|
|
Post by Rob W on Nov 3, 2015 20:18:02 GMT
Voting Here
|
|
|
|
Post by Rob W on Nov 4, 2015 22:54:28 GMT
Stephen Clarke
Winner not a Sinner
The name ‘Stephen Clarke’ is not synonymous with the words ‘Power Ballad.’ But I think that he has created here another winning song that he appears to have great fun with.
It’s a given that his lyrics are pithy and always make me smirk or laugh out loud. But his melodies are always well thought out and fit perfectly with whatever he’s produced as a backing.
I know that we’re not judging production but this is another step up. Clear and easy on the ear (and a great solo guitar sound.)
Is this a Power Ballad? Who cares??
Mike G
This is as simple as it gets. It’s U2/Folky Rock in places (that’s not a criticism.) I listened to this a couple of times and what struck me was the lack of a discernible chorus (essential to be classed as a Power Ballad.) However, when it really kicks in (the ‘Dream On’ section) it very much lifts this song to ‘Power Ballad’ status.
Though the chord progressions sound simple, they weave their way throughout easily and rather more effectively than the melody which is, to my tastes, a little too simple. I may be over-thinking it (and thinking of it as a singer) but a soaring, searing vocal would have been the icing on what is otherwise and very pleasing cake.
Production on this is excellent (did Karl have a hand in mixing? Drums nice and high in the mix at the start!!)
Phil S
I read Phil’s notes before listening and was expecting something different from the off but the ‘tremulous guitars’ were evident from start. However, once the verse starts this is indeed a diversion for Phil. And the chorus is very much a singalong. Simple and catchy.
Into the second verse and the octave vocals are very effective. The second verse features an unbelievable array of vocalists. All you, Phil? For the second chorus, I’d imagine there were at least five different vocal performances (this is a game Phil set up for me at the cross-country last Sunday.)
I love the drop down to nothing and my only criticism would be that you could have made more of the very effective key change.
I heaped praise on Phil when I last saw him and not for his running even though he beat me at the cross-country! I listened to his last offering on headphones and was impressed with the ‘spread’ of the mix. This, though impressive, was not as defined as last month’s winning entry and I would offer Phil the advice of not overloading his recordings (I would add that I am as/more guilty of this than most.)
This song, I would argue, is the most ‘Power Ballady’ of the lot so far.
Tim & Julie
Wait! Tim (& Julie) have morphed into Stephen Clarke! I love these lyrics.
Just to set the scene of what I normally do when listening/writing these reviews. I listen to everything once or twice while I’m on the train to London. I open up my computer and press play and then read the virtual newspaper. I was chugging through the tracks when this came on. It grabbed me by the lapels, forcing me to stop reading The Times’.
If I were truly being picky, I would argue that it hits only onel of the essential elements of ‘Power Ballad-ing’ (Namely, it has a guitar solo.) But in the case of this particular song I would make an exception and hold it up as ‘the New Power Ballad’ or the ‘State of the Art Power Ballad’.
It’s a triumph. I know that voting is secret but unless Christian and Tim & Glyn come up with something akin to ‘Bat Out Of Hell’, this song is going to get one of my votes.
Christian Duffin
He may be unmasked but he has lost none of his skill. This song is beautiful in its construction and performance.
Controversially (for a Power Ballad) Christian eschews the need for over-reverbed drums (in fact he eschews any drums!) But the songs feel stands on the ’thump, thump’ of his rhythmic piano playing.
I like Christian giving the game away in his blurb but he chose not to this time which had me listening to it a little more closely. The song is very bright and cheery but the lyrics are so sad. Very thought-provoking. I found myself reflecting on my own ‘last time that we spoke’ moment and then looking at the faces of the commuters (of various ages,) wondering about their ‘last time that we spoke’ moments.
I loved this. Very different from Tim’s but no less enjoyable or thought-provoking.
Tim & Glyn
A very rich-sounding Glyn (beautifully husky in the low register) is caressing every syllable. It’s very entrancing and really draws you in. The keyboard progression sounds so good that it feels as though it was written by Lennon, McCartney or Bacharach! The whole sparse feel reminds me of some of the recordings of John Martyn (though I’ve probably heard two songs by him in my life.)
