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Posted: Apr 26, 2008
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This song recieved a "Runner Up" award from "Song of the Year"
The reviewer said:
The lyrics to this song are not so much emotional as they are clear in their delivery of the message, this is a good start. The music has a fun and upbeat sound that adds a lot of personality to the song.
The vocals and the melodies worked well together.
Structurally this song had a good arrangement and followed the sequence evenly throughout the song. Nice job on having clear recording, even mix, and great finish on this demo.
The reviewer for "Make A Star" said:
Your voice is something unique to you and you use it very effectively. Your singing is in tune and on time, so technically you've got what you need. You don't sound like anyone else and there are echoes of the country in your drawl, so have a degree of authenticity that's hard to come by.
All the performances on the track are rock solid and, again, played with a keen eye towards the sound of the ensemble. The track sounds like The Marshall Tucker Band playing their version of the Neil Young sound.
you've got an extremely memorable voice and your musical sound has a lot of character.
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Posted: Jun 10, 2007
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This song received a Runner Up Award in "The Song of the Year" contest.
It was also picked up by "North Star Media" library for
possible movie or television placement.
The reviewer said:
Unique singer/songwriter artistry carries a comfortable strength in the vocal performance and lyrical interpretations. This is a rhythm pleaser with solid musical performances that draw the listener into a state of familiar country/folk delight.
Great musical arrangement and instrumentation not overwhelming the production or the simplistic textures that make the composition work so well. What makes “Not Afraid” attractive to this listener, whether you like country or pop is the amount of musical warmth, words worth hearing, and the production that compliments the voice that gives the music life. This is a promising demo.
The soulful emotion and familiar soundscape give this song potent marketability. I only note a professional presentation is essential for commercial release. Best of Luck.
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Posted: Apr 16, 2006
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"Libra" was selected for "Make A Stars" best, compiliation CD #5, and is now
avaliable for purchase on their website (see links page to access their site).
This song once again received an Honorable Mention from "Song of the Year"
for December of 2006. I resubmitted it after it had been through the mixing and Mastering process.The reviewer is a songwriter and a studio musician.
This is what the reviewer had to say.
"The title is one of the elements of a song that a listener will remember and look for, but only if she/he likes the song. “Libra” is very intriguing. The first thing a prospective fan will hear, besides the music intro, is the first line of the lyric. “Kick off your shoe’s, dance in the sand. Lead me far away to the promise land”. The lines are intriguing and awake the listener’s interest and convey the message of the song".
"The overall arrangement and precise and clear ideas propagate throughout the entire song. Your placement of the chorus and the phrasing work as an unforgettable hook. Great Job!"
"Its mass appeal makes you feel familiar with every line of the reflective lyrics. Great work! It is enjoyable from title to the last note!"
My song Libra recieved an Honorable Mention from the " Song of the Year "
contest for January 2006. Normally this wouldn't excite me to much, but
it was my home mix, in that it hadn't been through the mixing and mastering process.
So this song recieved attention for the song writing skills, more
so than the production value.
The Make A Stare Reviewer, Curtis Lowell in October of 2006 said :
Your jaunty Dylanesque approach to this song is refreshing and fun in this day of overblown fluff on the radio. You extend your cadences to accomodate the unfolding lyrics in a manner that keeps the listener waiting for what's coming next. There's enough of a melody to keep the ear tuned in, too, but the verse melody could use some attention. 8
Lyrics:
These Jimmy Buffet style lyrics will appeal to the same type crowd that doesn't take their music too seriously, but loves the feel good times.
8
Arrangement & Production:
I really like the arrangement because it sound homegrown and unselfconcious, like Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" or Lennon's "Oh Yoko." The drum cadence and especially the fills are terrific, but the harmonica playing is fun, the guitar part simple, but rhythmically very cool and the overall effect is pure enjoyment. 10
Lead Vocal:
There are great moments and not so great moments in this vocal, the chief problem being the melody on the verses, as I mentioned above. Although you do sound uncannily like Frank Zappa on the verse, it's not a good fit musically with the rest of the song nor the spirit of the lyrics. I suggest finding a better melody on the verses to fit these words or slightly altering them to give a more musical impression. On the rest of the song you sound like yourself, which is the best way to sound. 7
Musicianship:
Again, the only problem is dropping the vibe on the verses in the vocal. The rest of the parts are well rendered, if not technically challenging. Chops are not part of the picture here, but the feel is terrific. Plenty of markets can support material like this, including country, folk pop (a la Jimmy Buffet) and Americana (labels like Lost Highway, Nonesuch, etc.). 9
Originality:
You do sound like yourself on this cut and that is the point of all commercial pop music; to create an unforgettable impression of your uniqueness. Although there is nothing groundbreaking in your song nor on the track, the combination of your lyrics and your performances create an easily identifiable persona that lots of listeners can relate to. 10
Marketability:
Again, there are lots of markets that would support material like this. Your word structure is peculiar enough to you that I think you would be best served by singing the song yourself. Still, there's enough common sentiment here that the song could be covered by other artists as well. If that is your goal, I'd take another look at the lyrics to see if they might be made a little more classic and unique; some of the phrases are a little cliched. 8
General Comments:
This is a very enjoyable track that's not too ambitious for the Average Joe to get into. Polishing the verse melody and your vocal there as well will push this song into the Contender category.
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Posted: August 19 2006
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"The Seer" received an "Honorable Mention" in the "Song of the Year" contest.
It was also selected to be in the "Sweet 16" contest at "Make a Star".
