kaipa (not on MMA, but on PA), I needed around 10 times, before reviewing. But after the 10th time I felt the divinity out there. The average is 5 times for me! |
Posted By: Stooge
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 11:29am
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I probably need at least 5 listens of an album before I can review it. If it's an older album in my collection I'm more familiar with, I will still listen to it at least once before reviewing it.
------------- https://armchairmaestro.com/" rel="nofollow - My Music Blog |
Posted By: UMUR
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 1:03pm
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I usually write a draft after my first listen, and then change it on subsequent listens before posting the review. You�d be surprised how many of my reviews that don�t change a bit along the way though. That first impression is mostly the right one. I�ve been surprised now and again though by an album where I�ve changed my opinion a lot from my first listen to the last one before finalizing the review. So sometimes a lot of listens are needed. ------------- http://www.lyngby-boldklub.dk/" rel="nofollow - Forever TRUE - Forever BLUE! https://rateyourmusic.com/~UMUR" rel="nofollow - UMUR on RYM |
Posted By: The Block
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 1:17pm
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Usually it's around 4 or 5 for me, except when it is a really short EP, those only take about 2-3 listens.
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 3:16pm
That's interesting! I never thought of that.  ------------- Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
UMUR wrote:Posted By: Andyman1125
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 3:53pm
I don't do the draft, but many of my ratings are based on my first impression. Mainly the only way I make an album 5 stars is if I'm blown away by a first listen. Occasionally an album might grow on me, but usually those stay at 4 and 4+ stars in my reviews. ------------- http://bit.ly/kZR7BC" rel="nofollow">  http://andywebb.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - My Bandcamp
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Posted By: The Block
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 6:17pm
I actually write mine out in hand, then final draft them in word... call me nerdy  
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Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 8:25pm
| usually it's about 5, unless something really hits me on the first listen |
Posted By: Stooge
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2011 at 10:32pm
I do that sometimes. I'll often get some rough ideas of what to say by listening to the album on my MP3 player, and type it up later. ------------- https://armchairmaestro.com/" rel="nofollow - My Music Blog |
Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2011 at 1:01am
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Honestly, whatever feels right. There are some albums that I've listened to several times (for example, TOTO by Yes) that I have yet to review for PA because I feel like I haven't given it it's thorough listening. At least PA doesn't need more reviews for TOTO. Though I guess for those albums that I don't listen to for a while indicates that a lower rating is justified. ------------- Lost respect for these archives when I saw Creed added, among other bands. Not going to be foruming here anymore. You can keep my reviews if you want. |
Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2011 at 2:27am
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Most of the 100 reviews I've written so far are of albums that I've owned for years and years before MMA existed, but I guess the few newer ones that I've written have been somewhere between 4th and 10th listen. Except the Very Best of Rainbow, which was an experimental review during the second listen. ------------- http://iamthreepeople.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">  <- Click on this!
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Posted By: The Angry Scotsman
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2011 at 2:45am
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Depends on the album naturally! Usually a few. Anywhere from 3-5. On really challenging ones/ones that just take a while sometimes 10. Also I like to listen right before reviewing, and often listen really in depth. ------------- Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer and Testament. The real Big Four of thrash metal! Listen to doom metal, worship Satan |
Posted By: Vehemency
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2011 at 6:31am
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The very minimum is 2 rounds, but that mostly happens with albums that I really don't like & can't really go through more than that... I guess the average amount of listens is around 3-5. This applies especially to digital promos, and I confess it's not always enough to get into an album, hence I might call some album "unoriginal and generic" though it could sound a lot better after a few spins more... But if I listened to every album like 10 times before writing, it would take an eternity to go through all the albums. So it's a little sacrifice. For physical copies I give more time to sink in, I don't want to hurry with those at all. All reviews written to a text editor, saved, then posted to MMA or if I've already added a review here that day, then it goes first to my blog. |
Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2011 at 8:07am
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Depends - sometimes I'll review on first listen, often I won't.
I've got NWoBHM obscurities on rotation in my car on an mp3 stick, and there are a few I've started skipping over, and a few I keep returning to - those latter are the ones I tend to review, hence my NWoBHM reviews are largely favourable.
I've had a copy of Legend's "From The Fjords" for quite a while - that was one album I simply HAD to review, but I still listened intently a few times, because it's so dense.
I practically wore out my vinyl copy of "Reign in Blood" - I could have reviewed that album from memory, except that I'm in the habit of listening and reviewing simultaneously, as it feels like a kind of live perfomance, and tends to get the best emotional reactions out of me (I simply can't help doing the analysis stuff, it's second nature) - although it does mean the spelling and grammar errors sneak in...
When I review more recent albums, my reviews will be gut reaction. I find nothing in most modern metal that excites me the way the older stuff does - could be an age thing, I don't know (or care - I like what I like). But I think that an analytical review at least indicates how I've formed the opinion I have - I don't simply bash stuff for fun (although I do derive a lot of pleasure from it).
The thing I like best about metal, is that at the end of the day, it is only opinion - there's no real yardstick like there is with Progressive Rock. Even badly played metal can be great metal - it depends on the fire and attitude behind it, which is an unquantifiable intangible.
...so it depends.
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Posted By: adg211288
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2011 at 9:01am
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I nearly always write a review while listening to the music, but what listen that's on can vary. With stuff I review because I feel like it, I usually know the album anyway, but with some promos I've received recently (such as the reviews I put up for Theatres des Vampires, Fen and Saille), were all done while listening to the album for the first time. Sometimes I make edits after a second listen though. More recently I've taken to edited all the reviews I've written, although that's usually not because a change of opinion, more a desire to improve on the quality of writing. ;) Some albums though take a few listens without worrying about reviewing it. Some bands I like I would never consider a quick review because I know I'd normally change it later. So in short it depends on a) who the band is and b) why I'm reviewing it. ------------- Earn Money Online (NOT a scam): https://premium.gg2u.org?referrer=adg211288" rel="nofollow - GG2U https://adamsfilmcorner.quora.com/" rel="nofollow - Adam's Film Corner on Quora |
Posted By: Pelata
Date Posted: 23 Jan 2011 at 11:10am
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For me, there is a minimum 3-listen policy...I usually know what I think of an album after 3 listens... ------------- http://www.facebook.com/FinalSignOfficial" rel="nofollow - FINAL SIGN - US Power Metal |