2 very different reviews by the same reviewer, same song

[DaNolman]

The song in question is "Alternate Ending" which can be streamed at
http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3443188

Anybody get two totally different reviews by the same reviewer for the same song?

I sent the same song to two somewhat similar submissions. In the Style section for both submissions, I got an "On target for this listing" check mark.

Here's the funny thing. Check out these scores -- and they were from the same reviewer! I don't even see a pattern in the categories that scored higher and lower. Looks to me like they're two totally different songs!

The first listing result for the song received:

Melody 9
Lyrics 8
Marketability 9
Song Structure 8
Production 8
Engineering 8
Musicianship 8
Lead Vocal 9

The second listing result came up with:
Melody 6
Lyrics 6
Marketability 6
Song Structure 7
Production 5
Engineering 7
Musicianship 6
Lead Vocal 5

Thanks to ottlukk who suggested I post this in Peer to Peer to see what "the people" think.

[nick.moxsom]

Faith,

Very cool song. You are gifted with not only a great voice, but a fine sense of timing also. Hats off to you.

I don't have much experience with crits yet, but looking at it statistically, I reckon you got this screener on a bad day second time around. It's difficult also to tell without the listings how appropriate the song was in each case – maybe the figures reflect that.

My only guess is that, imho, your backing track sounds a little dated (maybe that's what the listings asked for...?) and if they wanted a current sound, then less reverb and some elements dry and upfront in the mix (esp the b/vox on the lead line of the chorus) would probably help.

In any event, this is a really nice song, and with a name like yours what choice have you got but to keep pushing it?

Onward and upward.

Nick

(P.S. If you ever fancy a collaboration, PM me.)

[tordenspyd]

Great singing! Very well made track! Thanks for letting me hear it.

About the review, At least It shows the screener has done her/his job - twice!
S/he has not just copied the sheet s/he had already made.

Also, a song sounds different the second time you hear it than the first. That's well known.

But, I agree it looks odd. Does the screener know? I see there also is a SCREENER SHOUTOUTS Board.

Out of curiosity: was the track forwarded for both listings?

[ottlukk]

Faith: It still astounds me that tunes of this caliber get reviews of such low caliber. I really thought this tune excellent, radio ready, etc. One of the best I've ever heard on TAXI. What really ticks me off are gratutitous comments such as "dated", ""not current", etc., and then this critiquer gives you an offer to "collaborate"? You're already there, don't need his/her help. Ott

[musicliner]

This vocal and song deserve much, much better production.
Flangey guitar, deep snare, sterile rhythm machine - very 80's
Being a guitarist, I can't help noticing: the solo guitar sound is nice and interesting, but why mono in the center? It ends up being very small and weak...

Vocal is great, both performance and melody. Nice backing vocal lines. Structure is OK.
All the right ingredients are there, but the production leaves so much room for improvement...
Pop music production, for better or worse, is extremely time-sensitive. Anything over 6 months old is worth revisiting prior to release.

Bring the production to the level of your vocal/melody, and you'll have a winning combination!

George

[sedge]

forward or not forwarded, who cares about the scores.

As if a screener is going to be a robot to score exactly the same...
What the screener has to say is much more relevant i'd say , good day/bad day the notes are much more relevant.

ALways thought the scoring was odd... mainly coz there is not a number 11, secondly because we could listen to a song that scores 10 all the way and still not 'like' it

If the scoring helps pick up on areas for ideas where to change/strengthen .. great. but here it is just causing you to bust your melon / some illusive search by you as to why it was not forwarded? .... a kind of sneaky sour grapes?
best to forget it as irrelevant to the actual goal, just wasting fun music making time thinking about it

[nick.moxsom]

Faith,

I'd just like to make something clear. I didn't mean to suggest in my previous message that I have the capacity to 'help' you in any way - rather that it's always enervating to work with fellow musicians who have great writing talent and a great voice. I wish I knew a singer who could do some of my own songs justice. Just wanted to set the record straight, lest anybody jump to inappropriate conclusions.

Best regards,
Nick

[sedge]

I didnt read it that way Nick for what it's worth, offers to collaborate are nice compliments , Ott must just be in a bad mood today : )

[Kolstad]

Can't explain the different reviews, who can. It's something they do for you to make you reflect on your song, and they seem to have suceeded in that

I like the song, but I think the opening synth suggests dance, but it develops as a pop song, so it dissapoints somewhat. I would think that if you changed the instrumentation at the beginning, suggesting pop, then it would get a forward because it develops nicely as pop = fulfilled expectations.

justmycentsworth

[Len911]

I don't put a lot of faith in number ratings when they don't have a description afterwards. The closer to the extremes, 1 or 10 might have the most accuracy. In the emergency room yesterday I overheard nurses asking patients to rate their pain on a scale of one to ten. I could imagine that if two people actually had the same pain level, the one whom had never had anything more painful than a mosquito bite might give their pain a higher rating, than one who had had kidney stones at one time in their life, even though they might be the same pain
level. I can also imagine that if you listened to a song and rated it an 8, and the next song you listened to blew that one away, you'd almost have to give the second song a 9 or 10, but then later down the road, if the first song you heard was the previous 9 or 10, you might only give it a 7 this time. I don't know what that phenomenon might be called, "the abstract number fletcher-munson curve or what"lol! I guess if I had to rate something with numbers, I'd have to write some descriptions under the numbers to be consistent.