. . .
In response to my call for community participation in this site, many people said they wanted to write for it. However, I am an extremely tough editor, and I expect standards not to fall after I leave. I have turned away many writers because they didn’t meet my standards.
To better educate IO writers, present and future, as to what I want, I’m setting out a three-part guide to writing about music. It is not the be-all and end-all on the topic. Rather, it’s a set of resources from which to draw inspiration.
This first part is about reading.
Annie Proulx said it best:
My feeling is that the best way to learn how to write is to read – widely, deeply, omnivorously.
This makes sense on two levels. The first is that old computing axiom, “Garbage in, garbage out”. 99% of writing about metal is bad. If you only read writing about metal, you will only write like other writing about metal. Your writing will likely be bad.
The second is that writing is essentially problem-solving. The problem is how to communicate ideas to people. Since no two audiences are the same, it’s good to know different approaches to writing. Dan Brown and Virginia Woolf are as different as writers get. Yet both offer valuable lessons for writers (Brown: how to make people turn pages; Woolf: how to create a mood). In fighting, all-inclusive disciplines like mixed martial arts and Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do come to mind. These are about wielding and breaking tradition as necessary to achieve objectives.
So this post will lay out the greatest influences on my writing about music. They have filled my writer’s toolbox with much wisdom – even though sometimes I forget to apply it.
. . .
METAL
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Andrew Aversionline
Aversionline is the single largest influence on Invisible Oranges. This site started as a blatant rip-off of Aversionline’s MP3 blog. In the early to mid ’00s, however, Aversionline was an album reviews site that thousands frequented. Andrew’s writing has become more terse over the years, no doubt due to time demands. But back in Aversionline’s early years (archive), he would review releases thoroughly – music, lyrics, packaging, the whole deal. What I learned from Andrew Aversionline was the importance of artwork and packaging to music. To this day, they matter to me, even though I (paradoxically) hate physical media formats.
Adrien Begrand
Adrien Begrand’s writing at PopMatters was what made me give writing a go. His writing about metal was as accessible and informed as any other writing about music I’d seen. What I learned from Begrand was the importance of research. Know your shit before you write about it!
. . .
NON-METAL
. . .
Stephen King – On Writing
Every aspiring writer should read this book. I’m not even a fan of King’s actual writing, but this memoir/guide to writing may be the best creative writing course you’ll ever get. He discusses both mechanics and psychology, and it’s all invaluable.
The Economist, The New Yorker
Back when I could afford these magazines, they were a huge influence on my writing. The New Yorker has fairly tight editing, but The Economist has 0% fat. I admire the copy editors at the latter. I imagine them to be as lean and shredded as their work product. These magazines are world-renowned for a reason: good writing. If pressed for time, at least read Alex Ross’ writing on classical music for The New Yorker.
Leonard Lyons – The 101 Best Jazz Albums
This book is a somewhat quirky choice. I believe my mother bought it for cheap from a library sale, and I stumbled across it while visiting home years ago. But it had a lasting effect on my thinking – and thus writing – about music. Writing about jazz tends to be about individuals. Jazz has had great bands, but the nature of the music and industry is such that individuals get the most shine. Reading this book made me much more aware of the importance of individuals within bands, regardless of genres. Dave Lombardo is the best drummer for Slayer, not because he’s their original drummer, but because his feel, not Paul Bostaph’s, is best for the band.
Robert Christgau
The self-anointed “Dean of American Rock Critics” is a big reason why we are gathered here today. Anyone who tries to say anything interesting about a record is part of a lineage that Christgau helped form. His writing actually annoys me – it’s too acerbic for me, and he hates metal – but he says a lot with a little. What I’ve learned from Christgau is that some things can truly be characterized in less than ten words.
. . .
Man, Aversionline is where it’s at. Not only is he thorough, but I always had a clear vision of what was actually going on in the music and if it might be something I would be interested in once I was finished reading. I never finished reading a review and went, “But what does the music sound like?” He is very adept at finding the right words to describe the music. Usually after reading a review and then listening to the music I would be, “Right on!”
The Economist is the only magazine I read on a regular basis due largely to the quality the writing. Like you said, 0% fat and clear communication of ideas.
also… The Atlantic is another magazine that stands as a worthy example of strong writing
Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style should be essential for any writer, and it’s a surprisingly good read.
Wait….you’re not gonna recommend Stewart Voegtlin’s work??????
