The Song Fight Bulletin Board

bgm wrote: Frankie Big Face
Interesting and ambitious. I find the vocal a bit grating but completely appropriate for the genre: I was instantly transported to 1984, sneaking into clubs and stealing my mom's eyeliner. Has a dramatic build and really nice production; sounds great.

If YOU think it sounds great, then it must sound okay. I doubt myself where mixing is concerned since switching to the computer. Almost every time I record a song, I consider digging out my ADATs, repurchasing an 8-bus mixer, mixing to my now antiquated Alesis MasterLink, etc. I used to know how to do stuff then. Now I guess. And guess. And guess...

EDIT: Regarding the vocal, I was well into the song singing it an octave lower when I realized it wasn't working. Then, I sang it where it is now and felt pretty much the same way you feel. If I had it to do over, I would have done a third or fourth lower. Transposing the audio files of the vocal tracks that open the song didn't seem like a good idea. Anyway, thanks for the review. Time for me to listen.

Just saw the artwork!

frankie big face wrote:Just saw the artwork!

I didn't look closely before!

The legend of El Balazo lives!

Great songs everyone! It's a lazy Sunday morning, so I listened to the songs and have a few things to say.

CR, you're so fukin weird, you crack me up. How do you think up all those little tidbits you craftily place in your song. I had to listen about 3 times. I see a skinny sweaty French guy not smiling and smoking a cigarette like a girl, getting ready to eat a cres'ont. You really brought it this year. Good on ya, mate. (seppo grin)

DJ, your song is absolutely beautiful! Your piano and vocals have so much heart and passion that they draw me in and melt me. You know I'm a drum beat always guy, but this song didn't need it at all. Nur Ein has pushed you to dig deep and I love it. This could easily be in the top ranking and if you continue like this, easily in the final round. I really feel it's a hit song in real life.

ADD, you continue to make great music, both interesting and well done. I wouldn't be surprised at all if you're one of the two in the final round. I always knew you were good, but I didn't really take notice until this years Nur Ein. Well done, good sir.

BGM, you really have a way with the rock. I've always enjoyed your music, and this is no different. I am into your genre, so that's a big part of it. But you do it so well that I find myself listening to pick it apart to see where your head is at. You make simplicity an art form for sure. Well done, but you're in a tough crowd.

Manhavin' Gluegun, I know I told you once that I'd never take mixing advice from you, but that's because I was mad, lol. You really know your way around a DAW and this song is well done. You fit in the same genre as BGM and I tend to lean that way too. You have a nice enough voice and you are clever enough. I wanted to hear you own this song and I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot. You have kicked ass this year. But in this pack, you need that edge. Pull out all the stops next round and you can be in the final round I feel.

Frankie, I've always been a bit of a Frankie fan. Not only is your music well crafted, but it's obvious that you are a professional. I've never been much for music theory believer because I feel it's something that should come naturally without fancy terms. But after paying attention to your songs for so long, I crave to learn more. This song is so well done, both musically creative and lyrically, it should be on the radio. I've gotten over your Bowie'esque voice a long time ago and really just enjoy the comfy tone you have. Well done.

Ross, you make making music seem so easy. But I listen to what you do and I know there is a heavy mental brew going on in your head, heart and soul. Sometimes I wonder how you can be so in the zone musically and still balance family and teaching. I have a really hard time with that. Everything you write is so believable to me that I feel it as I listen. I guess this is why some of our most famous folk musicians became the story tellers of our time. You connect with the human spirit on all levels. Good song, my Cali friend.

WSA, you guys really don't stick with a style, but always make quality music. I know of all you guys individually and it's interesting hearing you bring all of your elements together. I will say this rap sounds just like a white rapper I've heard before, but who doesn't these days. I like this song a lot, but I was really surprised at the safeness of such a standard pop sound at such an important round. Yes, I get playing it safe, but there is nothing here to give you an edge in this pack of great songs. Let's hope I'm wrong here and the judges rank on other factors. I guess I just want to hear over the top from such a talented group. But well done no matter what I think competition wise. edit: G-Love. That's who I was thinking of.

Sometimes I read initial reviews of these rounds and people say "Every song is great!" and then I listen and....every song is not great. But this time, every song really is at least good. Most really are great! I've never felt like an underdog before but I do now. If I make it past this round (and I think that's a big IF), I really have my work cut out for me.

