...Step Back From That Ledge, My Friend (WYW Reviews)

[mcbigc]

It's in the random order that they gave the songs to me. Sorry for the possible confusions.

WreckdoM
I couldn't help but smile while listening to this. Amazing lyrics and sound. Right up my alley with weird things going on. Drums and vocals are perfect.

Paco del Stinko
Super clean sound. I love the sound of your voice; fits perfectly with the musical style. Don't know if you're trying to, but reminds me of the Aquabats.

Berkeley Social Scene
Simple, pleasant, easy to listen to. On first listen I'm not a huge fan of the vocals but I could see this being something the grows on me quickly.

Johnny Cashpoint
I've enjoyed your other songs a lot more. The tempo change was a little off putting for me. I know you could do a lot better!

Brown Word and the Big Whine
Ambient. Strange. I know my song's pretty flat but I think this could use a little more substance.

sausage
I think if the vocals meshed together with the music a little better this song would be a lot more rockin. A little less reverb(I think is what I hear in there?) in the vocal track may help with that.

Future Boy
I'm a huge electronic fan. Especially the simpler, old school sounding stuff. It's almost like I want to think this song is annoying but it's way too catchy! Good stuff. Reminds me of some Grizzly Bear songs.

Tuners Union
Beach Boys much? I love it!

G.U.N.S.
Funky bass. Smooth guitar. Soft vocals. There's a lot going on here for being such a soft, simple song. Sweet shred skills.

Nobody, et al.
Amazing voice. Perfect for the acoustic kinda stuff. Good harmonies. I'd love to hear something more upbeat from you so you're voice doesn't sound as whispery.

Pigfarmer Jr
I love the sound. Old school rock with old school rock vocals; perfect fit. Lyrics sound a little forced but that can happen when you try to write a song in a week hahaha. I had much the same issue.

Mr. Beany Bellows Balefully
Could use some instruments. Maybe not this one particularly but I can totally see you writing songs for kids. You've got the right voice for it.

Elly Lane & the Janglin' Jims
Something I can bob my head to. I love how well the vocal track fits into the instrumentation. Couldn't really understand the lyrics so I'll have to go read through those.

styop quoons
Hell yes to this opening! Funky. Weird, very weird, very very weird. Here I go again complaining about the same problem I have, but the music feels a little flat. I can't say for certain what it's lacking but it just needs that little extra something.

sonofsupercar
I've listened through other tracks you've put up on here. You all remind me of the early days of metal. Pentagram and Sabbath. When I'm not on my hip-hop thing I am certainly a metal head, so this made me feel all warm inside. Love it.

noah mclaughlin
Not my personal style of music but I dig the instrumentals. Is that what your voice sounds like when you sing or is that a put on "singing" voice? If that is just how you sound, I can dig it, but if you're forcing that out I'd love to hear what your voice actually sounds like. I hope that doesn't sound ass-holeish haha.

Cornflake Brothers Band
And I get to end with another song that just puts a smile on my face. I can't think of who this reminds me of but I love the instrumentals. Very 70s folky rock kinda stuff. Great sound.

MC Big C
Potty-mouth.

[j$]

We're probably going to get excited (emotion) about it because the groove makes us dance, or the guitar chops are amazing, or we never heard that sonic texture before, or the emotion delivered by the song and lyrics makes us feel like we care about something for three minutes.

Or an attempt, successful or otherwise, to reinterpet "intermedia" into another way of listening.

To be disappointed (emotion) about the song's reception not generating excitement (emotion) but to say one's going to willfully withhold all emotional connection from it in the writing and performance, is rather asking to have it both ways.

If you think disappointment is an emotion, rather than a reaction to an emotion, I suppose I couldn't disagree with you. Except I didn't say I was willfully witholding all emotional involvement, just that the way I was expressing honesty wasn't working for other people, which I already recognised as a failure. Thank you for your input.

They're willing to do it in front of me and not feel like an idiot.

Thanks for sharing your opinion on how emotion works. Nothing you have said couldn't be applied to my version of the universe. Which is my point.

[j$]

Johnny Cashpoint
I've enjoyed your other songs a lot more. The tempo change was a little off putting for me. I know you could do a lot better!

How many of my other songs have you heard? trust me, they're no better or worse.

You know I could do a lot better? Really? How nice for you. Whereas yours is the first song I have heard by you, so all I can do is hope you can do a shitload better.

[nyjm]

noah mclaughlin
Not my personal style of music but I dig the instrumentals. Is that what your voice sounds like when you sing or is that a put on "singing" voice? If that is just how you sound, I can dig it, but if you're forcing that out I'd love to hear what your voice actually sounds like. I hope that doesn't sound ass-holeish haha.

