JoAnn's Reviews
The following opinions and reviews are purely my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the other members of Ménage a Tune. That being said, I have certain things I look for in a song, namely-
1. Is it a song? A song to me means a melody and lyrics that a person can sing.
2. Did it meet the challenge?
3. Can I understand the words without resorting to the lyric sheet? If you don’t sing clearly or the mix muffles your song, I marked it down.
4. Does the instrumentation fit the song?
5. Do I like it? Will I keep it on my iPod? (final score 1-5)
The Beginning of the End
1 yes
2 yes
3 No- I had to pull up the lyric sheet. Although as an American I think I am contractually obliged to naturally like accents from the British isles, I just couldn’t understand a lot of this the first or second time I heard it.
4 Very good strong hard rock style, angry and loud as befits the song in general.
5 Nope, sorry. Not my style; angry I can appreciate- I have a list of songs I like to sing/hear when really ticked off that I sing in the car when alone to blow off steam. Bawdy and suggestive I can handle. The combo here is more than I want to listen to though. (2)
Swing Shift
1 Yes
2 Oh yes
3 Loud and clear!
4 Wonderful hard edgy- you worked hard on this, I can tell. I really liked the transition to the softer section then back to hard.
5 Yes- a keeper. A hard rock version of “Take this job and shove it” (5)
Redundant Redunit
1 no It has a beat, but it isn’t a song, not to me.
2 I guess so, sorta. It seems to be a sampling of a lot of “Now that you are canned” platitudes.
3 Yes, for the most part. No one is singing anything though.
4 There IS a beat behind the sampling, but…
5 No (1)
Goodbye Everybody
1 Yes
2 Ooooohh yesssss heh heh heh
3 Almost! I had to pull the lyric sheet for the bridge.
4 Wonderful guitar, vocals & harmonies, a perfect soft sweet sound. Which really helped to sneak in the pure evil of it.
5 Definitely. Quiet evil genius revenge is my favorite kind of villain. What started out as a sad sort-of-hopeful farewell to co-workers on getting fired, with the invitation to call him some time (do ex-co-workers ever call you again to chat?) turned into a great revenge plot. Loved how you used the cell phone idea throughout the song to its gloating climax. This gets my first “I hate you” of this round. If you don’t know what a compliment that is, ask Edric
) 5/5!
Ending (Eternal)
1 Yes
2 If life is your work, then I guess dying/suiciding? sort of qualifies this for the challenge. Barely
3 I could hear the words most of the time but had to pull the sheet to try and understand what you were talking about.
4. Sort of yes. A bit plodding and depressing, but then it is about death.
5. No, sorry. 2/5
Escalator
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Yes
4 yes
5 Eh, ok. Got a bit boring, all escalator and wanting to say I told you so- about what? How you, or everyone at the company maybe was going to be fired? I would have liked more story to this. 4/5
The Death of a Meme
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Yes, but would you please STOP freaking WHISPERING in parts of the song and YELLING in other sections? I had to crank up my sound to the max at the start, then drop it down when you shouted, then turn it back up- four times! And when the next song came on I about went deaf because everything was still turned too high!
4 Of course. Silly question for you.
5 Sigh. Yes and no. Theologically, of course not, but we can argue that later, but I don’t hate you for it. Sorry, I know you were hoping I would. *grin* It has your usual great voice, piano and well constructed lyrics. (But the character you are portraying is NOT a capital “G” god to me!) 4/5 for VOLUME PROBS
Leaving Lyman’s Liquor Store
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 I looked up the words just to be certain that the weirdness I was hearing was really what you were saying/singing. And it was. I like weird.
4 Sometimes the background music was louder than the words. This was part western, part video game and had the oddest transitions from section to section ever. I think it is really going to grow on me. As I said-I like weird.
5 Yeah, I do. Makes me want to hear more from you. 5/5
You’re Not Paid
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Yes
4 Yes, slow and a bit draggy & depressing. Odd break 2/3 of the way through- I thought it was over, but it wasn’t.
5 Meh. I will keep it in my iPod, but I suspect I will be hitting “next” if it comes up on shuffle. 3/5
The Bastard Had It Coming
1 yes
2 yes
3 I needed to look at the lyrics because your ukulele was so loud.
4. Yes, I like ukuleles. Simple but still well done.
5 Yes-ish. The lyrics needed work- a few too many syllables in some spots, rhymes which didn’t. And all that for a simple slap across the face? Use your hatred, Padawan! Go for more destruction and revenge next time! Unless this was a real life incident, in which case the best revenge is to work hard, get rich, buy the company and FIRE Olney’s sorry butt. Then have HIM busted for slapping YOU.
Naked
1 yes
2 yes
3. yes
4 Amazing guitar, so beautiful. Going to listen to this a lot. Soft and sweet.
5 Yes. It is like a musical hot tub with a bottle of chilled champagne nearby. Time to relax, regroup, plan for tomorrow. 5/5
Today’s The Day
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Can hear this clearly overall.
4 Interesting use of beatbox/percussion. Volume levels loud and soft at times.
5 Yes. Grats on the harmonies, I have problems doing those on my own. Needs something more…piano maybe? 4/5
Two Weeks Notice
1 Yes
2. yes
3 yes
4 Sigh. Yes.
5 I hate to say this but...ok…Yes. But I HATE RAP! But...I actually like this. Obviously, this is a sign of the end times. I mean, my hatred for rap is legendary. Blast you! 5/5 Finks. *mutters* I can’t freaking believe I liked that one…
Middle Management
1 yes
2 yes
3 yes
4 yes, I really liked a lot of the instruments in this. And about ½ of the lyrics. But I HATE the other ½ Want to guess which parts?
