[bubblingsoul]

**** Please see further down thread for results ****


December
Enter: 5-10 7-12
Score: 11-14 13-16

Yes. I've changed the dates to incorporate a full weekend+ to record and post.

Please click on this link and read the RULES before entering or voting, that way, if you have any questions, you can ask and I can answer before any pressing due dates!

If you know of someone who is eligible please encourage them to enter!

~Bubbles

[Thinman]

Ghost Dreams

http://soundclick.co....cfm?id=9253452

Use your last heartbeat – chasing your first dream
Never let it go – It won’t chase you
Your tired feet – still pound the street
Time is a thief – that much is true

A shop window geetar – or a girl in high heels
A distant star – Travel back in time
People are older – But still the same
Time is a thief - Dreams are what it steals

Scatter me – on a desert highway
Let the road trucks carry me away
Road dreams and end of land sadness
A million miles and ten million days

A sentimental drunk – or a drunk bastard
Take your chances – which are you gonna be ?
Circumstances – can change your character
No defences - to time’s robbery

Scatter me – on an ocean green
Dark and deep – like my sleep
Scattered dreams – always in my eye
A dream too far – in my mind

We’ve come so far – it’s come to this
Tears running like piss

Life on a long lonely highway
Dreams are your headlights
Ghost just driving by starlight
Drawn by the white line Drive into the night

Scatter me on a table mountain
And let the winds take me away
But I’m always here - in dreams or nightmares
I could appear – anywhere

Use your last heartbeat – chasing your first dream
Spend your last breath – spitting in the face of death
Connect me to the mains – start my heart again
I need voltage in my veins

[jonie]

You Never Understood

Lyrics: Jonie Hajduk
Music & Vocals: Wendy DuMond

http://www.soundclic...5&q=hi&newref=1

You took me out of context
Stood me in the hall
Moved me to a window
Hung me on a wall
A mirror for your mantle
A trophy for your den
Unwilling to accept that
I wasn't fitting in

I never would be perfect
I never would be true
You never understood
I never would be you

You hammered on my senses
Chiseled at my soul
Repainted and remodeled
Forced me in a mold
The sculptor finds creation
Hiding in the stone
You carved up my reflection
Looking for your own

I never would be perfect
I never would be true
You never understood
I never would be you
I never would be you

You never saw me rage
You never saw me burn
You never saw me reach
You never saw me turn
You only saw the footprints
Behind me, in the snow
You never saw, you never saw
You never saw me go

I never would be perfect
I never would be true
You never understood
I never would be you
I never would be you

[stewart alexander]

The Beautiful
All Words and Music By : Stewart Alexander
ò Copyrighted 2011



When you see the shadow has gone
Fallen from peace wondering why
For the beauty lies deep within
Statuesque in why it tried to be

The beautiful is in she
The beautiful is in she
The she that set me free

Candlelight reflects your smile
Drowning sorrow by the mile
Linen dresses and lipstick-marks
Make my day alive in sparks

The beautiful is in she
The beautiful is in she
The she that set me free


--------------------------------------

[ScenesFromPalacio]

Sunlight On The Windshield

Music/Lyrics Steve Ison


Emily wait for me
with the Sunlight on the Windshield-Going for a drive..
I've got nothing planned to do to fill these days
And all i can offer you is a fantasy

Moving on its warm inside
with the sunlight on the windshield and the world behind
And the road is so long and a lure to make you dream
The colours that seem so sure
They may never be

Emily wait for me
with the Sunlight on the windshield going for a drive
And if i could open the door i'd make it real
I'm only my love away
Won't you wait for me

[Jason Kalman]

Beautiful Crazy

Lyrics/music/performance: Jason Kalman

Verse I
You can’t sleep 3 in the morning again
Same thing night after night
Spend your days locked in your apartment
With paintings, flowers and felines

Chorus I
You’re beautiful and crazy
But aren’t we all
Just a little bit crazy

Verse II
Freefall years since the last time we met
No calls the first sign that things weren’t right
You were missing for days when I found you
You didn’t even know who I was

Chorus II
You’re beautiful and crazy
But aren’t we all
Just a little bit crazy

Bridge
What did you take at the party?
On that fateful night…
What did you do to your mind?
I’m missing you
I’m missing you
Tonight

Instrumental

Chorus III
You’re beautiful and crazy
But aren’t we all
Just a little bit crazy
But hey

[lyD]

You Could Never Change
by David Butler

You didn't believe that I'd ever go
You thought I was hopeless, cos I loved you so
And I guess you were right, for a pretty long time
You did just enough to make sure you were mine

Once in a while you would spare me a smile
And you'd top up my heart, and I'd live in denial
Like a pound in the meter, like a shot in the vein
You'd give me some hope so I'd love you again

