The Song Fight Bulletin Board

I would love more time to write reviews and vote. I've placed some partial votes, but haven't picked a winner yet, and my Internet access at home got screwed up yesterday. It would be super awesome if there were an extension.

Ok, looks like I have... 12 more to go. Almost done. Haven't done any voting yet. One more Part and I should be ready.

kamakura does jimt's btr - here's another case where i really liked the sound of the original, and the cover version seems to lose some of that. this is pretty cool tho.
do i think it improves on the original - no.
rating: (ok)

kapitano does the tao of dan - bizarre vox. i like the percs and blippies. odd, really strange. but kinda neat.
do i think it improves on the original - yes.
rating: (ok +)

ken does fbf's california - i like this. it's a good bit more engaging than the original, but that may be because of the live nature of fbf's. sounds smooth. good vox.
do i think it improves on the original - yes.
rating: (good)

leaf does eddie's funk - ha, the fake ending on the original fooled me. i thought, "man, that cover sounds exactly like the original!" haha, anyway. more edgy vox are actually pretty cool here. nice guitar work, prob on par with the original.
do i think it improves on the original - not sure. they're both good, little different. sure.
rating: (good)

leveln does art's att - the arrangement is thin compared to king art's. parts of it feel rhythmically off too. sorry, but this one disappoints me.
do i think it improves on the original - no.
rating: (bad)

liechty raps feldspar's bad att - the guitar's out of time with the rest. this isn't really rap, is it... a lot of this seems really random. sorry, not digging it. every time i hear something i like, something else happens and i don't like that.
do i think it improves on the original - no.
rating: (bad)

lonbobby does puce's box - i love the strings in the original. let's see what lonb does! the piano is pretty cool for that. vocals are good. nice!
do i think it improves on the original - no, because i miss the strings, but good in its own right.
rating: (good)

loyalty day knows 1516's secrets - nice. i like the feel of this a lot. not too much to say, but good job.
do i think it improves on the original - definitely.
rating: (good)

lunkhead does the mullet's dog - wow, different feel. i like this section at 1:00, but it's very short. i hope that comes back. nice solo. i like this. hmm, i guess it didn't come back. oh well.
do i think it improves on the original - about the same level?
rating: (good)

marcus does ray's pig - i like the original. i guess i don't get this cover. i feel like i'm being mocked.
do i think it improves on the original - no.
rating: (bad)

maas does j$'s wed - not j$'s best song (in my opinion). this is pretty nice, though. the background vox are nice. also the piano. this bit at 3:15 is excellent. nice sounds there. i'm less happy with the fg vox, but all in all a nice cover.
do i think it improves on the original - sure.
rating: (good)

niv does kapitano's monster - kinda plosive into the mic. the original reminded me of rxw, which was cool. maybe today i'm not in the mood for g&g it's all right, but i miss the ambience. does pick up nearer the end.
do i think it improves on the original - no.
rating: (ok)

bde does kapitano's monster - ok, now for the weird one. heh, this is more interesting, it's very bizarre. i still miss the ambience tho gets a little repetitive nearer the end.
do i think it improves on the original - not really.
rating: (ok +)

# does bolio's deuce - think it's more interesting than the original. the two vocalists don't really seem together. i like that guitar solo. that's great. this does seem more restrained than your usual?
do i think it improves on the original - yes.
rating: (ok +)

puce does lunkhead's violet - another original i liked a lot. good mood. i was liking the vox, but not sure about the rest. but then the big guitars kicked in and wow, nice change. sounds good.
do i think it improves on the original - very different. i think which i liked better would depend on my mood.
rating: (good)

----- End Part 3 -----

I finally chose my favorite cover of the bunch, clicked on "best cover" and "partial vote." I hadn't rated it good or bad, so the feedback I get is it's highlighted yellow with an X in "didn't vote." So did the "best cover" vote still get through?

i think you need to hit the "VOTE" button at the bottom for the best cover one to register. i could be wrong though.

marcus kellis
what the hell is wrong with you? whatever it is, don't fix it. [good]

caravan ray
erin from loyalty day heard this and told me to ask if you worked on the soundtrack to "mannequin"? i don't know what that means, but anyway... the original is pretty funny. i like the mellow feel of this, and i think it works with the lyrics. [good]

bolio
yay! thanks for covering us. anyway, i like the piano but it might sound more natural if you used the sustain pedal. the singing is a little rough in spots, but i think you had your work cut out for you redoing those parts. the guitar's good, and most of the instrumentation works, although the synth bass gets a little too synthy for my tastes some times. it sounds neat in the bridge, though, and i like the way the dynamics build in the bridge. [good]

rabid garfunkel
is that a comb? a mouth harp? anyway, nice ho-down feel, fits with the lyrics. i like the pared down instrumentation. it might have been cool if you'd affected a vocal style that matched the music a little better (like if you'd pretended you were missing some teeth or something). oh, here comes the bridge/outro? bizarre... the vocals there sound a bit shaky. yeah, this end part is way too long and seems a bit unnecessary. the first half or so was ok... [bad]

level nivelo
doesn't quite have the energy of the original. i'm not really into the organ sound. there seem to be some rhythm issues with the different parts. i think the falsetto harmony at the end could use a few more takes, it sounds a little off. i would vote ok if i could, but i can't so, [bad]

loyalty day
i love the bass and drums in this, and the vocals. ken's production on this one was great. i need to work on the solo, though, and we should probably edit out some of the noodly ebow guitar track, too. anyway, this was a fun challenge, especially since we didn't want to sound like the cover of this song that's already out there. good song, erik! [good] (i'm not voting for myself, but for ken, dave, and erin )

cheesequake
this is too hyper for me, i think the tempo increase isn't working for me personally. otherwise it sounds a lot like the original to me. meh. [bad]

heuristicsinc
i like the didger, uh, the dijiero, uh, that thing that i can't spell. then it ventures into a genre i'm not so into. it's pretty creepy, so if that was the intent then it worked. it's a bit monotonous, though, and the vocals aren't helping with that. there doesn't seem to be a lot of change in the dynamics, so it sort of loses my interest. [bad]

octothorpe
yay accordion! oh no, then it gets all normal. the rhythm guitar sounds out of tune. the piano playing is nice. good drumming, too. yeah, that guitar is way out of tune. erin heard this and though mad dog sounded like he's related to tiny tim. this is maybe too slow and low key for me, and i think this style of singing isn't working for mad dog. [bad]