I loved the end of the first section with all the ‘fiddling, off-mic’ bits left in. Deliberate?
There’s so much space in this. The chorus is so simple (one note?) but very effective.
Then the killer guitar solo. That boy is unbelievably talented. The sound; the choice of notes; brilliant and a perfect, perfect topping for a really great song.
I honestly thought I’d heard the songs that would get my votes this month but Tim & Glyn have given me a problem!!
|
|
|
|
Post by timwarner on Nov 8, 2015 21:21:36 GMT
I was a bit concerned about this month, both from a playing and listening perspective. I don’t really know what constitutes a power ballad (it turns out I’m not the only one) and typing it into google didn’t really clarify things for me so, I was left with my original preconceptions that a power ballad should be sung by the likes of Michael Bolton, Meatloaf, Celine Dion, Bonnie Tyler but I don’t think any of them would touch my song with a barge pole.
Stephen Clarke - Winner Not A Sinner
Stephen always seems to come up with a really good hook and this is not exception. ‘Winner, not a sinner’ is an easy line to grab before you’ve finished hearing the song for the first time. The usual, perfectly functional but, basic production does an excellent job of not getting in the way of the musical and lyrical ideas. The solo is great, it’s just the sort of thing I would have tried to learn verbatim when I was learning the guitar.
Mike Gosling - Starlight
Mike has a track record of doing fairly simple sounding songs, extremely well. There are certainly lots of power ballad characteristics in the song and, as I have come to expect from Mike and Karl, it’s all really well played and put together. The gradual crescendo works really well. I think it’s possibly a bit longer than the ideas can sustain though, perhaps this is the ‘album’ version and the ‘single’ version would be a bit more punchy.
Phil Sanderson - Call On Me
Phil’s songs announce themselves from the first note. I like the lower register vocals and the fantastic lift for the chorus. The instrumental section reminds me of middle period Genesis (actually, it has quite a bit of Genesis about it). The key change comes quite unexpectedly and suddenly the feel is more eurovision.
I’d really like to hear a Phil song without as much processing/reverb, something a bit more claustrophobic and up-close without going completely minimalist.
Me - (I Believe) God Made Me
I had loads of lyrics for this but tried to keep it short (to allow more time for helicopter shots of the guitar player doing his solo). I was fighting to avoid sounding like a eurovision song.
In case you’re worried, I don’t actually believe any of the things in this song.
Christian Duffin (can I still call you Eddie?) - Last Time
There’s something about the way you approach a song that I love. You clearly like to tell a story, though not a general broad brush type of story but, a very specific and personal one (they often come across that way to me). This is achingly lovely and so well done that I don’t want to pull it apart at all. All the usual stuff applies though, you know, interesting melodies and chords and lovely sounding guitar (and this time without the sometimes troubling drums). It’s just beautiful.
Rob Warner - Halloween Night
A great start. Rob certainly seems to be getting the hang of this guitar playing lark. The voice is made for songs with gravitas so the power ballad task is well within the comfort zone. Epic long notes remind me of Family Snapshot. Then the harmonies come in on the second chorus and they are spot on (Rob assures me he doesn’t use auto tune or a harmoniser). It’s easy to forget that, while having a nice voice is good, singing as accurately as this is a great technical skill. I love that Rob has put in a Steve Hackett style guitar solo before the repeating chorus.