But oh, now I know
You could never change x2

We'd walk by the river where the trees overhang
There we'd hide from the world and feel safe hand in hand
The leaves formed a carpet so we'd lie there all day
And I'd start to believe that you loved me the same

But oh, now I know
You could never change x2

Did you really believe that the end wouldn't come?
That I'd sit there and take it while you banged on your drum?
Well that's not how it goes, and that's not how it should
And finally I saw that you were no good

And oh, now I know
You could never change x2

[ryandsy]

Hope you like it guys! And good luck to everyone


Fly
Written and performed by Ryan Sy

Eighteen and a bit - still just a kid
So many problems - that's what it looked like to him
Took it out on the world - that's what he did
Looking for trouble in all the wrong places

When he came across a stranger
Who smiled and said kid, it's your lucky day
cuz I've got just the thing you need - make your problems go away
Gonna change your life today

See I can make you fly up to the sky
Leave your problems behind
You're gonna be too high for them to reach you
So go ahead and smile and when you come back down
They won't be around anymore
So have no fear - got everything you need right here
So go ahead and try

On top of the world - just turned 22
Living his life in the clouds
It became all that he'd do
Only came to the ground
when his friend was around
He always gave him enough to keep him in the sky

Got something new for you it just arrived
He smiled and said kid, it's your lucky day
So go on and buy some and make your problems go away
Gonna change your life today

Yeah, we'll make you fly up to the sky
Leave your problems behind
You're gonna be too high for them to reach you
So go ahead and smile and when you come back down
They won't be around anymore
So have no fear - Got everything you need right here
Go ahead and try

Kid it's your lucky day
Make your problems go away
We're gonna make it all okay

Still just a kid
Fell asleep on a cloud
Twenty-three and a bit
Never came back around

[SoddyBottoms]

It Happens

Written and performed by Soddy Bottoms



Somedays I get so lonely lord

I don't know what I'll do

Somedays I get so lonely lord

Have you ever felt that blue


Could you help me out here Jesus

Ah just lend me a little hand

Im just one among the billions

Im just a heart broken mortal man


It happens in the mornin lord

It happens in the night

It happens in a crowded room

Im loosin my mind


Somedays I get so lonely lord

I don't know what to do

Somedays It's so lonely lord

Have you ever felt that blue


Would you help me out here Jesus

Just shine me a little light

Im in a cold dark lonely place lord

and the mornin feels like the night


It happens in the mornin lord

It happens in the night

It happens in a crowded room

Im loosin my mind

[AndyLeF]

You Are Still Here
© 2011 Andy LeFevre

http://www.soundclic...0&q=hi&newref=1

I still feel your touch
Though you’re not here
It’s as light as the wind
Your breath in my ear
And you are still here

When the sun goes down
And the light disappears
Can still see your face
Cross all of these years
Through all of these tears

I don’t know where the time goes
Days and years they just flow
Like a waterfall
It just knows how to escape
Can't turn the tide on the floodgates
Since you went away

Now the stars come out
and Cassi-appears
She’s still the same
Nothing has changed
And you are still here

[Paddy O'Furniture]

Another Man
Music/Lyrics: Patrick Burke 2011

There’s a woman lives just ‘round the bend
She’s probably got her hair tied back
I don’t have a say anymore
But if I did she’d be wearing nothing but black

Seasons come and seasons go
Where they stop, no one knows
You can’t change them
I can’t change them

She says she’s found herself
But I believe she means she means she’s found herself
Another man

She’s been hanging round this cat named Jim
The type of guy who smiles too much
He believes in the power of the wind
And his diamonique necklace

Seasons come and seasons go
Where they stop, no one knows
You can’t change them
I can’t change them

She says she’s found herself
But I believe she means she means she’s found herself
Another man
Another man , another man , another man, yeah…
And he ain’t me
(Obviously)

When I think about it, (it) puts me in a tizzy
The world spins, and my head starts getting dizzy
Oh, I guess that’s the nature of things
I guess that's the nature of things…

Summer is as Summer does
Says she’s heading westward
We weave a dancing conversation without pause
Jim shows up and things get awkward

Seasons come and seasons go
Where they stop, no one knows
You can’t change them
I can’t change them

She says she’s found herself
But I believe she means she means she’s found herself
Another man
Another man , another man , another man, yeah…
And he ain’t me
(Obviously)

[kimberlyinnc]

Nowhere Bound
Written By
Kimberly Hales Kime (kimberlyinnc)
John Smyth (vtoutlander)

Nowhere Bound

New Orleans was beckoning, with her voodoo charms
As I rolled towards her, down ol' highway 61
I saw a neon sign ten miles outside of town
in faded colors it read "welcome to Nowhere Bound"