jon benjamin
yeah! rock! that guitar tone is kinda weird, but it works. great chorus. the original is great, too. good singing, very emotive. "this is passion" as someone was wrote in a review i read on the old boards. although, you remind me a bit of the singer from devo sometimes. but that's not necessarily a bad thing. good ending. [good]

henrietta
nice cello? you're benefiting from lots of positive genre bias with me. sounds like "dead or alive" sometimes... erin thought this was like bon jovi crossed with the "o brother" soundtrack. anyway, nice playing and vocals as usual. my only complaint is that it could use some kind of change up, like a much quieter or louder part (like an a cappella moment or something?). [good]

charcoal
i really like the original. the music is ok, and the idea for the cover is fine, but the vocals are not doing it for me. the guitars in the chorus sound really good. this needs a more punk rock vocal delivery to match the music, or something, or a few more takes to get everything on pitch. [bad]

hoblit
this is well put together but isn't really my thing. i'm not into the vocal style mostly. [bad]

jim tyrrell
nice singing. guitar sounds good. i liked the original of this one. good change of instrumentation. the melody lines on the guitar are good, but the solo is maybe too long. [good]

liechty
oh no, 404?!

ken, etc.
i really like this one. i dig the original too, and this is like a nice fleshing out of the song idea. this needs a blistering guitar solo. seriously, though, good job. i could maybe do a little less enunciation or affectation on the vocals. other than that the singing's really good. [good]

jute gyte
hm, tough job covering a novelty instrumental song. unfortunately i'm not that into screaming, so that's a big turn off for me, but i like what you do with the telephone ring and the melody from the original. [bad]

tviyh
hm, this one keeps stopping and starting for me, for some reason. makes it hard to evaluate the song. it sounds like the guitars could be tuned a bit more. dang, i'll have to try this one again later on a different computer.

kapitano
the music is ok. i like the idea. the vocal style on this one isn't working for me either. some of the music is cool, though. [bad]

eddiebangs
good playing, and production. reminds me of a mix of grunge rock, mr. bungle, nu metal, and something else... i'm not into the lyrics of the original, so they're not doing much for me here either. i can't really take the "my libido" part seriously. overall it's a good job but not really my thing, so [bad]

wreckdom
i really like the original. it's long and wordy, but there's enough musical variety that it holds my interest, along with the good story in the lyrics. this takes away the good music and singing, and just leaves the story, which doesn't quite hold up with this riidiculous delivery. [bad]

kamakura
is that another fake piano with no sustain pedal? your voice has character, i like it. i hear a paul mccartney influence or something. overall it's nice. could be a bit shorter. [good]

michael maas
good singing and piano playing. the piano sounds a little tinkly or something, though. you should have brought in that change at the end way earlier, that part's really good, and the build up to it is nice. [good]

frankie big face
you rule! erin said this one was her favorite. the instrumentation is fantastic, especially the castanets. is that you playing the sax? nice. i liked the original a lot, too. anyway, great job. [good] (possibly best)

glenn case
wow. i'm impressed you can do this style, it sounds like a pretty huge departure for you. it sounds pretty natural for you, though, so good job on that front. the noise aspect sort of overwhelms the whole thing, though. that kind of ruins it for me, unfortunately. [bad]

king arthur
you did a good job of making this sound like one of your own songs. unfortunately i'm not really into the original. i think the lyrics just don't do much for me, and they're still the working for me here. [bad]

niveous
i listened to the guytar version of this. the guitar was too quiet, and/or the vocals too loud. it was ok, but didn't have enough variety for me for it to be as long as it was. [bad]

brad sucks
sweet! this kicks ass. ken and erin and i were listening to this in my car and we cranked it up and accidentally pissed off some old people, for whatever that's worth. i like the guitar melody lines. the bridge the transitions into and out of it are great. i would have changed the fade out, but it's still ok. [good] (possibly best)

c hack
another great one. good organ. great chorus. nice feel overall. good guitar playing. you made this one sound like one of your own songs, too. [good] (possibly best)

feldspar
neither this nor the original were that exciting to me. i think i liked the original better, though. this could use more than just the piano, vox, and guitar, like some drums or something. as it is there isn't much meat to the sound, it seems like. [bad]

sonofsupercar
whoa. i like the lumbering riff at the beginning. goes kinda crazy somewhere along the line. i guess it works, though. you guys know how to pull that off. good take on the original. [good]

puce
love it, as i've said before. i think the lyrics are a bit melodramatic, and this style of music also fits well with that. the only thing i'd like to hear is a little more melodic variety in the vocals. [good] (possibly best)

rxw
the vocals sound a bit strained in the intro. the 80s dance music sound isn't a favorite of mine. i like the chord change after the intro vocals. i could have used more instruments coming in, something with some more body to it than the electronic sounds. unfortunately hits some genre bias with me as it is. [bad]

johnny cashpoint
i like this one. it's pretty epic in scope. [good]

i'm getting really sleepy and i need to finish these, so i'm going to shortchange the remaining people. sorry!

starfinger
you do a really awesome octothorpe impression. [bad]

lonbobby
the vocals seems a bit quiet. this is another case where i think the lyrics are kinda melodramatic, and you've found another accompaniment that matches that. the vocals for some reason remind me of tool a bit. anyway, for some reason it's ok but not really grabbing me. [bad]

the landfills
i enjoyed this live. it's just guytar here, but with an electric guitar, so it's not as compelling. [bad]

sven
funky bass tone. i'd like to hear your vocals without that effect on them some time. i think you've fit a good style to the lyrics. that lead instrument sounds very NES-y to me. [good]

abominominous
this is ok, but like i said before could probably be edited down to have fewer repeats of the parts and be a lot shorter and tighter. as it is it's too repetitive for me. [bad]

dylan nau
great chorus, it stuck in my head. nice anarchy in the intro/outro. great production as usual. [good]

redcar
good vocals. this one's pretty epic, too, if i remember correctly. good production. [good]

me
this was fun. glad you liked it sven.

oh god, almost done, ok, trying to stay conscious...

his name is dan
almost has a waltz feel. i'd trim out that last beat of each bar and make it a waltz, that'd be cool. sounds like the guitar needs some more tuning? meh, this one's not grabbing me. [bad]

blind mime
good work on this one. i like the synth sounds. a bit long, though. [good]

15-16 puzzle
like it. nice style change. [good]

laptop battery running low, too. send help!