Tim and Glyn - Can You Make It Right
A really grown-up, measured start leaving lots of space, gentle and under played to draw you in. There’s lots going on for the chorus but it’s never muddled and a nice contrast to the very sparse verse. It could be because I’ve usually listen to the songs in order but, I’ve just heard Rob doing a brilliant job on his vocal harmonies, and these occasionally seem a little ‘baggy’ by comparison (listening to it in isolation, it’s not something I notice). The almost dead stop after the chorus is great way to ratchet up some tension. The guitar solo is sublime and, for me, is a fantastic highlight to this month’s songs. I’m just glad my song came earlier in the playing order.
|
|
Karl
Junior Member
Posts: 72 
|
Post by Karl on Nov 9, 2015 17:30:29 GMT
I shared Tim's worries about this months songs, as Power Ballads don't usually come on to my radar if I can help it. Perhaps this is because I expected stereotypical offerings. As it turns out, most of the worst excesses of Power Balladery were avoided to a large extent, and although some songs probably aren't really Power Ballads, the results are more listenable than I feared they might be.
As I contributed to Starlight, it's only one vote from me, which Mike will cast along with his own.
Winner Not A Sinner - Stephen Clarke
A nice catchy song from Stephen again, which, not unexpectedly, passed my Od Grey Whistle Test. My favourite part is the 2 guitar intro section at around the 1 minute mark and the alternative chorus lines at the end. I'm not sure this is really a power ballad, but I don't care as I like it!
Starlight - Mike Gosling
My ears have deceived me, and listening back now I realise I should have asked Mike to mix the tambourine even lower.
Call On Me - Phil Sanderson
Love that bass sound! There's much to admire here - particularly the "Sanderson Choir" and dramatic drop down at 3.35, but I'm not as blown away by this as last months song. It seems less coherent to me and probably a bit too dark for my ears.
I Believe God Made Me - Tim & Julie
Funny lyrics, interesting arrangement (as always) and pastiche axe solo coming nicely out of the double drum fill - what's not to like? It's a shame Spitting Image isn't still on air - it would make a perfect home for this and other Tim & Julie songs.
The Lat Time That We Spoke - Christian Duffin
A very easy on the ear mixture of Paul McCartney, show song and (my wife Kate just told me) ... Neighbours! No drums this month and that really doesn't bother me, as this arrangement needs no further embellishments.
Another hit from Ed ... er sorry, Christian!
This Halloween Night - Rob Warner
If you hadn't mentioned the mis-use of the title I honestly would never have noticed. To be honest it doesn't bother me at all. There is a really nice warm sound to the backing which takes it right to the heart of the genre. Nice strings too.
Can You Make It Right? - Tim & Glyn
The piano part is a really great hook and fits so nicely with Glyn's voice, especially in the sparse intro section. In fact I like that combination best - the verses work better than the chorus's for me. Even though I'm not usually a big fan of guitar solos, this one is brilliantly played and I like the way in melds in to the vocals towards the end. Very accomplished. As an aside, I wonder what some of the harmonies would sound like if Tim sung them?
|
|
|
|
Post by eddiecustard on Nov 9, 2015 21:18:05 GMT
When I think of power ballads I think of the poodle rock bands of the 80s. I’m not sure any of us have really captured the atmosphere of those heady days although there are some good songs here as usual, and some impressive guitar solos.
Mike Gosling - Starlight
Mike has used his acoustic quite a bit lately and it always sounds good. He creates a gentle mood early on here with a simple major chord pattern in the verse, and the line ‘why did your heart give in so easily’ brings a nice change in musical direction with its minor chord. As usual Mike has delivered an excellent production with the guitars, drums and singing all laid down superbly and gelling together really well. He’s the top dog, I think, when it comes to production, and our songs would certainly get a boost if we all had Mike at the controls. His songwriting is good too of course, and there a neat upwards curve in the volume just before the four-minute mark which also includes a powerful electric guitar sound. He’s built all this up skilfully to the bit with the ‘Dream On’ vocal. On some of my listens I regret that we don’t hear this standout section a bit earlier (as a chorus), but on other occasions I applaud Mike for the way he varies the journey and avoids a sense of repetition. There’s a swelling of emotion as the song moves forward and it finishes on a big high - as the best power ballads should.
Phil Sanderson - Call on Me
Phil is the king of harmony guitar sounds and they kick off this one in some style. The whispery vocals indicate that this is not a ballad in the conventional sense, though. It sounds a bit unsettling.
