Nur Ein VII Round Four "Elizabeth the Great"

[Caravan Ray]

GJ – I don’t like when you are ‘enunciating’ vocally like this. It sounds false.

Don't really understand this bit. Apart from my appalling attempt at Spanish - I thought this was pretty much my natural voice (albeit quiter than usual because I am still working out recordiong arrangements in my new house). I certainly wasn't deliberately trying to do anything different. In fact - I thought my enunciation was quite below standard in parts - and if I had more time I would have re-done lines to make them clearer.

Do you think that vocals on many of my songs sound "false" - or just this one? Genuine question - because I do usually like to try to enunciate far more clearly when I sing than when I speak. Good to get feedback like this. Have you noticed this "falseness" before? Or do I sound false because you have heard my slurring monotonal speaking voice?

Where is the bass?

Never got around to it. Yep - it should be there.

[frankie big face]

And if I won, I wouldn't be able to play next year, which means I wouldn't be as happy.

You don't have to be a judge after winning. I seriously considering not judging the year after I won. It was hard to say no and, ultimately, it was a good experience being on the other side. But I didn't like not being in the competition.

[glennny]

First off I liked all 9 songs. I even liked Frankie's song. I also really like Randy Newman and certain America songs. I LOVE Bowie. This was not anywhere near Frankie's best song in my book. I thought it was a well produced (EDIT: something petty and jealous I shouldn't have said, misguided ribbing). Good production and good vocals take you a long way I suppose.
I'm amazed we didn't clean up on this one. I thought we clearly had the best song on almost all fronts, but clearly I'm too close to it and not objective.

nur ein ! ! ! !

[frankie big face]

I thought it was a well produced phoned in hack job.

Wow.

[Ross]

I thought it was a well produced phoned in hack job.

Wow.

Well, if he's in the final, now you know who to vote for

[Caravan Ray]

@Glennny - Did you really like my song or was that the most disgusting hybrid musician you could think of to lovingly insult me?

I think the most disgusting hybrid musician I could think of would be vocals by Nickelback (with Celine Dion doing backup), lyrics by Bryan Adams and Soundgarden chord changes all produced by whoever it is that gives Matchbox 20 their trademark cutting edge sound.

[Caravan Ray]

I'm amazed we didn't clean up on this one. I thought we clearly had the best song on almost all fronts, but clearly I'm too close to it and not objective.

I can objectively agree.

[supremeedible]

I'm amazed we didn't clean up on this one. I thought we clearly had the best song on almost all fronts, but clearly I'm too close to it and not objective.

Of course, only Caravan Ray is completely objective, but I have a hard time listening to this week's WSA song in particular (and a share of glennny's output in general) and believing that it could "sound good" to you, regardless of how much thinking went into designing it or how prominently the iv chord is used.

People often say things like "this isn't Productionfight!". Well it certainly isn't Mathfight! either.

BTW, I thought WSA had one of the best songs last week, so maybe I just want Glenn to sing all your songs.

[j$]

GJ – I don’t like when you are ‘enunciating’ vocally like this. It sounds false.

Don't really understand this bit.

hmm OK, this is a hard one to nail (matron) - maybe in retrospect, "enunciated" is a little bit "catch-all" - what I am trying to get at, and I don't hear it very often in CR songs, but when I do, it grates, is "over-performed" lyrics, usually the ones where it feels you are too close to the microphone / whispering in my ear. It's creepy in a bad way? or maybe, as I think about it, i mean, it doesn't feel very *you*, this lyrical performance, like your heart's not in what you've written, and of course, part of that is having met you several times, and having an opinion of who *i* think you are but more than that, it's you're coming across to me on this song more Brian Johnson then Bon Scott (to use a potentially but unintentionally offensive Antipodean comparison)

I appreciate that probably doesn't help but what I am trying to get at is occasionally I feel you put a safety net (for whatever reason) in between you and your songs, and it disappoints me, because I just don't get why you would. But at least you're not singing about home invasion this time out

[j$]

I'm amazed we didn't clean up on this one. I thought we clearly had the best song on almost all fronts, but clearly I'm too close to it and not objective.