ADD - So this is the song everyone is so excited about? Yeah, it's great. You don't need me to say anything else.

BGM - I read your poem last night and enjoyed it on its own. Musically, you handled the three-line stanzas wisely, making the first line sound like it works as the completion of a four-line verse that wraps around on itself. (Not well-said, but you know what I mean.) The a capella vocal reminds me of "Because" by The Beatles. I think someone else said it sounded like the build-up to a bigger section. I think that's true, especially because you bring the high-hat or tambourine or whatever in for the final verse, which is probably where you want to scale back, not add on. Anyway, this is very good.

DJRD - Although I cannot honestly say I've been following your progression over the last several years, I am astonished by your progress as a writer/singer/producer. It's a really good song. If I was going to nitpick anything, it would be the quality of your "B" rhymes. I think you have to choose "ing" or "ee"—I don't think you can have it both ways. But if you care more about having a great song than following the rules, mission accomplished.

GJ - I think this is very ambitious and I really like the ending. Between Noah and j$, you're probably going to get slammed for the French, but whatever. It's good.

MG - This is not a bad a song, but I think you fall short with the lyrics. "For their fate I am now tore" is definitely going to hurt you with the judges. (Why didn't you just say "torn"? You already used a near-rhyme with "adored.")

RD - Ross, your big refrain is "Now all I hear are ghosts of yesterday" and to me, it's a little cliché. That said, I like this song, especially the harmonica and cello-ish instrument. (Is it a cello? I couldn't tell.) It's sad and evocative.

TWSA - I'm not going to get into this with you, but I think you took too many liberties with the challenge. If you had written two villanelles, fine. But the chorus puts it over the edge as far as I'm concerned. To me, it's also the weakest part of the song and kind of unnecessary. If it had just been an instrumental break, I think it would have made the same impression. As a recording, I think it's really good. I enjoy the cassette-tape quality production—very realistic. And the rapping is good, the lyrics are good, you brought the funk. It's a good tune.

Glad I'm not a judge. Great round, everyone.

English is my second language. Music is my first.

@BLT- A rap song with intentional low fidelity is playing it safe?

@Frankie- The instructions I saw were "villanelle". I didn't see must be 19 lines with 5 tercets and 1 quatrain and only 2 rhymes. I mean it's not like it was a "Round" challenge and all we did was an allusion to Frere Jaques on the keyboard. I'm a stickler for the challenges, I didn't think twice about our submission. We have 2 full villanelles in there. It seems everyone has been taking wild liberties with the challenges and scoring well with it. The top 4 Elizabeth the Greats didn't sing about Elizabeth the Great.

If the spirit of the challenge was to do an 18th century style Villanelle with exactly 19 lines, and only 19 lines, then I suppose we owe the judges an apology. I for one understood it to be inspired by and containing the Villanelle. If it was more specific, I think there would have been more than one word about it.

Anyway, awesome round everyone! I'm like 10 listens in, I'm enjoying them all!

glennny wrote:
@Frankie- The instructions I saw were "villanelle". I didn't see must be 19 lines with 5 tercets and 1 quatrain and only 2 rhymes. I mean it's not like it was a "Round" challenge and all we did was an allusion to Frere Jaques on the keyboard.

Why, who did that? Here's the way I see it, Glenn. You're okay with telling everyone else what you think they did wrong (in fact, if memory serves me correctly, my interpretation of the round challenge earned me the title of "smart ass" or possibly "dumb ass" or "wise ass") but when someone expresses their opinion about your songs or, in this case, interpretation of the challenge, you take it as an opportunity to insult them. So this is three times in one Nur Ein so I guess it's time to tell you to fuck off.

bgm wrote:In case anyone cares, the song's about some huge drama that went down a few weeks ago on another website I frequent; a long-time user's wife posted a lengthy, emotional obituary saying the guy had killed himself and the tributes poured in. Turns out it was a great big lie.

Whoa. That is seriously messed up.

bgm wrote: bgm
I was a bit rigid about sticking to the villanelle form, which was hard. This required writing the lyrics first, which I never do.

