[flossie]

Yes James,

Your music is different and generally  I really like it.  There is something hypnotic and entrancing about this song, or maybe it's your voice...?? It is wonderful -  Bloody brilliant I say. It's musicians like you that keeps the musical wheels turning and you've tried something different and it really works. Definitely a medieval feel bodice ripper!!!

And how the hell did you record this ...no click track??  That must have been tricky

Oh one criticism  - the sound effects make me want to go and have a wee  !!!

[jim morrison]

Inspirational song if i'm honest mate, cracking

[vibesville]

As much as I'm a wordy kind of guy I find this a little to poetic for song. In the words of Forest Gump 'Simple is as simple does' and it's not simple enough for me, so I find I'm not drawn to it as much as I'd like to be.
Your vocal is very breathy in parts as though your over emphasizing the phrasing and it doesn't seem natural and thus loses that emotional feel.

I like the melody on this track though. Love the live drum sound and everything sits nicely in the mix, well layered so to speak. Good production :)

[andy5544]

@Andy
"nonny Nonny?!" Not entirely ure what you mean
"If we incompatible" is a case of poetic license overriding grammatical perfection, along with my love of olde english phrasing... hence "forsooth" "thyself" and "thine". Yes, it won't work for some I know, but I am loathe to omit them purely to pander.  

sorry James no offence intended , just thought the odd bit of ye olde english slipped in seemed a bit wierd.
it's a case of what i was saying on the track i just put up that when lyrics are written out you notice things that if you just listened to the track you would miss ...or just accept without question , i wouldn't have noticed the lyrics i pointed out if i hadn't read them. 
as i said ,i liked the song 

[James Nighthawk]

...theres a lot goin on and sounds tremedos with headphones, the guitar, the ahhhs after fight and the guitar after least we tried sound mega, great stuff i could listen to an album full of this and your speak out song like!

Cheers Man. Yeah I am a huge fan of nuance. Good headphones is THE way to listen to music in my books!

Yes James,

Your music is different and generally  I really like it.  There is something hypnotic and entrancing about this song, or maybe it's your voice...?? It is wonderful -  Bloody brilliant I say. It's musicians like you that keeps the musical wheels turning and you've tried something different and it really works. Definitely a medieval feel bodice ripper!!!

And how the hell did you record this ...no click track??  That must have been tricky

Oh one criticism  - the sound effects make me want to go and have a wee  !!!

Cheers for the glowing review (Hope you made it to the loo in time )
It was recorded to a click, but a programmed one. Set bar at a time, the main time singanture is 7/4. Then with changes to 6/8, followed by some free time. Which was brought back with a bar of 4/4 to cue the drummer back into the 7/4 after each gap. Easy peasey 

Inspirational song if i'm honest mate, cracking

Big love man!

...I find this a little to poetic for song. In the words of Forest Gump 'Simple is as simple does' and it's not simple enough for me, so I find I'm not drawn to it as much as I'd like to be.
Your vocal is very breathy in parts as though your over emphasizing the phrasing and it doesn't seem natural and thus loses that emotional feel.

Gonna take that as a compliment if that is ok with you kind sir! I aim for poetry sometimes so I am happy with that
And my voice is breathy, just how it is. Not false, just how I sing. It's always gonna be a little marmite, and more noticeable in slow sparse numbers. Glad you liked the sounds and melody

sorry James no offence intended , just thought the odd bit of ye olde english slipped in seemed a bit wierd ...or just accept without question , i wouldn't have noticed the lyrics i pointed out if i hadn't read them. 
as i said ,i liked the song 

Haha, no offense taken mate, everyone here is so nice I NEVER assume offense is intended
And you back up my point; without the lyric sheet, few would even notice
Big love!

[Schavuitje]

Hey 

I think it's absolutely cracking. Not keen on some of those lyrics either although they
probably do suit the medievil feel. Very clever work here James and very nice chord directions.
Loved the way it started too with those drums and the sound effect.
The accoustic sounded beautiful and very nicely played.
Very impressed. Really like this 

[habiTat]

This is really unusual, really nice production, and the rhythm seems to be in time with the waves in the background.. clever. Lyrically its not my cup of tea, but lyrics are a personal taste thing anyway, you wrote them and were happy to record them.

I love the variety on this forum, good job Mr Nighthawk 

[Ramshackles]

Wasn't a fan at first but it's a grower. The guitar solo is especially nice. Some of the grammar-mangling lines aren't to my taste, such as 'if we incompatible'.
The repeated riff is great and the acoustic guitar work is well thought out and very nice. From a song-writing perspective it's one of my favourites of yours. From a production perspective I think you've done better.

[Boydie]

JAMES, JAMES, JAMES...

It has been torture seeing you posting something a little "different" and reading the comments without being able to listen to the track (as I have been on my tablet which wouldn't play it!!)

Until now...

I must be completely honest and say that from reading the comments I didn't think I was going to like the track - I even prepared some nice wording in advance

However, I must admit you have really hit the spot with this one

As you know I am only able to listen through headphones and I must say it was an amazing experience

I am not a fan of "sound effects" in songs - 99% of the time I find them a bit corny

However - for me you managed to pull it off superbly (so that is you and Prince with his track "Thunder" - not bad company!)