That is pretty much my strongest "singing voice," though the gravely growl is at its best on "bourbon (and boobs)" that I did for last summer's Circle of Titles:

http://noahmclaughlin.bandcamp.com/track/bourbon

I have a limited range where I'm strong and not a lot of control. Excessive vibrato can become a problem. Oddly enough, my singing is really nowhere near my speaking voice, which is nearly an octave higher most of the time.

IN RE: characters and songwriting: I've been taking this approach for quite some time now. Even if something is initially fueled by something personal, most of your listeners don't have that context; they'll bring their own.

[mcbigc]

How many of my other songs have you heard? trust me, they're no better or worse.

You know I could do a lot better? Really? How nice for you. Whereas yours is the first song I have heard by you, so all I can do is hope you can do a shitload better.

Honestly just over the past few weeks but I liked the other songs better. Just a personal opinion. I hope I could do a shitload better too and I'm working on it. We will just have to see how it goes

[mcbigc]

That is pretty much my strongest "singing voice," though the gravely growl is at its best on "bourbon (and boobs)" that I did for last summer's Circle of Titles:

"I, MC Big C, am too noob and they wouldn't let me repost the link"

I have a limited range where I'm strong and not a lot of control. Excessive vibrato can become a problem. Oddly enough, my singing is really nowhere near my speaking voice, which is nearly an octave higher most of the time.

Your vocals on "bourbon (and boobs)" is awesome man! And as far as the rest of it goes, that's basically why I gave up on singing. I'm not saying you should give up at all cause I think you've got a great voice to offer. I hope you haven't heard this a ton of times before but i think more confidence in the singing voice you have would help. (god I even hate writing that, it just sounds so cheesy)

[Future Boy]

Hey everyone that's reviewed my song, thanks a lot! I hope to be able to return the favor in the next couple days. I've been swamped with work this last week, unfortunately. Also, to those who had trouble understanding the lyrics, I've finally posted them: http://www.songfight.net/forums/viewtop ... 53#p175853

I think the comments about the bass synth being too loud are probably spot on. I mixed this on headphones and I think they are a little bit bass lacking. When I played it for some friends at work on a system that actually had a sub, I also thought the bass was a bit overwhelming. Might do a pass on it and bring that back a bit. I'm not sure it's going to help with understanding the lyrics, since I didn't put a huge amount of effort into making all of my consonants clearly articulated and the same across all the vocal parts, but I think that's probably OK. I like the vibe of the song even without understanding it and I think that if you did lots of repeat listens the words would start coming through. I know there are plenty of songs I like that have been like that for me.

I guess I should go listen to Pet Sounds. I've only ever listened to Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Berkely Social Scene - I liked the nice relaxed rock arrangement and guitar right from the start. That’s a cool little rhythm guitar part, interesting and fitting the song nicely. What’s the effect on the vox? A nice, tight little reverb? These headphones suck. Oh, and I liked the trade off lead guitar lines.

styop quoons - While I like the effect on the vocal and I can’t understand a single word you are saying. MUMBLER!!! Well, at least it didn’t last long enough to get me too worried about what was being said. The music was cool enough.

Elly Lane and the Jims – Ooh, slightly reminds me of the Noel Redding song off of the last Experience studio album. I think the range/melody of the lead vox to start. So to my mind this has a nice 60’s vibe that I like. Yeah definitely holds some nostalgia for me.

Nobody, et al. – I like acoustic guitars. And smooth vocals. And bells.

Turners Union – I like the guitar. Standing alone it would be an altogether different genre, I think. Not quite sure what it reminds me of. And I like the layered vox. The synth thing reminds me of an 80’s song by a band like duran duran or something. A decent song, but I like it better here. I can hear part of the keyboard line but have no idea what the song is. This will bother me for the rest of the day.

Pigfarmer jr (me) – Whoever said the vocal track didn’t sit in the mix nailed it, imo. And the new cheap mic isn’t very flattering. And it needs drums. Better than I thought for 2 hours of writing and recording a week or so after getting the chord progression figured out.

Cornflake Bros – I like the rhythm, the chord progression and the vocal melody works fine. The vocals themselves took me a minute to warm up to. The lead line sounds a bit bright to my ears, but I’m using shite for headphones (not literally.)

WreckdoM – Loud compared to other entries, but it just screams to be turned up. I wish I was back at home and could listen on the stereo. Well, maybe not. The wife would NOT appreciate the volume at which this wants to be heard. I like it. Some mud down in the middle of the mix somewhere but not nearly as bad as loud music sometimes has… and at least it isn’t compressed to complete and total shite. I can hear things in there. Again could be these blasted headphones.