5 Yes and no. There is a lot I enjoy about this song, but it is reeeeeally vulgar, close to my limit. 3/5
I’m Lyin’
1 Yes
2.yes
3 yes
4 *Envious sigh* Yes
5 Yes. Oh yes. Totally utterly yes. And here is my second “I hate you” for the round. You make it REALLY hard for us ordinary mortals to feel we have any chance, y’know? So much amazing and perfect in one song…I am tempted to give you the triple I hate you for this… (Ask Edric what THAT means)
On the Pogey
1 oh yes! I love Irish pub ballads!
2 Well…they aren’t technically laid off, are they? Just hoping to be. It MIGHT be the last day of work though so I will let it slide because like this kind of ballad, and the explaination of what “E I “ mean had me laughing out loud.
3 Yes, loud and clear
4 Yes, simple but fitting
5 Heck yes! 5/5 for cracking me up!
It Worked Out
1 yes
2 yes
3 yes
4 Amazing “pianos”, and the vocals, lyrics, harmonies, blending of you two- this is a winning combination!
5 yes yes yes! 5/5
Praying
1 yes
2 yes
3 yes
4 yes Disturbing, but I liked it. Lyrics were very edgy, music very good, it fit together well. Chorus is addictive and I want to sing it while at the same time NOT something I want to sing, if that makes any sense.
5 Yes Well done 5/5
Pygmalion
1 Yes
2. yeah….
3 Yes
4 well…I like the instruments, but they didn’t always mesh together that well. The lyrics and vocals went their own way, and were hard to follow also. I was thinking mad scientist for a while till I saw the title.
5 So-so. I will keep it, but the lack of a steady beat or singability will probably keep me from listening to it much. 3/5
Empty Spaces
1 yes
2 Yes
3 Can’t hear a word, the accompaniment is way too loud. If you have time and interest though, re-mix it so that the vocals are louder, it is a good song if it can be heard and understood. You can put the better mix into the abum then.
4 Yes, save for the volume. Lot of good instruments, good beat.
5 Yes. 3/5 for now- re mix to fix levels and it will be 4/5 or higher.
Graveyard
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Some muddiness in the vocals but I can hear it. Love the phone conversation, and the “Brains” in the background, lol
4 Yes, good beat
5 Yes, I really like this. Gotta love zombie songs! 5/5
The Beginning of the End
1 yes
2 yes
3 Some blurry vocals but overall I could understand you.
4 Good, standard rock ballad sound, nice guitar in there at times too.
5 Yes-ish, even if it is another depressing song about the last day. 4/5
The Last Last Day
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Yes
4 Good guitar, fits the song. Lyrics pretty good, a few short lines in there. Sad song.
5 Yes, though it is rather sad and depressing. 4/5
The Ballad of JRR
1 Yes. And you are sooooo weird!
2 Yes. In a weird way. But this is BFD, so that is normal for you.
3 Yes, loud clear and strange A bit pitchy at the start, but your voice got stronger the more you sang.
4 Yes
5 Of course yes. Insane wierdos. Lol 5/5
Last Day
1 yes
2 Yes
3 yes
4 yes, good beat, lyrics move along but tend to be repetitive, not much of a story
5 It’s ok, will keep it for the beat 3/5
It’s a Great Day At Big Mart
1 yes
2 yes
3 Yes…ok I checked because I am getting tired and I wanted to be sure I had caught all the happy death weirdness from you. <3 da Poodlez though. Yay for mascots going postal and blowing up stuff! Of course, this song will not keep me from shopping at Wa….
4 Duh, of course it fits. Silly question. For silly people.
5 Yes 5/5
Not Gonna Miss Your Face
1 yes
2 Yes
3 Yes
4 yes, simple but fitting, nice.
5 Yes. Revenge, rotton eggs, and a sexist jerk who deserves it. I used to have a Sgt above me like that. 5/5
My Own Boss
1 yes
2 yes
3 yes
4 yes-ish…got really repetitive and boring after a while though
5 Ok-ish, kind of dull 3/5
Brand New Life
1 yes
2 yes
3 yes
4 Good background accomp; very pitchy vocals. Try singing this in front of a mirror with a more triumphant attitude instead of deperessed sounding and I think it will be more interesting.
5 OK-ish, 3/5
Mayan Holiday
I hate you
I hate you
And even though this is already funny and wonderful, I know you can polish it up to a third “I hate you”. So you aren’t getting it until I hear a final full bells and whistles version. Even if you DO need to get your real life work done.
Say Goodbye
1 yes
2 yes
3 yes yes
4 Total yes. And you scare me. I mean holy cow you can do this at ELEVEN??? Don’t anyone tell Disney about her- they ruin kids.
5 Yes and I REALLY wish you were competing! 5/5
I’m Gonna Go
1 yes
2 yes
3 yes
4 yes. Beautiful. Why aren’t you in competition? Egg shaker is a bit too loud. Wonderful voice, great guitar. Harmonies…I love harmonies in songs. You’re really James Taylor, aren’t you?
5 Yes yes yes. 5/5 Wish you were in competition, but glad you aren’t someone I have to compete against at the same time!
) 5/5!