He’s been writing some very good tunes lately and that’s come across again, but I was especially struck this time by how good the musicianship and production are. The chorus is controlled but still sounds big because of the multi-layered guitar. Phil’s songs are always dramatic and theatrical and that is a big strength, along with the frequent and well-judged little embellishments; I liked the combination of high and low vocals that are panned left and right on 1.40. In fact this technique carries on through to the chorus as well. Great use of the choir, and a very good chorus.
Dropping out the drums round 3.25 heightens the tension and makes the song sound more powerful - nice touch.
Stephen Clarke - Winner Not a Sinner
A fine r&b swagger from Stephen that hits the spot through some excellent bluesy vocals and one of his characteristically melodic song structures. It’s boosted by a greater prominence for the drums and bass than in recent songs. The guitar solo sounds really good.
The parody idea works well and the chord sequence in the chorus reminds me of Feel Like Makin’ Love, the only song I could remember by Bad Company without using Google. Winner Not a Sinner didn’t really make me feel like makin’ love, which is something Mrs Custard was extremely relieved about, and therefore I conclude that Stephen’s parody idea was a big success.
There are always some good lyrics in his songs and I like the way he laments: ‘I wanna be a chooser, not a loser.’ Like previous efforts such as Crush on You, Standing on the Corner and Deep Down this was buzzing round my head after two or three listens. He’s got the knack of producing very memorable melodic journeys, and this one is up to his usual high standard.
I Believe That God Made Me – Tim and Julie
Tim and Julie play to their strengths here with all the ingredients that make their songs so likeable – wistfulness, eccentricity, humour and one or two twists. They clearly had a lot of fun working on the lyrics and singing them.
The very beginning is clever with the delayed onset of the instruments. ‘If there is intelligent design, you’d think it would be better than this’ is a strong line and the references to a living 40-stone Elvis and Liberace work well too.
Tim and Julie’s lyrics are always interesting and there is the added bonus that the vocals are so clear and upfront. Andrew Lloyd Webber criticises would-be singers for their lack of diction, but he’d never have a case against Tim. T&J’s production is also generally of a high quality. The left field chords on the chorus are great.
Like me, T&J sometimes stray off task and there isn’t really a sense of melancholia or longing; it’s more a comedy/satire than a ballad. Having said that the line about Marilyn Monroe carries a surprising poignancy. I like the idea of polemical songs in rock ‘n’ roll – T&J score plus points for conviction. There’s a spot on drum roll ahead of the glorious guitar solo on 2.53, which had me raising my cigarette lighter above my head. T and J have certainly achieved the power there. Very good stuff.
Rob Warner - Halloween Night
This is a gem from Rob - he’s been away too long, and on top of that it’s impressive that he knocked the whole thing together in a few hours right by the deadline.
There’s an unusual and interesting chord sequence on the verse and he’s crafted the song well in adding the harmonies to the second chorus to make it different to the first. I like the optimism and hope on the repeated line ‘we can be new again’, and it’s a good melody on this bit too. The verse and chorus fit together very well, and the guitar solo is terrific. Rob acknowledges that the Halloween Night lyrical reference has wandered in from another song, but it doesn’t really matter when everything else is so good.
There’s brilliant singing throughout, and on the ‘take me baaack’, and ‘Never went awaaaay’ lines near the end the soulfulness is really captivating.
Rob’s delivered his best one for some time here. He deserves to be up near the winner’s enclosure regardless of whether T&J are struck down by a thunderbolt before voting ends.
Tim and Glyn - Can You Make it Right?
