The Songwriter Forum - songwriting reviews, tips and chat
Songwriter Forum => Feedback on Finished songs => Topic started by: stickboymusic on March 29, 2012, 12:46:02 PM
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Hello again
Thought i'd try something that isn't quite so acoustic
I'm not completely convinced that I've pulled it off.... I don't think I really have the voice for BIG sounding songs but I had fun having a go.
Thoughts?
http://picosong.com/wy8X/ (http://picosong.com/wy8X/)
Figure it out.
I'm not so sure about it
I can't rely upon it
It's how I work it out
It's how I work it out
It's in my bones and in my blood
It's under the ground where cavemen stood
I don't want to follow
I just want to lead you to my heart
So we can figure it out
I thought of the perfect ending
and thought how it all came tumbling
Its how i work it out
Its how i work it out
It's in my bones and in my blood
It's under the ground where cavemen stood
I don't want to follow
I just want to lead you to my heart
So we can figure it out
It just takes a little time
to make the pieces fit
It just takes a little time
to make them true
say it just takes a little time to make the pieces fit
for me and for you
It's in our bones and in our blood
It's under the ground where cavemen stood
We don't want to follow
We just want to lead you to my heart
So we can figure it out
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posting 6 songs in a week for review is a bit unfair ...it pushes everyone elses songs out & realy dominates the reviews page :)
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posting 6 songs in a week for review is a bit unfair ...it pushes everyone elses songs out & realy dominates the reviews page :)
Oh! I just write/record a lot!
I did read the rules before posting and didn't see anything about this
I've also posted over 20 comments on others work, is this also too much?
Sorry.
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there is no rule it just sort of marks you out as selfish...you must decide for yourself if its the right way ....its a community we all want attention & anyone who dominates is not realy playing fair
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i totally agree with that.
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There is a way round that, just post the new songs in the same thread and make a new thread once or twice every week. That's what i'm going to do from now on... not that i'm anywhere near as prolific as Stickboy(slightly envious :) ).
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There is a way round that, just post the new songs in the same thread and make a new thread once or twice every week. That's what i'm going to do from now on... not that i'm anywhere near as prolific as Stickboy(slightly envious :) ).
Ha i did that at first but tinam told me to put it in its own thread.... ahh well
Anyway.... any thoughts on the song... if we are going to keep pushing my topic to the top then it may as well be relevant!
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Well I enjoyed it. I thought it was a very accomplished song. And this is still catchy and anthemic enough to
sit in today's popular charts I would think. I give it a big thumbs up ;D
I would agree with Tinam about the posting though. It is best to post new songs in new threads rather than put them in an existing one.
And it is better to pace them. A lot of people here write a lot of songs. You are no different in that, but Tinam is right, although there are no written
rules about it, those who know these forums well give everyone a fair chance of having thier stuff heard and reviewed too. On the first page there are 4
of your songs and that's not leaving much room for other people. It's not against any rules but if you want to get along with people and be social and not
just self indulgent and selfish then you would take the word of a well established and respected member of the forums. It is percieved as selfish because
people who are regulars here (although they have many songs they could flood the forums with) know that when a song slips off page one, it tends to be forgotten.
If they are slipping off more quickly because you are posting so many, then that is hardly a social and fair way of looking at it is it?
I wish new people would show older and well thought of members of this forum a bit of respect.
Tinam has been here a lot longer than you. You can either LISTEN to and respect what she is saying and appreciate that she's been here a lot longer and so porbably knows
what she is talking about, be a little less selfish about it... Or you can argue with her about it and lose respect yourself and reviews.... Simples really :)
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Well I enjoyed it. I thought it was a very accomplished song. And this is still catchy and anthemic enough to
sit in today's popular charts I would think. I give it a big thumbs up ;D
I would agree with Tinam about the posting though. It is best to post new songs in new threads rather than put them in an existing one.
And it is better to pace them. A lot of people here write a lot of songs. You are no different in that, but Tinam is right, although there are no written
rules about it, those who know these forums well give everyone a fair chance of having thier stuff heard and reviewed too. On the first page there are 4
of your songs and that's not leaving much room for other people. It's not against any rules but if you want to get along with people and be social and not
just self indulgent and selfish then you would take the word of a well established and respected member of the forums. It is percieved as selfish because
people who are regulars here (although they have many songs they could flood the forums with) know that when a song slips off page one, it tends to be forgotten.