idiot kings
like it. has a beck-ish feel at times, mostly during the crazy slide solo. some of the singing isn't quite as on as it could be. [good]

future boy
good job. the group vocals sound great, though the individual vocal part sounds kinda thin, maybe just in comparison. i like the electronic accompaniment more during the chorus, but the verses sound too percussive and not musical enough for me. eh, what the hell, [good]

roymond
yeah! i really like this one. it's waking me up a bit. lots of good ideas in here. almost a pixies/modest mouse sound at points or something.

jim of seattle
can't find server! oh no. well, i heard this before. it's a good cover, though on its own it's not something i'd listen to again. [good]

andre
your singing needs work. you should look into vocal lessons, or do more takes to try to improve the pitch. some good ideas in the guitar playing. not into the chorus, unfortunately. [bad]

the sober irishman
reggae? very brave. i don't think your voice fits that style that well, but it's not too bad. i'm not into the guitar doubling the voice. eh, runnning out of steam, sorry [bad]

mother funker
good guitar playing. the singing isn't as solid as the guitar. then it goes all electronic, heading straight into genre bias territory for me. then it adds chugging metal guitars and shredding solo, which isn't helping me out. oh well, [bad]

leaf
nice playing. um, you're last, so yeah, i like everything about this. [good]

oh thank god, i'm done!

now i have to pick a best. it's a toss up for me between puce, frankie, brad, c hack, roymond, ... dang, lots of good ones, out of the 50. one of you gets my vote, at random...

ok, it's frankie.

i'm going to proof read this some other day...

Lunkhead wrote: frankie big face
you rule! erin said this one was her favorite. the instrumentation is fantastic, especially the castanets. is that you playing the sax? nice. i liked the original a lot, too. anyway, great job. [good] (possibly best)

and also,

ok, it's frankie.

i'm going to proof read this some other day...

Thanks! Yes, I was a saxophonist in another life (aka college) and that is me. JB played the castanets (and the cello). Tell Erin thanks for her support!

all at once now. i suck at reviewing.

marcus: the song is catchy. the vocals are indecipherable. from you that's a good thing. not one of the best i've heard from you though. spice girls was a nice touch. good

rabid garfunkel: this is very strange. i like teh accordion. the vocals sound unsure. they're just not smooth, even for this type of song which is unsmooth to begin with. mostly it's just annoying. bad

mr. nivelo: i like the very poppy feel of this. the production sounds very muffled and boxy. which is kind of annoying. but overall i think you did a good job with this. good

loyalty day: i like the vocals alot and the slow beat in the verse. good stuff. good

cheesequake: it's really quiet. it's interesting though. it's well done but kind of annoying. they need an ok option. but i can't justify giving this a bad so...good.

hinc: the weird electronic stuff is pretty cool, but i don't really like the vocals. it needed to pick up and go crazy but it never did. bad.

jbb: this is pretty cool. the song is great and this version is good as well. good.

henrietta: this is very pretty. good.

charcoal: i like this too. (i realize i suck at reviewing and i can't think of anything to say about this except) i don't like the vocals. good.

hoblit: hoblit kicks ass. good.

jim tyrell: nicely done. that guitar stuff you got goin on is sweet. good.

liecthy: what the hell is going on? this is like two songs at once. alot of it doesn't really flow. bad.

ken: nicely done. i particularly like the drum machine. good.

tviyh: i don't like the guitar. it just has a bad sound to it, like it's a toy or something. but you took a completely different song and made it interesting. i'll give it a good.

kapitano: i don't like the original and i don't like this one. bad.

eddiebangs: i like it. very rockin. good.

wreckdom: i like the email thing and the high pitched voice. it needs to be more than 3 minutes of stupid though.

kamakura: i like it. pretty good (i suck at reviews) good

michael maas: i hate this. it's saturday night. i shouldn't be at church. bad.

frankie big face: ooh. spanish music. sort of.i like the sproing instrument. it makes me happy. good.

glenn: this is frickin' sweet. you totally rocked the crap out of a song that already rocks. good.

king arthur: wow. this is a cover and it still sounds way too much like a king arthur song. i'm just not feelin it. bad

best death ever: beat is cool. the voice goes on too long. i want to give it an ok. but good.

niveous: i like this much better. you just need to let go with the vocals sometimes. good.

brad sucks: this rocks. ooh. fade out. points deducted. but still good.

c hack: sounds like counting crows. it's a good song and well done. good.

sonofsupercar: yes. this is good.

raised by wolves: this is pretty friggin cool. good.

j$: you already know what i think of this. good.

starfinger: you already know what i think of this. good.

lonbobby: your piano playing is always good. as is the electronica. the vocals is nice. good.

landfills: not what i'd expect from the landfills. good.

sven mullet: whoa. this is cool. i love the strings. and the whole 80's thing is cool. good.

abom: sounds way too much like godsmack. bad.

dylan nau: the piano doesn't sound right to me. i don't know what it is. i'm not really liking the song. not your fault. bad.

redcar: this is pretty cool. i don't think it's quite as good as the original but it still rocks. good.

lunkhead: sweet song. reminds me a little of elvis costello. good.

blind mime ensemble: very nice. extremely well produced and well done. good.

15-16 puzzle: fun song. i really like the percussion and the snaps. good.

idiot kings: doesn't really pick up like it should. but still good.

future boy: holy balls. this is good. awesome.

roymond: is that madi of seattle? this is very weird. i'm not really enjoying it. bad.

caravan ray: this is funny. i do believe this gets a good from me.

bolio: a very nice cover. good.

octothorpe: this is probably the most normal octothorpe song iv'e ever heard. good.

jute gyte: i do believe jute gyte kicks ass. the phone thing is sweet. good.

feldspar: i like it. but it needs drums. good.

puce: this is very sweet. i love the vocals. the strings kick ass. yes. puce hath brought the rock. good. awesome.

andre: you do really weird things with vocals and guitars. they don't always make sense. it sounds like your timing is off in places. but i like the way it feels. good.

sober: i enjoy this. sort of feels like the clash. good.

mofu: i definitely prefer the original. the acoustic part didn't really work but then once it changes it gets better. but still. good.

leaf 62: sweet bass intro. definitely a rockin song. good.

the jos link on the coverfight page didn't work.

my faves: puce, future boy, jbb
my vote: puce

last bit. and here they are.