There are some nice piano chords at the beginning which sort of hang in the air in a tantalising way. T&G always have confidence in their tunes, which is a valuable thing, in that they keep things reined in until the chorus appears. Well done for establishing such a clean production with no clutter, which heightens the effect of the dazzling guitar solo from Simon on 2.45. His playing is full of elegance, taste and skill. Glyn is good at conveying anguish during songs in this vein - I like the overlapping and multiple harmonies in the last chorus and there is a good come-down finish. T&G have stuck to the brief of producing a power ballad, and produced one of the closest replications of the genre this month. There’s sadness in the lyrics and a force behind the chorus, plus that great guitar solo. Nice one.
|
|
|
|
Post by philsanderson on Nov 10, 2015 23:20:39 GMT
Winner Not A Sinner - Stephen Clarke
It all sounds so natural in your songs! It seems like you could pick up a guitar, be given a theme or a line and immediately conjure up a hit song at the drop of a hat! The production is definitely a step up, although this is in no way a criticism of previous offerings! The drums and bass are becoming more prominent each month( or am I imagining it?) Another very English offering, Stephen. I’m wondering if at any point a little Gallic influence may creep in to one of your songs ( Europhil would have liked to collaborate, but he cannot as he is currently on the run and being sought by the Gendarmerie.)
Starlight - Mike Gosling
The sounds on this are so strong and the final sections are definitely worth the wait. The melody seems quite simple on early listening, but seems to deliver more when you become more familiar with the whole song –which has to be a good thing! There’s a great build up to the end and some really well judged vocals happening.
Footnote
I’m still working on that acoustic guitar sound that Mike achieves but am not achieving much success, so I suspect Christmas month will be another electric affair if I do use guitars ( may revert back to piano though!)
Call On Me – Me
Listening back to this on some speakers seems I can now hear big big mistakes eg first chorus guitars being way too loud, and the outro guitars just sounding naff( recorded a few hours afer the other bits and I just couldn’t get the effects to sound the same.) My computer does its best on mixing, but when there are so so many vocal parts as well as the 4 guitars, keys and bass the time lapse between what I see on screen and what I hear as well as the pops and breaking up of sound makes mixing bloody hard work. I know I could premix some tracks down first, but it never seems to happen – I like to keep my options open re sound levels, panning until the very end of the process. I’ve already asked Santa for a new computer, but he quite rightly refuses to enter into any conversation after I sang about his ‘Getting it Coming’ last year.
I Believe God Made Me - Tim & Julie
There’s Power in the guitar bit and a sort of inherent power in the vocals – but in reality it’s another in the line of Warner Originals ( sounds like a confectionary item!) I wonder if at any stage in the writing process there was more of a Power Ballad feel, but you then said something like ‘Sod it, we’ve written a really good song here and it doesn’t need a Michael Bolton sounds like singing a repeated chorus ‘–Tim’s somewhat dry and ironic delivery is what this song needs and gets! That said, it is hard to judge this song as a Power Ballad, bearing in mind the brief. The intelligent design line is really good.
I’m trying to imagine Tim standing on top of a cliff playing his solo, but a local geographical knowledge forces the image of Tim a mere 2 metres above the sea down at Earlhams trying to perform whilst his dog and mine attempt to outbark each other as they run rings around him getting tangled in a mixture of dog and guitar leads....
The Last Time That We Spoke - Christian Duffin
No drums, but still the unmistakeable Duffin/ Custard sound through the medium of the piano and vocal delivery. The lyrics do speak for themselves – although I almost laughed at the bit about the bus not taking you where you thought it would - reminded me of me many years back in bus journey days and one occasion where I ended up on the wrong side of a town and missed out on a date with what could have been the girl of my dreams. It’s not a Power Ballad as you admitted, but it is a ballad and a very touching one. Like ‘Mrs Karl’ I was transported down under to Ramsay Street on early listening –hasn’t put me off the song though!
This Halloween Night - Rob Warner
Another song ( see below )where I preferred the verse to chorus- the opening section could be lifted out of the song and put into its own slot, developed and embellished ( the bit up until ‘take me to...) (my computer doesn’t do timings when I play songs from SWC so sorry for imprecise reviews on that score) It’s a very slick song- yours always are! Your checklist is right for your song- and you correctly identify the lack of the BIG chorus...although there are BIG vocals going on. I’m not a huge fan of the style of singing when it gets to the chorus bits, so I’m finding my attention slipping on subsequent listenings( apart from the aforementioned early bit!) Are we going to hear more of your nifty guitar work? I preferred it to the keys on this song. It may be my computer’s sound, but the bass seemed a little lower than expected ( nice tone though!)