If they are slipping off more quickly because you are posting so many, then that is hardly a social and fair way of looking at it is it?
I wish new people would show older and well thought of members of this forum a bit of respect.
Tinam has been here a lot longer than you. You can either LISTEN to and respect what she is saying and appreciate that she's been here a lot longer and so porbably knows
what she is talking about, be a little less selfish about it... Or you can argue with her about it and lose respect yourself and reviews.... Simples really :)
Yes that's fine - I have apologised
I will slow down
I think I have 4 on the first page as they have had replies.... im sure they will slip away into nothingness soon enough
:)
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No problem. I've put the chainsaw back in the shed now :D :D :D
No seriously though mate, what you'll find as well is that one post gets a lot more attention and usually more reviews. Which is only good :)
Personally I can go weeks without posting my next one but that's because it takes me so damn long to get the things ready to be heard hahaha
But even the ones who write very fast or have a huge back-catalogue (Like I suspect estreet has :P) space them out. It's better for everyone and also better,
like I said for getting more in depth reviews and more reviews.
I can understand why you are eager though ;) It's a lovely thing to have people listen to your music and comment on it. It must be so tempting as a newcomer
to shove it all up haha.
Respect for not being an arse about it :)
And I like this song a lot b.t.w :)
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I'm only posting things i have recorded in the last week or so
now if i started on the back catalog........i could fill the whole board
muhahaha
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need to sort of keep them in a file...so they can be viewed at leisure
BTW schavuitje...i find your posts a bit hard to read..there sort of long and you chop them mid-sentence to make a new line or paragraph !
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need to sort of keep them in a file...so they can be viewed at leisure
BTW schavuitje...i find your posts a bit hard to read..there sort of long and you chop them mid-sentence to make a new line or paragraph !
I should have left the song off and called this the "vent your frustrations" thread! ;)
my stuff is here if you want to wade through
www.soundcloud.com/stickboy (http://www.soundcloud.com/stickboy)
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That's because when on these boards, I type as I speak. I don't pay too much attention to sentence structure
or grammar because we are not on an English language review site.
And because I don't really give a shit as long as my meaning gets across.
When I write stories I take very much care about what I wirte and which words I use and how I structure them to paint the pictures
I want to paint. But thanks for the lesson ;)
If that's too difficult for you to follow, I'll try harder in future to chop them a bit more.
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Finally i've got time to listen to music... work gets in the way >:(
Hope you don't mind if i'm honest Stickboy.
Now i'm an old git so i'm by no means your target audience, but i've heard this formula before quite a few times. You do it really well, i especially love the doubling on the vocals in the chorus and the break and the harmonies. It's all very slick, at least to me who is somewhat lacking in musical understanding and ability. I will admit i'm envious on your ability to produce so much quality music in so little time.
But when i hear an obvious talent i do wish they try more to bend outside the mainstream, it seems like throwing caviar at cod roe to me. But that's me, like i said.
I know there is a bit of conflict at the moment here and i don't want to get brought into that(at least until i get to the bottom of this bottle.)... but i'd love to hear you get a bit more experimental... tamper with convention more?
It is a good song well recorded and performed.
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Finally i've got time to listen to music... work gets in the way >:(
Hope you don't mind if i'm honest Stickboy.
Now i'm an old git so i'm by no means your target audience, but i've heard this formula before quite a few times. You do it really well, i especially love the doubling on the vocals in the chorus and the break and the harmonies. It's all very slick, at least to me who is somewhat lacking in musical understanding and ability. I will admit i'm envious on your ability to produce so much quality music in so little time.
But when i hear an obvious talent i do wish they try more to bend outside the mainstream, it seems like throwing caviar at cod roe to me. But that's me, like i said.
I know there is a bit of conflict at the moment here and i don't want to get brought into that(at least until i get to the bottom of this bottle.)... but i'd love to hear you get a bit more experimental... tamper with convention more?
It is a good song well recorded and performed.