I think it is the fact that the sample has incredible “richness”, the panning is just perfect, and it rolls along in perfect sync with the track

The drums also sound great

The recorded acoustic guitar tone is one of the best I have heard – not just on a demo recording but ANY recording

Now the song…

I was expecting the 7/4 time signature to have a bigger impact on the “quirkiness” of the track but I think you have managed to use something a bit different WITHOUT detrimentally affecting the feel of the track – ie not being different for different’s sake – which is no mean feat

I am not even sure I would have spotted the quirky time signature if you hadn’t mentioned it as the “groove” of the track was so strong (make sure you keep hold of that drummer!)

Some of the “ye olde” lyrics do stick out a little but I now “get it” and it is part and parcel of “your thang”

I think after this track on an album you would become accustomed to the language and just get into it

I do wonder what the “market” is for this type of music but would love to hear the album experience before trying to pre-judge

I would also like to give an honourable mention to the vocal delivery – I find the most common critique that jumps out at me for the good songs I hear on the forum is that the vocal is not “acted out” – you clearly gave yourself a hard time as a producer to get a well acted vocal delivery

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I was going to and think it is a superb piece

Great job and you have definitely whetted my appetite to hear the album…

[estreet]

Like the ebb and flow of the groove and the way that matches the lyrical concept. Nice lilting feel and sensitively arranged. I like the drums. Definitely my favourite of yours that I've heard James. Hate to jump on the bandwagon; I do have to admit that the language spoils it for me though - I can just swallow 'thine' but not 'forsooth'. It seems so out of context here and breaks enjoyment of the song by seeming somewhat silly.

[James Nighthawk]

Thank you all for your kind words and taking the time to review

So it would seem bar a few word choices this went down pretty well!  

I had no idea that a couple of archaic word choices would jar some people (a nod to those that "get it" and/or enjoyed it though)

In the age of text speak, sorry, 'txt spk', and grammatical decay, I am far happier to be in the camp of linguistic embellishment rather than destruction. I was actually scorned recently for (correctly) using the word "whom" in a spoken sentence. As if this word had offended the person "'cos no one uses that innit". This threw me a little.

I am all for the growth and change in language, but I say live and let live in all directions. I am not saying that those unkeen on the words are incorrect - that is your view and thanks for sharing it, it has got me thinking  

Much love to all

JN

[Kafla]

Right last post from me on wordgate

I have debated your use of olde words in my head a lot, I think you are a cracking forumite and I care a great deal about your music

I have come the conclusion that it's all to do with context , sure if the whole song was written in he olde music I wouldn't have a problem

But the words seem so incongruous with the rest of the text - I find myself asking why have you chosen these words - because you care about them? To show off ? Pure arrogance in terms of its my song , my words .

On reflection I feel they add nothing and take far more away from what is a cracking piece of music.

Just my thoughts JN - still love you 

[Boydie]

But the words seem so incongruous with the rest of the text - I find myself asking why have you chosen these words

I don't want to talk for JAMES but I think that is kind of the point - although perhaps not as cynically as it may sound

It has taken me a while to "get it" but perhaps the use of this language is as much of a "hook" as a synth sound or the "innit" language of rap etc.

I am reserving judgement until I experience the songs within an album context

[Kafla]

Going to be a right basa here then Boydie

If thats the reason then it definitely doesn't work for me

There would need to be a consistency in the prose for the language to work to maximum effect

[James Nighthawk]

Lol. Wordgate. Made me chuckle. I feel heartened that people are so caring about such small details. There is much love here

The words were choosen because they said what I wanted to say in a pleasant sounding way. Simple. There is no arrogance here

"Defend thyself from thine decay" is me saying "Be careful of the imminent fall I can see you are at risk of, by acting the way you are during these recent days"...

"Defend YOURself from YOUR decay" didn't ring correctly; the TH sounds had a bite to them that sounded great to project so I went with them. The aged words gave them a feel that I liked against the single note melody at that part in the song, almost reminiscent of my choir boy days... Psalms and plainsong.... A certain "chant" like feel that went with the line.


"Forsooth we incompatible" :

In stanza One I ask "yet if we incompatible".This was originally "for if...". I changed it at the recording session as the "Yet" gave me a hard "T" sound to separate the two words, which cut better when recording.
With the final line of the song I have decided in my mind that "Indeed we are Incompatible". As such, "For if/Yet if" turned to "forsooth". One syllable change to switch my stance, a word trick.

I knew it wasn't a commonly used word, but it is in my vocabulary, so I used it. I had no idea it would be a controversial, tis but a word.

I enjoy all poetry, whether that be Shakespeare or Eminem. The more words the better. The is no arrogance or showing off, just a love of words and word play.

Here is a line from a song I am writing at the moment. I think it is clever word play again: But NOW I am concerned that the word itself will be disliked?!?

"Naysayers brush right past you / Naysaying that they're bored"

Is "naysayers" past it sell by date?

Perhaps I should use "player-haters" instead
 
I is so street