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Post by Rob W on Jun 13, 2015 5:52:27 GMT
Sorry for the delay in getting this thread up and running. Controversially, I've been working! Three votes for your three favourites. Poll closes in a couple of weeks.
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Karl
Junior Member
Posts: 72 
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Post by Karl on Jun 13, 2015 12:59:22 GMT
Another set of good songs to listen to and try to score.
Years Of Days - Patrick Duffin
I particularly like the croaky break in the voice, the subtle harmonies, the harmonica and understated drum part. Very accomplished and easy on the year. Mr Duffin has done it again!
The Year Of Treatment - Tim & Julie Warner
More weirdness from the Warners! As with other songs by Tim & Julie this certainly has me intrigued. The bass line sounds great - and almost up to Rob levels in the mix! The eclectic mix of sounds, chord changes and parts work well, in a to-be-expected odd way!
A Year Of Pain - Colin Parish
Nice instrumentation, especially the bass. The lyric "the angina monologue" made me smile. I like the single-minded idea, although by the time I got April I had "got it", and was hoping for a bit more variety in the delivery of "pain in the chest".
A Year In The Red - Stephen Clarke
Another jaunty outing for Stephen's skiffle sound, which he always uses to good effect with his straight forward, catchy songwriting. I hope your son has got up now and the overdraft is coming down!
This Is The Year - Mike Gosling
I'll apologise to the neighbours next time at yours, Mike. In my defence what's the point of having drums and not hitting them hard sometimes?
The Year Of Silent Revolution - Phil Sanderson
You said you were going for "serious" this month, and you have definitely done that - it's certainly dark! I do like the a lot of what's going on in the backing track, mostly the rhythm part which is quite similar to a song Mike and I are working on.
A Year Of Bird - Eddie Custard
Coming where it does on the playlist this is quite an antidote to Phil's moody offering. The harmonies sometimes remind me of Queen, but the song itself is very Eddie - catchy, cockney, and bright. The drum programming, especially the fills, reminds me of Rob and I'm sure he'll be impressed.
The Year Of Now - Robbie Good
I recently played a gig with Robbie and he chatted to me about how he likes to write for the Songwriters Collective - with the band playing around the idea together and then recording it on the same night. This method may not be so apparent in this song, but it is nice to hear a full band perform.
The Year Of Soul Possession - Tim & Glyn
Glyn's singing sounds as heartfelt as the lyrics obviously are. I like the mood you have created, it has a touch of The Moody Blues. I also like the stop / start feel in the verses which adds a feeling of angst. The lead guitar part works well, as does the vocal treatment in the later verse. I hope writing this song has helped your cathartic process.
The Year Of Feeling Sorry - Rob Warner
Short - yes. But sung to the high standard we have come to expect. It didn't need to be longer, especially with such sparse piano backing which would, in my opinion, have benefitted from the addition of a simple bass line from verse 2.
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Post by eddiecustard on Jun 13, 2015 19:27:55 GMT
Interesting that after last month’s ribaldry we’ve nearly all done songs about regret and/or sadness.
Patrick Duffin – Years of Days
Lovely fingerpicking intro, beautifully sung, with longing. ‘The afternoons, coffee spoons’ is a nice line and there are many others. The idea of breaking down time into the blocks works well in the chorus: ‘In 24s, 365s..’ This gives a sense of time dragging (or emphasises its unrelenting nature depending on which way you look at it). The mouth organ fills are great, and add to the air of melancholia. The Duff is doing his own drumming these days, and it pays off. He’s been on a good run lately and this is another high quality addition.
Tim and Julie – The Year of Treatment
Chilling stuff from Tim and Julie, right from the opening about the disturbed child who kills spiders and flies, and carries out unspecified but no doubt unspeakable acts on the neighbour’s rabbit. Tim’s shifted miles from the beaten track, and his whispery vocals work perfectly with this sort of scary material. I like the ominous line near the end: ‘Manipulating people is my greatest achievement, I’m even better after my year of treatment’, suggesting we might have to lock away more than the pets if he ever found his way into our homes. It sounds like the patients are singing the ‘finishing school for psychopaths’ sections, a good ploy for heightening the atmosphere of unease. Musically, there are uncommon notes and chords on the organ and synths, some nice bass work and a sparse backing overall. No-one could cover this. Tim and Julie’s music is always inventive and a step away from the real world, and they deserve praise for that.
Colin Parish – A Year of Pain
A very personal song from Colin, which captures well the worries of someone with health trouble who’s trying to make light of it through some dark humour. There aren’t really any lyrics, but the funny ‘angina monologue’ line makes up for that, along with the comedy grimaces in the background.
There’s another one of his inspired basslines, which weaves in an out of the synths. It’s a good tactic to break the song down into months. With its counting down approach it feels like a disturbing riff on Ten Green Bottles. I was hoping that by December there would be a chink of light or at least a development - hopefully that will come the year after. All in all not a year of cheer, but it has spawned some excellent musical ideas. I’ve heard of dad rock, but are you saying you may now have invented dada rock? Nice one.