Thanks - to be honest its not my usual style and not something id really put on a release.... i just fancied having a go at something more epic sounding... i dont think it fully suits my voice but im fairly happy with the "sound" of the recording as an experiment
I know what you mean about losing some of the convention... i have my influences deeply rooted in folk/pop and like a song to be a song but im all for trying new things
Will have a go at something different and post it (maybe in a week or so) ;)
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Firsly I am gonna echo earlier comments about frequency of posting. It is awesome you write so much and you are very talented, this is clear. But you are taking up a lot of the board. There are many of us on here that like to listen to everything posted, and posting daily is getting a bit selfish. There is a lovely community on here and people like to get involved with one another's work. If everyone posted daily that would fall apart overnight as no-one has the time to listen to and review dozens of songs a day. If you keep posting so much you'll find people will start boycotting your threads and then everyone loses. I have seen you have apologised and will slow down, but I just wanted to put my two cents in :)
Song wise, this is fantastic work. It is very mainstream which appears to be a dirty word on here, but it is what it is and I enjoyed it thoroughly. ;D
My only concern is that your vocal is very polite and thus doesn't quite sit in a girthier song. I have had the same problem with my voice when trying to be grittier. I have tried some new voice techniques of late which have turned up trumps, but us "polite" singers need to be careful when moving away from acoustic tracks.
Conversely, when singers like that stay in the comfy place, I get bored three tracks into an album. I bought the newest Joshua Raden (or however you spell it) album after liking a song I heard. I have never got past the halfway line, as it is all on one level (American flat mastering standards don't help him, mind!)
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I think this is a superb pretty little pop song! I don't have any doubt that if an established singer (you know - the sort of people that usually get on the radio) had their name attached to this it would be A or B listed on Radio 1. It doesn't do anything particularly unusual or clever, and if you were being really rude you might even call it a little formulaic, but to criticise it for any of these things seems to kind of miss the point. And clearly there is a lot of attention to detail in the arrangement.
There is something that doesn't quite sit right about the singing though. I suspect that actually it's the effects on it and the way you've done the double-tracking, rather than your voice itself, because it sounds just fine in the verses - although I can't quite put my finger on exactly what's wrong. I'm not sure it's that your voice is too 'nice' - if you look at the singers and bands that have become successful by pedaling these sorts of songs, the names I think of are people like Chris Martin, Fran Healy from Travis, that druggy fella from Keane, the fella from Snow Patrol... not a rough voice between 'em!
At the same time, I think the melody could be a bit better... It feels a bit narrow and constricted in the chorus, like there should be a wider range. Especially in the later choruses, where people like Chris Martin would start to put falsetto in and whatever. I don't know if this is because you don't feel you can sing the high notes very well, or are shy about doing a falsetto or whatever, or if it just ended up that way by accident...
Still, very good song! :)
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I think this is a superb pretty little pop song! I don't have any doubt that if an established singer (you know - the sort of people that usually get on the radio) had their name attached to this it would be A or B listed on Radio 1. It doesn't do anything particularly unusual or clever, and if you were being really rude you might even call it a little formulaic, but to criticise it for any of these things seems to kind of miss the point. And clearly there is a lot of attention to detail in the arrangement.
There is something that doesn't quite sit right about the singing though. I suspect that actually it's the effects on it and the way you've done the double-tracking, rather than your voice itself, because it sounds just fine in the verses - although I can't quite put my finger on exactly what's wrong. I'm not sure it's that your voice is too 'nice' - if you look at the singers and bands that have become successful by pedaling these sorts of songs, the names I think of are people like Chris Martin, Fran Healy from Travis, that druggy fella from Keane, the fella from Snow Patrol... not a rough voice between 'em!
At the same time, I think the melody could be a bit better... It feels a bit narrow and constricted in the chorus, like there should be a wider range. Especially in the later choruses, where people like Chris Martin would start to put falsetto in and whatever. I don't know if this is because you don't feel you can sing the high notes very well, or are shy about doing a falsetto or whatever, or if it just ended up that way by accident...
Still, very good song! :)
Some good and interesting points here
I know exactly what you mean about going falsetto in the later choruses... im sure it would add a lot but im not sure i have the strength in that range
i can do it on a quiet song but when the backing is so loud and strong, i think my falsetto voice is too weak to cut through.... its something i could try though
the vocals effect (reverb, slight delay) is the same on verses and chorus so i guess it something to do with the harmony , which is the only difference on the chorus..... i may relook at this one... like i said before its not my usual sound and was just something i fancied having a go at after people on here had mentioned the boredom of acoustic singer songwriter songs
may be worth me trying to knock it up a gear though
thanks!
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excellent song !! as good as anything on the radio at the moment.
No words of wisdom , just wanna say great song ;)
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It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all
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It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all
Not the most useful review - if you would like to offer some advice and not just use the "sounds like coldplay" thing (which people have MOVED ON from long ago) that would be good.