I think that Stephen King book on writing is fantastic. As usual – very helpful post and guidance.
wow, awesome post. exactly what i needed, as although i have the smarts, i frequently get too self conscious when writing (or even posting on a message board) and suck at it.
these off topic/left field posts are what i will miss most, i hope someone is able to pick up the slack after you leave.
re: The Economist: i cant exactly shell out for the regular subscription either, but slickdeals.net has a good selection of promo magazine subscriptions…i was able to get a year for 12 bucks.
Nice post. This is probably much-needed, especially considering a lot of people said they wanted to write but had never done so before.
I did take a creative writing course in college, and wrote an awesome short story (a pretty long short story) that was incredibly dark. A girl in my group said it was like watching a movie, and actually got a little sick at one point from reading one passage (I wrote it in present tense, first person, which was very difficult to keep up). Afterwards I turned it into a short novel that I no plans to try to publish, because I hate how it turned out. I think I lost the ability to tap into that inner darkness as my life got better. Or maybe writing in law school changed the way I write.
The other piece to this puzzle is that you have to write. A lot. And when you write, give yourself exercises. Free writing (writing whatever comes to mind) was one exercise. Another was to take an object and describe it as fully as possible. In my own metal writing, I’ve taken on a variety of tasks. I’ve written reviews in different ways, e.g., writing about several releases that are connected in some way (which usually turns out pretty good), writing as I listen (which didn’t turn out well), or writing to meet the standards of Metal Archives (which tends to come off as highly descriptive but a bit lacking in soul). I’ve written about my own past with metal, and I’ve written about particular topics within metal (most recently about women in metal). And even though each of these things has its positives and negatives, doing any one of them will make you better at doing another.
I love Begrand’s work.
Graeme: i slip my boss ‘The Elements of Style’ every 3 years or so, especially when he uses ‘in it of itself’ 3 times per email.
christgau basically invented twitter snark, for which he should be commended/condemned. (awful taste, though)
Someone here convince me that record reviews are all that important in the first place. My general hangup is that even if something is considered ‘crap’ but some technical standard, or b/c its perceived as missing the mark compared to some other benchmark…it still has some kind of value. Its just up to the listener to perceive what that value is.
As a matter of fact…the farther away the value of a record is from the actual intent of the artist in making it…the better. i.e: I love the Pixies ‘Trompe Le Monde’…i can listen to it straight through, and love it. I know this record is considered by them and everyone else to be their worst, based on comparisons to their prior records, and the fact that maybe they missed whatever mark they were aiming for…
…but I first heard it in the 8th grade and wasnt aware of any of that. Some might say that through the years I should have gained some knowledge to discredit this early impression. But I like to say that I was able to get an enjoyable perspective on this album BEFORE I had the knowledge which wold only cause me to listen with a skeptical judgmental ear, and miss out on its value.
your thoughts.
A while back there was an article here, maybe also an interview, with an author that had written a series of books centered around a charachter, possibly an alcoholic or junkie. The books were written in an abrasive style and sounded interesting. Unfortunatly the names have faded from memory and I can not turn up anything in my searches on this site.
Anyone remember this?
Crack – Record reviews are the worst-performing content on this site, so much so that I’ve considered phasing them out completely.
In terms of “reviewing” in the conventional sense – giving an opinion – listeners need only hear a download, not read some writer who likely writes badly.
However, “criticism” – actual writing that stimulates thought and discussion – is another beast. Regretfully, I have virtually no time to do it these days.
For a good discussion of “criticism” vs. “reviewing” and what these things involve, see:
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/may/20/opinion/op-schickel20
Good writing never goes out of style. Unfortunately, (a) people sometimes don’t want to read good writing – they just want the thumbs-up, thumbs-down, consumers’ guide version, and (b) writers who can produce good writing are rare.
Cryzthormagnusian – That’s our interview with Dan Fante:
http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2010/09/the-read-chord-interview-with-dan-fante/
I.O: awesome, I will check this out. And hopefully be better at writing at some point soon.
I DO in fact make a differentiation between ‘critique,’ which seems to focus on the bad, and the type of discussion which points out something good that you may be missing. I.E, provoking some kind of way of thinking you might not have previously been exposed to, which allows you to appreciate something on a new/different level.
And I can honestly say that this is one of the few, if not only, blog ive come across where that happens.
Good GOD I write horribly.