rabid does redcar's idaho - pretty strange lead instrument. this one has a real silly undertone. it fits. i like the ending.
do i think it improves on the original - sure.
rating: (ok +)

voice does my accelerator - now this is wacky. i like it. he made my blippy kraftwerk-influenced thing into a g&g number, but more interesting than most of those. added a vocal melody too. i especially like what he did with the chorus.
do i think it improves on the original - different. also good.
rating: (good)

wreckdom does jimos's field - umm, this'll be different. strange voice for this. the backup vox are pretty unusual. this is pretty silly. too silly.
do i think it improves on the original - no.
rating: (bad)

sos does lonbobby's mind - wow, now here's a changeup. not sure if the vocals work right with the music in this setting. maybe they should be weirder. drawn out more. kinda good, but kinda off too.
do i think it improves on the original - no.
rating: (ok)

rxw does maas's sea - the vocals are kinda odd, feeling like they're in and out a little. oh, maybe that's my fault, i have to listen on mono right now.this is pretty good with the synth sounds, but it doesn't feel like it works together quite right.
do i think it improves on the original - about the same.
rating: (ok)

starfinger does #'s math - i like how this is a combination of the signature sounds of starf and #. i love it. i like the horn sounds. fun.
do i think it improves on the original - yes.
rating: (very good)

landfills do rabid's updown - i just realized the word "landfills" is in the lyrics, so that's kind of funny. anyway, what's with the g&g? weirdos actually sounds pretty good, although i think your voice works better on quirky upbeat numbers.
do i think it improves on the original - different.
rating: (ok +)

sven does rxw's keys - contrast in sounds is nice, between the bass and strings. sounds kind of sloppy now, though. interesting stuff. vox are good. does it really end abrupt like that?
do i think it improves on the original - not sure.
rating: (ok)

redcar does starf's cadet - the beginning is different, but i'm thinking a lot of the rest is a little too close to the original. maybe it would be different if the vox weren't the falsetto thing, but i feel like you need to take possession of the cover more. all in all, it sounds good tho. section at 1:50 is very nice. good drums, actually. and guitar. oh, i like how the synth solo became guitar. maybe my similarity perception is just because of the falsetto. i dunno. anyway, it's good.
do i think it improves on the original - nah, too similar. but it's good!
rating: (good)

idiot kings do voice's boxes - ooh, i like the opening a lot. the vocals were a weak point in the original, and that's improved here. man, this is awesome, i love the soaring guitar and plinky echo thing.
do i think it improves on the original - yes definitely.
rating: (very good)

roymond does walrus's word - hey, this is pretty neat. i like the vox. nice work. when the guitar comes in that's cool too. neat section at 3:00.
do i think it improves on the original - yes.
rating: (very good)

sober does liechty's pilllll - kinda neat squelchy guitar. the lead seems a little off. pretty cool.
do i think it improves on the original - yes.
rating: (ok)

mfunker does landfills's feelings - neat vocals. i like that. the guitar is pretty good but not standout. actually i like the lead guitar. bass is good. cool cover.
do i think it improves on the original - yes.
rating: (good)

i just put all my ratings in. on my count i have 9 "very good" songs and will choose a winner, hopefully now before i go to bed.
edit: ok, it's decided... j$ is my winner. congrats
-bill

Thanks Bill, and everyone who said nice things about my techno moment. And also thanks for not picking me on my terrible wide-boy impersonation at the beginning and end

I managed to review about 10 of these, and I have let all those people know what I thought. I feel pretty bad for not reviewing the rest so far, but I am in awe of people who find the time to review and formulate opinions on a 50-strong fight, as well as do other reviews/make songs at the same time. You rock

j$

(apologizing in advance in case I don't get a chance to review all entries)

Here goes, FWIW:

---------------------
Blind Mime Ensemble - Indie Rock Bottom:

Great vocals! They cut right through. I like the break too. The instrumentation is nicely balanced and rich. Creative outro too, didn't expect it to go out quite that way. I felt like I wanted to hear some more bass coming the lower piano keys. --never mind, that was my crappity little headphones. It sounds great through the speakers.
--------------------
Brad Sucks - Too Goth to Rock

You've got a distinctive voice. The electric guitars and effects blend nicely with the drums. The female vocals are a little too subdued for my taste. Great performance.
--------------------
c hack - Across the Dusty Plains

I like the organ, such a warm sound. Cool how you made the percussion emulate the cadence of a horse. Your voice has character. You accomplished a nice contrast with the rest of the song during the bridge. Overall, this is well done.
--------------------
Eddiebangs - Cancer

Great voice (it reminds me of someone famous), also nice effects on the vocals. Love the percussion with the double?-bass drum sound. It would have been interesting to have the congas? come through a little louder. (I thought I heard something like a conga or bongo in there). Great mix; I had to try hard to find something to complain about.
---------------------
Dylan Nau - Red Flag

Henrietta mentioned something like, "how can dissonance sound so good?" (the piano chords that would've sounded awful in any other song) and I agree that the chords you used sound great in this song. The woodwind? clarinet? sounds simultaneously obnoxious in places (in a good way) and lovely. Expressive vocals.
---------------------
JBB - Romantic Cheapskate

Fun Fun Fun vocals! I like the way you changed the lyrics, including the "decent" to "lucky". I also like the way you slightly modified the melody, and did the background vocals differently. I like your arrangement and performance.
---------------------
KSDB 'n Stuff - California

I like the vocals, and the rhythm guitar the best. The percussion is OK (better than I would do). I wanted to hear something more musically contrasting (like a counter-melody) for the instrumental lead guitar part. Overall, nicely done.
---------------------
Leaf 62 - What the Funk

Great bass intro and crisp sound (I can practically feel the bass string resonating against the fret). This is not boring. I like the keyboard fills. Nice vocals. I love the drums too! Fun little guitar solos. Good ending. I like good endings. If I can think of anything to complain about, I'll edit my post. I wonder if this will be my favorite
---------------------
Lonbobby - Brown Boxes

I love how this song sets a the mood during the first couple of seconds. The piano pulls me right in. Pretty nice vocals that augment the emotional dimension of this one, though the vocals could be a little stronger in spots where I have a hard time discerning the lyrics. I like the backwards(?) synth sounds.
---------------------
redcar - Space Cadet

Why am I thinking of David Bowie? I like the space sounds; they blend musically with everything else going on in the mix. I like the change in texture and dynamics at about 1:51, I mostly like these vocals. I like the guitar sounds at around 2:40. This song has a lot of good dynamic changes and the instruments are layered (and featured) tastefully.
---------------------
Starfinger - Do the Math

I love these vocals, its like Octothorpe, "even more so; imagine that.". So fun! I like everything about this song. I'm going to send this one to my former college roommate (the one with the Math degrees). He'll love it!
---------------------
Sven Mullet - Keys