I'm not sure if you read my first post but this is NOT a style I would normally do.... I just wanted to give it a go.... I don't want this to be popular...as I also said this is not a track I would put on a release
However.... for a first attempt and it being compared to coldplay..... i guess i did good ;)
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It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all
Not the most useful review - if you would like to offer some advice and not just use the "sounds like coldplay" thing (which people have MOVED ON from long ago) that would be good.
I'm not sure if you read my first post but this is NOT a style I would normally do.... I just wanted to give it a go.... I don't want this to be popular...as I also said this is not a track I would put on a release
However.... for a first attempt and it being compared to coldplay..... i guess i did good ;)
I couldn't be bothered by writing a review of something this fucking boring ,so i just gave my opinion.......
btw i can't fucking stand Coldplay
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If he thinks it sounds like an "older" Coldplay then that's his opinion and that he doesn't think that this would get
popular in the charts today... that's his opinion too.
As far as I can see that IS a useful review.
It might not be the most possitive of reviews, and it might not be what you want to hear, but it is his view nontheless.
Why do people put songs up for review and to hear what people think, if when people are honest about what they think,
they get all defensive.
Yes... YOU might think you did good. But he doesn't. Isn't he allowed that opinion?
I remember reviewing this and thinking it was good. I thought it WAS good enough and modern enough to STILL
make it into the charts even today... And that was my opinion.
Now because of your patronizing answer to his opinion, you have made him angry and swear. That's not very nice is it?
tut tut ::)
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If he thinks it sounds like an "older" Coldplay then that's his opinion and that he doesn't think that this would get
popular in the charts today... that's his opinion too.
As far as I can see that IS a useful review.
It might not be the most possitive of reviews, and it might not be what you want to hear, but it is his view nontheless.
Why do people put songs up for review and to hear what people think, if when people are honest about what they think,
they get all defensive.
Yes... YOU might think you did good. But he doesn't. Isn't he allowed that opinion?
I remember reviewing this and thinking it was good. I thought it WAS good enough and modern enough to STILL
make it into the charts even today... And that was my opinion.
Now because of your patronizing answer to his opinion, you have made him angry and swear. That's not very nice is it?
tut tut ::)
Don't want to open a can of worms but I think you're wrong.
A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.
To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion.
I could review a song that is not in the genre that I like and surely find positives and negatives in what i am reviewing.
I wasn't defensive as such in my reply... I just restated my original intentions for the track.
Because someone doesn't like a band that they "think" it sounds like doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the track
And no, im not saying the track is perfect , I pointed out and agreed with its faults throughout this thread.
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It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all
you gonna put one up madferit and show us all how it's done ? ;D
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It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all
you gonna put one up madferit and show us all how it's done ? ;D
I'm not sure that's going to happen.... he is "going to change the world and has songs better than "oasis" BUT doesn't play anything or sing"
;)
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It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all
you gonna put one up madferit and show us all how it's done ? ;D
I'm not sure that's going to happen.... he is "going to change the world and has songs better than "oasis" BUT doesn't play anything or sing"
;)
yep...that's right :).......cause i am genius ;)
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I sense trolls under the bridge ....
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"A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.
To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion."
That's not what he wrote... That's what he wrote after you patronised him. And YES, although this is called a Review section, people have different ways of reviewing.
Not everyone is so technical. Not everyone knows how to put into words how they think something can be improved. A lot of people therefore just react to what they hear.
They'll tell you what they think of it. Even just a simple. Yes I like it, or No I don't, is a valuable review.
Have only just realised who it was replying to you and yes he does seem to be full of it... Sh*t that is. :P but still his opinion is valid whether he plays, sings, writes or just
likes to embarass himself :)
He doesn't have to put one up and show how it's done. Have you ever made a feature film? Bet you still think you could review and have a valid opinion on one though :)
If he thinks it sounds like old coldplay and that coldplay are sh*t and he is going to change the world with the music he can't write then maybe it's best just to leave him be :P
I mean we'll all look really stupid when this change comes :D :D
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"A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.
To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion."
That's not what he wrote... That's what he wrote after you patronised him. And YES, although this is called a Review section, people have different ways of reviewing.
Not everyone is so technical. Not everyone knows how to put into words how they think something can be improved. A lot of people therefore just react to what they hear.
They'll tell you what they think of it. Even just a simple. Yes I like it, or No I don't, is a valuable review.