I would say about seven songs too close to it

[j$]

@J$ - I have things to say about your evaluation of Company, but I worry that saying them on a message board won't quite work. I'll save them for the next time I see you in the flesh. And also, maybe you need to see it performed by Americans, dammit! In New York City, dammit!!! Stick to Gilbert and Sullivan in your back yard. .

You're right - inappropriate to dissect Company in any company - NSFA. Don't call me on NY - you are luring me into trouble Also, you can stick Gilbert & Sullivan in *your back yard*

[Caravan Ray]

GJ – I don’t like when you are ‘enunciating’ vocally like this. It sounds false.

Don't really understand this bit.

hmm OK, this is a hard one to nail (matron)

OK - interestinng. Thank you.

I guess the thing with this song is I did run out of time. I nornally do lots and lots of vocal takes till I get one I like. This was virtually (not literally) "first take" - and done at 1am so I couldn't really get too far out of whisper mode. I probably won't bother re-recording this - but if I did, I suspect it would sound quite different.

[Caravan Ray]

Also, you can stick Gilbert & Sullivan in *your back yard*

Ahhh...G&S. I believe they are still talking about my inspired performance as Chorus: Sailor #27 in the Wynnum-Manly Savoyards production of HMS Pinnafore several years ago. I have now sworn off the musical theatre however (or to coin a phrase - I have JonEriced it), after failing last year to secure a role in the local production of Spamalot. I was crushed.

[roymond]

... I'm not worried the rest of the judges hated it

Hello people, please be assured, I really liked all the songs this week. Someone has to be at the bottom just like somebody has to be at the top. Maybe that's what the wink was for, but really, your stuff is so cool and distinctive. Don't take it as anything but a lower score than the rest. That's right, don't blame the judges, blame the other contestants.

[Ross]

By the way, as long as people are talking about Nur Ein! procedurals, I would like to compliment the judges on the fact that we have not had to wait for random missing judges this competition. Amazing that results have regularly been early!

As a contestant, I appreciate that.

Nur ein!!!!!

[Jefff]

It would be pointless to change the scoring system.

[Manhattan Glutton]

I like writing songs in an environment that gets me excited. That used to be SongFight proper and, for some reason, it isn't anymore.

It's because the challenge is over here. The big question is: what's next? How can we make this even more challenging and exciting? I'll be damned if I have to challenge myself - I need the external force.

[glennny]

How can we make this even more challenging and exciting? I'll be damned if I have to challenge myself - I need the external force.

I think if we add some sort of a Math test element to the contest, make it more Math Fight like.

[Caravan Ray]

By converting each score so far to a percentage of available points - then averaging that over the 4 rounds so far (winners of immunity averaged over 3 rounds) - we get the current form guide:

BGM 91%
Frankie Big Face 81%
Ross Durand 73%
Manhattan Glutton 67%
Merisan 66%
ADD 65%
Genevieve Johnson 63%
DJ Ranger Den 58%
Oystercatcher 57%
Chris Cogott 56%
WSA 53%
The Chocolate Chips 41%

Updating the latest form:

BGM 88%
Frankie Big Face 81%
Ross Durand 71%
Manhattan Glutton 66%
ADD 62%
Genevieve Johnson 60%
DJ Ranger Den 58%
WSA 50%


It looks like Genevieve, DJRD and WSA will need to be spending a bit of time in the Room of Mirrors before coming out onto the paddock for the next go around if they want to stay in contention. Time to put a bit of cement on the Weetbix and give it a 110% red hot go.

[Ross]

Interesting that no act's score increased last round. A few were lucky to stay even.

And it looks like C Ray is winning the math challenge

[Caravan Ray]

Interesting that no act's score increased last round. A few were lucky to stay even.

I think the fact that the number of competitors decreases means that the average score will generally decrease as it goes on

[Ross]

Yes, well, I hadn't spent much time on it. But I can see how someone in 5th place in Round one might have about 80% of the points, but 5th place in a round of ten would have only about 50% of the points.

This is the phenomenon to which you refer, yes?