More Reviews

Spring is here and I'm getting ready for several shows around the state. What a great time of year to shake off the dust and reflect a little. To help me with that I took part in a "crowd review" program with my bands music on our  www.Reverbnation.com account. Really not knowing what to expect I plopped down my $35.00 to get feedback about a few songs I had written and played with the band. One of them was called "Hard to Hold" a recent song I wrote and for whatever reason (newness I guess) a song that is one of favorites to play and share! You can check it out on the bands website www.MountainCountryBand.com.

My hope is that through these reviews and input from others I can grow into a better writer and performer. I have no clue where Reverbnation finds these people who listen to their "crowd reviews" and provide a written response! Some read like they just fell off the back of the wagon and enjoyed a nice cocktail while listening. I take it all in stride as I walk down this path of passionate adventure. My goals are realistic as I don't believe my band or my solo efforts will be the next "BIG" thing, however; it is something where I spend much of my free time. I'm sure there is another band/person which would be better suited to take one of of my songs to the masses. Anyway, taking the temperture of the music is important to me as I pursue my internal passion to create noise. 

So here are the review snippets I was provided for my song "Hard to Hold" -

• "This blue grass country song with heavy blues influence started out with a singer and
  guitar. Once it got going it turned into the blue grass style. I think the
  singer sounded more fit for blues but he was able to hold his own singing
  this style. The guitar playing and banjo playing where both really good.
  Musically very  strong vocally it was ok. The recording was pretty clear as well".
• "Love the bluesy guitar and blues singing. Authentic and soulful. Love how it transforms into
  a bluegrass song. Like the slide guitar, it adds to the quality of the song.
  The male lead vocal is good as are they lyrics. The female harmony adds to
  the  value and is a good blend. I think this song can be a hit on radio, movies or video".
• "A classic and well drafted blues country tune. A great folksy melody drives you to get up on
  your feel and dance a jig. The vocalist has a raw and gritty voice that has
  some humor to it as well. The addition of the harmonized female vocalist
  adds a nice subtle dimension and power to the song. The studio recording
  production value is high quality. The guitar and other instruments weave a
  simple while complicated harmony that is fun and dance-able. There is a
  rough and catchy tempo to the song that makes you feel happy. I wouldn't
  change a  thing on this song. It is well done and refreshing for this genre."
• "Commercially this song can go far. It has depth combined with meaningful lyrics that tell a
  story. From movies, games, albums, and even television theme songs, this is
  a great choice in the genre. The nature of song in regarding to folklore
  speaks to me gratefully. Clean and crisply recorded it has the potential to
  be come a  legendary hit. I'm giving it an 8 because it's a great song, but
  needs that "X Factor" to truly impress me. Good Luck!"
• "Tough.....I like the words, and the artist has the voice to sing it too. I hear them in the
  background getting down too. I think the writing and the artists delivery
  with the harmonizing of the woman is what gets it. I would've actually liked
  to hear her with him harmonizing together more throughout the song. Good song all over."
• "I like the simplicity to this song at the beginning. The lyrics are so simple as well,
  but also pretty sad. The singer sings really well, and I like his connection
  with Texas and Tennessee, two states I have lived in! Extra points to you sir! I love when the                              woman's voice also enters into the song, it sounds pretty good, the     harmony and melody. The music overall flows
  well with the style of the singer's voice. Good job guys!"
• "The vocals in the intro was whinny and didn't add anything to the song. I would like to hear
  the fiddle a  little more in the song not just the chorus. The vocals did not
  mix well  in the chorus and at the end of the song, the male vocal was out
  powering  the female voice. What ever the string instrument was at the end
  was ok, but would like to have had more of the banjo it."
• "From the beginning I knew this song was going to be something different. The instrumental was
  astonishing with the flourshing combination of guitar, banjo, and violin,
  which is exactly why I love country music so much. The lyrics for country
  songs are usually   so relatable that this one passed."
• "Great intro! It's a classic folkish  country song. It definitely has an edge to it, and I find
  myself grooving  to it. I imagine this would be a great song to dance to
  live. The  instrumentals could be louder. At the moment it seems like the
  vocals are  separate from the instrumentals. I would suggest more than one
  backup singer in the background. I'm liking the energy of the song overall."
• "The vocals have nice style to them  you can hear the country and the soul in this mans voice. I
  think he  vocals come off being distinct with some confidence thrown in
  there. The  music was simple and it was just a guitar and I like how the
  tempo changed it was flawless. I think the guitar was played cleanly and it
  had this  really good and had a ton of rhythm in it as well. This artist
  voice was  amazing along with the guitar. The guy is very skilled at what he
  does."
• "The singer and guitar starting this country song in a classic country style is quite a
  bluegrass style. The lyrics so far is about the singer leaving different
  women that were always no good and travel the country to find another place
  to live. The rate of speed in this is quite fast. The instruments has some
  decent dynamics. The elements in this track are all well in sync with each other."
• "The vocals and the instruments in the introduction were balanced well. The vocals varied from
  highs and lows in  the song. The instruments were focused on the tempo. The
  middle of the song seemed dull. The pitch and the musicians were rich with
  character. The female vocalist added a rhythmic feeling to the song. The
  ending of  the song was engaging to the listener. Overall it was a good piece
  of  work, and the artist had a lot of compelling tones in his vocal."
• "Ay, dirty country on offer here. The way we like it... 'Well I had a girl in Texas' starts off this
  one and that's indeed where it sounds like its coming from. Some stunning
  banjo picking  throughout holds the song throughout while the male singer
  tells his story  of constant life on the road while the occasional female
  vocals shine  through for some beautiful harmonies and story trade offs. Hope
  to hear much more of these in the near future".
• "Head to the south! This song is as country as it gets with a little folk and bluegrass! Lots of
  twang in the vocals and in the instrumentals. The banjo compliments this male vocalists strong sexy voice. He sings clearly and articulates well. The female vocals chime in at times but she cannot be understood most of the
  time. The beat is catchy and I find myself dancing in my seat. The melody is
  fresh and hip. I could see this song playing on any country radio station    
  across the nation! I could see it being popular in juke boxes and in clubs.
  Its an all around fresh song with an upbeat tempo!"
• "This country song sounds like something that my dad would have sung when he was alive. The
  banjo along  with the male lead singer just makes this song epic. I love this
  song for how country it really is. The fiddle just is the icing on the cake
  to this song. I can see this going down big time around where I live and in
  the  mountains. The beat is not half bad and I can find myself getting into
  the  beat of the song and its not often that I will do that with country
  music.  Props to the people who made this song. Good work!"

Well, that is what they're saying...the total score for the song 6.9! Reverbnation considers an 8 or better ready for radio play...I guess I've still got some work to do!!!

Thanks everyone for your support of LIVE local music! Thank you for your support of Jim Fish and the band Mountain Country too! Hope to see you next time I'm out sharing some songs. Til then I'll keep writing and you keep listening!
 
Luv ya'll.

Fish