Future boy – I think I like the vox best. There are some cool transitions and arrangement.

Johnny Cashpoint – Harpsichord sounding thing works really well for me. I have to admit after the thread discussion I spent more time listening to the lyric than I did the music. Works okay for me.

Noah mclaughlin – Bouncy without being too pop. I like the guitars. I seem to like guitars a lot. And it satisfies the pregnant pauses challenge. One of my favorites so far.

Brown word and the big whine – Slightly creepy feeling. Mysterious vibe. Cool ‘bridge’ part that worked better when listening than when I analyze it.

MC Big C – Pretty cool music under all that fast talking jive. The horns are a nice touch and make this more interesting than I’d normally find it. (My bias starts shining through.)

G.U.N.S. – I like all the guitars. Not sure I like the drums dropping out right there in the chorus. The vocals were cool to start and then didn’t work as well towards the end. The mix seems to clean up when the acoustic drops out. Is there a lot of hiss or noise in that track?

Sonsofsupercar – The drums seem more up front than the guitars. I wish I had drums *sigh* Might just be the high end being a bit more clear than the rest due to the friggin headphones. Can’t trust em at all. Some cool stuff … I want to play along but I’m camping and didn’t bring my strat.

Sausage – Buried guitars… headphones accentuate the top end of the vox. I’m beginning to think that my hearing is going to hell. I’ll have to do comparative listening upon returning home. Is there a bit of distortion on the top end of the vox tracks or too many highs competing for space? I don’t dislike this song.

Mr. Beany Bellows Balefully (beautifully?) – Kittens with lasers? Wasn’t there a song in FAWM or 50/90 about that? Erm.. my memory sucks. And is getting suckier. How long did this take you to write? Just wondering.

Paco del Stinko – Rootsy fun rhythm guitar. I like the vox. That chorus is a bit ummm… genius? Not quite the right word I think. But I love it. The more I listen the more I like this song. Might be my favorite of the fight.

[mrbeany]

Hey everyone that's reviewed my song, thanks a lot! I hope to be able to return the favor in the next couple days. I've been swamped with work this last week, unfortunately. Also, to those who had trouble understanding the lyrics, I've finally posted them: http://www.songfight.net/forums/viewtop ... 53#p175853

You know, reading the lyrics I'm wondering if my daughter (3 years old) would like this song. She enjoy ponies and has a stated fondness for being mean. (A fondness I hope can be tamed so she can avoid petty crimes. Petty crimes are the doom of the potential super villain.)

[mrbeany]

Mr. Beany Bellows Balefully (beautifully?) – Kittens with lasers? Wasn’t there a song in FAWM or 50/90 about that? Erm.. my memory sucks. And is getting suckier. How long did this take you to write? Just wondering.

How long? How long do you think it took me?

The first draft took about a minute and a half or so. I was putting my son to sleep, I checked the current title, set the SoundCloud app to record and started singing. I didn't know what would come out of my mouth when I started.

Later, I listened to it, noted the best of the lyrics and finished it. With the lyrics, and my son strangely quiet during the singing, I only needed to sing it once. I doubt that could have taken much longer than 30 minutes at most. I was feeling rushed for time. (I don't normally have a quiet home.)

But seriously, how long would it take you to write a song if you didn't deal with all the instruments?

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Dude! You're talking to a guy that does as many songskirmishes (FAWM and 50 Songs in 90 Days versions) as possible. Title is given, 60 minutes later you're posting a demo of a song. I also did 53 songs in 90 minutes. A couple of years ago. And an album in a day.

To answer your question, when dealing with just the vox it can sometimes take a while just to get the space filled as you like. I've done a few (maybe only two) vocal only songs and I find it pretty challenging in a different manner.

[blue]

sonofsupercar
You all remind me of the early days of metal. Pentagram and Sabbath.

Well, that's weird. Thanks.

[WreckdoMelle]

Thanks for the reviews everyone! As always I appreciate the critique. This was Brown Word's first Songfight, and the first real actual song I've ever recorded and produced myself that was listenable (under the excellent guidance of King Colon of WreckdoM, my better half). There are more tricks up that sleeve.

On the WreckdoM side of things, this song was a blast to do. Sometimes you gotta get loud! But indeed, as Johnny Cashpoint noted, there have been the more experimental and bizarre takes. Those days are not lost.

I am fairly new to Songfight and WreckdoM (been on a couple of tracks in the past, before getting into it for this year's Nur Ein) and have been immensely enjoying the range of talent, creativity, and interesting persons putting their tracks out there.