Stephen Clarke - A Year in the Red
An excellent bubblegum pop song with a bit of country and western. The sparse and organic production suits the subject matter of a bloke struggling for money and selling his possessions. And yet there’s always something going on in Stephen’s songs. We’ve come to expect the high quality harmonies, and they work to good effect again here in this bouncy strumalong. They’re superb on the line ‘…to have thought your lucky number would come’. As usual there’s a memorable chorus with plenty of hooks and is instantly memorable. The bridge marks a nice shift in direction, helped by: ‘Bringing all my talents to bear, I’m never going to help you pay your share, I’ll be left with only underwear’. A shortage of money, but never of ideas.
Mike Gosling - This is the Year
Great stuff, Mike - a jet-propelled R&B footstomper. Karl’s drums sound really good as usual. I really like the chord changes under the ‘ooos’ at 1.02 and 2.15, which give it a bit of class. Mike’s got the bull by the horns on this one. I like the buzzed up guitar, and the melody flows beautifully throughout. I’m so used to Mike’s high quality production that I don’t notice it much anymore, but it’s worth repeating again that it really is spot on. There’s a soaring but controlled chorus, great backing vocals, an insistent bass and perfectly judged guitar playing, especially during the verse on 0.48. Wonderful.
Phil Sanderson – The Year of Silent Revolution
Good on you Phil for turning full circle and attempting something so totally different. From prog rock to a piano symphony, a poignant love song, bawdy French comedy and now this. A song that sort of floats in the ether, defying all attempts to pin it down. The singing is good throughout, and I like the distorted vocals bit even though I can’t quite make out the words. There are so many twists and turns, short silences and bursts of invention that it’s impossible to take everything in on the first listen. It’s all about the mood, and it’s captivating all the way. I really like the wash of sounds that comes in at 3.06 – very dreamy.
Robbie Good – The Year of Now
Robbie’s like a wandering minstrel with the opening line of ‘Our story begins…’ I love the first section with the tasteful guitar and the great ‘This year of our history..’ bit. The instruments combine to create a mysterious, dense and intoxicating mood. It turns from a song into a jamming session in the second half, but remains enjoyable to the end, dipping and diving without a chorus, covering multiple shapes and sounds along the way. Having a full band gives it the live feel that gives the production a leg up. Fine singing.
Tim and Glyn - The Year of Soul Possession.
Gorgeous opening with the synth, time changes and excellent singing, which creates a trance-like, atmosphere. This is a piercing song about a friendship in crisis, and soul possession is a good line, suggesting how things have gone too far. Perhaps friendship is an under-explored area of pop lyricism, so well done for the choice of subject matter. The production and clarity of the singing and the instruments here are very good.
There’s a strong chorus, as is often the case in Tim and Glyn’s songs. I think after the three-minute mark a little could have been shaved off, but that’s only a minor quibble - this is top quality writing and performing. The most intense and atmospheric song of the month, I think. The chorus has been swimming round my head for the last few days.
Rob Warner – The Year of Feeling Sorry
Rob’s delivered some courageously sparse piano playing, but it fits really well because you don’t need much happening in the background when the singing is this good. He knows how to arrange a song and how to pack an emotional punch through the use of space and good chord sequences. There’s excellent diction with the lyrics, with clear words and sentiments. This is something that always stands out with Rob’s work – you never have to strain to work out what he’s singing about. For someone like me, whose hearing is on the wane that is a big plus. He’s on song here and there’s a very effective final line of ‘We can still have it all.’ Very good, and the latest in a line of strong tunes from Rob.
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Post by timwarner on Jun 14, 2015 10:50:35 GMT
Year of Days - Patrick Duffin
Some very pleasing guitar playing and vocals. Then some bass and vocals come in and I start to think this isn’t as ‘pared down’ as I expected, then the backing vocals come in and I think you’ve blown any claims on being minimalist. I like the harmonica and I’m wondering if you actually played a harmonica or you’ve got the best software instruments in the world.
It is a lovely, reflective song that could easily be covered by the likes of Bruce Springsteen. It’s really very good. I just think it was mis-sold in the sleeve notes.
The Year of Treatment
Julie says it’s about time we found something else to write about. She’s probably right.
A Year of Pain - Colin Parish
Definitely a Colin Parish song. It’s impossible to avoid the lyrics so I’m waiting for the change in condition but ‘pain in my chest’ is as far as it gets, which is amusing and shows some confidence. At the end I almost expect a continuity announcer to say ‘we have fixed the problem and we can return to the scheduled program.’ It’s strangely soothing, especially when considering the lyrics.
A Year in the Red - Stephen Clarke
Another very identifiable style. Catchy hook and lots of nice guitar work to please the guitarist among us (pretty much all of us). The pause at then end of the phrase and the guitar lick that starts it up again is great.