[ch1]
I stopped that car in it's tracks,
drew a careful breath before I stepped inside
I was nowhere bound
no one to care if I came back
I was nowhere bound

[v2]
One-eyed Jack, he smiled at me,"boy do you know where you're at?"
I was dripping nervousness, a greenhorn for the trap
Then Satan's daughter, with her potions and her touch
she took my soul, she took my 300 bucks

[ch2]
But I saw the promised land
when that Cajun beauty took me by the hand
I was nowhere bound
no one to care if I came back
I was nowhere bound

[br]
A circle spell is cast
I can feel the dead hand of the past
I'm bound to circle 'round and 'round forever
I'm nowhere bound

[v3]
Two wives later I still think of her,though the memory has grayed
Now I'm driving back to New Orleans,to claim the part of me that stayed
10 miles outside of town, the rain is pouring down
but that faded neon sign is nowhere to be found

[ch3]
I guess you can never go back
those memories are mere snapshots of a scene that fades to black
and I'm nowhere bound
no one to care about me
I'm nowhere bound

Tag
ah, but now at least I'm free
oh, I'm nowhere bound
oh, I'm nowhere bound
I'm nowhere bound

© Kimberly Hales Kime/John Smyth 2011

[Len]

Squeaking in before the deadline...

If I weren't ninety four


Verse
See that big guy acting tough
Half a chance I'd call his bluff
Just one punch would be enough
If I weren't ninety-four

Verse
I'd drink me-self a skin of beer
And smoke those fags that make you queer
And I'd know why I came in here
If I weren't ninety-four

Chorus
If I weren't ninety-four
I'd ride around on motorbikes
Pulling girls and having fights
Then get up and drink some more
If I weren't ninety-four

Verse
See that Ginger dancing there
Dress so thin she's wearing air
I'd give her some Fred Astaire
If I weren't ninety-four

Chorus
If I weren't ninety-four
I'd ride around on motorbikes
Pulling girls and having fights
Then get up and drink some more
If I weren't ninety-four

Bridge
I've fought mods and I've fought rockers
I've fought cops, soldiers and dockers
And if the Devil comes to take me down to hell, well
I'll fight the bastard as well

Verse
Every day the nurses come
Tell me off for having fun
But they wouldn't let me pinch their bums
If I weren't ninety-four

Chorus
If I weren't ninety-four
I'd ride around on motorbikes
Pulling girls and having fights
Sleeping if off in cells at night
Then get up and drink some more
If I weren't ninety-four
If I weren't ninety-four
If I weren't ninety-four

[Ironknee]

This is a last minute entry

“Your Aura Glows”
By Tom Tognaci
© 2011

http://soundclick.co...cfm?id=11285618


I

I can see it in your eyes
I feel it in my toes
I can hear it in your voice
Everybody knows

You can’t hide it
Your body language shows
Can’t deny it
True love always grows
Being young and a foolish heart
Your aura glows


II

There’s that something in your laugh
That lingers in your smile
And the way you float on clouds
As thin as your denial

You can’t hide it
Your body language shows
Can’t deny it
True love always grows
Being young and a foolish heart
Your aura glows

[NigeQ]

Hi

Unfortunately bubblingsoul is unable to run this at present so I will be filling in for the rest of this comp. Please bear with me and I will get the station and voting list up as soon as possible. I will review the dates accordingly

Cheers

Nige

[NigeQ]

*** Please note – send your scorecards to me and not bubblingsoul ***

Closed for entries - Scoring begins:

We have 13 entries this month

12 of the songs can be heard here at Musesmuse Dec 1+1 2011 Station - use links in the thread for any songs not on the station

To be eligible to score you must have been a member of Musesmuse prior to 1st Nov 2011 and have a minimum of 25 posts.

Please send your scores to me via PM and put ‘Song Comp Votes’ in the subject. You should receive confirmation within 24 hours or at least by the time scoring closes.

Please score each song from 1 to 10 (cut and paste the song list from below and use as a template for your scores)

You rate each song from 1 - 10 (where 1 is low and 10 is high)
Note that only one 10 and one 9 score can be awarded per voter, or the scorecard will be invalid

If a scorecard contains a score not a whole number in the range of 1 to 10 it will be deemed invalid.

