Happy?? Happy?? Why is that a theme so often?? Happy often equals crappy!!
Well, that certainly wasn't the case here. There wasn't a crappy song in the bunch. In fact, I really liked every song I received this round. Which is a bittersweet pill to swallow, of course - it's nice to get so many songs I enjoy, but it also means that I'm going to end up having to eliminate somebody even though they sent something I really like. And that kinda sucks. But, such is life!
Anyway, results.
Buddyhunter1: The Devin Townsend Project – ‘Kingdom’This is glorious. I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘happy,’ but it does have a generally positive and uplifting vibe to it, especially in the vocal melodies. It’s hopeful, almost inspirational at times. And theme aside, it’s just an extremely powerful song overall. It works on multiple levels: on the surface, it’s so energetic that it makes me want to bang my head and just rock the fuck out, but delving a little deeper, it’s got enough substance and meaning that I could just as easily use it for meditation. Marvelous song.
SomeoneLikeHim: Moon Safari – ‘Yasgur’s Farm’ This is legitimately one of the happiest songs I’ve ever heard in my life. Happy isn’t even a strong enough word; this is
blissful. I’m listening to it again right now, and I can’t seem to wipe the damn smile off my face!
I feel like the world would be a more peaceful place if everybody just listened to this song. It’s melodically and harmonically wonderful throughout, with more beautiful passages than I care to count. I love how light and carefree it is, and… just…
lonestar: Speaking to Stones – ‘Water’Well, I certainly can’t complain about the vocals this time around. Very majestic, with quite a lot of power. And speaking of ‘power’, you weren’t kidding about the guitar work here, either! Impressive stuff! Again, I wouldn’t exactly call it a ‘happy’ song, but it’s definitely uplifting, with soaring melodies that evoke images of climbing mountains. And I actually think the religious overtones work really well; it’s very spiritual, and it feels almost enlightening. It has a great sense of wonder to it. Very nice.
wolfking: Last Tribe – ‘Wake Up the World’This seems like it would be a good song to listen while trying to make positive changes in one’s life. There’s a really interesting sense of tension and desperation, but at the same time there’s a lot of hope, and it’s very motivational, very inspiring. To me, the quiet intro feels like taking a deep breath before making the plunge. When the song really kicks in, that’s when you jump over the edge, and then you’re in freefall for a while until you get to the awesome, anthemic chorus and find out you can fly. Very moving.
jingle.boy: Spock’s Beard – ‘The Doorway’Charming. Listening to this one certainly puts me in a more positive frame of mind. It’s very passionate and very emotional. The melodies are delightful, particularly the piano passages, and Neal Morse has really grown on me as a vocalist, so that’s a definite plus here. The song has a great atmosphere, with a nice whimsical energy and a smooth flow. Lots of cool stuff going on in the instrumentation, and the instrumental ending is absolutely fantastic. Just lovely.
adace: Moon Safari – ‘Mega Moon’More Moon Safari. These guys must make pretty happy music in general, I take it?
This one’s kind of an oddball. It’s very unpredictable – I’ve listened to it several times now, and there are parts of it that continue to catch me off completely off guard every time, especially the Queen-esque vocal passage right after the first chorus. I feel like it’s toying with me.
It feels really playful, almost silly at times. It certainly fits the ‘happy’ criteria, and it’s got some wonderful melodies and a sugary chorus. Overall, I don’t like it nearly as much as Yasgur’s Farm, but it’s still a really fun song.
Elite: Spock’s Beard – ‘Day For Night’For the record, this was Elite’s second choice. He tried to send The Doorway, but jingle beat him to the punch, so he went with this instead.
I do prefer The Doorway overall, as you said I probably would, but this is a great song, too. I love the intro, and when the full song kicks in, it has a really cool energy with some neat synth sounds. Nice uplifting melodies and cheerful vocals. I find it very soothing. The chorus is lovely, especially near the end, with all the harmonies. This is definitely a mood lifter, the kind of song that helps when you’re having a bad day. I like it.
kingshmegland: Presto Ballet – ‘You’re Alive’And this was king’s
third choice. He tried to send a Spock’s Beard song, and I told him I’d already received two songs from them. So he tried to send a Moon Safari song, and I told him I’d already received two songs from them as well. Poor guy!
This one is quite simple, but it still has some great stuff going for it, and it’s still a really nice tune. Between the comforting acoustic guitar, the pretty vocals, and the life-affirming lyrics, it definitely puts a smile on my face; I don’t think it would be possible to listen to this song and still be in a bad mood afterward. It’s very peaceful, very inspirational, and, as I said, very life-affirming. A great little mood-lifter.
Dr. DTVT: Marillion – ‘Rich’Sweet. It has a nice pleasant atmosphere with a lot of warmth and color; sort of feels like home. The vocals are a bit on the quiet side, but I do like the sound of them, and they have a way of making the song feel sort of intimate. The intro melody is ridiculously catchy, the type of tune you can’t help but hum along with, especially once the singer starts going along with it later in the song. The lyrics have a nice message, too. Good stuff.
Again, I must emphasize that you all did very well this round, and I really like all of these songs. Ranking them was not easy. In fact, it was very difficult. But a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta go, and, unfortunately, I gotta eliminate somebody. So, without further ado…
Round Three rankings:1. SomeoneLikeHim
2. Buddyhunter1
3. wolfking
4. jingle.boy
5. lonestar
6. Dr. DTVT
7. adace
8. kingshmegland
9. Elite
Congratulations to SomeoneLikeHim! To be honest, yours might not actually be my overall favorite song this round (it’s a close call), but you absolutely
nailed the theme – I asked for happy, and you damn sure gave me happy. This song was a perfect choice for this round, and for that, you’ve earned immunity from elimination in round four. Well done!
Unfortunately, somebody has to come in last place, and in this round, that somebody was Elite. So sorry, buddy.
Believe me, I’m not happy to be eliminating you. You did really well in the first two rounds – I’ll be getting Mercy Falls thanks to you, and you helped to sell me on Haken as well. And honestly, Day For Night is a great song in and of itself. It’s just that this round happened to be full of great songs, and your second choice didn’t quite stack up against the tough competition. So, I feel like a jerk for this, but I’m afraid you’re out. But thank you so much for participating! No hard feelings, I hope!
Moving right along…
Round Four: Adrenaline RushI think the title says it all, really. This time around, I’m looking for songs that get the heart pumping and the adrenaline flowing. Send me something fast-paced, something high-energy, something that will pump me up and get me moving.
Submit your songs by January 16th.