Deadeye21’s Song Roulette - Round 9 Results

[twosuitsluke]

I hate GnR, and never could stand November Rain.

Yes Kade!

[wolfking]

I hate GnR, and never could stand November Rain.

Yes Kade!

 

[Stadler]

Why does this feel like someone singing me a heavy song while sitting around a campfire.
This is one of my least favourite songs from this band, but this version really turns that around, even if it removes one of my favourite features of the album version

One of those for me.

Certainly is, I’m gonna give it away though because at no point do I consider November Rain a heavy song.

Hold the phone! Are you saying November Rain is one of your least favorate Guns N Roses songs?

By miles!

Excellent! Still expecting my 5+1! 

[Stadler]

I like Rush's The Garden, but the GnR The Garden is awesome. It has Alice Cooper on it!

That's a GREAT song.

[lonestar]

 

[Sacul]

[Lonk]

[Elite]

[lonestar]

Get your own popcorn fuckers.

[TAC]

Get your own popcorn fuckers.

Popcorn fuckers??

[King Postwhore]

,

[TAC]

,

;

[King Postwhore]

!

[TAC]

Someone tell Stadler there's a Punctuation Party going on!

[wolfking]

 !!!!??

[Deadeye21]

Well, I have a rare day off today, so I'm going to take this opportunity to finish this round.

Thin Lizzy - Don't Believe a Word: I think I like this a lot more than the rocking version!
Ulver - Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen): I get a real Floyd-y feeling from this one. Very cool song
Pearl Jam - Even Flow: Wow, this feels a lot more alive than the original!
Yuyoyuppe - Palette: Wow, that chorus harmony is beautiful!
Trivium - Bleed Into Me: Why does this sound like someone singing me a heavy song around a campfire?
Kaki King - Sad American: I actually love the way that tuning the guitar is incorporated into the song here.
Leprous - Acquired Taste: I think the title plus artist is pretty defining of how I feel about this band.
Pearl Jam - Jeremy: Is this not the more classic version of the song? This is brilliant
Band-Maid - Domination: Oh yeah, that's.a banger
Devin Townsend Project - Hyperdrive: Damn! I like that!
Anathema - One Last Goodbye: Thanks, I'm an absolute emotional mess now.
Jorn - Starfire: RIFF!
Guns n Roses - November Rain: This is one of my least favourite songs from this band, but this version really turns that around, even if it removes one of my favourite features from the album version.
Queensryche - The Killing Words: That was certainly powerful!
Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down: This is a great song, I gotta check out the original.
Evergrey - Trilogy of the Damned: Great story and beautiful piano tones.
Focus - Hocus Pocus: The talent of hilarity!

I'm going to type these up as I go instead of doing it as one big one at the end. Then wherever I get up to before I have to start doing things is where I get up to. I'll do a comprehensive ranker as well as everyone's points at the end of that. Sound good? Sounds good.

[Deadeye21]

Evergrey - Trilogy of the Damned
Sent by jingle.boy

First cab off the rank this morning, Jingle. This song is a actually really nice, very moving. I really like the story, which as you told me, is taken from 3 separate songs. This really works for me in that respects. The only thing for me is that I kinda wish it had a chance to really ramp up and rock out more towards the end since, as it ism it's 9 minutes of just piano and a vocal that sounds like it's designed for a more bombastic backing track. The solo in the middle track of this trilogy is really tasteful, I love the piano tones, his voice sounds amazing (and quite familiar, did this guy sing with Ayreon at some point?). What's here is amazing, I just wish I had a chance to get even more out of it.

4 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Devin Townsend Project - Hyperdrive!
Sent by both Puppies_On_Acid and Buddyhunter1

Hmm, you guys got lucky here. This is a straight banger! I think the changes made to this song really help it. I find Devin's original vocal for the track a little uninspiring, where Anneke's voice is as amazing as always and leads to the song being as big as it deserves to be. The guitar tone is much richer giving it a lot more body. This is just fantastic, and easily an early highlight of this round. I wish there was maybe a little more of solo section at the end there, granted, but the riff is killer, the lyrics are captivating and I find myself enjoying it every time I listen to it. You've both earned yourself 6 points!