Those of us who sing(really sing that is – and I am definitely NOT one of them, have for me such an envious advantage it seems when it comes to producing songs in most genres, eg most months. I’ll often think ‘that will sound sh** if I sing it,’ so I leave it, play safe or revert back to my career in writing instrumentals.
Footnote:
I have rarely relished the vocal performance part of the monthly task, and usually used to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. Things did change with the Passage of Time month and producing an album as I made about 400% more effort to get it right. I think having so many lyrics to bash out( thus emerging from my lyric writing block) and so many ‘performances’ to record that I came to a better understanding of how to unleash, then tame the Sanderson vocal and then subsequently mix it down more effectively. Rob, in my song there are 5 vocalists on Chorus 1... but more than that on Chorus 2, so you can have one more guess! A lot of songs on my album have quite a fair few Sandersons singing!
Can You Make It Right? - Tim & Glyn
I really love the verses in this song. The piano part is so well judged and complements perfectly the great vocals. The chorus doesn’t quite hit the giddy heights for me but is still really good. I think maybe outside the constraints of ‘Power Ballad’ Tim and Glyn might have come up with a slightly different chorus or maybe changed chords, eg to a few more minor feel (? Not a criticism of this ‘entry’, but maybe a thought about live performance!) A review of guitar solo is superfluous.
There are two particular moments in this song which immediately transported me to quiet sections in a few Sigur Rós songs. Most probably / (ie definitely )completely incidental.
Haven’t decided on my voting options yet, so will upload and listen once more before casting!
|
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Nov 12, 2015 10:27:48 GMT
I think every genre and generation have their power ballads, so we all came in with our own ideas. The key thing is to have a weighty chorus, which most of us did. If we all made videos, there would be plenty of shirts getting ripped.
Mike G Starlight
The power ballad seems to be one of your natural genres, and Phil's right - this is a sort of U2, Still Haven't Found What i'm Looking For. I especially like the line about waiting for someone who's waiting for you.
It's deceptively simple, I like the chord change on 1:40, and the way the song picks up there with new instrumentation, then the stripped-down verse followed by the trebly guitar kicking in - again very U2, very effective. Interesting that it's made up of two song ideas – it might have been even more effective if you'd combined them earlier, with the Dream On section as the chorus. I can just picture the video.
Phil S Call On Me
A moody, almost threatening power ballad - interesting concept, sort of Alice Cooperesque. And you've nailed the conventional song structure (this coming from the most conventional structurist you could ever want, or not want). Nice growling bass underlying your breathless lyrics in the verse, then it takes off into a great power chorus, with that almost death metal chunky guitar in the background. Nice addition of the Brian May style guitar before the second chorus. I always like your guitar solos, and this is no exception. The key change works really well too. With a strong chorus like that you could have allowed yourself the luxury of repeating it a bit more at the end - be shameless, that's what power ballads are.
Tim & Julie W I Believe God Made Me
Like me, you've gone for a bit of parody, but you've kept the music sincere. Great lyrics. I like the line about god making you an atheist, especially when you give it the choral treatment just before the solo. The double guitar solo is really effective and I think you could have let it go on, maybe accompanying another chorus. It all ends too soon, which is a good thing to say about a song.
By the way, when you say "Wilson worked for the KGB", do you mean Callum Wilson, the Bournemouth striker? Is that how he got injured? Conspiracy!
Christian Custard The Last Time That We Spoke
I see what you mean, it's not verse-chorus, verse-chorus, but it's a great tune. Really nice chords on "the last time, the last time", which make it a refrain if not a chorus. Very poignant song that really doesn't need the drummer because the piano keeps it moving along. The angelic harmonies and those George Harrison arpeggios made me think it could be a Paul McCartney tune, something off the White Album - which is one of my highest compliments about a song.
