Hello all.
This round was difficult in a way. Beyond my top three I found it VERY hard to separate the rest of the pack. Tiny things made differences. But, (sorry) the drop from third to fourth was marked. For a round made of supposed uplifting songs, I just didn't feel it. Can a slow song be uplifting, yes, in a "You'll never walk alone" sort of way - but most of the songs in this round were just too slow and a bit cloiched, frankly to be uplifting at all.
(Or maybe I'm just too down because the entire family (except me) are down with the lurgy and I'm knackered)
Anyway, for better or worse.. here's mine in order of preference...
Ross Durand - Follow Your Heart 03:13
Ross... I would have loved to have sung this...
The 3/4 eight to the key change worked, but would have worked being a little longer.
This is my winner.
(And Ross, if it's not too cheeky... I'd love to have a go at this one.)
Jerkatorium - Something Right 02:28
Bouncy, fun, actually 'sounds' like a celebratory song.
They-Might-Be-Giants-ish... Well played and sung...
Hard top say anything else about this!
Really close to being my top pick.. REALLY close.
Temnere - Unbreakable 03:57
Wonderfully played... musically excellent.
(Really pleased to see you guys come back into the fray. (Manowar? More like TYR to me! :) ))
But again, vocals too low in the mix. And the chorus has the cheesiest of lines.. followed by a damned inspiring one! This is top three stuff! (But where was my hard rocking mid song instrumental and searing guitar solo???!!!)
Glen Raphael - Wedding Day 03:14
What do you get when you cross Edric Haleen with Brian Gray?
Beautifully played, well sung AND well mixed. I'd love to hear this redone as a straight song.
Shame about the very end.
Nick Work - Long Way (To Go) 03:30
Had throw the sound up for this one.
Nice build as well as some metaphors and stuff.
Reminds me of early Rush! Instrumental section should have been longer and more ambitious! :)
The key change just before the 3m mark was nice, but would have worked better in the middle of the song, for me.
Steve Stearns - People Be Kind 03:35
Check title.. No this ISN'T Dave Leigh!
Neither is it Mid Eighties Supertramp!
(I also thought it was gonna start with "People need hope.. people need loving..." (Abba))
Or Dean Freidman, or Randy Newman... I think that was my problem, it was like so many other things it seemed unoriginal. Good, mid-level, song.
Faster Jackelope - The Matter Doesn't Matter 03:52
I like traffic lights... (that is what I said).
(Lyric on page doesn't gel with lyric on page but that's all the better for it.)
Musically ambitious and it works, the lyric strays a bit, as do the vocals.
Interesting entropic end, but sort of ruins the song.
Vowl Sounds - Graduation Day 03:28
A decent, run of the mill, pop rock song.
Reminded me of someone but for the life of me can't think who.
But again with the vocals fighting to be heard above the music at times.
I could not make out a word of the middle (3/4s) eight.
From what I could hear of the BVs they sounded well done. Good song, mix needs redone.
Good Guy Sôjàbé - Bride 03:10
Ooooo sound effects! I always like a good sound effect!
Shades of Sisters of Mercy and that ilk... I liked it, but I kept waiting for it to get going, and it never did.It just didn't gel with me guys, sorry.
Governing Dynamics - Hello Kansas City 04:00
Is that line a quote? (Hello Kansas City you really showed up)" cos its a strange lyric to have written. A bit unwieldy. If it's not a quote, oh well... If it is... maybe shouldn't have hooked the song around it? It's all a bit.. bitsy and never really seems to get going, even with the "I'll ride this feeling" section which could have really taken off.
"BucketHat" Bobby Matheson - Perfect Together 05:09
OKay, this was not what I was expecting from Mr Matheson...
But, that's nothing to do with the judging.
The whole thing (vocally) sounds forced, and for over 5 minutes, it was just too much.
BVs were all over the place, a bit sloppy to be honest ( :( sorry) choice of instrument didn't help, especially as a solo instrument.
Should have finished at 3:22.
OutLyer - Congratulations 02:48
lyric is a wee bit tortured in places, but the music is gorgeous.
The melody just seems to basic for such a rich background.
THE SHADOWS
(No Cliff Richard, though)
Jocko Homomorphism - I Changed My Name (SHADOW) 03:05
Bouncy electro-pop - loved it - til the vocals came in. Nothing against the subject at all... But basing a whole song on "long" "strong" "song" "name" "same", just didn't hold me at all.
Menage A Tune - I Wish You Well (SHADOW) 02:04
Gimme a Gospel Chorus singing this! And it might just work!
This would have top five'd and is the best Menage a Tune song I have ever heard, ...
Menage A Tune - Rainbow Bridge (SHADOW) 01:16
... which is unfortunately followed by this one.
I can hear the heart behind this, but it doesn't work as a song, I'm afraid.
And the second half... okay... I see what you're doing, but...
Mandibles - You Are Free (SHADOW) 03:55
I loved this. Absolutely loved it. This would have won this round for me.
Well played, well sung, well mixed, great voals and better, great lyirc - poingnant without being cheesy or cliched. Superb. (But the BVs near the end almost blow it... mix em down a bit! :) )
The Brewhouse Sessions - You Are The Shining Star (SHADOW) 04:24
Musically excellent (Although George Harrison might sue you for nicking "My Sweet Lord" :). Lyrically weak - not very uplifting however, seems way too plodding, and although it's only just over four minutes it seems way too long. (And I think you 'know' the "So many questions, no answers, rhythm, or rhyme " line doesn't work to well...)
Just Ducky - Wash Your Hands (SHADOW) 02:17
How very topical!
Kraftwerk do Public Information Films!
I kinda liked this... but then I'm weird.
(If this was Uber Auto-tuned (To beyond Cher standards) I think it would work even MORE!)
And the last line was superb. Uplifting, not really, so it would have been a DQ for me.. but as a song? Might have squeeeezed into the top five! :) )
The Quantifiers - The Impossible Journey (SHADOW) 02:56
Okay... let's talk "Phantom Tollbooth" I know both the book and the movie very well. So I appreciate the BARRAGE of references in this song. But that's it's problem. It's too dense and just become a list of things that happen. It's too simplistic and the lyric gets more and more tortured as it goes on.
I think you probably spent more time trying to work the book/film into the song, than you could have saved by just writing a song NOT about The Phantom Tollbooth.
There's a lesson there...
(L-e-s-s-o-n... Lesson.)
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