OOTD Reviews May 16

Howdy. Another riveting set of opinions re my musical meanderings.
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"I have to be cruel to be kind. Singer is a bit hoarse. The production is good. This song just puts me in a slumber. I think maybe you need to re-work it. I am not a harsh reviewer, but I have to stop the track here at 1:54."

Rework it how? By singing clearer and making the production bad? Ha. For all I know the song sucks, but there's nothing hoarse about the voice.
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"Very good. The quality is excellent. The vocals are spot on. I like the tone of the drums. The bass carries very nicely, not doing too much or too little. The backup vocals add a lot as well."

Nice review. That's an interesting comment about the bass. The bass is so low you really need a sub to get the idea of it properly.
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" Liked the intro and verse but was a bit disappointed when the chorus came in. The verse has a darker mood but the chorus is a lot lighter, although that was probably intentional. Sounds really professional though. Great voice, great performance, great production."

Yup. Everything was intentional. I can't afford accidents because mine are worse than most.
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"Nice vocals. Great vocals right off the back...compression sounds right, too...none of that level all over the place like so many songs on garageband. The melody is nice...the percussion on the intro is really neat."

Thank you. What else is there to say?
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"The 50's style piano eaght notes come in and I'm somewhat disappointed. Such a creative intro, and then the '50's bubble gum choice on the piano is a bit disappointing. I'm so glad that it didn't come back in for the 2nd verse.

This reminds me quite a bit of Nik Kershaw from the 80's.

The mix is good (if maybe the piano is a bit too prominent). The changes are great and the song is interesting, if a bit easy listening. Good sound."

Yikes. Another guy listening for energy and not music, complete with spelling mistake. Think about it - the character isn't screaming at the person, he's just saying it like it is and isn't overly happy. No more no less. No ACDC grunt required. Good comments though.

It's about the lyrics. But in this day and age people have no time to listen. They just want the quick fix of energy that best reflects their 'lifestyle' and proves to their friends that they really are as hip as they wish they could be and that they belong to the pack.
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"Interesting combination of styles. Has promise but needs to have more definite "style" - production is a bit spotty - trying to sound like someone else?".

This really is rich coming from this weak Britney wannabe who describes herself as an "A ONE ARTIST". How many more of these average singers who can afford to get the flash electronic backing tracks done do we need? If I'd known someone of such esteem would be listening I might've worked a bit harder on the song.

Cynical, yes. But sometimes these home truths have to be aired.

More reviews. They don't need numbers.

A few more. Is this getting tedious??

"Cool chorus. I liked the transition from the intro the chorus. Great melody, catchy. The snare drum is a bit loud in the mix, however. My favorite part of the song is chorus."

Merely taste. The snare isn't loud, it's present. I've always loved stuff where the snare has a real character. When I was a kid I used to hear 'Yellow Submarine' and just dig that snare sound. It's kick drums that make a big deal about themselves that get my goat.
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"Independent melody. Great beginning. Though you remind me of Paul McCartney and of his boldness. It is a good singer/songwriter song. The sparse arrangement works for me. The melody is very well crafted but somehow the song does not really connect with me on an emotional level. I understand what you want to say but it does not touch me. Maybe work on the harmonies and on your vocal phrasing and you will become a great singer/songwriter song. To slow down the song in the metres on the bridge does not really work for me. I expected another livelier twist than going deeper into the darkness. but you are a great talent and you may have to work a little harder on you and it will pay off I am sure of that."

Yikes, condescension. Isn't it creepy? My objective is not necessarily to 'touch' anybody. You're hearing one side of a conversation through a keyhole. No more no less. You like it or you don't. As for the vocal harmonies, they're in tune at least. And all without a machine to do it for me. This listener clearly wants harder energy. Go for ACDC.
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"One of the best songs I've heard in this genre. Shades of Stevie Wonder in the voice. This is a very interesting song with good chords and just the right 'amount' of production. I would like the bass and drums to become more fluid and active before 1:59, but at that point it does kick in a bit. The chord at (eg) 2:26 is very hooky."