The sentiment behind it all is one I can identify with and you’ve captured it very well. For it to be more relevant to my experience with my son, you’d have to have included a verse about becoming nocturnal and only surfacing during the day if there was a test match on.
Mike Gosling - This is the Year
From reading the sleeve notes, I have to declare my preconceptions on political/protest songs. I always felt sorry for the likes of Billy Brag whose life and career seemed to be shaped by something he hated (Fatcher!). Then I got frustrated that they never seem to offer any alternatives, just bang on about ‘this is terrible.’ It’s difficult not to be reminded of this when there are several key words that are unavoidable.
That said, it’s a really good song. I especially like the pre-chorus bit when it goes minor before bursting into ‘this is the year.’ It’s all pushed along very well by Karl’s drums. There’s more going on that is obvious and it’s very well played and produced. You may well be the only one who uses a live drummer and it’s certainly seems to work well. It’s a strange mix of uplifting song with lyrics that say ‘everything is s**t.’
The Year of Silent Revolution - Phil Sanderson
Back to a style reminiscent of some of you earlier contributions but, possibly buoyed with a bit more confidence and practice. The use of dynamics is very good but, having read the sleeve notes I’m confused about what happened to all the acoustic guitars (let’s face it, you’re not shy about using some processing).
I’m finding it an effort to listen to the lyrics as they’re quite low in the mix and the distorted bit, while effective, is, to me at least, difficult to decipher. This is not a bad thing as I usually don’t take much notice of the lyrics anyway. It’s a lovely atmospheric piece that you can allow to wash over you or carefully dissected and enjoyed over again.
A Year of Bird - Eddie Custard
Some smart, jaunty playing in the intro and verse before giving way to the lush ‘they take me away for a year’ chorus section. The switch back to the verse works really well as you’ve already played the change in the intro. The extended chorus and then another great instrumental break (I love solos with corners on) are done with an assuredness that is easy on on the ear. Love the backing vocals. The playing is all quite busy without crowding anything out. The only disappointment is ending it with a fade out. I can't help thinking that, in a different era, you'd have had an office down the hall from Carol King and Neil Diamond.
The Year of Now - Rob Good Band
I played on this so can’t comment too much. It was great fun doing it. I can only think we were in some kind of ‘Pink Floyd’ mood but using only tea rather than whatever they were on.
The Year of Soul Possession - Tim and Glyn
The opening section on this had me really puzzled. I just couldn’t quite get comfortable with the rhythm. There seemed to be some hesitancy, which I found unsettling, that doesn’t seem to be repeated in subsequent verses. It all makes it feel live and it certainly makes me want to listen. There is much to admire here. It is beautifully understated. All the sounds are very good. I’m a big fan of the ‘telephone vocal’ effect.
A Year of Feeling Sorry - Rob Warner
Ever the ‘deadline junky’ we all know Rob to be, I get the feeling this has been bashed together and released before it was quite fully formed so, it feels like a sketch rather than a finished painting (no bad thing, in my opinion). Perhaps it would benefit from less playing as the piano just doesn’t sound like it’s being played by a pianist (am I spoiled from playing in a band with Colin S?). Vocals, as always, are superb and are especially suited to serious subjects (the kind of gravitas you bring would be incongruous singing ‘it’s all about the bass’ for instance). I just wish you’d learned to use the piano's sustain pedal before you submitted it.
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Post by stephen on Jun 16, 2015 9:18:30 GMT
What I liked this month is the way people were taking risks, really being themselves - probably a reaction to being Eurovisionists last month.
Patrick D Years of Days
A real campfire lament – assuming campfires have amps of course. I like the rising "24s, 365s" chord progression, and it was great to hear that clear guitar playing, the harmonica and even the sound of someone hitting a cymbal. All very live and atmospheric – I personally prefer this style of song to your more synthesized ones.
Tim & Julie Year of Treatment
Spooky sounds, just like the book – I like the ghostly acoustic guitar and the (rather appropriate) Madness bass line. Kind of a mixture of Madness, Leonard Cohen and Talking Heads. And that sudden cut-off ending is a bit psycho too. Wacky and very effective.
Colin Parish A Year of Pain
Cool atmosphere, sort of Indian and ambient, with those powerful arpeggios constantly improvising their way across the backing track, stabbing at us like those chest pains. It's daring and a bit scary at first, but it works. It'd be great film or TV music. Btw excellent "angina monologue" joke.
Mine
One day I'll work out how to balance sounds better (the bass and drums sound much louder in my Garageband than on the website.) And how to produce a track with higher volume. In a year maybe.
Mike Gosling This is the year
Powerful stuff, as usual - you're on a great run. The beginning reminds me of a Coldplay song, in a good way. Great guitar sounds, and that chord change just before "austerity now" works very well. I like the way it develops when you think it's going to go back to the starting point again, so the second phase of the song kicks in really strongly and upliftingly.
