No Joke. We need reviews (The Joke Reviews)

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Line em up and knock em down.

[Spud]

Hit the target, center of town.

[fluffy]

I was really unhappy with my performance here - I had actually practiced enough to get off-book but had a crisis of confidence and ended up ruining it by trying to read my lyrics as I went - but the song was too stupid to really justify recording anew. So, you get to hear my shitty performance that probably only makes sense for people who were actually there. Sorry about that.

[Manhattan Glutton]

I was really unhappy with my performance here

It's perfect. Sterilizing it would have lost something.

[JonPorobil]

I was really unhappy with my performance here

It's perfect. Sterilizing it would have lost something.

I agree with MG here. I don't think the performance was harmed in any way by you "breaking" during it. In fact, that really added to the loose feel, and probably aided the audience in getting into it with you.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I was really unhappy with my performance here

It's perfect. Sterilizing it would have lost something.

I agree with MG here. I don't think the performance was harmed in any way by you "breaking" during it. In fact, that really added to the loose feel, and probably aided the audience in getting into it with you.

Not to mention the pop culture aspect for the "JB's schlong" line. For those that don't know John will think you are talking about Justin Bieber. Which is just as funny and a happy accident.

[jb]

It gives everyone an opportunity to polish their cover version of my "All Tan" entry: http://www.songfight.org/music/all_tan/ ... and_at.mp3

JB

[Caravan Ray]

It gives everyone an opportunity to polish their cover version of my "All Tan" entry: http://www.songfight.org/music/all_tan/ ... and_at.mp3

JB

Done:
http://www.songfight.org/music/39+1=jb/ ... 9+1=jb.mp3

[glennny]

That was awesome Nur Ein!

[jb]

I still can't believe you rhymed Ann with Pam.

[jb]

Would've been funnier if it were "Stan". I think that's how I'll sing it at next year's SF Live: Wherever.

[j$]

Since everybody else is too busy relaxing in the bubble bath of "SF:Live" happy memories, it appears to be my role to step up and be the fly in your backslap ointment .... also, my 'd' key appears to be giving up periodically, so if a sentence doesn't make sense, just insert a 'd' and see if it's fixe.

As ever, WAIL, and definitely IAAC. Particularly galling that my charming encouragement in the south of France couldn't inspire mr. FBF to turn up for the fight ... the Dutch baseball team is intrinsically hilarious, man! (NAMEDROP CLANG).

BSS - Ugh, those are some shit jokes. Clearly, the contrast is the joke, but all I hear are bad jokes over pretty 90s emo music. Have you really searched the world far and wide? Cos clearly you missed something en route Ah, I jest. This is fun, and sweet, but a little indulgent. I fear this fight will be packed with similar examples. I liked the listen, but not enough to break own my wall / vote for it. Unless everything else is far, far worse ...

CR - Nice harmonies/BVs. Good use of "funny business". Should have ended on "who was much bigger than me" ... or something that resolved the story in a better way. That said, I liked it. And the production is admirably clear.

CC - Well, this is lovely. Not following the lyric but don't really care, which is a good sign. I vote for you too much, probably, but have another one.

dcss - Trim off the banter. It's not appealing. Arrrrggggghhhh, harmonica - the devil's bagpipes! Seriously, though, I can imagine this working live. If it was at the end of the evening and I was drunk. I know it's a live recording, but that crash is too loud! Don't they have EQ for this kind of thing? Tee hee. I kind of smiled at the Christian Bale joke. The rest of it, I'm just too bitter and angry for. Ah, f*ck it, there is such a warmth about this, I'm not going to quixotically fail to pull this apart anymore. I like "the stupid idea realised". I enjoyed this. I am hiding the charmed smirk on my face. Perhaps. I may well vote for this. For its charm.

Glennny - I'm pretty sure I've said before - I love the backing tracks when you do jazzy inflections. I think they could stand, with a bit of work, as instrumentals. You *know* I'm not the sort of guy who's gonna enjoy music composition jokes. I might wear a party hat, though.

Jim Tyrell & Holly Furlone - that's some serious live recording going on there. What I can make out through the song, sounds lovely. Is that a deliberate fake "live" track? 'Cos it sounds like you're playing to two hundred diners who have absolutely no interest in what you're playing ... maybe you should've done a CCR cover instead. I'm just pissing with you both. This sounds lovely, but I need to go check out the words, if only to find out what I need to give seven years

JBB - I love the line "I wish I was the joke", without really understanding what it means in this context. As they say "wasn't bad at all". Not stand out on the first listen, I imagine if I listened to it a couple of times in a row, I would absolutely be in love with it. If

j$ - and here I am, rhyming things for the sake of it, just to spoil your mutual-back-slapping party. Tee hee! The chorus isn't strong enough, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. There are some great lines here, even if I say so myself. Perhaps it lacks cohesion, overall, but hey. I'm back, missies, have you missed me? Don't answer that.