Finally! Someone who's not expecting me to control his emotional reaction. Ha.
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"Cool pop. You've got a really nice voice. It seems like the music revolves around the lyrics, which is something I've always found both interesting and hard to accomplish. The chorus is interesting, especially when the tremolo tones start. This is some poppy stuff. Way to go."

It is hard to accomplish. And for it to work, the lyric has to be great. I don't think that's the case with this song. But the moment any writer thinks he's fully achieved his objective, whatever it is, is the beginning of the downhill slide.

OOTD Reviews 19, 20 and 21

Here's a few more.

"Overall Enjoyable Song. Vocalist reminds me of Stevie Wonder. Unusual melody that's off beat at beginning - then goes into classic rock beat - pretty harmonies here. Beatles combined with American classic rock sounding. Reminds me of John Lennon's Starting Over. Enjoyable to listen to - not a chore like so many of the songs on garageband. Nice song - all in all good job!"

The Lennon comparison is always odd to me. But in this case I think the guy just means the piano rhythm reminiscent of Fats Domino, early rock 'n' roll being where Lennon took much of his inspiration from anyway.


"Well-crafted original tune. Interesting feel to this track, well-produced. Great drum tones, nice and punchy. Song takes a standard 60's feel and changes up the expected chords to make it interesting. I get lost in the arrangement/changes of the verse though - seems very unstructured. The chorus is nice though, it's always a relief when it kicks in."

It's that syncopated mid-verse piano chord throwing you off, man. You gotta learn to think funkier than that. Sheesh! Just count through it.

"Nice easy listening track. Piano is nice and I like the song overall. The chorus is catchy enough. I just think the verses are not as good as they could be, they're a bit dull. But the chorus is brilliant. I think the drum track is a bit boring. With a few more variations in the beat would have been great. Also, the flanged BV at 3'20 sounds a bit naff to me. But the track is good overall. It just need a bit more work to be a real grabber as it has the potential to be."

Ha. Spoken like a true old-school producer. There's not many left. I didn't check this guy out so I know nothing about him. Hey man, you forgot the bit about changing the lyric from a downer to an upper. Why on earth does the so-called hit potential of something have to be the ultimate goal of so many songwriters? Yeah yeah, I know I could cheer it up, trim a minute or more off it, put more of a beat through the first verse and all that crap. But in that case, crap is exactly what it would be even closer to being and I have little desire to get even closer to that than I actually am.

"boring.. this song lost my interest within the first 30 secs. maybe if the singer engaged to the song more.."

You know they're serious when they won't even exert the extra effort to use the capital button. Even so, correct grammar would be nice since english appears to be the native language of this 16-year-old girl from Virginia. Anyway, I like this review because it's honest and she's not bleating on with a whole lot of garbage trying to prove how superior she is. It's not her thing and that's her prerogative.

And that also goes to demonstrate my theory that the majority of people don't actually listen to music, they listen 'for' energy. Specially younger people. For them it has to have some speed, anger, aggression, anything that will prove to their peers that they're cool and doing the right thing by them. Teens think they're so rebellious, but they actually care more what people think than anyone else on the planet. And the above theory is the same reason why older people are also wrong when they equally slander the music the kids listen to. Opinions about music have nothing to do with music, they're about life, preferences and acceptance.

OOTD - Reviews 16, 17 and 18

There's been a big gap but finally three reviews within a couple of days. It used to be all over within a few weeks but now the cycle takes forever and it's still only round one of five. I put this down to the possibility that people just are not participating in the site like they used to. It appears the song got to number 59 at one point. In the real world, even 59 means some money made (doesn't it still?).

"Nice sound. I just would put more instruments in some parts, especially at the beginning. Good voice, good rhythm."

"Good Original sound. I like the piano on this track, it has a big sound. The vocal performance is strong too. The song is kind of original sounding too. I think it has a lot to do with how the drums sound and the combination of instruments. 5 stars. "

"Awesome Lyrics. Wonderful piano! There is not one wasted note in the entire song! The lead singer has a great voice with no fault to be found. The backup vocals made it sound a little bit like the 80s but other than that, vocals are top marks. Lyrics are more than words, they are feeling expressed with the music and this band has captured that perfectly."