Phil Sanderson Year of Silent Revolution
Anyone who only got to know Phil at Eurovision 2015 will be in for a shock. Not a word of French here. I like your use of synthesized voices, the variety of sounds, and the overall risk-taking that you go in for – letting the song die like that in the middle then reincarnating it. It's all very early 1970s, in the best way, sort of sound sculpture.
Eddie Custard Year of Bird
I don't know how you manage to combine jauntiness with the bleakness of having to use tins of pears as money, using someone else's sheets and "the rest" your mum doesn't know about, but it works. Great melodic chorus, very nice guitar riff between sections of the songs, Beatles-like harmonies and as usual a bass sound that I am desperate to get out of my own set-up. All in all, it has certainly turned me away from a life of crime, as well as making me want to change my bass strings.
Rob Good Band The Year of Now
I like the live sound right from the start - it sets the tone for the very intimate feel of the song, even when it builds up towards the end it somehow stays intimate. Nice chord changes when you come to the spoken section, and an effectively smoochy keyboard solo. I like the way instruments kick in one after the other – the bass, then two lead guitars and the drums – so you build the volume slowly. Very nice sign-off too.
Tim & Glyn The Year of Soul Possession
Very smooth, the way you make the strange rhythm feel very natural – only if you tried to dance to it would things get weird. Very nice vocals, and I like the way you've varied them, especially the use of double-tracking and the more "distant" section towards the end. Memorable melodies, too. The vocals and the lead guitar combine really effectively to give a melancholy feel to some very nice chord changes. One of your best.
Rob Warner A Year of Feeling Sorry
Less is more.
I was going to stop there, but it would have been a cheap joke. I counted at least three hooks here, as well as some great vocals and smooth chord changes. If you'd added a couple of transition chords at the end, you could just have repeated the song and kept the waving lighters in the crowd going for twice as long.
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Post by patrickd on Jun 16, 2015 20:39:59 GMT
Well done again everyone, Patrick's thoughts -
2 - Tim and Julie
Imaginative instrumentation, reminiscent of Trout Mask Replica, with intertwining odd bits, but with a reassuring groove coming and going which stops it from being formless. It's an experience, a bit like Captain Beefheart without the bellowing voice. Innovative and interesting.
3 - Colin Parish
More genre invention, - outback dub this week. Witty lyrics, a diary of pain, and clever reference to the stage play about women's bits. Who could have thought that the line 'Pain in my chest' could be a hook. I like the guitar sounding instruments, some nice bends and effective twiddles. Like Tim and Julies, this goes to show you can ditch the conventional song structure and still make it interesting.
4 - Stephen Clarke
Jaunty groove with nice melodic groove reminiscent of Another Girl Another Planet.
Catchy hooks and witty lyrics throughout, which Stephen does effortlessly, and he always reminds me of Rubber Soul in a good way.
5 - Mike Gosling
Nice big uplifting production, reminds me of something from Springsteen's River album. I like Karls cracking snare fills, and can imagine them being wonderfully loud. The drumming does remind me of Max Weinberg, in a very good way.
Mike seems to be constantly carving away the unnecessary embellishments of his songs, and this is a very strong lead vocal supported by simple rock arrangement, even the lyrical syllables seem to have been stripped back to bare essentials.
6 - Phil Sanderson
Lovely atmospheric sound, with some wonderful aaahhhs. This is Phil back to familiar ground. I like the strange percussive sounds which take it out of the english pastoral and into more north africa which is a good combination. Where on earth does this music come from?, I don't think I'd ever recover from looking at Phil's record collection. Much as I enjoy Phil's dense bewildering music, I would like to be able to just hear his voice a bit more. Amid the strangeness there is calm melody too at 3.19 outro takes us somewhere else.
7 - Eddie Custard
Nice groove, reminds me of Blur which I do mean as a compliment. The production improves each month, and there's lots of room for everything here, despite there being lots of different parts. Trademark angular verse complemented by a sweet chorus. Eddie's vocals get clearer and more to the fore, which is a good thing as the lyrics are always witty and inventive. I'm glad somebody finally got "tins of pears" into a song.
8 - Rob Good Band
The unexpected minor second chord gives a nice tension to it. Nice to hear Rob's voice again, with that vibrato. Reminds me of Pink Floyd with the guitar solo sound. Flows along nicely with a good clear production.
9 - Tim and Glynn
i like the cliffhanger meter of the verse, unusual and strong. Nice to hear Glynn's voice centre stage. The instruments all work well together and I like the clean simple production.
10 - Rob Warner
Brave confessional upfront vocal, and the sparse instrumentation lets the strong vocal take centre stage. Takes guts to just do one instrument and vocals, you have to have faith in the raw ingredients and not get frightened into embellishments. No reason not to be proud of this one. Now and again the Peter Gabriel influence goes away and it's all the better for it.
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Post by philsanderson on Jun 20, 2015 17:49:54 GMT
Year of Days - Patrick Duffin
Great clear production letting thedifferent instruments have their space, and I too like the ‘real’ percussion. I especially like the quality of your voice on this one – sort of fragile and wistful. Another Duffin masterpiece!