I don't know if I would have panned that one guitar so far to the left. But I love the way this song evolves. This keeps my interest all the way through. Your vocals are good too. I would have preferred a natural cello, but the one you used sounds nice. This is a great production overall, and a superb performance.
---------------------
Jute Gyte - Hold My Calls

I love the energy here. A great release. Neat unexpected "phone" effects near the middle. The screams could have been mixed a little louder at around 1:20-1:46. I would have panned the screams more starting at 1:55. But I'm not a sound engineer, so I'm not qualified to say things like that. Overall, a marvelous song!
---------------------
Henrietta and the Hostage

Henrietta's rhythm guitar should have been mixed louder in comparison to Hostage's fingerpicked guitar. I like the vocal performance. However, production-wise the left background vocal is mixed a little funny during the word "around". Also, it would have been good to make the cello break vary (at least a little) from the intro. I like the way this came out, overall.
---------------------
Hoblit - Bad Attraction

Nice production, vocals, and instrumentation. I wanted the break (about a minute in) to go a little further off, a little more musical tension (maybe some different changes?). I still like this one, though.
---------------------
frankie big face - Violet Wants it Her Way

These vocals are wonderful. The spare instrumentation is a great example of less is more. The excellent performance is matched only by the production quality. This could be the favorite.
---------------------
Puce - Violet Wants it Her Way

The vocals are great (except for the "s" sounds at the beginning of some words are a little distracting). I like the way you build this arrangement up. Great production. The strings blend in nicely. I like it when they peek out at the end of the song. It would have been good to feature them more a little earlier too (do I have a string bias? maybe.)
---------------------
Loyalty Day - Secrets

I like the e-bow. (I think that's an e-bow on the electric guitar); its so warm and soft. The lead vocals are warm and clear. I want to hear a little more expression in the male vocal. I really love the bass too. I don't know if you've heard Frente, but the instrumentation and vocals remind me a bit of them (that's a good thing). I like the way you did this one.
---------------------
Lunkhead - Dog Without Warning

The acoustic guitar came through nicely. That's hard to do with all the other stuff going on. I like the organ. The vocals are competent. It sounds like you found your voice. Pretty cool guitar solo around 2:25.
---------------------

Okay, I'm gonna give at least a cursory listen to each original, so I know where you were coming from. Also, there's no "in the middle" choice, so [meh] == [didn't listen]. *= contender

So, [good] is like if someone played the song for me and I didn't know anything about it, I'd be like "hey, that was pretty good." [meh] is if I'd be like "meh," and [bad] is if I was like "put something better on." I feel like I should ignore the song itself, but I think that's impossible. So if I give you a bad review, feel free to blame the coveree. If you think I'm being a dick, feel free to PM me. Damn, this took a while.


marcus kellis: omfg those vocals sound like shit. In fact, the song sounds like shit. The original had so much potential, too. [bad]

*caravan ray: aw yeah this is great. No complaints. Well, maybe a little repetitive, maybe could've used a bridge? Don't care too much though. This is even a keeper, and a contender. [good]

bolio: when I saw the title, the chorus of the Josh Woodward one immediately popped in my head. So I guess if you're reading this Josh, word. Man, this original fuckin rocks. I'm d/l'ing it now in case I didn't before. So on to the actual review: Piano sounds fake. Bass does too. Vocals sound pretty amateurish. I can overlook the instruments themselves (arrangement is great), but the vocals kill the song for me. Still, it's not bad, but you didn't really do much with it, you know? I don't feel like you've made it your own. So you get a [meh].

*rabid garfunkel: nice. You improved it; great job. The song itself isn't exactly my bag, but it's a contender. [good]

jon eric: you didn't do it. If there was a [l4m3r], you'd get that.

level nivelo: man, this song needs a guy like Johnny Cash to do it right. Which you're like, exactly the opposite of Oh wait, I was thinking "Attica." Anyhoo, the vox are killing this one for me. I hate to put a bad on it, but I'm not really enjoying it, so I guess that's what I gotta do. [bad]

*loyalty day: kicks the original's ass from the start. I only need a few seconds to know I like this and I want to keep it. The only thing weird is the singer's either out of tune at the start of each verse or the key is just uncertain at that point. I'm guessing the latter, b/c she sounds fine everywhere else. As a matter of fact, she sounds so good I'm starting to fall in love. (on 2nd listen, the pitch thing isn't a problem for me -- it doesn't seem off. Lord knows why.) [good]

cheesquake: sounds good, but it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. [meh]

heuristics, inc: not doing it for me. too freaky-deeky. [bad]

octothorpe: the vox kill this one for me. Not crazy about the original song either. [bad]

jbb: the vox aren't particularly great, but they really give the song character. I like them, and I like the beat. On the edge for me, but the energy secures a [good]

henrietta: ha! JB took your folky song and put a driving beat to it, and now you took Brad's driving beat song and made it all folksy. It was [meh] for a while, but you got to the bon-jovi-i'm-a-cowboy chorus, and now I'm liking it. [good]

charcoal: I like the direction you took it in, but the mix is pretty bad and the vox are terrible -- out of tune a lot. I've heard better from you. [bad]

hoblit: I can't get into this at all. I do think it's a good interpretation though. [bad]

jim tyrell: not bad, but not standing out either. [meh]

leaf 62: haha this is so wankering. Pretty good wankerig though. Really great production. But my genre bias + the weak original song gets it a [meh]

lick-tee: your site was down. [meh]

ken's supa dupa band: nice production, though I'm not sure the techno bass fits in. This one's on the edge for me, but I think it's a [good]

jute gyte: massive genre bias on this one. [bad]

the voice: tough one to do, especially as boy+guitar. There's something fux0red about your song. It keeps stopping then starting. I'm pretty sure the mp3 making process got screwed up, b/c it happened before with someone else. Gonna have to give you a didn't listen -- too hard to get a good feel for it.

kapitano: too weird for my tastes. [bad]

eddiebangs: Nice production. Not doing anything for me. [meh]

wreckdom: I actually like this better than the original. I like the guitar, but I want a beat. If this had a beat, it could be pretty good. Also, if it started out like this, and got heavier or just changed up somehow, that would be good. But as it is, it gets old pretty quick.[bad]

kamakura: vox sound kinda amateurish. You really got the start of something good here. You really really improved the chorus. I'm loving your chorus. BUT, the whole thing's sorta incoherent and sounds sparse. You should try to make it sound like U2's The Sweetest Thing. If the arrangement were better or the vox were more professional, it'd get a good, but as it is, it's a [meh]

michael mass: bit of a genre bias here. Backup vox are too cheesy for me. I'd like some bass and perc. Wow, be careful what you wish for. You just got all backstreet boys. Well-done, but the cheezy-ness brings it down to a [meh].