Contestants do not score their own song, they will receive an average of the score they award other songs (see rule 13a)

The songs are:

Ghost Dreams - Thinman
You Never Understood - jonie/Wendy D
The Beautiful - stewart alexander
Sunlight On The Windshield - ScenesFromPalacio
Beautiful Crazy - Jason Kalman
You Could Never Change - lyD
Fly - ryandsy
It Happens - SoddyBottoms
You Are Still Here - AndyLeF
Another Man - Paddy O'Furniture
Nowhere Bound - kimberlyinnc/vtoutlander
If I weren't ninety four - Len
Your Aura Glows - Ironknee

You have until Sat 17th Dec to get your scores in. I will post the results the next day

[NigeQ]

Here is the result of the December 1+1 Comp:

1st - Beautiful Crazy - Jason Kalman

2nd - You Never Understood - jonie/Wendy D

22 scorecards. 9 non-contestant voters were:
jimski23, JOEINJAX, RKG, greybeard, Alistair S, daddio, FunkDaddy, Gordon & Simple Simon

Full result

Beautiful Crazy - Jason Kalman 8.00av
6 9 4 9 8 9 7 10 8 10 10 7 9 9 8 5 10 7 8 7 8.0
You Never Understood - jonie/Wendy D 7.23av
8 8 2 6 8 7 8 8 7 9 6 6 7 8 7 8 9 8 8 8 6 7.0
Sunlight On The Windshield - ScenesFromPalacio 6.91av
6 7 4 7 8 8 7 9 7 8 4 6 8 7 8 8 5 9 6 8 5 7.0
Your Aura Glows - Ironknee 6.68av
7 7 5 4 7 8 7 7 8 7 6 7 6 7 7 8 5 6 8 7 6 7.0
You Could Never Change - lyD 6.55av
8 8 3 5 7 7 6 8 8 7 6 7 6 7 7 7 7 6 5 7 5 7.0
If I weren't ninety four - Len 6.45av
5 7 6 6 7 6 6 8 7 7 7 6 7 6 6 6 7 7 6 7 4 8.0
Another Man - Paddy O'Furniture 6.41av
6 8 6 5 7 8 6 7 10 7 5 5 6 6 5 7 6 7 6 6 5 7.0
You Are Still Here - AndyLeF 6.36av
6 7 3 6 7 6 6 8 8 8 5 6 7 6 6 6 5 6 6 10 5 7.0
Ghost Dreams - Thinman 6.14av
5 7 3 5 6 6 7 8 6 6 5 6 6 6 6 9 7 4 7 8 5 7.0
It Happens - SoddyBottoms 6.00av
6 6 6 4 8 6 6 8 5 5 6 5 6 6 5 7 5 7 6 7 5 7.0
Nowhere Bound - kimberlyinnc/vtoutlander 5.86av
6 8 4 2 8 7 6 7 9 5 4 5 7 6 5 6 7 4 6 6 4 7.0
The Beautiful - stewart alexander 5.55av
5 7 1 4 7 8 5 7 6 5 6 4 6 7 5 4 6 6 6 6 4 7.0

Disqualified
Fly - ryandsy – Contestant did not vote


Beautiful Crazy and You Never Understood qualify for the year-end final. Congratulations!!

Thanks to all who took part either by entering or voting. Especially the non-contestants. I'm sorry I was unable to vote in this one, it's all been a bit of a rush. However, I did have a listen to the songs while I was recording the your scores and as usual it was a tough competition.

Our next comps will be Song of the Year 1+1 and open Format – look out for them at the end of December beginning of January

Nige

[NigeQ]

Just a quick update for you.

15 scorecards in so far. 4 contestants still to vote.

Keep 'em coming

Today is the last day to vote.

[NigeQ]

results posted

[AndyLeF]

Congratulations Jason and Jonie/Wendy!

My top scores (8) were for:
"You Never Understood" - very clever lyrics and beautifully sung and supported on guitar.
"You Could Never Change" - loved the heartfelt lyrics and vocal delivery here lyD!

I had "Your Aura Glows" second with 7 points - loved the whole wistful atmosphere created here and some excellent whistling!

Pretty severe scoring from scorer number 3 - love to know what criteria was being used here - was it for: lyrics, genre, melody, vox backing or something else?

Great that there were so many non-contestant scorers - well done guys.

Shame that ryandsy defaulted on the scoring - he has a lot of talent.

Thanks NigeQ and Bubbs for all the work keeping the contest on track - cheers,

Andy

[Len]

Congrats to the winners, and nice one Nige. Hope Bubbs is okay...

My standout was Ironknee, lovely lovely song, followed by Jonie/Wendy but in all a tight bunch of songs.

And sod it if someone wants to hand out 1s and 2s. Trying to stop it happening or understanding it is pointless. The cream rises to the top regardless and everything else is noise.

Move on, nothing to see here

[stewart alexander]

beautiful song.. I gave jason a 10


not surprised I was last.. too many good ens this month!
but I don't feel I deserved a 1 from someone.. but hey, some people
are idiots.


well done all... wonderful stuff!! very proud to be on MM with you guys
and gals..


x

[FunkDaddy]

I thought it's one of the better I've heard from you Stewy, nice melody

Jason had my #1 spot with a score of 10, no secret I'm a fan and really like his ballads. Glad he's posting again and writing new stuff still!

