Got to write a review about a new releases? Know nothing about Jimi Hendrix? Parents grew up listening to Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran? Don’t have the time to listen to it? Don’t let that hold you back.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Jimi Hendrix, a new recording of The Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Los Angeles Forum in 1969 has been released. Music journalists have to write something about this. There’s some content on the web page for the release, but no self-respecting journalist would just copy and paste that.
If you have never heard of Jimi Hendrix before, and your parents are too young then you have to rely on the Jimi Hendrix cliche comment list to write your review. Heaven forbid that you should actually listen to it. One young UK music journalist did this, but they missed out a few clichés. They give the appearance of having listened to it by copying his between track comments from the release web page.
Here is a list of the stock clichés used when writing about Jimi Hendrix…
Reformulated rock ‘n’ roll
The guitar wasn’t just an instrument; it was a weapon for changing the world.
The six-string became a means of extracting one’s deepest emotions.
The band is as tight as we’ve ever heard them.
At points, crowd control becomes a concern.
Have to put something about civil rights and Vietnam to show you read about 1960s USA on Wikipedia.
You get the sense that this was an artist at the top of his game.
blaah, blaah, blaah.
If you want to read a review of this album by someone who has listened to it and understands the music then the one by Paul Semel is worthwhile.
We would also like to do a shout out to people such as William Nesbitt who do great reviews and no clichés. He is NOT guilty of this.