Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"Snow White 8 Ball" reviews and responses
When I entered "Snow White 8 Ball" into garageband's contest I thought it would fare well. After all, "Take You to Hell" has kicked ass. I was sure that "8 Ball" was the better song.
But the reviews I've been getting so far are, to say the least, lukewarm. It's kind of disheartening, but I don't expect everyone to like it.
Anyhoo, I thought I'd post and respond to the reviews before there are too many to mess with.
Trance feel with crazy background
A little too repetitive at times, but for what the song sounds like it's going for, it's definitely an adventure. The voices all over the place give the song a super trippy feel, but get old after awhile. The way the rest of the song is brought back in is cool. Nice usage of beat.
Okay, this is a fair review. I do think it has a trippy feel. I can see how someone might feel that the voices are repetitive. I can tell this guy listened to the whole song (instead of the minimal 30 seconds the site requires before the reviewer gets credit). I appreciate that.
Video Game music intro
Sounds like tape trick i did when i was 15. when the beats finally come in it's much better. I like the drum line alot. Maybe this should be an actual song, not just loop of noise and effects.
Now this guy probably didn't listen to the whole song. If he had he probably would have commented on the middle "break down" section and see how it turns the piece into "an actual song". Furthermore, if he thinks it sounds like a "tape trick he did when he was 15" he must not have gone too far into it. The whole idea of that intro is to contrast such "tape experiments" with what comes after. Like, "Oh, man, this is gonna be some amateur tape tinkering", and then the real song comes in and takes over. Oh, well. He liked the drums. Sure he did.
On the ceiling
This track builds slowly into a medley of styles. Big atmospheric pads annotated with bizarre vocal hollerings. This is definatly experimental.
Thanks, dude, but do you think you might could elaborate a bit more?
chaos
I'm not so sure about the chaotic sounds of the sampler (or was it recorded for this song particular). Not that it's bad, but just not my style. I like the beat. 5:48 is a bit too much for this song, I have to say. There is not enough development in this number for this amount of time. It would be good on the soundtrack of some weired ass movie.
5:48 may well be too long for this song. It's a good thing I didn't enter it's 14 minute expansion like I thought about doing. But I'd bet big bucks that this guy only listened to the minimum 30 seconds. Not enough development? Are you kidding? Once again, the middle section is essential in this respect. If you're not going to give it enough attention to make it to that part then I would just as soon you not review it. "Soundtrack for a weired (sp) ass movie." Sure it is, joker.
Review
Very first sample seem like it was added simply because it could be added. It did not blend with the rest of the song to me. The song it self has a nice hook and progresses well until the middle (2:40) where it dies until the song is reprised at 4:00. Overall I felt this song was a demonstration of the artist's sample collection rather then artistic prowess. Matbe I just don't get it.
Clever review title there, huh? "Added simply because it could be added"? Hell, you could say that about the whole song. Come on, guy...it's in the "experimental rock" genre. At least put yourself in that mindset if you're gonna review it. Demonstration of my sample collection? What the fuck is that all about? Fuck you, what do you know about "artistic prowess"? I put a shit load of hours and work into this and I'm cool with people not liking it but fuck you if you can't appreciate what goes into making music like this. I've listened to this guy's music and I can only excuse his ignorance here because, based on the stuff he does, he has no business reviewing my type of music. I will cut him slack for admitting that he "just (didn't) get it." He didn't.
Feel free to comment and leave your own opinions, positive OR negative:
...by the way, the song DID receive the "Track of the Day" Reviewer's Picks award, so I don't know how the hell that happened. Glad it did, though. Validates some of what I've said here.
To be continued.
But the reviews I've been getting so far are, to say the least, lukewarm. It's kind of disheartening, but I don't expect everyone to like it.
Anyhoo, I thought I'd post and respond to the reviews before there are too many to mess with.
Trance feel with crazy background
A little too repetitive at times, but for what the song sounds like it's going for, it's definitely an adventure. The voices all over the place give the song a super trippy feel, but get old after awhile. The way the rest of the song is brought back in is cool. Nice usage of beat.
Okay, this is a fair review. I do think it has a trippy feel. I can see how someone might feel that the voices are repetitive. I can tell this guy listened to the whole song (instead of the minimal 30 seconds the site requires before the reviewer gets credit). I appreciate that.
Video Game music intro
Sounds like tape trick i did when i was 15. when the beats finally come in it's much better. I like the drum line alot. Maybe this should be an actual song, not just loop of noise and effects.
Now this guy probably didn't listen to the whole song. If he had he probably would have commented on the middle "break down" section and see how it turns the piece into "an actual song". Furthermore, if he thinks it sounds like a "tape trick he did when he was 15" he must not have gone too far into it. The whole idea of that intro is to contrast such "tape experiments" with what comes after. Like, "Oh, man, this is gonna be some amateur tape tinkering", and then the real song comes in and takes over. Oh, well. He liked the drums. Sure he did.
On the ceiling
This track builds slowly into a medley of styles. Big atmospheric pads annotated with bizarre vocal hollerings. This is definatly experimental.
Thanks, dude, but do you think you might could elaborate a bit more?
chaos
I'm not so sure about the chaotic sounds of the sampler (or was it recorded for this song particular). Not that it's bad, but just not my style. I like the beat. 5:48 is a bit too much for this song, I have to say. There is not enough development in this number for this amount of time. It would be good on the soundtrack of some weired ass movie.