Sunlight On The Windshield was my #2, followed by jonie and Wendy's tune in #3...nice work ladies

It's been a while since I haven't had an entry for the song contests. Feeling quite uncreative lately

[Alistair S]

I thought it was a tough month to do well in. Some really good songs entered!

I had a number of songs that I found difficult to separate but gave Jason the edge over Steve (my top 2), with a pack of 3 only just behind, including most of those near the top of the scoreboard.

Well done, everyone! My lowest score was a 5, I think.

[NigeQ]

Before too many start rounding on the person that gave out 1 and 2 please be aware that their highest score was a 6. That is comparable to a voter who awards a high score of 10 and a low score of 5. I don't hear too many complaints about the latter, it's all relative. Someone else gave a high score of 10 and a low score of 4, again this is fine but shows a greater scoring spread than the 1,2 voter.

Nige

[ScenesFromPalacio]

Well done to Jason and Jonie/Wendy-both cool really well performed songs..Jasons had amazing playing and could easily be a hit-and Jonie's/wendys one had a really good lyric n was really well crafted

My top pick tho was Paddy's...Thought it was a beautiful song..So creative n free-spirited-a wonderful vibe..Transcendent..All the little bits..So cool..Really class songwriting-deserved to do better imo

My 2nd was Kimberley/Voutlanders- fabulous too..Like an unknown Neil Young gem..Really expressive song with loads of character n atmosphere ..Can't believe it did as badly as it did here

Just behind them were the winners,Lyds (Great chorus-i can still hum it now),Ironknees (neat spacious vibe) and Andys (really cool inexpected progressions)
Loads of quality songs n performances this month -As Alistair said,a tough month to compete..
Really good of Nige to take over running it at such short notice too..
Always enjoy these contests:)

[Paddy O'Furniture]

Thank you all for making these contests possible. Again, a tip o' the hat to Nige. Congrats to the winners - great songs. My top three mirrored the results, though I had seven songs in my top "half."

Jason's song was well done in every respect, creating an approachable yet slightly disturbing mood.

Jonie & Wendy - sweet guitar and melody that matched a beautiful lyric

Steve's song was done in Steve's signature style - unique, but with broad appeal.

Tom's song really grew on me after about 4 listens. I love the "purple-light atmosphere" created by this song.

As usual, David wrote a wonderful song that is both lyrically and musically engaging. The back-and-forth emotional roller coaster pulled me in.

Len's song - ! I loved it. Dignified immaturity is right up my alley.

Andy - I'm curious why his 1+1's aren't appreciated more. Maybe they have to grow on you. In any case, I really enjoyed the celestial feel of this one.

Robbie, clever lyrics as always. They line "scatter me on a table mountain" kept playing in my head the last few days. Robbie, I must admit to scoring this one lower because I feel like I've heard a similar story and similar music from you before. I think that weakens the impact of your otherwise interesting songs.

Soddy's playing and delivery are always enviable. You do blues well. Unfortunately, your scores suffer due to me not being partial to straight blues. If I were king for a day, I'd ask you to bring your indisputable talents to other genres.

Kim and John's song is a classic tale, and I thought the music and lyrics worked well together mostly, but the song felt a little slow at times. I really like the irony at the end.

Stew - The change-up in the chorus was a gem. A touch more musical variety - maybe an intro, maybe a short bridge - would bring this song to another level I think. That said, I always appreciate Stewy's unique and elusive style. The challenge, I suppose, is how to make that uniqueness accessible without diminishing it.

Every song contest here is an inspiration and an education. Thanks all .

[lyD]

Congrats Jason, Wendy and Jonie

Jason got my top score, that's a really good song with great guitar work and a powerful chorus.

After that I can't remember the order, I enjoyed all of the songs and I think the order is generally similar to mine. Lovely performance from Wendy as usual.

I'm amazed Stewie didn't do better, I really enjoyed his song.

As for the low marks, is that meant to be making a point somehow? I don't think anyone can really think there was nothing worthwhile about The Beautiful or You Never Understood. But hey, it's not the first time

I hope Bubbles is ok. Thanks to her for setting this up and Nige for taking over, and to all 9 non-contestant voters!

[jonie]

These song contests get more and more difficult to score. The quality is so high it makes a real task out of separating one from another with only the use of 10 points. I sort of miss the .5 option but won't whinge about it.

I had ryansy's "Fly" in 1st place. I've always loved his style but what edged it into top place for me was his wonderful lyric and the melody. I was completely wrapped up in the song and his performance all the way through. A shame he missed voting. I know he's going to kick himself when he realizes it.