Read King’s On Writing and read LESTER BANGS!!! Seriously, if you’ve never read any of his criticism, you’re in for a treat…
Per @Crack and @Graeme, if you’re gonna write, buy a style guide: MLA, Chicago, Strunk/White. Learn it inside and out.
And per @FullMetalAttorney, write until you puke. Write a lot. Whatever gets you going: review the last show you attended and put it up on a blogspot (I think that’s how Cosmo found me!) Write about some observed phenomenon (“Does sex sell at the merch table??”) and just organize your thoughts on the subject.
I’ve written a lot for IO so if you have any questions on the subject, drop me a line; I may not be quick, but I’ll get back to you.
Many thanks for the nod (And the comment, bullettobinary!), I appreciate it, and will likely get a good amount of traffic from it for the next few days.
I certainly understand and identify with some of the struggles you’ve been writing about this week, though your sudden decision to “retire” is rather unexpected. I hope you can achieve some balance…
THANK YOU! That was really bugging me. I actually passed that link up in my searches so many times because I thought it was an interview with the band The Red Chord.
Stephen King’s book is a masterwork. I need to read it again for a third time. While I respect him, I can’t say I’ve read much of his fiction, but On Writing is a book I truly treasure.
I encourage anyone who wants to see how not to do metal journalism to scope anything written on Lamentations of the Flame Princess or ANUS.com.
Writing is a lot like woodworking. Start with a large and unwieldy object (a block of wood or the English language). Use precise movements to cut and shape the wood or write a readable sentence. Do the same thing over and over until you hopefully have something worthwhile. It requires patience and persistence more than anything, and is a lifelong apprenticeship.
Hey Cosmo,
Since you posted the other day about how you’re planning on leaving the site I’ve kind of begun to want to offer some pieces for it if you’re interested! I’ve got a lot of experience writing in university (I’m 3rd year working towards a Bachelor’s in Philosophy) and I’ve got some strong (justified, haha) opinions on music. Also, I’ve thought a lot about writing about the connection between music and philosophy which, since you said reviews tend to get the least response, might be perfect.
So, I’m not sure if you’re looking for people yet but if you want to read some stuff I’ve written just reply here!
Brendan
I’m a fan of the New Yorker myself (thanks to my grandmother for the xmas subscription), so I was really impressed with this website a friend suggested.
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/the-best-magazi.php
It’s a collection of ‘The Best Magazine Articles Ever.’ Obviously the title is a bit over the top, but I’ve read most of the articles on the list and they are almost all great. It’s in a similar vein as the New Yorker, as the topics range from politics to entertainment to adventure to food. Definitely an excellent way to waste an afternoon and is a fantastic example of how great writing is great writing, regardless of topic.
Cosmo
I’m somewhat saddened that your reviews are the “worst-performing” articles on the site. I LOVE reading reviews because it’s my primary technique for discovering new music. I know of a very small number of online journalists whom produce well written reviews on a regular basis. I prefer those. I do read a lot of poorly written reviews as well. There’s a lot of passionate metal lovers out there and when I combine their opinions and description with my own experience, I can usually get a good idea of what to expect. I prefer this method to listening to streams online because I think I tend to buy music the way I did before the web was around. I would read up before making a costly purchase. I figure that a writers reaction to many, many listens is more valuable than a single listen online. Even if I listen multiple times I’m still listening on my crappy computer speakers rather than blasting it on my car stereo. Most of the time I found good music that way and continue to do so.
So, I’m wondering what you mean by “worst-performing”. Do you mean fewest hits or smallest discussion?
Man, I used to read Aversionline until my eyes bled, somewhere back in the early 2000’s. The quantity of reviews per update was unreal — that they were well written was more astounding. I drifted away when it shifted to MP3’s since I was behind the technological curve, but I have fond memories of the early days.
******
I think potential writers would do well to pay attention to Inisible Oranges more than outside sources. Cosmo, your writing here illustrates the point of short, powerful sentences better than any other metal site I’ve seen. The writing is economical, but the sentences punch through. You deny the very existence of passive voice by excising it completely. It’s one of the best examples of well-executed restraint I’ve come across. Please, please, teach this to your fellow Decibel writers — or at least their editor!
*******
I’ve written a fair amount over the years — mostly screenplays — if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the importance of rewriting. When I write, the first pass is the act of getting it down on paper. Approach the first pass without inhibition — don’t obsess over word choice, phrasing, or technical elements, just let it flow. Take chances, turn off the self-critical filter and let the words pour out.