5 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Ulver - Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen)
Sent by Sacul

This track has such a sense of foreboding to it, helped by the lower register of the singer and the choice of tones and chords all around. I actually get a big feeling of Welcome to the Machine from this one, it's great! The use of tambourine is actually an unexpected highlight. I find myself simultaneously loving and hating that little spoken section, the "and your last thought is that you have become noise". It's certainly an intriguing song. It's immense and brooding, but it's also kinda beautiful in the way it pulls it all together. The weird thing to me is that when he hits that chorus in the upper register, it sounds somewhat hopeful in spite of the darker lyrics.Yeah, nice choice.

4 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Trivium - Bleed Into Me
Sent by Vmadera00

I love this song, I love this album. But this doesn't work. This is such a rocking song on the album that the acoustic version kinda castrates it to me. That post-chorus riff is such a banger on the heavy version and the lack of that bass line is criminal. That said, I like hearing Matt's harmonies a little more prominently than I did on the album. But yeah, this feels like campfire music to me, not the banger that I know it to be. I remembered this one to be much better than it is.

3.5 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down
Sent by HOF

This is a song that I wouldn't give a chance outside of a roulette I feel, but man, this is pretty. I actually really enjoyed this one. The whole song kinda makes my heart happy, which I feel like it shouldn't, but the guitar tones on display are so nice. I love the melodic lead break that shows up every now and then. His voice is a little breathy, but it really suits the lyric here. I'm thinking I really need to check out the original because I'm wondering why this wouldn't be the definitive version. It's just nice! There's really not a whole lot more to say

4.5 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Anathema - One Last Goodbye
Sent by Senecadawg2

This was a new laptop too, you bugger!

I really can't say a lot about this one. The piano and gentle acoustic guitar strumming giving way to the string ensemble about halfway through makes the whole thing suddenly take the full eight of the lyric. That lyric is amazingly deep. I feel the loss this song is about, I start tearing up by the halfway point, and that instrumental coda just tops it off for me. This is a work of art. Now make it end before something gets too wet to function from the tears that are pouring out of me. You've redeemed yourself after one of my least favourites last round, Seneca. Good job.

5 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Thin Lizzy - Don't Believe a Word
Sent by TAC

After the Def Leppard write-ups earlier this year, I got really into the original rocking version of this song. I thought it was a killer riff that helped to heighten the attitude of the lyric.
And then you pulled this out. I heard the clean guitars start up and I thought it was gonna kill everything I felt towards it. But this is actually better! Where to begin? I love. the soulful way Phil sings on this version. I love the whole atmosphere of it. And when that first solo kicks in, you remember how great the guitarists of from Thin Lizzy are. But man, the way they end it off by going back into the rocked out version at the end of the song is actually amazing, I didn't expect it at all. This is the perfect way to change up such a classic song. It's respectful to the original, but changes it up in just the right ways to give you a new experience with it!

5 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Pearl Jam - Jeremy
Sent by Tomislav95

Remember when MTV was something special? These Unplugged sessions were truly something special. This isn't the only song on this list that comes from such a show, but I'm sure as hell gonna bring it up now as Pearl Jam's session was one of the biggest after Nirvana.
This version of Jeremy is actually the one I prefer, live and raw yet lacking absolutely nothing. Vedder sings it with everything he's got. The band hit those riffs hard like they're unaware of the fact they're playing acoustically, this just fires on all cylinders perfectly. It's definitely got a few rough edges though. I don't really like that "door door door" thing that Eddie's doing there and he can be pretty pitchy at times. But, this is pretty quintessential and I think this is probably more iconic than the original version of the song, at least for me. Great pick, Tomislav!