Rob W Halloween Night
Like you say, ticks all the boxes, but then you often write songs in the power ballad mode. Perfect ballad lines : "take me to a place where we can find love" and "we can be new again". I like the simplicity of the guitar solo, very melodic, and the vocal performance is pretty spectacular in parts - especially as you build to your finale. As I've said with others, I think you could have kept it going, slamming your chorus ever deeper into the memory, giving the video that standing on the clifftop wind blowing in the hair power ballad shot.
High-risk relationship analogy by the way - wrapped up in a song, it's fine, but I wouldn't repeat it in the company of partners who might think they're a baggy-arsed pair of shorts or a stained sweat shirt.
Tim & Glyn Can You Make It Right
Really nice spacing as the song opens - very dramatic, and great tune. You can feel that it's going to get big. You've done the real power ballad thing by giving us a thumping chorus that repeats the one line, so that it lodges in the memory. Can you make it right is the perfect line for a power ballad chorus, too. The shifts in volume work really well. Yes, fine bluesy solo, beautiful guitar sound and some killer licks - I'd have liked more.
|
|
tandg
Junior Member
Posts: 67
|
Post by tandg on Nov 12, 2015 19:13:38 GMT
Stephen Clarke – Winner not a Sinner
You started the thread about your production but every time I listen to one of your songs I’m struck by the clarity of the production; the vocals are clear and distinct and everything feels like it sits in its own space. Your double tracked vocals are great, the harmonies on the chorus are tight and this is a really catchy song with some great musical ideas. There’s a really accomplished guitar solo and I thoroughly enjoyed the noodling, including the daydream believer wordplay and the thumping bass part that cuts through nicely.
Mike Gosling - Starlight
Every time you record your acoustic guitar, the sound is great. Do tell us more about the set-up for that, because it is really good. This time, it’s even in stereo!
The song builds nicely – particularly liked Karl’s drums on the second verse and just as I thought you were winding down, the full choir, drums, strings and guitars burst in, to great effect. More Coldplay than Meatloaf and all the better for that. There are some lovely lyrics – I particularly like the “I break the silence” line. The vocal part is very simple but maybe too simple – it flows nicely when I wanted a bit of meandering. I wanted a middle eight somewhere if that makes sense. Great production as always and your voice sounds better and better.
Phil Sanderson – Call on me
This is really quite a dark-sounding song; your whispered vocal part is quite disturbing, particularly because you enunciate the words so clearly. Are the higher vocals yours? They really add to the impact of the song (I particularly liked the second verse) and the chorus with huge range of harmonies is really strong as a result – I thoroughly enjoyed the choir. Where did you find the cathedral?
You’ve got such a distinctive sound to your recordings – this couldn’t be anyone else. The mixing is really well judged because there is a lot going on throughout the song and yet all the elements are well defined. I can see the audience with lighters aloft now swaying and singing along to this one – I think they’d particularly enjoy the key change. A hit!
Tim & Julie – I Believe God Made Me
We laughed out loud – the lyrics are just great throughout the song. I loved the octave-apart vocals and the chorus chords are really nice – minor when I expected major. I think the words in the chorus feel a bit like a build-up to a punchline, but that’s forgivable as it’s such a good one. The burst of guitar at the end really works well and having listened to all the songs, this is the first song I went back to in order to listen again – it’s genuinely entertaining from beginning to end.
One thought after your comments in a previous month, the line about the cruise missile is really good. Perhaps God made you a protest singer….now that would be a delicious irony.
Christian Duffin – The Last Time that we Spoke
So the secret’s out. I assume that you are Patrick’s long lost son – does he know now?
Not really a power ballad, but this is wonderful – really engaging, beautifully underplayed and with heart-rending lyrics. What comes across is how genuine this is. It would be easy for it to have been maudlin or melodramatic (and may have been if it had been delivered as a conventional power ballad). The build-up of the instruments, with the guitar and then fantastic harmonies (particularly in the last chorus) is really well done and the final note just works so well. Your singing is beautifully judged and both of us were really blown away by this.