That last one gets high marks from me. He's prepared to overlook the thing he does dislike about the song and judge it on what he feels to be it's merits.

OOTD - Review 15

"Nice sound I just would put more instruments in some parts, especially at the beginning. Good voice, good rhytm."

A classic example of someone who is neither blown away nor completely unimpressed. You get this on GB a lot. I doubt he listened all the way through. The spelling mistake is intact.

OOTD - Review 14.

"Classy.

I get a distinct Elvis Costello feeling here. The vocal tone and phrasing relates well to the loungy feel of the piano. I feel like its an empty out of the way club in London and these guys are jamming in the back and we are all buzzed and just letting life go for a moment. Just feels real nice and pleasant. Very classy tune."

This is my favourite so far. Isn't that what it's all about? Disappearing from your own reality and escaping into another world? Like a good book? It's a privilege to be able to provide such an opportunity. Guys like me just have to do our best to provide an escape of substance.

Avid readers wouldn't put up with rubbish short stories, so why should music consumers have to suffer inferior morsels? And why do they allow themselves to? I think it takes less effort to listen to music than it does to read a book. Plus music is a living breathing mass that moves through time, unlike a book. So the opportunities to provide multi-dimension in music are plentiful. So why do so many recording musicians treat their audience like cheap disposable dime-store novel buyers?

OOTD - Reviews 12 and 13.

"I liked it immediately. Nice tonality. great voice! great keys work. kinda billy joel -ish...in a good way =) very catchy tune. good levels in the mix. man you really nail those notes!! great melodic line here. nice harmonies, and very original harmonic directions. so full! good work here!!!"

Now that's a review that makes you humble. He's the kind of guy that could turn into a crazy fan. Folks do seem to either totally love this stuff of mine or absolutely can't stand it. I like that polarity. Indifference is a killer.

Here's the next one.

"Not the ordinary jelly donut. Nice vocal opening. I like the drum programming in the background, it's very effective. Piano sounds might be a bit high in the mix, but they're good, if basic. When the song kicks in about :50, it moves very well. I like the vocals and vocal layering. This is kind of a 50's/90's combo, in a way. Good lyrics and not the ordinary jelly donut melody-line wise. Nicely done."

Let's look at a couple of points.

"I like the drum programming in the background, it's very effective."

Haha. That cracks me up. I thought the drums were a bit loud and bombastic actually. 'Effective' is a neutral word. Even the most awful thing you ever heard is having an effect.

"Piano sounds might be a bit high in the mix, but they're good, if basic."

Who is they? I wouldn't call thousands of dollars worth of Korg Triton basic, so I can only assume he means the playing. So this raises the issue about how so many people (mainly beginners) seem to think you must play to the utmost extent of your ability all the time. This is hogwash and something you grow out of if you have the opportunity to play enough in your lifetime. I play piano better than I do anything else, but you wouldn't know it from listening to this song. What reason would there be to play clever piano shit all over this track? It would ruin it. If anything, the overall arrangement is over-embellished, but he didn't seem to notice that. I get off the hook for knowing if I'm doing it though, right?

So even though it is a positive review, it is a good example of why reviews largely are unreliable. The majority of these people are filtering their opinions through their own personal tastes at best, and at worst they're musicians themselves, filtering through their view of the way they think things ought to be done. In a case like that, positive comments can often only be considered to be a coincidence.

The public now gets merely a personal viewpoint of music, even in magazines and newspapers where you'd hope reviewers would actually know their topic. I've got news for you - Very few of them do anymore. And in New Zealand there isn't even one music reviewer that knows his topic (except for some of the classical ones because you can't fake it there - it sorts the men from the boys). Prove me wrong. We used to have Gary Steel. That guy was a smart cookie. But he's now the publisher of a high fidelity magazine and I bet he threw his arms up in the air when he made the shift.

But I digress.....

OOTD - Review 11 - Lyrics.

Okay, we've got a lyric fan in today's review. Good to see because most people just don't seem to care about them anymore. Here it is.

