Reviews - Page 6
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A review by James Higgins
(about "Take It Over") The last track I had reviewed had the world's worst opening bar. You prove that the first bar COUNTS: it grabbed me hook line and singer. There are a couple of little timing issues throughout. I'm not a fan of the programmed bass and drums. Get it done live if possible. The chords are really nice. The vocals have some really awesome moments and some pretty dismal moments too. I would suggest rerecording them with a really honest and experienced producer to maximise the even greatness of the performance. The songwriting reminds a little bit of Robert Palmer's "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and some of Steely Dan's stuff. Huge compliments there, 'cos I love both of those artists. That "oh yeah" note at the end of the pre-chorus is really smooth. Great chorus, really hooky. Catchy song. Top marks for songwriting, and I like the break down a lot. The guitar is cool as well. I would sincerely suggest you do the recording again from scratch. Save your pennies and get a sweet arse studio, awesome producer and pay some delicious session musos to fill in your progammed elements. Great melodic, harmonic and rhtyhmic ideas throughout. 100% for songwriting. You're almost there with the production - just don't be afraid to outsource for talented experts in their respective fields. Music is about community and having talented friends and colleagues makes EVERY difference in producing top shelf profesional work. Good job. Top shelf song! Hang in there and you guys will create some very tasty recordings in the near future - I can feel it! Love and Peace, James Higgins
A review by Daniel Horine
(about "Take It Over") "Piano) - I love a bit of piano with some muscle to it. That throbbing chord underneath the into verses is really smart, sharp, dissonant and beautiful. The pianist is definately accomplished and knows his jazz. Production) - there's a little bit lacking in this compartment. Perhaps this is more of a recording/engineering issue here but the elements of the song kind of rests on the surface of the song and scarely fit into a "sonic pocket" in which divides the line between professional/ameteur. In my opinion, this track would serve as a great demo to give others a hint of your sound but as far as a sellable product, I'd recommend a rerecording with a more professional sheen. As far as Production goes, I find it's biggest value comes in at the end of the song. The song largely grabs me only at the end of the tune. The wurlitzer/rhodes in the beginning was a nice touch but I was let down until the breakdown that happens around 3:30 in the song. Mood) - This is not my genre of choice but I'm not going to behave like many reviewers on here: "It doesn't sound like Korn - I hate this". It's well done in the genre and it emminates fun and I could imagine this song is an ass mover at live shows. It's gotta be a fun one. Very much a live song, I assume. The lyrics of the song though are a mismatch with the mood but that a moot point really as Morrissey has made a career of doing just that. Overall - A descent song that could use a little more elbow grease and muscle to turn it from decent into great. My suggestion is to cultive the unique aspects of the band - something to set it apart from the massive amounts of stuff that it out there already. This song unfortunately could blend into the crowd and be unnoticeable. Work out a few kinks here and there and this song will shine like a badge." Daniel Horine
A review by 'Mr Troll'
(about "Take It Over") Good toe-tappin' rhythm, and nice use of the keyboard to establish rhythm and melody. I can imagine this being very popular with live audiences. Very good drum punctuation. The vocalist does not have the type of voice I would usually associate with funk music, but does a creditable job, in key and on pitch, with a good sense of how to break up the beat. In my opinion, the vocal could use just a little bit of effect to "thicken up" the sound. There are a few spots where the backup vocals get a little pitchy, but most people won't notice that, I would think. Good punch in the hook line really carries the refrain. All in all, a very danceable tune.
A review by Brian Bair
(about "Take It Over") Cool piano open and groove. The bass and drum parts are great!, they have created a fantastic pocket. The little keyboard tinkering is great. The song has a very vintage funk feel. The musicians in this band are pros at their genre. This bassist is one of the best funk bassists I have ever heard on Garage band. Great set up into the chorus. The chorus is very upbeat and is a strong hook out of these verses. I feel like dancing now. This would be a great song for a large party or corporate event. The lead singer is really good but I don't know that this is the style of music best suited to his voice. I think he is trying to sing a bit out of his range. When he singes lower notes it is a weird contrast to the music behind him. But that is just my opinion. Love the vibe of the song. The production is first class, the mix is perfect. A real professional job. I imagine this band will be very successful. I look forward to hearing more of this artist's songs.
A review by Mario Salazar
(about "Take It Over") Pretty Original Stuff. The Stevie Wonder-ish intro really lets you jump right into the song, and I really dug that. The piano is playing one particular chord during the beginning of the verse that kinda strikes me as odd. It sounds like a cool chord to use for flavor, but like salt, should probably be used sparingly. The only other odd thing I noticed was that in the chorus the guitar tries to play in syncopation to the rhythym but actually distracts from the awesome groove. The production was great, except the vocals might need to be turned up a little more in the mix. Other than that, I really dug this song; there was great vocals, great production, great keyboard/piano. Good job, I really enjoyed it. Mario Salazar, San Antonio, Texas