Jason's "Beautiful Crazy"
David's "You Could Never Change"
and Ironknee's "Your Aura Glows"
shared a 3 way tie for my 2nd place. All three were so well done it was just too hard to separate them out even though Jason's chorus immediately reminded me of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful".

I had a 4 way tie for 3rd with
"Ghost Dreams"
"Sunlight on the Windshield"
"You are Still Here"
and "If I Weren't 94"
completely different from each other but all great in their own unique way.
Again, 10 points are inadequate when so many songs are all deserving of high marks. I really enjoyed listening to each of them.

I had the rest at the bottom with a 5 but cannot say they were marked down for not being good songs. I simply had to draw the line the somewhere.

Thank you to those who voted for "You Never Understood". Wendy deserves all the credit. She really brought the lyric to life.

As for scorer #3. I don't know. He or she obviously has their bar set higher than the rest of us can reach to the top of, at least this time around.

Thank you Nige, for filling in for Denise.

[Gordon]

Hello, everyone... these were all great!

I had a wonderful time last night, listening to these (and the combo comp) trying to rate them... got me some good beer, kept hitting the shuffle on the channel... it was great!

it was very hard to score for a layman like me... i'm sure i miss a lot of subtle technical things, but all i can do on is what i hear and how it sounds to me...

with that...

Beautiful Crazy - jason, this is awesome... i didn't vote it number one, but i was seriously tempted to... not a thing wrong with you finishing first at all, IMO... i had you right in that mix, great sound, very professional...

You Never Understood - wonderfully sweet lyrics and classic Wendy D, powerful and beautiful voice. This was also very near my top, and i considered it for my top... so very sweet... i ended up leaving you just out of my top spot, but very high... couldn't possibly leave this one very low...

Sunlight on the Windshield - my notes for this just say "wow"... i really love it... a pleasure! I've come to expect that your stuff is just first rate, all around...

Your Aura Glows - another very sweet and wonderful song... i hate to say i left you out of my top 5 ish... hard to believe... I'm pretty sure i gave a high score, but so many were so good, i think i may have shorted you a bit...

You Could Never Change - LyD, i love your voice and style... this song grew on me quite a bit as i listened to them... it started low-ish... just because so many of the others were so good... but i kept wanting to make this come up higher... delightful sound

If I Weren't 94 - ha! Len, this was a wonderfully fun song... i think i left it in my top tier, tied for third behind my top two... a delight... very fun and light... could listen to it many times over...

Another Man - very very good, Paddy! this might be my favorite by you - your voice is well suited to the overall story/style of the song, some really nice guitar work, i think... really nice piece... loved it!!

You Are Still Here - Andy, this was awesome... i'm surprised it didn't finish higher... last weekend, i gave it a listen... last night the first time it came up i wanted to write down "haunting"...saw that i already did last weekend... it is a haunting and wonderful piece... i absolutely, totally loved this!!!

Ghost Dreams - Robbie, this is also great! Love it, love it, love it! I voted you very high... sorry you didn't place higher...but with so many good entries, i guess you need more than just me as a fan!!

It Happens - Soddy, you have the perfect voice for the bluesy music you do. very good piece. i think i put you in my upper half, too.

Nowhere Bound - i really enjoyed this - a little different from what i normally like, and i probably left you a little lower than others because of that... but i liked it... it is definitely catchy and clever... i liked when this came up on the shuffle... it is very solid, i think...

The Beautiful - i agree with an earlier poster, i think it was FunkDaddy - this is a nice sweet melody, Stewart... i left it low compared to most of the others, i guess... it was a tough month... but i like this a lot, sincerely... very sweet melody!!

Fly - i feel sad that ryan didn't vote... i am with Jonie - i rated him very high... second in my case... i thought the combination of the tune and somber content of the lyric... the whole thing was so very very moving... just absolutely wonderful...

Thank you all - it really is a great Saturday evening, putting these on the shuffle and drinking some good beer... doing a little reading on the side as the songs cycle through... just a great night!!

[Ironknee]

WOW! That was fun Congrats to our winners!! This month was really interesting for me.

-I liked "Fly" the best! It is the most solid write and performance.

-I picked Jonie/Wendy D, second. I thought the melody and lyric was really nice...the singing was very nice, as well.

-And there was a three-way tie for third with Jason's song, "Beautiful Crazy". Thinmann's style of banging out the sound of his guitar always gets my toe a-tappin'. Steve's song was very polished, and as usual, he had a beautiful vaneer on his tune. Jason's number was very, very good...and reminded me, a lot, of, "You're Beautiful" by James B.

-Good songs...all. And I do look forward to commenting on them, individually, in the songs forum!