5:48 may well be too long for this song. It's a good thing I didn't enter it's 14 minute expansion like I thought about doing. But I'd bet big bucks that this guy only listened to the minimum 30 seconds. Not enough development? Are you kidding? Once again, the middle section is essential in this respect. If you're not going to give it enough attention to make it to that part then I would just as soon you not review it. "Soundtrack for a weired (sp) ass movie." Sure it is, joker.
Review
Very first sample seem like it was added simply because it could be added. It did not blend with the rest of the song to me. The song it self has a nice hook and progresses well until the middle (2:40) where it dies until the song is reprised at 4:00. Overall I felt this song was a demonstration of the artist's sample collection rather then artistic prowess. Matbe I just don't get it.
Clever review title there, huh? "Added simply because it could be added"? Hell, you could say that about the whole song. Come on, guy...it's in the "experimental rock" genre. At least put yourself in that mindset if you're gonna review it. Demonstration of my sample collection? What the fuck is that all about? Fuck you, what do you know about "artistic prowess"? I put a shit load of hours and work into this and I'm cool with people not liking it but fuck you if you can't appreciate what goes into making music like this. I've listened to this guy's music and I can only excuse his ignorance here because, based on the stuff he does, he has no business reviewing my type of music. I will cut him slack for admitting that he "just (didn't) get it." He didn't.
Feel free to comment and leave your own opinions, positive OR negative:
...by the way, the song DID receive the "Track of the Day" Reviewer's Picks award, so I don't know how the hell that happened. Glad it did, though. Validates some of what I've said here.
To be continued.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Springsteen Rocks the Super Bowl (duh!)
When the news first broke that Bruce Springsteen was playing the half-time show at this year’s Super Bowl, all I could say was, “It’s about time.” It seems like a no-brainer to feature the quintessential American performer/songwriter in what has become the country’s favorite annual spectacle.My own personal opinion of the Super Bowl is not quite as enthusiastic as most. Nothing against it (though I seriously hate the much touted commercials)…I like football enough. But it’s not as big a deal to me as it seems to be with most people. If I have something else to do I don’t feel like I’m missing anything important if I don’t watch it.
I might very well have missed Springsteen’s half-time blast as a result of reading a book or goofing off on the Internet, or just about anything. I hadn’t even made plans to stop what I was doing to check out the Boss.
But I happened to pass by the television just as Springsteen went on so I figured I’d sit down and watch. To be honest I haven’t been all that impressed with his more recent work That is my excuse for not being as ec excited about the performance as I would have been 10 or 15 years ago.
Oh boy, what I would have missed if not for serendipity.
Bruce Springsteen rocked that arena so hard, with so much passion, with so much professionalism that I have to wonder if Super Bowl half-time shows will ever EQUAL it, let alone top it.
Bruce took the stage like a rock and roll evangelist, working up the crowd to a fever pitch, jumping on top of the piano and generally preparing the throngs for what was to follow.
When the fireworks shot into the sky on the first note of “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” they seemed like a useless expenditure of however much they may have cost. They were so unnecessary as to be anti-climactic. A pathetic background distraction from the explosive show the E Street Band was putting on.
Springsteen’s voice, from the start, was strong and expressive. He was having a great time and you could tell. The set was upbeat from start to finish---none of his stark ruminations on the fragility of the American Dream. No, this set was pieced together for the masses. If “the masses” didn’t find anything to enjoy in it…well, more fool them.
Bruce sings the line about the Big Man joining the band and Clarence, decked out in a get-up that makes him look like a pimped out priest, blows that tenor sax in his inimitable style---you are reminded of how integral his playing to the E Street sound. Think about it---”Promised Land”, “Jungleland”, “Drive All Night”, “Secret Garden”---these and many others go past 10 to 11 on the strength of Clemons’ signature style.
If “Freeze Out” wasn’t familiar to the thousands in the stands, surely there was no one there who didn’t recognize the opening Spector-esque chords of “Born to Run.” Another blast of wasted fireworks go off, synchronized with that dynamite intro. They may have served Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake well. The faithful here surely didn’t notice them.
This was a absolutely one of the best versions of “Born to Run” that I’ve ever heard. The sound was mixed just right, the band was on point, the excitement was almost palpable. Now THIS is an American song, if there ever was one. No doubt about it.
In a career that has soared to heights most artists can only dream of, this performance of “Born to Run” is at the top of a long list of highlights. How do you follow something like that?
You can’t. Not even the Boss himself could do it. Though the other two songs he did were very good, thy didn’t quite rise to the level of the first two.
Super Bowl overkill finally reared it’s ugly face when a HUGE gospel choir strutted out, lining the entire stage to back up the title track from Springsteen’s latest album, “Working on a Dream”. The song is, IMO, not in the same league as his earlier stuff, but there was no denying that it has the power to lift the spirit of a country that has been down on it’s luck for so long. You could see so much hope in Bruce’s face that it was easy to believe we’re going to get through the mess we’re in and come out on the other side stronger for it.
The show ended with “Glory Days”…which was just TOO obvious to be forgiven. Even so, it wasn’t too bad. I hate the song, but was still wrapped up in the spirit of “Born to Run”, so it didn’t seem so bad. It’s BROOOOCE, right? He substituted football references for the original lines about baseball and this was a cute injection of humor that made it all the more bearable.
All of the songs were trimmed and pieced together as a medley. Thos approach worked well in keeping the momentum rolling, although it did seem awkward at times (the transition from “Born to Run” to “Working on a Dream” sounded strained to me). But by the time the band took their final bows it was obvious that this half-time blowout, perhaps more than any that came before it, rivaled the thrills and excitement of the game itself (which, btw, was a very good one).
Sunday, February 1, 2009
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