Just a Photo of My Cat

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary, Uncategorized

A lot of work goes into writing a music review, even for a single song. Not only must I listen to the song a number of times to get a good feel for the various elements of the music, melody, instruments, arrangement and vocals, among other things, I must also try to interpret what the song is about in cases where the artist has not provided any clues (which is a lot of the time). And if the artist or band has not provided their lyrics anywhere, I must listen carefully and repeatedly to try to decipher them, which can be a real challenge if the singer screams or shouts them, or sings in a manner that makes them unclear. I suppose this is my own problem, as most music blogs I read rarely, if ever, mention song lyrics.

On top of all that, I must also search all their social media sites to learn at least enough about the artist or band so that I might sound halfway intelligent when writing about them. This can also be a challenge when the artist has not given me any info about themselves, or when they don’t provide much bio info on any of their social media sites or their website. I must also search all the various music platforms their music may be included on, so that I can include those links to help readers listen to more of their music should they care to. I do all these things as a service to the artists, in the hope of giving them some badly-needed press and support.

I do my best to try to read as many posts as possible from blogs I follow, often spending one or two hours at a time several days a week, in the hope that at least a few will read some of mine in return. Needless to say, it’s very discouraging and disappointing when a good percentage of my reviews fail to get much attention, especially from fellow bloggers who follow my blog, now numbering more than 800! Even when I’ve featured classic songs of the past, thinking that perhaps more would find those posts more appealing, I’ve often been disappointed by the low level of engagement. This sense of frustration is compounded when I see some blog posts consisting of only a photo, a video or a two-sentence-long poem get scores of likes.

So, with that in mind, I’m posting a photo of my cat Panda to see what the response will be. If this proves to be popular, I may stop wasting my time writing music reviews, and just post more cat or travel pics.

Panda

 

45 thoughts on “Just a Photo of My Cat”

  1. hanspostcard

    Stick with the music reviews- likes are just that likes… does Panda like music? I had a dog once who hated The Beach Boys. Every time I played them- he would start acting up…

    Liked by 2 people

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      1. hanspostcard

        My dog only reacted to The Beach Boys which I found odd. And I can’t argue with your statement- it’s true. I find it odd sometimes what goes over well and what doesn’t.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. I hope you’ll keep doing them, but I don’t mind a cat photo every now and then. That said, I’d get why you’d feel like you do. I was there a while ago, posting multiple photos combined with 8 songs that fit the “theme” as well. Nobody ever clicked on the links to the music. Ever. I eventually just listed the songs without going to the trouble of linking them. Then no songs. Then only one photo. I began to wonder if it was worth the effort. Whatever you choose, I’ll be around. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I appreciate your support, and you’re one of my most loyal followers. Admittedly, including 8 videos or songs into a post is a lot to expect readers to listen to, as we’re all busy and overwhelmed. My guess is that very few click on the videos I embed into my reviews or song lists, either, even when there’s only one. I’ve had bloggers state they’ve never heard any music from artist so-and-so, even though they liked previous posts of mine that included videos or songs from that artist lol (and I’ve even been guilty of that too!)

      There’s a part of me that wants my reviews -and blog – to be ‘legitimate’, but I have to realize that most people’s attention spans are the size of a gnat’s, and to write accordingly. Thanks for reading & commenting.

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  4. I love seeing a glimpse behind the curtain on another’s writing process and appreciating all the work that goes into it. That’s my takeaway here, no offense to Panda 😉

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  5. I do find that writing about non-famous new music is a tough gig. I know that when I’ll post about a mainstream, vintage act like Fleetwood Mac, I’ll get a lot more engagement than when I post about a semi-obscure new release. I can live with that, since I do both, and I know in advance what will get engagement. it’s a tough, yet noble, endeavour promoting newer music – keep up the good work.

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  7. Keep up the reviews and the cat posts. I have 3 myself (well my family has 3). When I write about lesser known bands, the likes are minimal and so are the views. The really popular bands get more of both. But I’m not so much on the likes as I just want people to come and enjoy and as long as the site still grows on views, I’m not too worried about the likes as they are consistent from post to post due to my loyal followers. I still post on lesser known bands, but I do that for me as I like them and just want to get the word out. Unlike you, I have chosen not to review off requests from publishers and bands. I get at least a dozen every single, but I find it overwhelming and honestly, most of it so bad I couldn’t come up with something nice to say so I choose not to say anything. however, you are able to write such great reviews so I would hate to see it stop. Keep up the good work, but at your pace. I will say, I have enjoyed your reviews when it is more personal to you like your favorite songs and the like. Ok, I’m rambling now.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks John. Yes, the requests and submissions are overwhelming, and it can get to be very frustrating. Another thing is that once I’ve reviewed an artist or band, many act like I’m now their personal promoter, asking me to review every piece of music they release. Then I feel like a jerk when I tell them no.

