#513.5: The #200wordchallenge is done!

200-word

GETTING MORE TALE #513.5: The #200wordchallenge is done!

A huge thank-you to all who participated in this #200wordchallenge!

From August 29 to September 2, writers were challenged to write music reviews by the same length rules as old print magazines: 200 words.  No more no less.  One of us even took it upon himself to take the challenge further with the old “Hit & Run” review style — a hard 80 words!   Thanks to rock journalist Mitch Lafon for the impetus for this adventure.

The end result was 30 posts by six writers!  Speaking for myself, I enjoyed the experiment.  Mitch was right:  forcing yourself to adhere to a hard 200 words does sharpen your skills.  In addition, the challenge succeeded in bringing Vinyl Connection out of retirement (for now?)  so no matter how you slice it, the #200wordchallenge has brought some good to the world.  Each writer who participated even contributed more than they originally estimated they would!  Perhaps the #200wordchallenge injected a shot of inspiration.

Be sure to visit our friends below, and check out their work.  Thanks to each of these talented folks, we had a fun week.  And a big thanks again to Mitch Lafon, a rock star in his own right.  Click below for the posts, and give them all a hand (or 200 hands)!

 

 

VINYL CONNECTION:

GOODGIRLFRIEND (Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend) 
TRANS GILMOUR EXPRESS (The Orb featuring David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres)
DEAR HERR FROESE (Tangerine Dream – Phaedra)

1001 ALBUMS IN 10 YEARS:

The Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good
Hanoi Rocks – Back to Mystery City (1983)
Sigur Rós – Ágætis byrjun (1999)

STICK IT IN YOUR EAR:

MSG (1981)
Badlands (1989)
Stereophonics – Performance (1999)
Tragically Hip – Roxy and Elsewhere (1993)

MIKE LADANO:

Ratt – Ratt & Roll 8191
Two – Voyeurs (1998 Japanese bonus track)
Journey – Look Into the Future (1976)
REVIEW: Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction (Remixed & Remastered)

BOPPINSBLOG:

Black Sabbath (The End World Tour -Toronto 2016)
Prophets of Rage – EP
Misheard lyrics (bonus)

“HIT & RUN” 80 word reviews:

KEEPS ME ALIVE:

Aerosmith – Devil’s Got a New Disguise – The Very Best of Aerosmith
Jim Cuddy – All In Time
Jim Cuddy – Skyscraper Soul
Regina Spektor – Soviet Kitsch
Willie Nelson – The Great Divide
Willie Nelson – Countryman
Holly Golightly – Slowly But Surely
Pegi Young – Foul Deeds
54-40 – Smilin’ Buddah Cabaret
Elliott Smith – Figure 8
Trews – Acoustic: Friends And Total Strangers Deluxe Reissue
Jake Bugg – On My One
Weezer – Weezer (blue)

40 comments

  1. Was fun..it even got me to do an extra one(Stereophonics) at the last minute! I may even on some adhere to this rule for fun but than i tend to ramble too….
    Aaron is a post machine!
    Tons of fun reads…..

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

        1. Do you remember when Aaron had that site Harlan Are a Pug? It was kind of a joke site but he posted five times a day on some days! Hahahah!
          I used to do minimum 2 per day when I started but that was insane.

          Like

        2. No i never knew Aaron dabbled outside the
          KMA confines! Well when I started i was like you..about 10 posts a week…
          Lunatic comes to mind on how many I was pumping out…

          Liked by 1 person

        3. Yeah I dabbled a bit outside the KMA, had a couple of other tries, over the years. But I always came back to the KMA and now it’s my only one.

          And you well know I’ve had many bouts of crazy posting schedules. It usually fizzles out, but this 80-word thing works well. It seems the perfect balance between how much I hear and how much I write!

          Liked by 2 people

  2. Do you remember when Aaron had that site Harlan Are a Pug? It was kind of a joke site but he posted five times a day on some days! Hahahah!

    I used to do minimum 2 per day when I started but that was insane.

    Like

    Reply

  3. A big thank you to you too, Mike. It was a terrific idea and I certainly had lots of fun. An added big thanks for the warm words pointed my way too, from you, Mike, and other blog colleagues. If I was a certain numerically enhanced blogger I’d make some crack about the irresistible demands my massive adoring public but I’m not, so I won’t. But I think it’s going to be hard not to keep going now. Damn! (he says with total lack of conviction).

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. I know there is a certain delight in polishing off a giant post, with the depth of analysis that we find personally satisfying. But sometimes it’s a nice change of pace just to talk about why you like something!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
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