Have only just realised who it was replying to you and yes he does seem to be full of it... Sh*t that is. :P but still his opinion is valid whether he plays, sings, writes or just
likes to embarass himself :)
He doesn't have to put one up and show how it's done. Have you ever made a feature film? Bet you still think you could review and have a valid opinion on one though :)
If he thinks it sounds like old coldplay and that coldplay are sh*t and he is going to change the world with the music he can't write then maybe it's best just to leave him be :P
I mean we'll all look really stupid when this change comes :D :D
haha Nice one ;D
and BTW Some of the best song writers and composers weren't great players. Everyone's source of creativity is different. I'd also argue that song writing/composing and playing are two different things. Of course they can go hand in hand but some composers haven't touched an instrument for years, it's all in their head. Which is IMO almost more respectable than someone who needs the crutch of an instrument to do it. I also know plenty of incredible players who've never written a song and can hardly improvise. At the same time, those composers tend to lose touch with the instruments they compose for.so slagging me off becouse i don't sing and play any instrument is pretty much stupid....
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"A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.
To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion."
That's not what he wrote... That's what he wrote after you patronised him. And YES, although this is called a Review section, people have different ways of reviewing.
Not everyone is so technical. Not everyone knows how to put into words how they think something can be improved. A lot of people therefore just react to what they hear.
They'll tell you what they think of it. Even just a simple. Yes I like it, or No I don't, is a valuable review.
Have only just realised who it was replying to you and yes he does seem to be full of it... Sh*t that is. :P but still his opinion is valid whether he plays, sings, writes or just
likes to embarass himself :)
He doesn't have to put one up and show how it's done. Have you ever made a feature film? Bet you still think you could review and have a valid opinion on one though :)
If he thinks it sounds like old coldplay and that coldplay are sh*t and he is going to change the world with the music he can't write then maybe it's best just to leave him be :P
I mean we'll all look really stupid when this change comes :D :D
haha Nice one ;D
and BTW Some of the best song writers and composers weren't great players. Everyone's source of creativity is different. I'd also argue that song writing/composing and playing are two different things. Of course they can go hand in hand but some composers haven't touched an instrument for years, it's all in their head. Which is IMO almost more respectable than someone who needs the crutch of an instrument to do it. I also know plenty of incredible players who've never written a song and can hardly improvise. At the same time, those composers tend to lose touch with the instruments they compose for.so slagging me off becouse i don't sing and play any instrument is pretty much stupid....
Hey man - no one has slagged you off.... someone asked when you were going to post your song and i pointed out that you didnt play or sing - its not an issue - would be good for you to post in the lyric section or something - set the ball rolling
all cool - we are all here for the same reason
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"A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.
To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion."
That's not what he wrote... That's what he wrote after you patronised him. And YES, although this is called a Review section, people have different ways of reviewing.
Not everyone is so technical. Not everyone knows how to put into words how they think something can be improved. A lot of people therefore just react to what they hear.
They'll tell you what they think of it. Even just a simple. Yes I like it, or No I don't, is a valuable review.
Have only just realised who it was replying to you and yes he does seem to be full of it... Sh*t that is. :P but still his opinion is valid whether he plays, sings, writes or just
likes to embarass himself :)
He doesn't have to put one up and show how it
's done. Have you ever made a feature film? Bet you still think you could review and have a valid opinion on one though :)
If he thinks it sounds like old coldplay and that coldplay are sh*t and he is going to change the world with the music he can't write then maybe it's best just to leave him be :P
I mean we'll all look really stupid when this change comes :D :D
haha Nice one ;D
and BTW Some of the best song writers and composers weren't great players. Everyone's source of creativity is different. I'd also argue that song writing/composing and playing are two different things. Of course they can go hand in hand but some composers haven't touched an instrument for years, it's all in their head. Which is IMO almost more respectable than someone who needs the crutch of an instrument to do it. I also know plenty of incredible players who've never written a song and can hardly improvise. At the same time, those composers tend to lose touch with the instruments they compose for.so slagging me off becouse i don't sing and play any instrument is pretty much stupid....
Oh lordy ..... An instrument is a crutch, that's where I've been going wrong, I should've been trying to write without singing or playing, I feel such a fool ! There was me thinking it was a tool of the trade.... Wow !