Keep rockin' all. (Or folking, rapping, yodelling, etc.)

[mrbeany]

I also did 53 songs in 90 minutes. A couple of years ago. And an album in a day.

53 songs in 90 minutes is awesome.

I'm of the sentiment that you get good at doing a task quickly by practicing doing a task quickly. Being good-and-slow is fine if you never want to get fast (it is too easy to get hung up on being good an never try fast), but if you want to be good and fast you need to practice.

Those are some inspiring words if I ever heard them. Now I want to become awesome like you.

[Billymojo]

Reviews to follow but I just listened to Nobody, Tuners Union and Future Boy back-to-back and I'm feeling really good.

[Billymojo]

Muddy Waters to Dave Van Ronk, after Dave’s particularly enthusiastic performance of Hoochie Koochie Man: “Kid, it’s supposed to be a funny song.”

Looks like I’m voting for a lot of these, but like the instructions say, vote for the ones you like.

G.U.N.S -- Tasty guitar. Are those synth strings? Whatever, I like em, and the chord change they accompany. But like a lot of Songfight tunes, vocals don’t do justice to the backing.

Mr. Beany -- I’m not sure what I think about this. That’s what great art does to me.

Cornflake Bros. -- Highlight is back vox at 2:00. Otherwise, to my ears, nothing stands out here.

Tuners Union -- I’m a sucker for well performed and recorded ensemble vocals. You pulled ‘em off here, and the tune is well thought out as well. Nice build at 1:55. Strong entry. VOTE.

Noah McL -- Tune is pedestrian. But production is good; a moody and angry ambiance.

Styop -- What does it all mean, Master? With patience, Grasshopper, all will be revealed. Sonically, this is beautiful.

Sonofsupercar -- True stuff for true believers. It all fits, and the backbeat kicks it good. VOTE.

Sausage -- Good tune. Lotta energy here. A rockin’ guitar fest and well performed vocal. But the mix bothers me; vocal and guitar way out front, can’t hear bass and drums are way back. VOTE.

Future Boy -- These vocals are so fine that I and went back to the archives, wondering why the synths were so forward in the mix. It appears intentional. And the tune, though simple, works just right with the vocals. VOTE.

Pigfarmer, Jr. -- Sorry, just not much here that works for me.

Berkeley -- Well crafted tune. Bold choice on the time signature. Vocals better than your usual. Refrain is highlight for me. If vocals in refrain were tighter I’d be happier. VOTE.

Elly Lane et. al. -- I like everything about this. Interesting tune, well performed. Arrangement includes nice use of dynamics and creative vocal effects. Strong entry. VOTE.

Brown Word et. al. -- Spinning, always spinning, spinning. This tune may be stuck in my head all day. VOTE.

Nobody, et. al. -- Superb use of repetition and build. (Did I mention I’m a huge Todd Rundgren fan?) You get the vote for the middle section, but the tune overall is beautiful and very well recorded. Your vocals are excellent; please consider experimenting more with harmonies in future tunes. VOTE.

WreckdoM -- Hell yea I’m voting for this. And I might hunt down anybody who won’t. Great fun and sonically striking. VOTE.

Paco -- My fave of your tunes since I’ve been listening. Mixed well. BTW, your Seven Days, which I did not favorably review, (I’m a dumbass) was stuck in my head during a recent trip abroad, and the fun energy of that tune got me through a couple of hard hikes. Thanks. VOTE.

Johnny $ -- I like the tempo change ups. I gather there’s a story here but I don’t pay much attention to the meaning of lyrics.

MC Big C -- I’m likin’ this. Some good rhymes. And rhythmic tension between vocal and backing is infectious. VOTE.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Pigfarmer, Jr. -- Sorry, just not much here that works for me.

Why are you sorry? I'm the total failure. Just keep being honest.

[Billymojo]

Why are you sorry? I'm the total failure. Just keep being honest.

Well, I just checked out yer blog and I'll have to differ on your assessment.

[j$]

Johnny $ -- I like the tempo change ups. I gather there’s a story here but I don’t pay much attention to the meaning of lyrics.

...In which case, with, honestly, no real offence meant to you, sir, esecially as you are being honest and straight-forward with your opinions; your opinions mean fuck all to me.

And if I had any doubt, there it is right away after me, a vote for MC BigC

[mcbigc]

And if I had any doubt, there it is right away after me, a vote for MC BigC

Sweet rhyme dude! Wanna collab?

[j$]

Every time x

[mcbigc]

so you'll let me know when we're gonna collab dude. it'll be so tight!!!