Yeah, I was also wondering how many people write lyrics first and whether they had an easier time with this challenge. I usually write a small part of my songs with lyrics and melody first and then go to work trying to figure out the rest. I never write lyrics first and rarely write music first (if I do, I already know what I want the vocal melody to sound like, even sometimes knowing what I want the vowel sounds to be).

Anyone always start with lyrics? Was the challenge easier as a result?

@ Frankie

I like when competitors tell me what they think of our song, or my song. I like the criticism. It is very valuable and usually constructive. I like to respond, and I never mean to really insult someone. We've known each other on song fight for years, we shared the stage in 2010, we've had beers. I thought we were familiar enough that we could rib each other in the competition. 3 insults?

1- Architect- Round Challege- Frere Jaques allusion: The data is in, you were a wise ass. It served you well. I for one have never been insulted by the phrase "smart ass" or "wise ass" (I get it a lot). This was a joke that fell flat.

2- ETG- Tempo change- Yes I am guilty of insult on this one. I apologized for it. I meant it more as a backhanded compliment. You effortlessly write catchy winning material.

3- Cassettes- Villanelle- This is sort of just bringing up the 1st one. And all i did was point out what you did. You did do that. And it worked well for you. I fail to see how that is an insult at all. The point I was trying to make was that I wouldn't have guessed that Frankie Big Face would be such a stickler for a popular conception of what the challenge was. Over the years and the challenges you've struck as one who challenges the challenges. I was just bringing up an example of that. It's one of those weird things that is not a compliment or an insult, but merely an observation.

It's fine for you to tell me to Fuck Off, most people do at some point. I still love ya man! You can tell me when (and if?) we're cool again.

cheers!

Glen

@Glennny - We're cool.

frankie big face wrote: So this is three times in one Nur Ein so I guess it's time to tell you to fuck off.

Could somebody go over the the stats - Lunk? Ross? - is this a record?

Here is why my b rhymes happened, for what it is worth. Take it or leave it; it was written in a burst and edited meticulously. I am more exacting over poetry than engineering although I may appear a tad lackadaisical.
Also, I don't normally reveal stuff like this


desperately.
openings.
spinning ...

leaving.
believe;
me.

glennny wrote:@BLT- A rap song with intentional low fidelity is playing it safe?

I think so, because of the pop aspect and low-fi is very pop these days. It was well done though. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the song. Kind of a party song. And the guitar fills were very cool. I guess I'm greedy and just wanted more, lol.

bgm wrote:It's short, but like me you stuck to the form. Hopefully it doesn't bite us in the ass.

That's cute, BGM, but we all know I will get cut before you, and I definitely know your song is the better.

glennny wrote:New World Encyclopedia says:

Many contemporary poets have made slight adjustments to the form

I think any of us could have written a pretty good song if we, you know, ignored the challenge and did whatever we wanted and wrote it off to being a misunderstood contemporary poet. May your victories be tainted by this cheap transgression.

Man. This thread took a turn for the chilly at some point.
I'm glad this game isn't played with knives.

frankie big face wrote:Yeah, I was also wondering how many people write lyrics first and whether they had an easier time with this challenge. I usually write a small part of my songs with lyrics and melody first and then go to work trying to figure out the rest. I never write lyrics first and rarely write music first (if I do, I already know what I want the vocal melody to sound like, even sometimes knowing what I want the vowel sounds to be).

Anyone always start with lyrics? Was the challenge easier as a result?

I rarely write lyrics first - though I do enjoy writing music for other people's lyrics. As you said: " I usually write a small part of my songs with lyrics and melody first and then go to work trying to figure out the rest".

I really enjoyed this challenge - fitting to that strict form came up with something I would not have otherwise written. I enjoyed how once 2 refrains were decided on and set in place - the song was suddenly half written, and all I had to do was fill in the gaps. I may use this device again.

bgm wrote:I'm glad this game isn't played with knives.

Yeah. Someone would inevitably come with a katana and swear it's just a contemporary knife.

bgm wrote:
I'm glad this game isn't played with knives.

Don't you know about the traditional Round 6 challenge?

BLT wrote:reviews

I don't feel confident about moving on this round, but whatever happens, I will always have this review and the kind comments from Glennny, DJ Den and others. Having people comment on how my songs make them feel.....well, just thanks.

What Ross said. Thanks for taking the time to write such thoughtful reviews, BLT.