phew, half done!

mother funker: it was grating on me till the cool beat came on. Like the beat, and I like the break, but as for the song as a whole, [meh]

*frankie big face: I love the chorus in this one. You have the best chorus in the whole fight so far. This makes me want to cover this song. Song is a bit sparse. [good]

*glenn case: ha! Shit I almost like this. Fucking great production. Now why am I about to give this a good, but I gave Jute Gyte a bad? Got the same genre bias. I think it's a combination of the amazing production, the unignorable beat, and the fact that you really stepped up to the plate genre-wise here. Also, the original song works better in this genre than the one Jute Gyte had to cover. I'm keeping it, but as a guilty pleasure. [good]

king arthur: don't like the midiness. I'm sure I've said before that I don't like your voice. I think your strength lies in your songwriting, which unfortunately is lost when you do a cover. [bad]

niveous: songs were tooken off the server -- didn't listen.

brad sucks: sounds good. Not really grabbing me. [meh]

feldspar: sounds kinda sparse and thrown together. [bad]

sober: nice. Like the reggae vibe, but I've heard better from you. Prolly would get a good, but it has nothing to do with the original song. I know it was a hard song to cover, but I wish you would've found a cooler solution rather than just writing a whole new song. [meh]

sos: nothing specifically bad about it, but just not doing anything for me. [meh]

*puce: yeah, this is great. I think if you bounced this back and forth with Glenn, it could rock even harder. Keeper and contender. [good]

RxW: something about it is off. Not sure I could say what it is. [meh]

j$: your production is really getting good. Hey, shit, your voice is too. But the song is more of a [meh]

andre: as usual, the vox and the lack of a coherent beat kill it for me. [bad]

starfinger: heard better from you. This one, not so much. [meh]

lonbobby: song is down -- didn't listen.

the landfills: sounding pretty amateurish. Not doing anything for me. [bad]

sven mullet: production is great, but the song isn't doing anything for me. [meh]

abom: I wasn't liking this at first (in fact, I was pretty sure it was gonna get a bad), but then I started surfing around with it on in the background, and it grew on me. Keeping as a guilty pleasure. On the edge, but the fact that I like it better than the original brings it up to [good].

phew! 4/5 done.

dylan nau: I'm anticipating a good here... well the production is great as usual, but the song isn't doing much for me so far. Yeah, I'm not feeling it. Wait, it's starting to grow on me. Ahhhhhhh this is really on the edge... the dissonance is bringing it down to [meh]

redcar: alright, but not all that. [meh]

lunkhead: sounds alright. Nice production. Not grabbing me though. [meh]

his name is dan: song is down -- didn't listen.

blind mime: this is some of the best sound I've heard from you, but the song isn't really doing it for me. [meh]

phew! 90% done.

15-16 puzzle: This is great, except everything good about is in the original. [meh]

idiot kings: everything sounds good, but it's not really grabbing me. I wonder if it's b/c I've been listening for so long? [meh]

*future boy: I'm not loving this one, but it's very coherent and has a nice chorus. Definite improvement on the original, even just the production. Starting to really grow on me. Think I'm gonna keep this. There's a really nice mojo here; it could fit in really well as a soundtrack to a really good movie or something. Well done. [good]

roymond: I was like, meh at first, but this is growing on me. There's something grating about the production of the original that you've smoothed out. [good]

phew! 98% done.

jim o' seattle: Hey! I was looking forward to hearing this, but your site's down. didn't listen.


okay, taking a break now to eat, then I'm gonna review my review. [break] Well, I got about the same amount of goods as bads, and a crapload of in-the-middles, so I guess that represents a nice bell curve. So, for contenders, I've got:

Caravan Ray, Rabid, Loyalty, Puce, Frankie, Glenn, Future Boy.

Rabid's, I'm not crazy about the song itself, so he's out. Ray's is nice, but a little too sparse. Glenn really stepped up to the plate and did an AMAZING job, but my genre bias keeps it from being the best. So that leaves me with Loyalty, Puce, Frankie, and Future Boy. Future Boy's is nice and full, as is Puce's. Frankie's is less so, and I think it could use more fullness, so he's out. Man, this is tough. Now I'm going back to ones I threw out already. Puce's is a hell of a contender, but my vote goes to Loyalty Day for picking out the mojo from Puzzle's crappy recording and sculpting it into a really beautiful song. It was really a toss-up, but with a lot of the other ones, I could be happy with the original. But this one really needed to be done right.

c hack wrote: niveous: songs were tooken off the server -- didn't listen.
lonbobby: song is down -- didn't listen.
his name is dan: song is down -- didn't listen.

If you are wondering, our musical home Dirt Cheap Music was recently the victim of a giant screwjob and our domain stolen out from under us. The new dirtcheapmusic.org is on the way but in the meantime, those 3 songs are going to be down. And then, the addresses will need to be fixed to reflect the change.

to quote Dan on this situation: MUST. KILL. ENOM.

c hack wrote: his name is dan: song is down -- didn't listen.

i can assure that it kicked ass and is more than worthy of your vote for best in show.

Hey All,

I'm almost done with my reviews. Someone surely downloaded Lonbobby and His Name is Dan's entries. Can you post them somewhere so I might listen and review them?

Thanks!

Ken

these should work...

http://dirtcheapmusic.org/lonbobby/brownboxescait.mp3
http://dirtcheapmusic.org/hisnameisdan/infulleffect.mp3

i'm not doing reviews of all these songs because i am a lazy bastard. deal with it.

my favourites in the group were rabid garfunkel, henrietta, puce, and starfinger. in the end my vote went to starfinger because it was pretty much perfect, as covers go, encapsulating an ideal ratio of the original artist's essence and just enough of the coverer's own flavour for an awesome combination of awesomeness. or whatever.

also i want to apologize profusely to roymond... due to a horrible miscalculation due to faulty voting mechanism, your song accidentally got marked as bad when i totally did not mark it as bad! so if you lose by one vote you can blame me...

tviyh wrote:these should work...

And they did! Thanks voice. Now, does anyone have Jim of Seattle's?

Ken

results go up Monday.

jb

Wow, that was a lot of songs. Here are some more reviews for you:

Marcus Kellis: Do you have a marble in your mouth? This is typical Marcus, only worse. Did you even bother to learn the lyrics? You could've done better. (I still think you could've done better, but that ending is AWESOME!)