4.5 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Kaki King - Sad American
Sent by ReaperKK.

I son't know if you guys would have ever heard about it, but there was apparently once a festival where (I think it was) Coldplay tuned their guitars on stage and everyone lost their minds about how good the 'new song' was. I found it funny then, but listening to the start of this, I can see some merit to it. What we get out of this is actually a bit of a performance style of tuning before the show actually starts up. She starts messing around a little and making some impromptu licks while she's checking it all out. It's pretty cool.
But with a simple "ok", the real event starts here. I love good acoustic guitar instrumentals and this certainly is one. This could easily be used in a soundtrack with someone travelling around, I can see lots of pretty location shots. There's a few nice quick note sections that really hook me in as a lead. There's a feeling of searching here. I love the whole thing, it's just hard to describe instrumentals. Good pick Reaper.

4 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Pearl Jam - Even Flow
Sent by kingshmegland

Different drummers provide different takes on the material. I've always felt this to be true. I've heard a band that I used to play drums for with someone else and it actually sounded completely different. What this track proves is that even there classics are no exception to this. It also proves hat sometimes, a fresh perspective can really breathe new life into a song.

Not only does this version of the song feature a much more powerful drum performance, but I can hear more of the lead guitars and the vocal harmonies in the chorus. This song is and always was great. And it's really bouncy here! There's so many tings in this version that I can hear that I had never heard before. It's such a great song and it's just cool to hear it with a different perspective. I way prefer this version to the original, so cheers for that King.

4.5 + 1

[King Postwhore]

Pearl Jam - Even Flow
Sent by kingshmegland

Different drummers provide different takes on the material. I've always felt this to be true. I've heard a band that I used to play drums for with someone else and it actually sounded completely different. What this track proves is that even there classics are no exception to this. It also proves hat sometimes, a fresh perspective can really breathe new life into a song.

Not only does this version of the song feature a much more powerful drum performance, but I can hear more of the lead guitars and the vocal harmonies in the chorus. This song is and always was great. And it's really bouncy here! There's so many tings in this version that I can hear that I had never heard before. It's such a great song and it's just cool to hear it with a different perspective. I way prefer this version to the original, so cheers for that King.

4.5 + 1

Awesome   I do as well  Thanks!!

[Deadeye21]

Guns n Roses - November Rain
Sent by Stadler

We had a good long chat about this song in particular the other day. For me, the original version of this song is a bloated mess. Axl thinks he's larger than life behind the piano and it just keeps ironing on and on. THere's only 2 really good things about the original IMO and that's Slash's fantastic solos and the coda section containing the final solo and the "don't you think that you need somebody, you're not the only one". Other than those moments, I find the song painful to get through more often than not and knowing that they play it at every show is making me really not look forward to those 9 and a half minutes in November where I'll be taking it in live. But that's the full version that this demo became. Let's see what's in store here.

Right off the bat, this has a very different vibe. This feels like it could have been another Patience if it was left to play out the way it does here. Admittedly, the little breathy high thing after every line is really overdone. But, I like this version of the verses much more. Axl's voice doesn't sound quite as strong as it does on the finished product, but this is a demo. The other thing that bothers me is that I really miss Slash's soloing here. This version stands to prove to me that the song could've been very different. I'd love to hear a version that's done more like this that includes proper drums and Slash's solos that culminates in the fantastic ending that the full version gives us. Oh, what could have been.

3.75 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Queensryche - The Killing Words
Sent by romdrums

I'm not a huge Queensryche fan, apart from the original Mindcrime album, so this is my only exposure to the bands outside of that. Funnily enough, this makes me wish that DT had been given a chance to do an MTV Unplugged during the Awake era, I reckon Another Day done his way would've been amazing. Geoff's voice sounds strong here and the riffing is pretty decent.I like the solo a lot. The drummer is definitely having a great time on this one. I also think this one suits the unplugged style more than the studio version. I like the way that the last chorus is the ending. It's too late to take the chance a gain, there's really nothing left so why keep going? It's a decent song and it makes me keen to check out m ore Queensryche in future. How'd this stack up in KevShmev's Queensryche countdown?