The reviewer for "The song of the Year" contest said:
"Nice melody in the Verse, which flows as a dynamic culmination into the hooky Chorus. Great! The melody is natural and descriptive. Good work!
The quality of the performance creates a unique sound picture. The composition has mixed the key song components in a well-balanced and expressive mean. And it has a unique and easy to recognizable signature sound.
It's well conceived and balanced. The Sound ideas are presented in a clear and professional manner. There is nothing to cut. Very good work! This is an excellent song and performance and it IS a potential Hit!"
Reviewer for MakeaStar said
"You have a unique style and approach, so I’ll give you a pretty high score for originality".
Taxi Reviewer #169 said
"The verses here create the mood nicely. Vocal delivery works well, as it also adds to the mood created."
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Posted: Apr 15, 2005
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"The Kiss" was selected for the Sweet 16 contest at "Make a Star",
and received the Runner Up Award from The "Song of the Year" contest.
Reviewer
R017514K Artist Development/A&R for The Song of the Year contest
May 2006 said:
Your message is strong and stands out. Your lyrics are thought provoking. The music has a very Folk/rock fusion quality. Overall, this is a song with enormous potential, enough to maintain my attention.
The vocals are heartfelt but there are pitch issues that need to be addressed. Your voice has a unique quality that suits the material but getting the best take is essential for a maximum impact. Your melodies are strong. The structure of this song is outstanding and makes this song definitely worthy of further development.
Makeastar Reviewer said
There are some good things about your lyrics, including some humor, pathos, and interesting images.
The feel is very natural with the performances sounding relaxed and flowing. The solos are particularly good, in a Neil Young kind of way. Your choice of instrumentation is classic and the sounds make for great listening, especially your organ, acoustic and bubbly electric guitar.
Your monotone delivery would become a stylistic plus except for the plodding aspect of the phrasing. Many country singers have a low range and monotone delivery, most famouosly Johnny Cash. But the distinction is that the words and phrasing would always flow like a conversation. I'd experiment and take a few clues from the Nashville version of this vocal.
The performances are all laidback and tight at the same time, a perfect country combination. The acoustic guitar is especially sweet; some people just have a touch on acoustic, like John Lennon, who's rhythm playing was so central to the appeal of the Beatles sound. The electric phrasing is also very good and the rest of the performances sit well with each other in a great sense of ensemble.
The most original aspect of the track is the arrangement, which is more like Neil Young than most country artists.
The song has legs of its own.The arrangement here is so uncountry that there may be some resistence because it doesn't fit the mold. I still think you're better served by this arrangment though because the sense of the song comes through better.
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Posted: Jul 14, 2005
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I was featured on the July 3rd 2005 cover of the Downriver Review,with a small
article about my internet endeavors.
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Posted: Aug 16, 2005
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This song was a Finalist in the " Song of the Year " contest for July 2005.
It was also selected for "The Sweet 16" contest from "Make A Star" for
October of 2005.
Reviewer R081269K from the Song of the Year Contest said:
Your lyrics are very poignant and inspirational. The music has a strong rhythm and flow with a very catchy element. The title is a perfect fit.
The vocals are very clean and smooth, with a strong mature vocal tone. The melodies are simple but catchy and fit the song well. The structure is well arranged. The production needs some work on the mix and sound quality of the drums and percussion. This is a strong demo but I feel real drums would enhance the overall feel.
This is a good, upbeat song that is very listen able and would make for a
strong album track and an asset to your product.
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Posted: May 15, 2005
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"Sleezy Dance" won the lyric of the month contest on "Broadjam for Dec 07
and was selected to be in "Sweet 16 Contest" at "Make A Star".
This song also received an Honorable Mention from The Song of the Year contest.
Song of the year reviewer said:
The convincing hook resonates throughout the song and captures the attention of the listener. Your wording is fluid and the presentation gives the song a refreshing sound that is distinctive and creative.
The approach with the vocals shows emotion and energy. The passion reflects within the musical performances and the energy of the song captivates the listener. This works to sell the song persuasively. The presentation shows strong musicianship and works very well for demo purpose.
You have a strong Chorus and have added those memorable Riffs. This makes "Sleezy Dance" a success, not only musically but also commercially.
Taxi Reviewer #198 said
Hi Gary, Nice song!!! It sounds very "Lou Reed/Chris Whitley/Tom Waits" ......super cool, but misses the target for this listing. The melodies are strong - I like the way the verse moves and the way the CH is phrased. Lyrically this creates a nice feel and your imagery is strong and unique, but the very poetic quality of the language really give this song a "Folk/Americana" flavor........that is a compliment to your visual writing skills!!! Thanks for sending this one in ....I enjoyed listening!
Makeastar reviewer Said
"The best part of this song, you have written in a manner that sets up the intended mood quite well, and gives several visual clues that take the listener directly into the place you want them to be. It sounds as if you're the one giving direction as to what to do with your partner, and how to show them a good time. Great job".
Taxi Reviewer #12
"I really like this, Gary. You're clearly a pro and this is a great style reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot. Doesn't quite fit the contemporary country genre or this group - a bit too pop for them. You've managed to bring together some elements of folk and pop with a good lyric and pop dynamics. Your style is more unique and great for you as a singer songwriter though".
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Posted: May 15, 2005
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This song made it into the 2nd round of competition in the
Make A star "sweet 16" contest
Makeastar reviewer said:
With a better mix, this version may fit the bill in terms of Nashville arranging, but I still think the other track has more character and presents the song in its' best light. With lyric improvements and a more appealing vocal approach, this song could appeal to artists and producers who may change the arrangement but will hear the strength of the song.
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