Caravan Ray: Has anyone told you your voice reminds them of Lenny Kravitz. This sounds like Lenny fronting Wall of Voodoo or something. I've already forgotten this was a Marcus Kellis song. So that is excellent. I could use some relief from your repetitive beat. This arrangement needs to build. The vocals do that, but the music needs to follow.

Bolio: This is a pretty straightforward cover of LD's song. I like the vocal effect. I would have liked to hear you take this song somewhere new.

Rabid Garfunkel: Nice happy intro. This needs more variation. Like two accordion riffs per verse. There is something in this song that reminds me of the Doors. Maybe the End, but I'm not sure.

Level Nivelo: Wow, this is still clearly a King Arthur song. Your mix is soo small. I like the reggae parts. It seems you can't decide sometimes whether to swing or play it straight. I think you would've been better off keeping it swingy. I really like the keyboard at 2:40. I wish you had more cool parts like that. Vocals seem to be getting harder to hear as the song goes on. Why is that? You never hit the "harmony" on the So Long Atticus part. A bad harmony is NOT better than no harmony at all. I'm not sure how to vote on this one, there are some good parts, but I am left feeling bothered by it overall.

Loyalty Day: I like the arrangement of this song, and think it is my best mix in a long time. There's a lot of stuff going on here, so I suggest you all listen to it with headphones. I asked Erik to tell me the story of this song when we were in LA. I think this arrangement really brings that out.

Cheese Quake: Industrial country? Strong arrangement and performance. Is that kazoo in the background? I'd really like the hand claps to be louder. This song is relentless and enjoyable. Shiznit!

Heuristics Inc.: Moody. Could definitely use a timbre change, even to just change the sound of the drums. Doesn't really hit any sort of emotional peak. Did you want it to stay flat the whole time? There is a bit of a build at the end, but it needs to be bigger if that was your intention.

Octothorpe: Yeah, Accordion! Guitar and bass sound awful. Wow, just awful, take away from the rest of the song awful, especially when they don't do anything interesting only muddy up the track and take away from the good parts. So muddy, so awful. Lose the guitar and keep the accordion and piano in the foreground. Bass could sound better too. Drums sound good though. Lead guitar is nice too. Too much of an extreme between high fi (drums/sax/lead guitar) and lo-fi (rhythm guitar/bass) parts to really gel as a song. Not Octothorpe's best.

John Benjamin Band: Vocals sound forced. The swingy guitars at the beginning had me hoping that we would see a return of Shark Tornado. Back up vocals are nice. You could've done more with the drums, how about a fill now and again? Meh.

Henrietta: Strong moody beginning. Nice use of the Death Row synth. I don't know what it is about the vocals that don't please me this morning. They are in pitch and sang with feeling. Maybe you just need a different mic or need to EQ some high end on it. I'm not sure. Still, this is the first song that I think I may vote for.

Charcoal: I like the guitar intro, but it quickly goes downhill. Mix is weird, where the drums are hidden in the bad, and the direct record guitars are double tracked an loud. You should back the rhythm guitar off and bring forward all the ornamental melodic stuff. Are you even playing along with the drums? The arrangement of this song is pretty good. With a better mix this could've been good.

Hoblit: Good use of reverb/delay on vocals. They get a little lost though. Nice bass playing. Gets monotonous though. Give us a break from the vocal effect at some point. Or double it with a distorted vocal or something. Drop out the guitar for a bit, do something to change it up. Something!

Jim Tyrell: Earnest performance. Nice vocal harmonies. If this was open mic night, I would already be back to talking to my friends instead of listening. As it is, it just makes good background music. If this recording had higher fidelity, perhaps it would impact me more. You need some kind of mastering software to get your final level up.

Liechty: Glitchy. Vocals are mumbly and hard to hear/understand. Without a strong vocal to anchor it, the music becomes rather annoying. I appreciate the breaks in between verses and the fact that you kept it short.

Ken's SBDnS: I thought my main purpose with this song is to flesh out Frankie’s already excellent song. There is a bunch of cool stuff going on in the accompaniment, but it is mixed too low. I agree that this could've used some vocal harmonies. Overall, I tried to imagine driving the long lost highway and what that would sound like.

Jute Gyte: Hell yeah, bring it Gyte! This is a nice change after all the other covers. I wish I could hear the kick drum better. I think there is stuff going on in this song I just can't hear due to the not so great mix. Great use of the phone noise. Ends right as I am losing interest. Good job.

The Voice Inside Your Head: Interesting effect on the guitar. Your rhythm seems particularly awful. Panning two guitars playing different rhythms is pretty annoying. Especially since they really seem to be all that well in time to each other a lot of the time. Vocals are okay, and I like the tambourine a lot. Not all that engaging of a cover.

Kapitano: This sounds likes transformers rapping. Megatron perhaps? Nice and short with some interesting sounds.

Eddie Bangs: Can't really think of a better songfighter to cover this song than you. Nice changes. Good arrangement. Definitely one of the top entries so far.

WreckdoM: Odd. Lot's of interesting sounds here.

Kamakura: Nice 70s singer songwriter feel. Good vocal effect on the chorus. So far, this song could use some lead parts, like guitar "solos" throughout to break up the monotony a bit. Ah, there's something at 2:00, just a bit too late for me

Michael Maas: I like the feel at the start. Excellent vocal harmonies. While I like this songs a lot, it could've been a minute shorter and just as effective.

Frankie Big Face: Am I biased because I heard this on somesongs before coverfight was posted? Perhaps. It is a great recording and an interesting arrangement. It almost seems unfair that you have access to so many instruments. Did you play them all yourself? The "Love You When the Sky Falls Down" part is pretty damn repetitive. The song would've been just as good with half as many. Really, you lover her, we got it.

Glenn Case: I'll tell you, this sounds way better at home on my monitors than it did the first time I heard it at work on my little computer speakers. It sounds pretty darn good overall. I think you should cut out more of the low end on the guitars to make some space for the kick drum.

King Arthur: Typical KA style. Solid vocal. Chorused guitar just sounds out of tune though. There is something about the instruments that feels out of balance and not cohesive. Some harmony vocals on "If this is love" would be nice. Cheesy horn sound has got to go. Overall, this is pretty plain, not good or bad, just average.

Niveous: Rather boring. Repetitive drum loops and either voice or guitar. Why? The way you processed the voice is spooky, so that is good, but how about some thriller-esqe pads to keep it moving. Why is the wanky guitar there at all? It just makes the song longer and doesn't add anything at all. Seriously, 4 minutes of this is much too long.