Jon Eric - Ah, you see, I really don't have the same fondness for RW as you do (or choose to display for the sake of your lyric, at least). There is a presumption here that no-one else 'sees the reality', which I find a little ... well ... presumptive. That said, your vocal sounds great. I think I like your stuff most of all when it's just you an (an) instrument. It's probably a bit too "sensitive" for me to be excited by enough to vote, but really nicely done.

Lunkhead - Um, that was really enjoyable. Thank you. VOTE.

Manhattan Glutton - Stop talking, start playing. I like the story, but I'm hearing more Stan Ridgeway than Johnny Cash. Maybe that was your intention, but it's not working for this sad little man who was jealously sitting 3,000 odd miles away from the recording. It's fine, but it doesn't work for me (apart from the line "... causing only comedic effect". That's great)! Ah yeah, the "4th verse" thing ... you should have gone instrumental at that point. Or just stopped. It's a throwaway thing, which is as it should be, but honestly, a bit too long for a throwaway thing ... sorry. I'm interested in the balloon story.

Sockpuppet - The only thing I don't like about this song is that the jokes (bar the first one) are just not dirty / horrible / shocking enough. Release your inner filth! I may well vote for this, despite myself.

WreckdoM - what a great track. Stop laughing at your own comedy voices, and we can talk. That said, this is awesome. A little long, given the joke is made in the first 30 seconds (old people are STUPID AND FUNNY, right)? Anyway, I don't care. I would dance like a fucker to this fucker, so, assuming you never, ever, EVER, do anything like this EVER AGAIN, here is your VOTE. We have a deal, right? Note - KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE. It's not THAT funny!

It appears, then, I'm voting for Chocolate Chips, Lunkhead, Wreckdom and maybe DCSS and JT&HF (following repeated listens to ensure I'm not missing things) and also, f*ck it, Sockpuppet (though be dirtier in future, please). It was a very pleasant fight to listen to (no real horrors), but understandably a little safe. Yeah, it took me twenty minutes to draw that line. Have you missed me? Don't answer that Also can I have a Smiley Limit Exception? I live on those fuckers ...

[Lunkhead]

reads this:

Lunkhead - Um, that was really enjoyable. Thank you. VOTE..

head explodes

Thanks j$!

[Caravan Ray]

Should have ended on "who was much bigger than me" ...

D'oh!! Of course it should have. Nice pick up.

[Caravan Ray]

Should have ended on "who was much bigger than me" ...

D'oh!! Of course it should have. Nice pick up.

Just played that song live again. Changed the last line to "apparently the bloke next door was funnier than me". That works much better and nicely rounds off the story. I am happy now.

[chocolatechips]

Votes to:

Jim Tyrrell/Holly Furlone --- the sound quality could be better but the performance is very strong (great acoustic playing and strong tuneful singing) and the song is catchy enough to cut through the crowd noise nicely.

The John Benjamin Band --- points for brevity! (although the intro is a bit long) sound quality is good for a live recording (I'm a bit curious as to why the sound is so much better on this one vs. Jim & Holly's.) nice tune and good singing. I like your lyrics (especially in comparison to all of the bad joke lyrics this time around ... which didn't really work for me.)

Johnny Cashpoint --- I quite enjoyed the story. cool mix / arrangement / sounds. It particularly stands out in comparison to all of the live acoustic songs. some nice catchy riffs too. a fun listen!

[fluffy]

Jim Tyrrell/Holly Furlone --- the sound quality could be better [...]

The John Benjamin Band --- points for brevity! (although the intro is a bit long) sound quality is good for a live recording (I'm a bit curious as to why the sound is so much better on this one vs. Jim & Holly's.)

Jim and Holly's wasn't the version they recorded at SFL14.

I guess I should review this one. Keeping it brief because my wrists still suck (which is why I still haven't posted mp3s of the show, sorry).

BSS: Those are some pretty strained vocals. And some incredibly thuddy bass.

chocolatechips: This makes me think a lot of classic Song Fight, like the kind of stuff we'd have heard back in 2001, only better-produced. It fills me with warm fuzzies. I can barely understand the lyrics though.

Caravan Ray: What was wrong with the live recording? I don't have much else to say, sorry.

Rectum: hi

DC Social Scene: how hard is it to tell the talking muffin joke? pretty hard apparently

Sockpuppet: oh god work on your fucking meter, you suck. also stop laughing at your own jokes, they're not that funny. even with trying to parody JB's music style and then calling him out. obviously a stupid gimmick song with the intention of winning the live fight in person. rararraararararar.

ManGlut: looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong

Lunkhead: You gotta sing with more confidence. Also power through the gaffes (I know you edited them out in this). Or own them.

Jon Eric: we know what this song is called Jon, we're all in the same fight

Johnny Cashpoint: less hard limiting next time maybe?

JBB: really putting your rhyming dictionary to good use I see

Jim and Holly: As always a nice solid song from you folks, but I'm puzzled why you went with this recording instead of the SFL14 one, which was way clearer. I guess there were a couple of minor flubs in it but they didn't really detract. Oh well.

glenny: nice chill bebop thing going on here. vocals need to be mixed higher. nice consistency of the humor motif.

My votes will go to the folks that I decide I want to potentially win.