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He might be a bit of a t*t Andy but again he has a point haha :D
No you don't need an instrument to write. Arturo Borero does it
all the time just with his voice and no instruments. I'm pretty certain that
all the great compoers we know couldn't play all the instruments of an orchestra.
It doesn't mean you can't have those great idea's.
What you do need to be able to do (if you want to prove how good those idea's are) is be able to write it down
at the very least, if you can't play an instrument. As long as other musicians can READ your idea's, you don't need to be able
to play them.
So Madferit. I'd join in with the others in saying,"What you got?" Where's the tablature or at the very least, world changing lyrics?"
You are right. You don't need to be able to play to have an opinion about peoples work, whatever that opinion is. But if you say
you are going to change the world then I'd like to hear or read what you have that makes you think you are going to do that :)
In fact I'd be thrilled to hear or read it.
I can't wait... I'll keep checking in, I'm that eager :)
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i just had to see what all the fuss was about .....you cant have a row here without me you know! ;D
i liked the song a lot....i thought it was very well done...........everything youve posted here has been incredible catchy......that is obviously what you do well ......some of it has sounded a bit twee & cliched but thats in the formula for pop success
i think its sad that you have to be serious & moody or misunderstood & pioneereing to get musical respect
my own music i post here falls into the happy fun pop rock category & i always think it gets marked down here because of that.. which annoys me intensley
this is where your talent is & i say whether its acoustic or electric you do it realy well :)
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He might be a bit of a t*t Andy but again he has a point haha :D
No you don't need an instrument to write. Arturo Borero does it
all the time just with his voice and no instruments. I'm pretty certain that
all the great compoers we know couldn't play all the instruments of an orchestra.I
It doesn't mean you can't have those great idea's.
What you do need to be able to do (if you want to prove how good those idea's are) is be able to write it down
at the very least, if you can't play an instrument. As long as other musicians can READ your idea's, you don't need to be able
to play them.
So Madferit. I'd join in with the others in saying,"What you got?" Where's the tablature or at the very least, world changing lyrics?"
You are right. You don't need to be able to play to have an opinion about peoples work, whatever that opinion is. But if you say
you are going to change the world then I'd like to hear or read what you have that makes you think you are going to do that :)
In fact I'd be thrilled to hear or read it.
I can't wait... I'll keep checking in, I'm that eager :)
You are right in what you say, but if he talks the talk etc.
Also if you have negative things to say about other peoples work that's fair enough , but were all civilised here and there's ways of putting things without causing upset and offence.
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"It sounds a lot like Coldplay,which is not good thing becouse if you want to succeed as a musician you need to offer something different and this sounds like just one of old coldplay songs(even coldplay have MOVED ON in the last album from that style),sorry but IMO there is no way that this song will be popular at all"
That doesn't seem to me to be particularly offensive?
His next reply was after he had been patronised for being honest about what he thinks.
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This is a very competent song I liked it. Everything was well thought through and very professional. I thought it was well produced. But that was about it really - It was nice. And if i am honest I think much of your other stuff is outstanding. But it is a good solid little song with real commercial possibility’s I would have thought. Not sure if it is fair or relevant as I am commenting on the production/arrangement and not the song itself so much but I kept thinking it would be good if the voice wondered off piste a little it stuck very much to the melody which is nice - but I would have enjoyed it more and wonder if the effect (the emotion of the song) would have benefited a little from a little more exploration in that department. But overall good song - BTB.
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Didn't read a lot of the comments, though I think to rule somebody out as being potentially selfish is probably getting ahead of yourselves in terms of judgement. Everyone is different, some people probably don't want to release songs at all on this section but can have a same view on their songs, or reviewing others.
Anyhow!
I was expecting some overreverbed mush when you said you weren't sure if you pulled off the big sound! It's well produced, the EQing and levels are great. The voice fits it well, very disciplined. (Y)
Musically, the song I find is pretty simple, but that doesn't mean it's worse. I can't imagine this being on the radio purely because of the dynamics. Definately the verse would be ok. If there was a little more depth to the chorus it may stand out more.
I think there's a lot for people to learn from the production.
I like it :) I played the song a second time. :p Verses clearly remind me of Snow Patrol.
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If he thinks it sounds like an "older" Coldplay then that's his opinion and that he doesn't think that this would get
popular in the charts today... that's his opinion too.
As far as I can see that IS a useful review.
It might not be the most possitive of reviews, and it might not be what you want to hear, but it is his view nontheless.