The Year of Treatment – Tim and Julie
I’ve consciously tried to avoid meeting Tim on my dog walks since I heard this! ( worried about the welfare of not only my dogs, but mine, too!) It’s disturbing and I love it. The more upfront bassline works really well. When I first heard this in the background whilst sorting out my ironing I misheard the backing vocals and thought the songhad maybe moved onto ‘Cycle Paths’ and the protagonist lurking in the bushes ready to pounce on any unsuspecting bike riders! That line has sort of stuck in my head and went with me during my(running) race last Tuesday. I’m sure it somehow made my legs go faster ( check my PB time, Tim + Rob!)
A Year of Pain - ColinParish
The Delhi Didgeridoo Dada sound has arrived! Strangely intoxicating mix of sounds and a most personal song from Colin. Although I initially wanted the lyrics to go somewhere else towards the end I can thoroughly understand why they didn’t and why should they? Good choice of bass line throughout. I’d like to hear a sequel to this at some point!
A Year in the Red - Stephen Clarke
Skiffly country music has its place - especially when delivered in such a brilliant way. I like the way the song begins ( all too brief!)- maybe you’ll sort of let rip more often - it sounds good. Very accomplished lyrics and seemingly effortless vocal delivery. My own children aren’t near ‘that’ year yet. When they do approach the year in bed I’ll be playing this to them, emphasizing, however, that it will not be a year in the red, more like 25 years in the red paying off multiple loans.
Mike Gosling - This is the Year’
Powerful stuff this. Made me sit up and listen ( technically I was ironing and I merely placed the iron down and listened). I like how the drum / percussion part drives the song throughout- sounds like a brilliant live recording of aband.
A Year of Bird - Eddie Custard
Another high quality EC song- the bass sound and notes are extremely good here, as is the vocal / drum section (which has no bass...) Effortless sounding harmonies so well delivered. Although very much the EC sound I’m expecting to hear I think this moves slightly in a ‘smoother’direction. Drum programming of the highest order too!
The Yearof Now - Rob Good Band
What ‘tea’ were you on? Those of us without a band to record with are envious! The song builds so well with superbly delivered vocals. This was the May song that most conjured up a video opportunity for me.
The Year of Soul Possession - Tim and Glyn
A really excellently written song. I know it was really heartfelt and the emotion comes through powerfully inthe vocal delivery. Both the verse and the chorus stuck in my head after only one listening. Lovely use of 6/8 time, and that ‘broken’ rhythm in the verses is inspired. This is right up therewith your finest.
A Year of Feeling Sorry - Rob Warner
Wonderfu voca, delivere so professiona. On the one hand brave to use only one instrument( without sustain pedal!), but on the other when you have such a brilliant voice in your armoury it’s thoroughly understandable. Would be interested to read more lengthy sleeve notes – ie had you intended to add more instruments? I can only strive to improve my vocals, knowing that I’ll fall woefully short of your high standard.
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tandg
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by tandg on Jun 22, 2015 21:03:00 GMT
Patrick Duffin – Years of Days
This is lovely! Great guitar playing, great sounding live drums (please don’t tell us they’re not live) the harmonica is great and the production as always is immaculate. Loved your singing on this one. Glyn’s favourite of all your songs so far.
Tim and Julie – The Year of Treatment
Dark and disturbing and an absorbing song to listen to. Love the upfront bass that keeps it bowling along and the almost conversational/confessional lyrics. There’s a sort of gentle ‘Much too Young’ Specials vibe to this alongside Alice Cooper/Lou Reed that works really well. Worth several listens to catch it all.
Colin Parish – A Year of Pain
This is really exceptional. I imagine an exhibition of 12 paintings with the music playing throughout! The backing, playing and recording is good and the interweaving of the acoustic guitar sound (with its overtones of sitar) the strings and bass works beautifully. The voice is good – it could have not worked at all but the reverb and tone of voice sits nicely in the mix. Oddly the simple, repeated lyric really works. This is a truly original piece.
Stephen Clarke - A Year in the Red
This really flows along well. Good harmonies, catchy chorus line and really well played rhythm guitar. I love the vocal harmonies and double tracking and the understated delivery – you really do this so well, with clean mixing, space for everything to fit in and fundamentally a really good, catchy song.
Mike Gosling - This is the Year
Wonderful opening burst of sound – definitely the most immediate impact of any of the songs. I love the drum sounds and the lead guitar part/main riff. The drums are so well recorded and played they absolutely make the song. The crisp recording quality, great mixing and punchy sound is hard to achieve and you’ve really nailed it. I liked the lyrics though the chorus felt like it came from a different song to the verses lyrically. Loved the harmonies throughout but my favourite is definitely the section just before the chorus (the ‘aah ooh ooh austerity now’ bit) which is really satisfying. And so back to the drums and lead guitar – great playing, recording and mixing – none of the rest of us come close to that level of energy.