Rob Warner – Hallowe’en Night
This is a great piece of work, especially given the short time devoted to its creation. I think if you’d have had more time, it may have evolved and developed a bit - in particular the last chorus could have built up more and have gone on for longer rather than gone to the abrupt ending. What’s great is that there are quite a few highlights that reward repeated listenings. These include (in no particular order) the chord change to ‘we’ll find out that it never went away’, the brilliant harmonies – so close that it’s easy to not directly hear them, the note choices of the strings, the guitar solo (in particular the sudden opening out of the sound when the guitar comes in) and the singing over the final chorus.
A really difficult choice this month....
|
|
|
|
Post by mikegosling on Nov 17, 2015 14:09:58 GMT
Stephen - Winner Not A Sinner.
I liked the verse melody and the bass part supporting the guitar chords. Best bit of tune for me was the "I came home running" part of the chorus. As with all Stephen's songs there are loads of catchy hooks in place. The guitar solo is neat and the change of winner/sinner lyrics to chooser/loser etc works very well.
Phil - Call On Me.
Great start with the dual guitars and then the drop to drums/bass/synth is very nice. The bass throughout is very satisfying. The vocal reminds me of Roger Waters quite a lot and works well with the backing. There are some good echo vocals in the chorus @ 1:40 and the dual guitars work really well when they come back in @ 2:06. Some of the guitars in the instrumental section got a little lost and maybe this section needed more definition in the production. The extra vocals @ 2:24 created an effect akin to the vocoder - and made me think you could have headed in a more ELO direction with the production.
Tim/Julie - I Believe God Made Me.
Really good verse 1 with the piano/acoustic/bass combination and some very sharp and witty lyrics. I think power ballads are allowed to send themselves up. Favourite bit of the vocal/melody is the "If there is intelligent design" - works really well. When you started the "God made me" section towards the end I was expecting a "Hey Jude"-type finish. Hence, although the guitar solo(s) at the end work well for the Power ballad task I think I would have preferred a big vocal section.
Christian - The Last Time We Spoke.
A really lovely song. The piano part is excellent - reminded me of Carole King Tapestry album. Some great lyrics - "my battery was low" is a good line. Highlight for me is the way you sing the last word "spoke" - very good indeed. Beautifully written and (as somebody else commented) no need to dissect - just enjoy.
Rob W - Hallowe'en Night
So much to admire here. The bass coming in at 0:45 works very well. The chords are unusual bit Rob has constructed a satisfying melody over them. Some highlights include the great strings part in the chorus from 1:30; the high vocal ooh @ 2:11. I like the first lines of the chorus - Take me to the place ..., but not sure the resolution of the chorus into "Halloween night" works for me. Vocal performance (as always) is something to admire.
Tim/Glyn - Can You Make It Right
A bit like those football matches this is definitely a game of two halves for me. I really, really like the first verse. The piano is great, Glyn's vocal is superb - favourite bit is when Glyn sings "So don't ". Because of the soulful vocal and space around it, it has a powerful gospel feel to it. The chorus (2nd half of the match analogy) though doesn't work for me. It's a contrast to the verse but somehow it doesn't quite work. The guitar solo is fabulous - the start sound and style are David Gilmour-like and superbly executed by Simon. The quiet guitar end is also very successful. For me, the first minute of this might be Tim/Glyn's finest offering so far - well done.
|
|
|
|
Post by timwarner on Nov 22, 2015 22:13:02 GMT
Well done Christian. What a great song, a clear winner from the first time I listened to it.
|
|
|
|
Post by mikegosling on Nov 23, 2015 8:51:01 GMT
Yes, well done Christian - I loved your song.
|
|
Karl
Junior Member
Posts: 72
|
Post by Karl on Nov 23, 2015 18:42:08 GMT
A very good song Christian - congratulations.
|
|
|
|
Post by eddiecustard on Nov 23, 2015 20:28:34 GMT
Thanks for the kind comments - much appreciated!
|
|
tandg
Junior Member
Posts: 67
|
Post by tandg on Nov 23, 2015 22:23:09 GMT
Well done Christian. Eddie would be proud of you.
|
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Nov 24, 2015 14:58:19 GMT
Yes, well done, clearest winner we've had for a long time.
|
|