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  9. Hey Jeff love the cat. I have a cat, dog, fish and multiple critters in my backyard. I do understand your frustrations. We have already discussed the fact that we are primarily writing for our own satisfaction. I do agree it would be nice to occasionally get some kind of acknowledgement. I’ve always enjoyed all of your posts and find you to be one of the most intelligent bloggers around. Your insights are spot on and your writing style is dynamic. Fuck the world. Just write so i can find some really cool new artists to listen to and also write about. You are the best.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. He drinks a lot of water, but we haven’t started him on fluid treatments yet, as he still seems to feel fine. I had a previous cat who had kidney disease, and we gave her IV fluids during the final year of her life. I know it’s only a matter of time before we’ll have to do that for Panda.

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      1. I did sub q fluids at home for three years. She was initially given 3 months to live. Get your cat on a low protein diet too. There is other stuff you can do to make the comfortable and extend your time with them

        Liked by 1 person

  13. I am allergic to cats. Not to music, though. I was asked to write reviews for a blog a while ago and I wrote two so far. It is terribly exhausting to try and get it right, for exactly the reasons you write about in this post.
    To be honest, I realised that I am not talented at all. I am just faking it. My reach and traffic is almost inexistent and yet, I insist in writing my damned blog – with nearly no one ever clicking a link or anything I share…
    I don’t know how you do it, but I appreciate the work you put in. I grow tired and irritated by people who I praised once for their music and include me in every tweet now. I don’t even want to imagine how that must be for you. But, I think bands and artists are requesting your reviews because you write them so damn well. You are a brilliant writer. Your frustration is very relatable. Thank you for sharing all the music and the info. It is greatly appreciated. xx

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Aww, thanks for your kind words Cathy, and for acknowledging how hard writing reviews can be. And yes, it’s frustrating how few people take the time to click on music links we share. But as I told Sonofabeach earlier, everyone’s terribly busy and overwhelmed. It takes a real effort that few are willing to put forth.

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  16. I empathize with you! I feel the same – where are all these followers when I post something that took me hours to write? It is disheartening to see tons of likes on someone’s selfie (which looks the same as all their other selfies and even if it didn’t, get over yourself already, right?) and very little feedback for something that we spend hours and hours on.

    Oh… by the way, pretty kitty. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks for reading and commenting Shannon. I find that it’s generally the shortest, and therefore easiest to read, posts that tend to get the most likes. They don’t require the time commitment to pore through. And thanks for the compliment on Panda!

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  20. badfinger20 (Max)

    I love the cat! I missed this post. I did the same with my Saint Bernard…I got an overwhelming response!
    I really look forward to your reviews…it keeps me in the 21st century.

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. Val

    Haha! I feel your frustration. I’ve been blogging on and off for years (since 2004) so am fairly good at getting people to read. follow and comment on my stuff, but even I have had blogs that haven’t attracted enough attention. Commenting in other blogs is one of the things you need to do, but as you’ll know, that takes almost as much time as the research for your posts.

    Yeah, it’s crazy that a simple photo of a cute animal will bring people in. I suppose people want things that they can instantly connect with and that don’t challenge them. Writing comments about music in someone else’s blog is probably a bit difficult sometimes. I have the same problem on occasion. For instance, there’s a blog I follow where the guy posts mostly stuff on jazz which isn’t my scene, but when he posts on rock or soul or more melodic, I comment. And I comment, too, on some of his more personal posts. Unfortunately, he rarely replies to my comments, which I always find really offputting, but so far I have stuck with his blog – again it’s that thing of finding the connection.

    Are you following and commenting in many blogs like your own? And in ones where the bloggers are answering the comments they receive? Both will help. Blogging is about community as much as content.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Yes, it took me a while to learn that it’s a 2-way street when it comes to blogging. In the early days, I would follow and get followed by other blogs, but still get very few ‘likes’ and almost zero comments. Once I started liking and commenting on others’ blogs, the likes picked up, and I started getting a few comments. I’ve found that some bloggers like to comment a lot, but most don’t. I try my best to comment, but don’t do it often enough. As you state, it takes time and effort.

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      1. Val

        One day I want to do a post about this subject, because there are certainly ways to improve things. I hope you get more readers and commenters. I saw where you said on Max’s blog that you were nearly ready to give up. Try to stick with it, it’s worth it. (That said, I’m nearly on the verge of giving up because of the changes WordPress have brought in but that’s another subject!)

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Val

        I’ve a workaround in my recent post called ‘I’m not a happy bunny’. It might help. Unfortunately, eventually the damn thing will take over for good.

        Liked by 1 person

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