Phil Sanderson – The Year of Silent Revolution
There’s something very pre Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd-like about this one. I love the distorted voice and the really melodic burst at about 2 mins 30. Love the drum sounds, the bells and general ambience of the song – the atmosphere is dreamy and other-worldly. Phil's songs are never predictable and often have a sort of meander to them, which means you have to hear them again and again (and they are usually worth the effort). This is the song I wanted on repeat most this month.
Eddie Custard – A Year of Bird
Really interesting subject matter – the lyrics are fascinating and justify several listening all on their own. As always, the sheer musicality of your songs is what really bursts through. The instruments are well played, the harmonies are great and the vocal line is catchy yet unpredictable and the whole thing hangs together so well. I’m full of admiration for your songs and this is yet another winner.
Robbie Good – The Year of Now
Wonderfully polished opening – the build of strings, guitar, piano and bass is great. Absolutely love the organ solo. Robbie’s voice sounds terrific – really well controlled and recorded. It was only when the drums finally burst in that I realised there hadn’t been any up until then. Great guitar solo (I’m a sucker for guitar that really bursts onto the scene). It sounds like you all had a fun recording it.
Rob Warner – The Year of Feeling Sorry
This is very brave Rob. You can get away with it because your voice is so true and rich but there’s so much more to this little gem. The no-sustain piano gives the song a sense of tension – it doesn’t flow and that actually lends it a sort of intrigue –will he, won’t he bring in anything else (even a sustain pedal)? I thought at first it was just a sketch but have listened to it several times and like it just as it is. Charming!
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Post by colinallcars on Jun 23, 2015 19:34:45 GMT
Great batch of songs this month – congratulations everyone. This is going to be a really tough one to vote on….
Patrick Duffin
Lovely country sound from the off, wonderfully controlled vocal – a simple song beautifully done. Great lyric about the passage of time. I love the space in this song – just a guitar and drums, and then the bass, and the harmonica takes off but oh so calmly – with lovely harmonies. I admire your confidence in doing so little and yet you manage to make such a full sound. A triumph.
Tim and Julie
Great sense of menace that pulls the listener in. And the lyric is just as off kilter. The bass line could be something off the Specials first album. Classy instrumentation too. Glad we haven’t met on a dark night…. Is this the school hymn?
Stephen Clarke
We’ve all been here – no money and no prospects. Reminded me of the only time I was unemployed for three months before starting a course. Sounds jolly and skips along at a nice pace but the message is a tough one – maybe I’m still waiting for heaven on earth. ‘If I pay your share I’ll be left with only underwear’ – choose your friends carefully huh? But you can’t choose your kids….
Mike gosling
Great intro with the drums, guitar and bass thumping out a clear message. Ah-oo-hoo – great hook, reminiscent of Werewolves of London, I sang it in the shower! Super lyrics, an anthem for our time. It’s a shame political songs are so out of favour - this could be a hit – now or in the 1980s. Fits nicely with Stephen’s gap year song…
Phil Sanderson
Prog rock feel and I love the distorted, bullhorn voice calling out from afar. This is really atmospheric with hints of Yes, Genesis and even Pink Floyd – in a good way. Love the way the chorus comes bursting back in after you take it all down. People have said my music could work as film music – this would make a great soundtrack to an apocalyptic epic.
Eddie Custard
From the first note this is beautifully produced. Super bass and the usual, expected high quality vocal harmonies we can expect from Mr Custard. The lyrics are painful – can you imagine how hellish it would be to be in the nick? A Jolly song about a terrible occurrence – yet it works superbly. Have you ever been to Belvedere? No wonder they built a prison there!!!! Magic!
The Rob Good Band
Great vocal. From the off this song sounds like a song from a musical, all Broadway lush and lovely. I can imagine the singer wandering across the stage, loosening his tie, looking wistfully up into the upper circle…. The recording sounds a bit like Genesis, with the intricate keyboard work and the guitars and bass interweaving their way around the melody. And a great guitar solo to round the whole thing off. Really nice.
Tim and Glyn
Dramatic and wistful – but unsettling. It sounds like it has an odd time signature but maybe it’s just ¾ - anyway, it flows along nicely. Sad lyric about the problem of not being to help someone you care about. Another wistful song – ‘We are watching from the outside as your whole life gets rearranged’ - with nicely delivered lyrics. Love the guitar solo with lots of sustain.
Rob Warner
I say it every time – that voice is a peach! You’ve managed to reduce a song to its most important components – rhythm, melody and emotion. Lovely, surprising chord sequence. If Peter Gabriel did this song it would be accepted as just another one of his masterpieces. Well done, I think it’s just fabulous.