P.S. I got higher points than I think I deserve, this round. THANKS -Tom

[Jason Kalman]

Thanks Nige for stepping in at the last minute and (as always) flawlessly running this contest!!!!

I've come to realize that every month I'm going to be blown away by amazing songwriting! It was so difficult to judge this month. I had Steve's song first. After that I had a 5 way tie for second. Yep it was that hard. Then I had a 6 way tie for 3rd. There was no 4th. I listened to each song at least 3 times and each one was great in its own right. I'm always humbled to do well in these contests, so I am extremely humble this month. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed Beautiful Crazy. Lyrically, it was inspired by Sid Barrett's life. Musically it was inspired by Nick Drake. I was playing Pink Moon and just started to fool around in the interesting tuning that Pink Moon is in....and the rest is well....Beautiful Crazy.

Can't wait till the next open contest in 2012! Keep writing

jay

[vtoutlander]

Congratulations guys! What great songs this month.

[SoddyBottoms]

Congratulations to the Winners !.. My scores ranged from 10 to 4 .. I normally go no lower than 5 ..

I have scored a 2 when an entry had ripped someones music , put their words to it and claimed it as an original..

I try to judge the songs against their competition and always try to mark 1 a 10 and go from there.. I don't judge any song against what the artist posted in the last competition or the past...
I make it about the present song and this contest. For me its a contest among the entered songs and not past performances..

I admit to not working hard enough on my songs content.... I am more concerned with the performance aspect and try to give a raw unpolished real time performance like I was sittin in the neighborhood bar..

It's hard to score any song with high marks that is not well played and performed. It takes some real strong content to overcome a poor performance for me...


Thanks again to Nige for his efforts

[kimberlyinnc]

**** note this post has been edit by NigeQ - the scoring discussion stuff has been moved to the scoring discussion thread ****

Mucho congrats to Jason and Jonie/Wendy. I had always looked forward, Jonie, to hearing that lyric being put to music...I remember it fondly, it is one of my favorites of yours and Wendy added a haunting music/vocal to it...worked well.

I had Ryan for first place....Loved the song, and it sounded current and like something I could hear on the radio....it is a shame that he didn't vote and was disqualified...

My 2nd choice was Jason....very nice song indeed!!!

My 3rd had a few ties....

Jonie/Wendy
Lyd
and Paddy

Again, Congrats to all that placed high and thanks to Nigel for taking Bubbles place to keep the contest going...


Merry Christmas all

Kimberly

[JOEINJAX]

Congrats to our deserving winners and to all who participated.
A lot of good solid entries again this month.

I had Ryan and Jason tied at my top. Both were excellent.
Then I had Scenes, Joni/Wendy just behind, but very close.

There was a real log jam after that with my low score a 6 I think.

As I don't play or record, I focus in heavily on the lyric, and how it fits with the melody. And the overall feeling of the finished product.
I just don't know enough to get bogged down in technical nits or recording imperfections. I really find it quite challenging for me to get my hands around the song
contest side of things. I am much more at home scoring on the lyric side. But I feel the best way to learn is from those who are experienced in the exercise.

So....If you guys keep posting up these quality efforts, I'll keep throwing in my cent and a half's worth (bad economy).
Cheers,
Joe

[Thinman]

"I have scored a 2 when an entry had ripped someones music , put their words to it and claimed it as an original.." - SoddyBottoms

Hey SoddyB I hope you weren't referring to my entry for which there is some ample scope to accuse me of "stealin" ( http://www.youtube.c...h?v=lq9W0I96Av4 ) and therefore I'm fully deservin of my low scores - I made my song up before I'd ever heard the real thing tho - inspired by a friend who always sang it at open mics

sometimes there's a fine line between
what's t be and what's been
influence and stealin
lust and a lovin feelin
premonition
and gamblin addiction
shortcuts t rainbows
and golden halos
I'm a bet it all gambler
and a ****box riffer
don't bring me no flowers
just a six gun smokin
and put me 8 feet down
when yer bury me
spent my last heartbeat
bury me a little extra deep

[Paddy O'Furniture]

SoddyBottoms, on 19 December 2011 - 12:20 PM, said:

I try to judge the songs against their competition and always try to mark 1 a 10 and go from there.. I don't judge any song against what the artist posted in the last competition or the past...
I make it about the present song and this contest. For me its a contest among the entered songs and not past performances..

That's always my aim, but I suspect I fail at times. The most objective scoring system I've yet found is to listen to each song about 4 times (or as many as I have time for) and study the effect they have on me. Then I'll look over my scores and try to make sure I'm not being too impetuous.