Niveous2: Is this the same song? I like it a little better than the last version. Too lo-fi to be enjoyable. The vocal would sound pretty good if you were backed by a decent band. I suspect if you did that, this would be a contender.

Brad Sucks: Dear Brad, Thanks for making a cool recording of my song. When I made my version, I probably recorded it in an hour. If I had had more time, I would've wanted it to sound like this. Much thanks for the nice cover. Be well, Ken.

C Hack: Nice arrangement. I wish all the parts were more together. They seem too loose for me. This is very nice. Really, if this was tight, it would be my top pick for sure. If you and I are both at the next Songfight Live, can I sing back up on this song and play percussion?

Feldspar: Interesting arrangement. I like the electric piano, but the random electric guitar in the background has got to go. Piano gets repetitive after a minute and a half. It changes a bit, but it is 30 seconds too late. Give us a new riff. Do something better with the guitar in the background.

sonofsupercar: Seems to be some low-end lacking in this mix. I can't make out the kick drum, when I want it to be hitting me in the chest. I like Stephen's loungey vocals, and the back ups too. Lot's of extra stuff going on in this song. Overall, it's kind of flat or foggy. Interesting.

Puce: Nice dramatic synth intro. Excellent vocals as always. There is something 80s about this arrangement as much as it is new-metal-y. It is an interesting mix. I'd like to hear the chorus be bigger than it is, whether you get a little rougher with the vocal, or add some new instrument in there to give it a lift. Excellent ending, builds very well. Overall, very good.

Raised by Wolves: I like all the bloops and bleeps. Doesn't seem to go anywhere, doesn't lead into the next piano and vocal part. They sound like two different songs rather than two movements of the same piece. Even when it comes back in, as a mix of the two, sounds more like a third song than a combination of the two. Interesting idea though. Maybe I'll give this a second listen later.

Johnny Cashpoint: This has some good parts to it. I like the Streets quality of this, that is, the casual whitey hiphop flavor. Interesting mix of rock and hiphop. I think you could've cut down some of the instrumental parts. This could be a great dance floor jam if the drums were punchier. The vocal is excellent. Overall, I think I would put this track in the top 10.

Starfinger: Cute to do this in the Octothorpe style. Unfortunately, this only takes you so far. You should've done more to take it past an # rip-off. Add some variety to the orchestrations and such. Very well done in total, just needs to go further.

Lonbobby: Nice piano intro. How did you get Evanescence to do your cover for you? No, this sounds really good. I mean it as a complement. Very good. Actually this track could've been a little longer and built up more at the end.

The Landfills: Odd, a guitar and vocal piece from the Landfills. If I remember correctly, you took a while to do this right? What took so long? I miss the usual Landfills production, and this isn't all that special. Good vocal track though, let's hear those bleeps and bloops you do so well.

Sven Mullet: This is great. Such a great mix of techno and rock. Vocals are excellent. This song may be my new top contender.

Abominominous: Tight, rocking song. Sounds good and I enjoy it.

Dylan Nau: Piano sounds great. Interesting and noisy intro. Piano is kind of overbearing in the mix. Vocals too far in the background. Nice Danny Elfman-esqe chorus. Good, but the ending is rather abrupt.

Redcar: Dense mix you got there. There is lots of interesting stuff here. Overall though, the arrangement kind of meanders. I think you could've tightened this up and made it shorter with a stronger focus.

Lunkhead: I like the upbeat bounce of this song. I also like how you shift the focus of the arrangement between the organ and the guitar. Vocals are good, but could've been a bit better in parts, especially at the end. This song needs banjo!

His Name is Dan the Apathetic: I like the sparse arrangement. Weird guitar during the chorus. Drums could vary up more. Not bad overall.

Blind Mime: Like the U2 meets the Flaming Lips vibe of this song. The arrangement is soooo lush. I just get lost in it. Vocals get a little rough towards the end. It would be nice of you to tighten them up.

15-16 Puzzle: What to say about this song? I like the light jazzy feel you give it. The shift between the verse and the chorus is good.

The Idiot Kings: Very nice when the band kicks in. Before that, the vocals don’t quite sit in tune with the drone or in rhythm with the kick. Once the band kicks in, I really like the spacey country feel. Vocal sits better with everything, but still pitchy. I am very much enjoying all the guitar parts floating in and out.

Future Boy: I think your production is excellent. Verse is better than the chorus as th harmonies aren't quite right during the chorus. I like what you tried to do though.

Roymond: Interesting start...Beach Boy's like. I hope this just keeps building and building. You do such a good job of changing the arrangement. That was really good. I think this could be a winner.

Jim of Seattle: Spooky. I guess that is fitting for a Wreckdom cover. I don’t know what I would’ve done with this song myself, so good job.

Andre Was Here at Midnight: This sounds a lot like Marcus Kellis with more instruments. I like a lot of your melodic lines, but man, sometimes you just don't have it together, and every time I think you are getting into it, it gets bad again.

The Sober Inrishman: Nice. I like the sing-along chorus. Reggae style works well for you. Something about that highhat was cutting my head off though.

Mother Funker: Excellent adaptation. This is really excellent. I like the John Lennon vocal quality. Song picks up nicely as it goes along. Way to rock the crap out of the Landfills.

Leaf: Strong song Leaf. Sounds great and is very well performed. Excellent.

Be well,
Ken

ken wrote:If you and I are both at the next Songfight Live, can I sing back up on this song and play percussion?

Hell yeah. Except, Leaf should be involved if he's there too.

ken wrote: Frankie Big Face: Am I biased because I heard this on somesongs before coverfight was posted? Perhaps. It is a great recording and an interesting arrangement. It almost seems unfair that you have access to so many instruments. Did you play them all yourself? The "Love You When the Sky Falls Down" part is pretty damn repetitive. The song would've been just as good with half as many. Really, you lover her, we got it.

Well, I'm pretty sure I only sang the line as many times as Jon Eric, but that's okay--somebody on SS said they wished the end chorus was even longer. I didnt play the cello or the castanets (JB did), but I played everything else, and yes, I raided the orchestra percussion cabinet at the school where I teach to do it. It may be unfair, but ART IS UNFAIR, KEN.

ken wrote: Henrietta: Strong moody beginning. Nice use of the Death Row synth.

"Death Row synth".... Do you mean the ebow? I definitely agree with you about the vocals. They're not as bright and well balanced as everything else, so they don't really sit right in the mix. Thanks for the review!