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Post by Colin Steward on Jun 25, 2015 23:43:35 GMT
Hello all. I have voted but most have already said what I was thinking so I'd only be repeating. That said, the stand-out songs for me were Patrick's and Tim & Julie's. Tim's delivery is perfect. Musically, it's very Tom Waits, I felt after the first verse, it was a little wordy and sounded as though the words were crammed in, but I did love it. Patrick's, as usual, sounds effortless, and confident. To sing over the bare bones of a backing is something I'm envious of. There's nowhere to hide and you just have to be that good to make it work. Same applies to Rob W.
I'm sorry I haven't submitted the last couple of times. Eurovision had me running in circles. I had various ideas but never settled on any. (I now mourn the loss of Euro Phil).
'The year of' task - well, I'm a bit gutted. I feel I had a good song, upbeat and modern. Backing was pretty much done and backing vocals, but my attempt to sing was painfully awful and certainly not good enough to air on here.
I had a chat to Rob W recently who kindly offered to provide vocals (he's a music whore!) but by the time I realised I was getting nowhere it was all rather too late I'm afraid.
I also won't have anything for this month. I have started a song but my synth packed up at a gig and I now have a new one which I've been spending all my spare time getting ready for a gig this weekend. (It's the Korg Kronos for those interested.). I hope to join you all soon and get back into it.
Well done to all - I'm genuinely impressed.
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Post by Rob W on Jun 26, 2015 15:53:54 GMT
I also have voted but haven't yet put down my thoughts. But I promise I will make it happen this weekend.
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Post by mikegosling on Jun 26, 2015 21:18:37 GMT
Many apologies fellow songwriters I have completely run out of time this month to do a review of the songs. This month's batch certainly had a hangover feeling from the Eu(ro)phoria of last month. There are great themes and ideas in this batch.
I will vote and hope to find some time later next week to critique the songs. Also, advance apologies that I don't think I will find time before Wed to deliver a Hero song.
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Post by timwarner on Jun 28, 2015 12:12:36 GMT
Well done to Patrick, another good song presented extremely well.
If there was a SWC league table, I'm guessing you would have an almost unassailable lead by now. Luckily, there isn't and, luckier still, for me at least, it's the taking part that counts because I can't get relegated.
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tandg
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by tandg on Jun 28, 2015 18:13:25 GMT
Well done Patrick - highly deserved, leaving us all to wish we could do it as well as you....A well deserved second place for Eddie as well. Well done both of you.
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Post by Colin Steward on Jun 28, 2015 19:48:08 GMT
Nice one Patrick, lovely song.
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Post by Rob W on Jun 28, 2015 20:26:26 GMT
As I post this, I see that Patrick has already swept the board. What a star!
Patrick D
Years of Days
When I saw (in his sleeve note) that he was paring it back then I clearly had this at the back of my mind when I put together my ‘pared back’ song. Mine is more of a light pencil sketch compared to this. This IS sparse but is a perfectly weighted arrangement (again) for the sentiment and feel of the song. I love the harmonica (I haven’t seen him play that for a while.) I could see being a hit on one of the minor stages at Glasto. I met Patrick a week or so ago and to those of us mere mortal songwriters, he IS a real person and isn’t some perfect being that’s been created purely to write songs. Lovely. Another in a long line of great songs and very much a ‘Duffin’ song.
Tim & Julie
The Year of Treatment
This was a title worthy of Stephen Clarke! Whereas I considered to what I could possibly refer to, Tim & Julie take us down a much darker path (ably assisted by their daughter’s current reading of academic choice!)
This is a slice of sixties psychedelia or perhaps it could have come straight off an early seventies Alice Cooper album (he was definitely an influence in the Warner family.) I love the clarity of the instrumentation. I truly love the verse, particularly the vocal delivery - Tim is stretching his legs with every month that passes and it would be amazing if anyone has the time to see how he has progressed from his early recordings a year ago - but I’m not quite so keen on the chorus. When I listen to it again, the answer would be to not have a chorus. I’m not sure it needs one. But a tremendous effort.
Colin P
A Year of Pain
Colin (my writing partner!) are as one when it comes to a ‘thought’ about how this task should be handled in terms of a title.
This is a departure for Colin. I love it. It reminds me of something and I couldn’t quite put my finger until Colin said ‘August’ and then I realised it was his spoken voice. It sounds just like Mike Oldfield on ‘Tubular Bells’ (‘Grand Piano’ and ‘Two slightly distorted guitars’.)
I really enjoyed the musical side of this and I would love to know what was played, what was programmed and what was a ‘gift’ from Apple. I enjoyed Colin’s ‘Valentine’ effort, but I enjoyed this nearly as much.
Stephen C
A Year in the Red
Typical smile-inducing title and instant toe-tapping skiffle. I didn’t like the overlaid electric on this one but it can’t distract from the brilliance of Stephen’s lyrics and melody. I’m always imagining that I could cover one of Stephen’s songs but they suit his voice so much. No one else would do them justice.
This has a new clarity. Have you done something different? (according to your sleeve notes, no!)
Brilliant as ever.
Mike G
This is the year
I can just imagine how that intro went down with the neighbours.