With the second pass you trim the fat, punch up, reshape, and cut, cut, cut. Following this method, each pass aligns itself with a different mindset, that of “writer” and “editor”. Everyone will find their own method given time and practice, but I find the two-pronged approach beats the hell out of trying to shit out a glistening turd in one pass.
Review content is something I enjoy writing and reading, especially if a relationship develops between the reviewer and reader so they understand each others’ taste.
That said, I’ve found I get a lot more discussion and hits on non-review content. And I think some of the review content only gets hits because people are looking to pirate, and when they realize there’s no link to download illegally then they leave. I’ve always been meaning to add more non-review content to my blog, but that stuff takes more dedicated time. (In other words, a review takes more time, but much of that is listening and taking sporadic notes, so it’s time that’s still free for doing other things.) As a compromise, I’ve been trying to organize at least some reviews into theme weeks, which can hybridize the two.
I don’t think people need to read about it. They either have it or not.
I wouldn’t underestimate the importance of this blog and the need to have it continue on the same wavelength as originally intended.
“I don’t think people need to read about it. They either have it or not.”
It’s a mistake to treat writing like a god-given talent. It’s a craft, like any other, and one you can learn with practice.
@Wash is correct. Jimi Hendrix practiced 18 hours a day. Faulkner wrote while working in a boiler room. Even in a field where God-given talent is a requisite (professional sports) you will always lose to the slightly less talented person who drills, spends extra time in the weight room, learns an opponent’s weaknesses and works to accentuate the strengths of teammates. You think Brett Favre could have just shown up and started throwing touchdowns?
Granted, Brett was born with amazing talent, even if he didn’t quite know when to hang it up.
Backing the love for Andrew and Aversionline. Best man on the internet for a very long time.
Wishing the love for Andrew’s decade of steady work didn’t have to come with that little criticism thrown in. Really baffling for you to do that in a week where you 1) post a top 5 list with no exposition and 2) quit.
I remember loading those enormous review pages on Aversionline back in the day — dozens of full-length reviews with jpegs sometimes added up to a few MB each, which took a hell of a long time to load on a dialup connection! Always excellent reviews.
Miskatonic – By “worst-performing”, I mean “fewest hits”, which has some correlation with amount of discussion (the more eyeballs on a post, the greater the likelihood of discussion). Some album reviews do get more hits, but those are due to subject matter popularity – Watain, Burzum, Metallica – than actual quality of writing. I can slave away for hours and produce the best writing of my life on some obscure album, but if I post something hasty about Pantera, the numbers across the board are invariably much higher.
Wash Jones – We fall victim to the passive voice sometimes, but, yes, I try to excise it as much as possible.
Gabe – As with any artist/band, Andrew’s work has changed over time, and I’m calling it like I see it. I would readily admit that my own work has succumbed to the same pressures his has. That’s partly why I’m stopping.
As for the list with no exposition – that was an experiment.
I used to check aversionline religiously. Dude was so thorough.
I love that I live in the city as Andrew and noone here has ever met him.
Most likely because he is so busy writing reviews.
Ahh! I loathe PopMatters and Robert Christgau -_-
Dude I think you forgot about that one quote from Voltaire where it is something like “If there is one thing I could change about my life I wish I wouldv’e written less”. Self-editing is an important skill
You changed my mind. Andrew should totally quit writing. Thanks for pulling the plug on your site before it becomes a load of crap like Aversionline.
Gabe, Aversionline will likely be the only music blog I read after I leave this site. The man has performed tireless and passionate service for the community for over a decade. Can say that you made thousands of people’s lives better and had a positive economic impact of millions of dollars?
If you can, then feel free to criticize.
I am no writer but I do know the importance of taking college-level English writing classes. Spending time doing actual research in libraries (both college and public) helps too.
Also, I could totally agree with Wash about writing and re-writing pieces on paper. I’m so used to writing research papers through at least three or four drafts before I can be confident with the piece that I am writing about. I could attribute this process to my career as a Graphic Designer: you’re gonna have to sketch out your ideas on paper, then do another series of sketches refining those ideas until they come together into a coherent piece. Then when the time is right, I can work on the piece using a computer or some other methods I prefer. And of course, more refinement awaits. That’s why there are Design and Typography snobs out there who might not make sense, it’s just that the process can make anyone go nuts.
