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September Composition Challenge - GET WRITING


Dad3353
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[color=#800080][b]The Return Of [/b][/color][color=#800080][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]The Return Of The Return Of 'Play Of The Day'..![/b][/font][/color]

[b][color=#800080]'Carousel', from Bilbo ...[/color][/b]

A waltz, in soft 'tzigane' format, with a gentle 'pump' of rhythmic chords, a staid, respectful double bass and a lovely melody picked out on guitar. This is doubled discreetly by a very Parisian accordion (yes, I know it's a melodica, but the sonic effect is of an accordion at Montmartre...). The base chords are very repetitive, but the variations spun out by the melody instruments fulfil their role admirably; indeed, they require the constance of this backdrop to waft away and back with grace and elegance. The contract is entirely respected, the picture expertly sketched out. Moving stuff; well done, lad.

[color=#800080][b]'Steam Fair', from xgsjx ...[/b][/color]

A full-on steam organ comes in with authority, only to step back and leave the centre stage to a double-stopped bass, doubled by an organ-synth, with a distant arpeggio giving pace to the background. We change again; the melody is now picked out with a rather 'poppy' bass; a more subdued 'standard' bass takes back its usual role of underpinning. Once again, we ring the changes with a driving drum kit pushing an organ to the front for the melody. The volume reduces, but not the intensity; we are hustled from semi-disco to pop-rock, always with the leitmotiv, chased from pillar to post. It's the doubled bass that finishes the sequence off, with the very last gasp coming from the 'steam puff' that's been doggedly providing a backbeat throughout. Very much 'steam', very much 'funfair', an interesting cross-culture interpretation. Well performed; Good Stuff.

[color=#800080][b]'The Bone Rattler {DEMO)', from Indy ...[/b][/color]

An unsettling ambiance is established, as if the band were tuning up, orchestra fashion. A mono-chordal pounding bass riff and we're off. I'll have to 'fess up here, and suggest that, in order to really give credit to the lyrics, I need them to be either very, very clearly sung, or have them printed out on the record sleeve. That's one of the many penalties of old age; one misses out on so much. :-(
Never mind, the general gist is there. The mood and overall sound brings to mind Steppenwolf (take that as a great complement, please...), and the vocal effects merging with the keys give a very authentic colour to the piece. Very well played on all instruments, subtly arranged and mixed; it's very rich without overstepping to become cloying. Perfectly suited to the declared impressions taken from the picture, so successful from every point of view. Well done.

[color=#800080][b]'Caravan Of Fun !', from fingers211 ...[/b][/color]

Ha..! A wonderfully cynical view of the characters one could meet at these places..! Happy days..? Not always, it would seem. The introductory phrases reek with promise of a good time to be had, Wurlitzer style, but we're very quickly disenchanted when all turns sour, with echoes of The Who's 'Quadrophenia' in there somewhere. The tone is set; it's not going to be all jolly, after all. Mid-piece, the hullabaloo dies down; we're left in the lurch, deflated, just like the burst balloon Eeyore gets as a birthday present from Piglet. An all-to-familiar personal experience brought to life in fine fashion; similar childhood memories awoken (for better or for worse..?). Excellent, top-notch. Does it fit the picture..? Yes, in spades.

Edited by Dad3353
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Hi guys - it's been a while!

Here's my entry entry for this month.

It seems started off as a bass part I came up with while looking at the picture but it grew a bit away from that so my apologies!

It was a bit of a rush job to get it done by the deadline (excuses over now!).

I've hidden my sub par vocals behind a vocoder to save you at least some of the misery.

https://soundcloud.com/rikki-boyes/way-of-life

Edited by Rikki1984
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Any more late-comers..? <_<

[color=#800080][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]The Return Of [/b][/font][/color][color=#800080][b]The Return Of [/b][b]The Return Of The Return Of 'Play Of The Day'..![/b][/color]

[color=#800080][b]'Way Of Life ', from Rikki1984 ...[/b][/color]

A solid, funky bass beat, with an equally solid, hefty beat from the drums. The rhythmic starts up a chordal riff, joined by a buried vocal, treated to such an extreme extent as to be totally inaudible (Yes, I know; I'm deaf... :blush: ). The lyrics are... There are lyrics..? Never mind, the relentless grind of the poppy bass, metronomic drums and half-wah guitar do their job well enough.
Ah, it would seem that the lyrics have ended. This is the signal for the bass player to lose all sense of decorum and indulge in a wild flurry of thrashing. Luckily the rest of the band stay on track and, now exhausted, the bass recovers its principal role, right up to the surprising 'outro', switching to three-four time. Odd, but it works quite well. Inspired by the picture..? The link is tenuous, at best, but the piece is worth listening to, if only as a warning to others to not let a bassist off the leash too readily.

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='fingers211' timestamp='1506163500' post='3376790']
Thanks for the 'kind' review Dad......the cheques in the post <_<

On a serious note, your reviews always add another dimension when listening to the tracks.

Very much appreciated, thanks...

Nige
[/quote]
A big +1 from me on that as well

Edited by lurksalot
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With great pleasure...

[color=#800080][b]The Return Of The Return Of The Return Of... well, you get the idea...[/b][/color]

[color=#800080][b]'One From The Cage', from Bleat ...[/b][/color]

A daring work from the start. We are taken to a world of mystery and anticipation. The introductory stillness is vaguely reminiscent of a well-known piano work (although it has been interpreted in many forms...), and blends in perfectly with the following movement, equally muted. One could almost imagine a soothing crescendo as the piece progresses from chaste quiet to deafening silence, unbearably holding our avid attention right up to the final uproarious quelling of all sound...
Four minutes, thirty-three seconds of pure bliss. Thank you, Bleat, for the rich experience of listening to the sounds in my own head, and no more.

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Haha Thanks Dad... that's exactly how I was going to do it... I was going to call it "the sound of silence" ... but alas someone got to it before me.

Maybe an idea for the coming months... you write a review for the tracks first and we have to compose the music to fit ? :D

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