This is a Mikey G song from the Eighties. This is Red Wedge Mike. It’s as though he’s woken up thinking that Maggie’s still in power! I listened to this twice and lyrically I thought it had a clear meaning but then I couldn’t quite work out if Mike was endorsing the ‘plan’ (championed by the previous coalition) or was saying that he didn’t like the ‘plan’ and that we should attempt to elect a Syrza(?)type government that would oppose austerity (in which case, ‘This is the year we default on paying back money that we’ve already spent. Oops!)
Having failed to avoid the politics (Mike started it!!!) then as a song, it’s as whip-sharp in its arrangement as ever and the production is absolutely top drawer. Did Karl have a hand in the mix? That would explain a prominent role for the percussion!
It was difficult for me to try and step back from the lyrics, but I think that this could go from being a good song to a really great crowd-pleaser if it had fewer of the ‘nailed to the mast’ words.
Phil S
The Year of Silent Revolution.
I saw Phil last week. His silent revolution is that he knocked about 2 minutes off his 5 mile time! (I wanted to share on your behalf, you total bastard!! For those who can’t work it out, he was 2 minutes faster than me. Outrageous.)
This is back to Phil of the many overlays. And yet there is something different. It appears slightly more controlled and easy on the year and there are some gorgeous chord progressions (like appearing from the dark to the light.) I love the drums. And I also love what you did with your voice on this. It’s quite Pink Floyd in places. It’s a real soundscape. This is a surprising hit for me. Well done. My advice would be to give up running and produce more music like this Phil! (Fat chance.)
Rob G
The Year of Now
Beautiful recording. Such clarity from the opening chords to the ‘telephone’ echo on Rob’s voice. This is the best Rob G song I’ve heard. I keep listening to it and I’m so impressed with the sound, particularly on the guitar and on Rob’s voice.
This reminds me of something. It’s almost late seventies Genesis (that’s a compliment.) And then with the flange on the voices at the end it becomes very Bowie and a bit Beatle-y. I absolutely LOVE IT when the drums slam in and the guitar solo starts. Fantastic (and takes us back to those ‘Abbey Road’ recording sessions in a very authentic way.) Great work from the Rob G band.
Tim & Glyn
The Year of Soul Possession
Everyone this month appears to have upped their game sonically. And Tim & Glyn are no exception. The opening verse made for slightly uncomfortable listening (I was searching for ‘1’ in the four beat bar - I never did find it!) but when it launched into the chorus it was the perfect yang to the ‘ying’ verse and it is worthy of the very best John Martyn recordings.
I loved the ‘telephone’ pleading voice of the middle 8. Glyn’s voice is used more as a texture (but thankfully sitting very proud in the mix) as it’s breathy brilliance takes us through the painful memories and accusations. A gold nugget from the Hughes-Lucas hit factory.
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Post by mikegosling on Jun 29, 2015 6:39:02 GMT
Well done Patrick - a very good song and production. The harmonica playing is superb - is there nothing you can't do!
Eddie, a very commendable runner-up - another great effort from you.
Well done to everybody on your songs this month - really sorry I haven't had the time to listen thoroughly and comment.
In answer to Rob, my song is Red Wedge Mike p***ed off that nobody out there is offering a credible alternative to the Conservative agenda. I continue to vote Labour and increasingly feel it's a wasted vote. By the way, the original two line lyric for the verse (which I failed to follow up on) was:
"We're living through a Zombie Apocalypse / We're living in a rundown Acropolis" - perhaps I should have made this my Eurovision entry!
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Post by mikegosling on Jun 29, 2015 6:49:53 GMT
... and a plug for my (very different) gigs this week in Harwich.
We are performing a poetry and music piece in the Harwich Festival on Wed, 1st July. The shows are on the barge in Harwich and are at 5pm and 8pm.
The show is called Prometheus and is a series of poems performed with improvised music. I am performing the improvised music (all on guitar) and Philip Knight is performing the poetry (which he wrote on the Prometheus theme). Sound a bit highbrow, but it's not really. Having said that it's a pretty intense piece and not a bundle of laughs! Hope to see some of you there - I know Karl will be coming along to the 8pm show. Cheers.
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Karl
Junior Member
Posts: 72
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Post by Karl on Jun 29, 2015 15:03:41 GMT
Well done Patrick - a really good song this month.
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Post by eddiecustard on Jun 29, 2015 16:55:14 GMT
Good work, Patrick - a thoroughly deserved win.
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Post by colinallcars on Jun 29, 2015 18:03:12 GMT
Well done Patrick - a lovely song and a well deserved win.
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Post by Patrick D on Jun 29, 2015 19:17:50 GMT
Thanks very much for the nice words and the votes, and well done Eddie !
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Post by stephen on Jul 1, 2015 9:40:17 GMT
Well done Patrick and Eddie, the Gallaghers of the collective. You ought to create a duo - Plum Duffin Custard (yes, rubbish joke, nul points).
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