Why do people put songs up for review and to hear what people think, if when people are honest about what they think,
they get all defensive.
Yes... YOU might think you did good. But he doesn't. Isn't he allowed that opinion?
I remember reviewing this and thinking it was good. I thought it WAS good enough and modern enough to STILL
make it into the charts even today... And that was my opinion.
Now because of your patronizing answer to his opinion, you have made him angry and swear. That's not very nice is it?
tut tut ::)
Don't want to open a can of worms but I think you're wrong.
A review on a forum such as this (as far as i know) is to help people with where they can improve.
To just post "this sounds like coldplay and coldplay are shit and therefore this is shit" is not a review its just a pointless opinion.
I could review a song that is not in the genre that I like and surely find positives and negatives in what i am reviewing.
I wasn't defensive as such in my reply... I just restated my original intentions for the track.
Because someone doesn't like a band that they "think" it sounds like doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the track
And no, im not saying the track is perfect , I pointed out and agreed with its faults throughout this thread.
Sorry double post:
If you are posting a song for review, then you are pretty much telling yourself that you are open to hearing what a general market's collective opinion will be. Unless you are wanting to just feel better from individual reviews.
The guy who posted what I consider to not have been the most thought out comment, is the same guy that will be listening on the radio when your song comes on!
What have you learned? It's far more valuble imo to learn that such a percentage doesn't like songs that relate to Coldplay, how would tweaking a certain number of your songs work to alleviate this? Obviously, you said on your first post that it was something different so that comment probably will just make you less likely to try that sort of music again.
To be ignorant to another persons view (Regardless of who it is) to the point of arrogance can really restrict your creative flow and throughput.
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Hello
I like the song. I like the melody, the arrangement and the production. The style reminds me of late 90s early 00s indie. You have one of those friendly voices (that probly doesnt make sense but i know what i mean)
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Catchy song...the sound is a bit dated, but not dated enough that it could be cool again ;) (late 90's indie like the guy above said)
I actually think the song is a tad too slow and it loses some energy. I think the harmonies add very little...I'm not a big fan of them, they are just kind of...bland and predictable harmonies. I quite like the lyrics...they seem poetic but not too cliched and I cannot instantly tell what they are about (thats good for me...leaves something open to the imagination).
The vocal delivery was nicely in tune, but it was a bit...tired/bored sounding?
In terms of the production, I'm gonna go against people as I actually think the drums in particular were far too weak...when everything comes in at 'its in my bones...' it doesnt have nearly the power/explosion it should...
The arrangement is a little...'paint by numbers' but it all fits nicely and nothing is intruding on anything else...
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Ramshackles, now you made me think of the drums and ruined the song! :P
Now you put my critical mode on! I'm actually going to go a step further and say that the instruments don't actually do anything, they just hold a structure. They're mixed in to this structure fairly well, though the guitars sound slightly... Watery? Like a puddle, hard to explain!
You want to mix each instrument so they have their own story to tell, rather than them all being unison to create a texture.
A good way to get over this problem is make a decision which instruments you want to keep in the background and which you want to actually do something unique. For instance, legato bowed strings are useful as a texture builder, though you can be clever and let them put some attitude in a song. I use this technique probably more than I should, but I get some fast attack strings, occasionally staccato or even pizzicato, and work them into a rhythmic addition with maybe some unexpected notes. 9ths, etc. This way, you're giving a pace to the track while at the same time you're making it less predictable AND more melodically pleasing. Distortion Rhythm guitar is usually a texture instrument, though it's perfectly acceptable to give that some oomph and even melody, though it takes a fair bit of intuition in my experience.
I'll disagree with Ramshackles with the harmonies. I think the harmonies really clarify what sort of feel that you want this track to give, I find that they fit perfectly with the song, though mayyybeee you could be more adventurous with the vocals in general, but I personally don't think that's as important as giving the track behind some life.
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I liked this song. The piano/keyboard line adds a bit of charm/interest.
Well sung. Your voice reminds me a little bit of Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds for some reason and it's a song I can imagine him doing.
I agree with the other posters who put it in the realm of 90's indie which is not a bad thing IMHO.
Good stuff.
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Wow controversy central here. The song is sweet and inoffensive, the doubled vocal track got a bit grating I'd prefer it a bit more sparsely but that's just me. Madferit is right it does sound a bit Coldplay'y but I don't see that as a bad thing? How many styles are there in the world for crying out loud?