I apologize if it sounded like I said I would consciously withhold points for certain "transgressions against songwriting." I wouldn't do that. But I suspect that a song will draw me in more if it's a little different. Where I recognized this to be a factor, I figured it might be helpful to point out.

kimberlyinnc, on 19 December 2011 - 01:52 PM, said:

I use the criteria for the lyric contest as far as what a number means when I score on all of the contests...Maybe posting this would help some voters realise when they vote, and put down a 1 or 2, what it means,that putting a 2 has a basic meaning it has no quality and should be scrapped..I mean, really? a 2? a 1 for Stewart's song, come on!!!
Or maybe though I have mentioned this before, some do not want to use such a scale, but if everyone continues to complain that their song/lyric got a 2-3 or 4...and that no one knows how to vote, or knows song structure or a good one if it hit them upside the head, then maybe a criteria would be helpful in the matter? If you do not agree, what do you suggest?

If you get enough 2s, you start getting used to them - speaking from experience .

While I don't enjoy getting 2s, I always appreciate people being honest with me about how my song affected them. When I score, I usually start with 10 and work my way down - mostly because I feel like the music I'm hearing deserves the higher scores.

But sometimes, if I were to rate songs what I felt they deserved based on a rating scale, I'd award three 10s, two 9s, and the rest 8s. I'm not sure that's too helpful in a song contest (or even allowed). So I rate the songs against each other, and go as low in the ratings as is necessary to establish the appropriate tiers. If a song contest had 25 entries, I'd probably award some 2s and maybe some 1s - even if the songs were great - just to show how each song stood in relation to the others.

I'm rambling (sorry). But the point is, these songs were GREAT, and I think everyone should be proud of their work. It's alright to get low scores. Yeah, it hurts a bit, I know, but I don't think placing in the contest is affected by whether a person starts at 1 and works their way up, or starts with 10 and works their way down.

[SoddyBottoms]

Thinman, on 20 December 2011 - 08:08 AM, said:

"I have scored a 2 when an entry had ripped someones music , put their words to it and claimed it as an original.." - SoddyBottoms

Hey SoddyB I hope you weren't referring to my entry for which there is some ample scope to accuse me of "stealin" ( http://www.youtube.c...h?v=lq9W0I96Av4 ) and therefore I'm fully deservin of my low scores - I made my song up before I'd ever heard the real thing tho - inspired by a friend who always sang it at open mics

sometimes there's a fine line between
what's t be and what's been
influence and stealin
lust and a lovin feelin
premonition
and gamblin addiction
shortcuts t rainbows
and golden halos
I'm a bet it all gambler
and a ****box riffer
don't bring me no flowers
just a six gun smokin
and put me 8 feet down
when yer bury me
spent my last heartbeat
bury me a little extra deep

Not you Dude ! I gave you that big fat 9 this month.. Your my horse if you never win a race !

I was referring to a contest song where the guy played the sympathy card about how the song was a tribute to his dear departed friend but stole the music from a Tim McGraw hit ...

[Thinman]

SoddyBottoms, on 20 December 2011 - 07:39 PM, said:

Thinman, on 20 December 2011 - 08:08 AM, said:

"I have scored a 2 when an entry had ripped someones music , put their words to it and claimed it as an original.." - SoddyBottoms

Hey SoddyB I hope you weren't referring to my entry for which there is some ample scope to accuse me of "stealin" ( http://www.youtube.c...h?v=lq9W0I96Av4 ) and therefore I'm fully deservin of my low scores - I made my song up before I'd ever heard the real thing tho - inspired by a friend who always sang it at open mics

sometimes there's a fine line between
what's t be and what's been
influence and stealin
lust and a lovin feelin
premonition
and gamblin addiction
shortcuts t rainbows
and golden halos
I'm a bet it all gambler
and a ****box riffer
don't bring me no flowers
just a six gun smokin
and put me 8 feet down
when yer bury me
spent my last heartbeat
bury me a little extra deep

Not you Dude ! I gave you that big fat 9 this month.. Your my horse if you never win a race !

I was referring to a contest song where the guy played the sympathy card about how the song was a tribute to his dear departed friend but stole the music from a Tim McGraw hit ...

That's a relief SoddyB - my friend - have a good Christmas
Robby

[NigeQ]

If you have specific comments to make about this December 1+1 there this thread is the place to make them. However if you want to make a point about how the contests are scored please do that in Song Comp Discussion Thread which is pinned on this forum.

I have moved earlier posts over to there.

Thanks

Nige

[Wendy D]

Thanks to everyone who voted for You Never Understood. I've always wanted to redo the recording of it and I was really surprised it did so well considering the chair squeak, my singing, and my primitive guitar track. Jonie wrote a fantastic lyric that I loved and I was never sure I did it justice, so it was nice that some of the folks thought the music was a good fit.

Also, thanks to Nigel for stepping-in and running the contest.