Talk:Early Winter/GA1

GA Review

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

---

Article (edit | visual edit | history) · Article talk (edit | history) · Watch

Reviewer: 1ST7 (talk · contribs) 19:07, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

I'll review this article. Initial comments will hopefully be posted soon. --1ST7 (talk) 19:07, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for taking up the review. I don't know if you remember but you conducted the peer review of the article I nominated -Live from Paris! --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 07:30, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

I remember . I'm sorry for the delay - this past week has been busy with Christmas and whatnot.

1. Well-written
   • The first paragraph under "Background and composition" should probably be split.

   I'm sorry but I didn't get you on that one. You mean to say I should make respective sections for Background and one for Composition? --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 16:49, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

   I mean that the first paragraph should be split into two paragraphs. See below.

   • "Critics noted its similarity to songs by English alternative rock band Keane..." Per Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch, please replace "noted" with another synonym for "said".

   Oh yes you have told me that before too. I have changed it now. --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 16:49, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

   • saying "I wanted a ballad. I wanted to write "Eyes Without a Face" or "Killing Me Softly" or "Time After Time," and he was like, "OK, Cyndi Lauper, got it," like he was taking my order". Please change to: saying, "I wanted a ballad. I wanted to write 'Eyes Without a Face' or 'Killing Me Softly' or 'Time After Time,' and he was like, 'OK, Cyndi Lauper, got it,' like he was taking my order."

   Changed. --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 16:49, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

   • "After letting the song 'sit with her for a bit', Stefani rewrote some of the lyrics. Stefani was the first artist Oxley wrote a song for outside of Keane, and Stefani remarked that.." Can you please alter this phrase so as not to use the word "Stefani" so many times?

   Altered. --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 16:49, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

2. Verifiable with no original research:
   • There seems to be something wrong with ref no. 24.

   I removed that Dolce & Gabbana dress part since it didn't seem so important anyway, plus Rock the Trend is admittedly not a good source to use.--WonderBoy1998 (talk) 16:49, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

3. Broad in its coverage:
4. Neutral:
5. Stable:
6. Illustrated, if possible, by images:

I'll put the review on hold for a week to give you time to address these issues. Thanks for the work you've put into this! --1ST7 (talk) 01:12, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

This is my suggestion for how to arrange the paragraphs under "Background and Composition", discussed above:

"Early Winter" was written by Tim Rice-Oxley, pianist of English alternative rock band Keane, and Gwen Stefani for the latter's second solo studio album The Sweet Escape (2006). The production of the song was handled by Nellee Hooper. Before working with Oxley in the studio, Stefani called him to discuss some of her ideas behind a potential song, saying "I wanted a ballad. I wanted to write 'Eyes Without a Face' or 'Killing Me Softly' or 'Time After Time,' and he was like, 'OK, Cyndi Lauper, got it,' like he was taking my order". In the studio, Oxley played "Early Winter" on a piano, and after hearing the song, Stefani approved of it and commented that "It was so beautiful and addictive. I didn't really attack it because it was kind of done, lyrics and everything". After letting the song "sit with her for a bit", she rewrote some of the lyrics.

Stefani was the first artist Oxley wrote a song for outside of Keane, and the singer remarked that "he's like Clark Kent-subtle, but Superman-talented. I'm lucky I was his first, because I'm sure he's going to go write with lots of girls after me." Oxley would later collaborate with artists like Australian singer Kylie Minogue, and in an interview he talked about working with her and Stefani, saying, "I've been very lucky to work with people at the top of the industry. Both were very talented and more creative than I think they’re given credit for. They’re both very good writers and singers and they both work so hard, just grafting the whole time. Honing those pop sensibilities through writing with them was good fun".

Musically, "Early Winter" is a "sleek, surging" soft rock and synthpop ballad. Similar to Stefani's work with her band No Doubt, it is highly influenced by new wave music. Clark Collis from Entertainment Weekly termed it a "tortured and not un-Keane-like lament". The lyrics of "Early Winter" are based on issues related to the end of a relationship, and Jennifer Vineyard from MTV described them to be "poignant lyrics about a couple recognizing the beginning of the end". In the song, Stefani metaphorically compares the end of her relationship with her partner to falling leaves. It was speculated that the song was a reference to Stefani's own relationship with English musician and husband Gavin Rossdale.

"Early Winter" was chosen as the fifth and final single from The Sweet Escape, and was released in Europe as a CD single on January 25, 2008 by Interscope Records. It was made available for digital download on the iTunes Store on January 18.

The words are all the same, but they are presented in a slightly different order so as to convey the information more clearly. --1ST7 (talk) 19:19, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

Yes you are right. I have now split the paragraphs like you said. --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 09:20, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks. There's just one thing left: the information about the contents of the music video (described in the first paragraph of the "Promotion" section) doesn't appear to have a source now. --1ST7 (talk) 18:59, 28 December 2013 (UTC)

Actually it's just a synopsis and no analysis, so I guess it doesn't need a source. For example, in this good article I Wanna Go, the happenings in the music video have no source, while any scenes which refer to some other pop culture events have one. Nevertheless, I have added an AV media citation in the end if that is enough. --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 08:40, 29 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks. The article looks good to go now, so I'm passing it. Congratulations, and thanks again for your work on it! --1ST7 (talk) 19:22, 30 December 2013 (UTC)

Thank you so much for the review and for passing the article! --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 08:19, 31 December 2013 (UTC)

You're very welcome! --1ST7 (talk) 07:40, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

Just for personal satisfaction, can you please change the and icons from the Well written and "Verifiable with no original research" criteria? :) --WonderBoy1998 (talk) 08:10, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.