"Great lyrics. I like the lyrics 'the attention you crave has become a drug, though I can afford you' ... The lyrics are wonderful, tells a great story. Makes me wish all the best for the singer and the person being sung about. 'One of these days ... will see what you missed'.

Would have preferred a more instrumental opening, the singing started abruptly. The vocals are strong and clear. If you can add more background music upfront, earlier on would be great. I like the instrumentals that come in about 2:30. The ending, about 3:50, is beautiful, mesmerizing.

Nick Lowe's Cruel To Be Kind was one of my favorite songs in the early 80's. This song gives all new meaning to that old song."

He got some of the lyrics wrong. That can be considered to be my fault if some words can't be understood. But the other side of that coin is singing with absolutely perfect diction, which in my opinion can sometimes suck the soul out of a story and make it sound dishonest and unbelievable. I'll take my chances.

"Makes me wish all the best for the singer and the person being sung about."

I certainly hope this guy isn't yet another person that thinks songs must be a diary. They certainly can be, but this particular song is a piece of fiction. And no one is being sung 'about', it's one person talking to another. Is it one side of a conversation? Or is it a monologue or even a lecture? That's for the listener to decide.

"If you can add more background music upfront, earlier on would be great."

Why? 'Our hero' is impatient to put his point across. He's clearly kind of fucked up by this situation regardless of the blame he's spouting. Someone like that wouldn't necessarily hold back. And his mood might hang around, thus the ending. Originally the song just ended on the last word, which seemed unnatural and unfitting.

Actually, instead of me laying down the law about how someone might behave in a given situation, a better way to look at it is this; A character has been invented - One who wastes no time and doesn't let go easily. That's defining, and the music backs it up. If a listener doesn't get it, it's okay because there's enough information there to create some kind of character in a listener's head. That's enough.

OOTD - Review 10

"Perfect Pop-ulism
Excellent vocals, melody, lyrics,and arrangement. Nothing to criticize here. Sign this man! It will happen "one of these days". Good job, mate!"

- RichardFilaccio.

This is another fun thing that happens at garageband.com. The music is generated to reviewers at random, and sometimes someone you know will get you and have to review you. Richard is an internet promotion machine and has taken it upon himself to spread the word not only about me over the last few months, but also many other musicians he really likes. Guys like Richard are invaluable. And he's fabulously talented as well and writes and records great stuff. If only we could all be as unselfish.

Garageband.com update.

So far my little review experiment is backfiring slightly, due to the fact that most of the reviews are so good. And contrary to how it might sometimes appear in the analyzing, I do actually appreciate all of them. But I thought I might get some really nasty/entertaining ones like I've had in the past. It could still happen. If it doesn't, I'll pull out a real doozie I got for 'Renaissance Man' a while ago. Haha.

For those of you that don't know, garageband.com have charts that are compiled from how songs are rated by reviewers and how reviews are rated. I wouldn't take these charts seriously in any way but the idea is that if your song gets into the top 3 in it's genre, the garageband people come out of the woodwork and offer you recording/publishing/licensing deals etc.

The irony is that in three days 'One Of These Days' has jumped from 380 to 59 and gets highlighted on the homepage for 24 hours next Monday. That is valuable because it exposes the product to thousands of people that otherwise may not have heard about it. Hopefully some of them would like it enough to go buy something at Itunes. That alone is a good enough reason to put a song up on there. It's a good marketing extra that garageband.com provides if reviewers think you're good enough. Nothing to sneeze at.

But they also give out these virtual award things. 'OOTD' was just given 'Best Lyrics in Alternative Pop for the week of February 18th'. They give recipients little html badges to put on their websites. I've never been able to bring myself to go that far. It looks like such a game to me and has little substance. We might joke about the mainstream now, but honestly, appearing in a Billboard chart or something like that would be something to put on the news page. But garageband.com is not. If someone offered me some kind of interesting deal, that would be news. But until then, it's a sandpit.

The ultimate irony would be if the song gets so many good reviews it does get in the top 3. Then my little game of poking fun at bad reviews would be a complete failure. Ha. Time will tell.