Another thing to keep in mind is to always have a notebook on hand. Any person in the creative field should already know about this. You can’t just type your ideas into an iPhone or a laptop and make sense of them later if they’re just words floating around on a screen. When you write those ideas onto paper, those are your ideas, and the flow of thought from your brain to the ink blotting the paper makes the thought process come full bloom. Having those drafts to come back to later will save you a lot of time too.
My house guests can attest on how messy my home is, because of all the notebooks, sketchbooks, drawing pads, and old project folders I have laying around throughout the years. The Catch 22 of being in this realm, I guess.
People: Do you see this? What is happening here? This is fucking hilarious.
Cosmo: That’s right. Finally, that’s exactly right.
Cosmo, hope Aversionline is not the only site you visit after you quit. Too much hardcore, not enough metal.
Brendan, I noticed you said something about how music and philosophy make sense. I agree. Of course, philosophy and just about any subject matter is interesting, but we are music/art fans so we go with what we know. What drew me in to Cosmo’s writing is exactly that, his ability to make you think about the deeper questions like “Why now?” “What does this say about us?” and such. I once commented here that, to me, Cosmo is the “philosopher of metal” to which he replied “That’s a crown of shit” or something like that. I see his point (he can do without the grandiose labels)but he excels at exploring the metal/mind connection. I will give you an example of what I like to ponder: Many people bash Celtic Frost’s Cold Lake. I love it. I understand why people don’t like it (sell outs, given the context) but I wonder how many people would have liked it if it were their first album. A buddy of mine once told me that he hated Korn (I don’t care for them either). I replied “Dude, if you had never, ever heard of Korn, they were completely unknown and you were downtown one night and caught them at an early live show, I’m certain you would be impressed as fuck.” He thought about it for a moment and then said “Yeah, maybe I would be interested”. Now, I’m not saying that engaging in a thought experiment and looking at possibilities means that our opinions will be forever altered. I’m saying that I find the ability to step outside of one’s self and imagine a different context is fascinating. I’m no “writer” and I don’t really have “words with way”, but I love to think about shit.
It’s pretty rare to find someone who still takes the art of reviewing so seriously, especially in the metal genre. I feel like a lot of writers lose integrity with their wholly positive or negative reviews, despite the fact that those are more accessible for a wider audience. Obviously the more thoughtful, critical reviews or ones about obscure bands are going to be catered to a smaller group who’s interested in exploring new territory and thinking about the abstract concepts associated with music. I can totally see why writing those kinds of reviews would get fewer hits, but I think it’s great you’re trying to keep it alive by passing the torch to others. I’m kinda sick of seeing reviews that are just posted to be posted. They’re great exposure for bands, but they don’t do much for the fans.
99% of writing about metal is just bad, because such people don’t actually love writing. I really hope you’ll reconsider your decision and stick around to help any time you wish to test your skills – IO is your creation after all.
I can’t possibly agree more about Adrien Begrand. Way back in “ought-five” after seeing a glowing review of Slough Feg’s “Atavism” on Blabbermouth I wanted to hear more about this unknown (to me, anyway) band.
A Google search sent me to Begrand’s review on PopMatters.com.
I have never read an album review more honest, detailed, and eloquent.
I picked up the album (and everything else of theirs since).
I sent him an email telling him how much I loved his reviews; that he didn’t let his “fandom” cloud his critical thinking (stupid? Yes it was, but he wrote back).
I read his metal reviews.
I read his non-metal reviews.
I read his metal column, “Blood & Thunder” at PopMatters.
I look for his name in Decibel magazine before I read anything else in there.
I read his blog , Basement Galaxy.
I read his stuff at Hellbound.ca.
I’m his “Friend” on Facebook.
If I gave a crap about Canada, I’d probably stop by and say “Hi”.
Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.MUSIC INDIA
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Smarty-pants. This is why IO is so good, and highly readable. Thanks for the good advice, Cosmo. Looking forward to future posts about this.
The Dark Legions Archive/anus.com is still the only vital writing on metal at this point in time, maybe Swedish Death Metal and Lords of Chaos (maybe) can fall in there. Everything else is classic shit like Canadian Assault zine, I really miss mean spirited close minded metal ravings of people genuinely pumped for the genre. This site whines a lot about the glut of bands while I ignore a shitload while enjoying a hell of a lot more. Fuck writing go take up golfing.
The best writing on this site will be found in Helm’s replies in older posts, a firm nihilistic spanking to the bum.