Review of Reviews

Poorly related. Possibly written while under the influence. A young man attempts to intellectually explain music. Epic fail. After four slightly incoherent sentences, this review is already becoming tiresome. Now, imagine a review, which continues in this manner for two lengthy paragraphs before finally offering a scrap of helpful information. This is how Nick Tosches wrote about Black Sabbath’s album “Paranoid," in 1971 for Rolling Stone. In comparison, Peter Travers’ review of the movie “High Fidelity," which appeared in Rolling Stone in 2000, is easier for readers to take pleasure in. Using description and creativity in a well-written manner is key if one wishes to evoke in their readers a sense of understanding and appreciation.

Although Tosches makes abundant use of descriptive words, he fails to use them appropriately, stringing them along without much help from accompanying words. For example, “a dark, handsome youth with the physique of a Dionysos–eyes, though, glazed and cold–grasps the two-foot stem of an imported El-Douhab hookah by its hilt and shoves its tip, sans mouthpiece, into the dry, collapsed rectum of the dead hippie baby …,” is full of descriptive words, yet because Tosches neglects to provide a larger context in his review, this sentence becomes insignificant. Travers, however, uses fewer descriptive words, though he uses them in a more effective way. For instance, Travers uses the word “talky” to describe Rob’s, (the main character in “High Fidelity"), penchant for carrying on. To support this claim, Travers writes, “Rob often stares directly at the camera and just let’s the words pour out.” Proving a point by furthering information is something that would have greatly assisted Tosches’ review.

In addition, Travers shines creatively as he composes the majority of his review in “Top Five” lists, which is an obvious reference to the lists featured throughout “High Fidelity." Ranging from, “Top Five reasons not to worry so much that the movie shifts the book’s location from Eighties London to Y2K Chicago,” to “Top Five MVPs in High Fidelity,” enables Travers to create a charming and inviting review. Tosches creativity is less apparent, as he takes a stream of consciousness approach before decreeing, “and this is their music.”

Travers pummels Tosches with an informative review. Where Tosches fails to share with his readers any facts about the art, Travers supplies his readers with, among other facts, the knowledge that “High Fidelity” is based on Nick Hornby’s novel of the same name. In comparison, Tosches doesn’t even name a single song from “Paranoid," and falsely identifies Black Sabbath’s lead singer as Kip Treavor.

Overall, Travers does a commendable job fusing facts and entertainment to offer a descriptive, creative, informative, and well-written review. Unfortunately, Tosches fails to do the same, by offering up only long-winded explanations void of information directly relating to the art being reviewed.


Nick Tosches' Review:
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blacksabbath/albums/album/111359/review/5944921/paranoid

Peter Travers' Review:
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/dvd/5947227/review/5947228/high_fidelity