3.5 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Jorn - Starfire
Sent by Wolfking

Straight off the bat I love the effect on the vocals going into the heavy riff! I haven't heard a single verse and I know I'm in for a good time! The verses don't really hold the same energy and the pre chorus goes a step down from there, but it gives the chorus a really good tension to it. I don't know that I like how quickly the energy seems to dissipate after that main riff is gone. I do like the key change to the second pre-chorus though. The harmonised lead after the second chorus is pretty cool. I think the pre-chorus following this is the best version of it throughout the song. The full solo at the end of the track is actually pretty baller. I don't know that this song delivered on everything I really wanted out of it from what it felt that the intro promised, but it's pretty great. all the same.

3.75 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Focus - Hocus Pocus
Sent by twosuitsluke

This is what happens when You don't have long enough to actually play the song at a gig. Don't get me wrong, everyone did a really admirable job of performing at a high level for a song that really isn't meant to be played at this BPM. Especially that second scatting section, that's hilarious. Here's the thing, OI think the song is actually better at this tempo. It feels like it just keeps getting faster as well, it's cool actually! I can't resist the urge to make this joke, but these guys must have had to really Focus on getting right when they had to speed it up just the once.

4 + 1

Oh, and you better read the comments on this. There's some gold in there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ouPGGLI6Q

[Deadeye21]

Leprous - Acquired Taste
Sent by Elite

Sorry to say it, but this is pretty much the most accurate title to describe the band a s a whole for me so far. Leprous are an Acquired Taste, one that I haven't acquired as yet.
The piano riff is actually really intriguing and I like Einar's voice. The kick-off into the full band section is really well done and it's all going nicely. But despite me liking everything that's going on, it just seems to fall flat when Einar starts singing again. The verse after this starts to turn me off completely. By removing the piano melody that was supporting it, the vocal melody just feels a littler bit all over the shop. What follows from there, the haunting melody is a nice touch, but it kinda kills the song dead in its tracks and has next to nothing to do with where we started from. I don't know if it's a fault of the live version or the songwriting itself, but I feel lost from here. I really wish they'd put some actual lyrics into the back half instead of letting him waffle around for 5 minutes just signing "ahh ahh", you know? He's got a melody, so why not utilise it! I kinda like all the parts, but I don't like the sum.  It's weird.Don't stop trying to get me into Leprous though, because I almost got there this time.

3 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Band-Maid - Domination
Sent by lonestar

I don't understand a word but I'm having a ball with this! Guess you don't really always need lyrics if the tune is this good hey? The riffs are awesome, I really like that stop/start trade off the guitarists do in the second, I wanna say, pre-chorus. Then that instrumental section starts up. I love the riff, but that's more is I love that everyone is having a go at soloing here, kicking off with the bass before we go into a guitar solo and then a cool little unison bit before the drum solo. Yeah, this is just a good time!

4.75 + 1

[Deadeye21]

Yuyoyuppe - Palette
Sent by Revenge319

And my last song for today, it's certainly been a ride!

I love the instrumental work here, it's all pretty technical on at least one instrument at all times and yet stays really ambient and non-intrusive to the vocals. It's amazingly well done. As said about Domination, I don't understand a word, but in this one I get a lot more out of the vocals as well. She has a beautiful voice and, and mentioned in my first impression for this one, the chorus harmony is beyond AMAZING! That bridge section is really cool too. There's a lot to love here and I feel like it were in English, this would be constant on my playlists. What a cool little track. Shame I can't give you the bonus point (though this song will be ranked where in terms pf the round, not the bonus point).

4

[Deadeye21]

And there you have it, a lot of great tunes here. My personal ranking of these songs gives us

Don't Believe A Word
Hyperdrive!
One Last Goodbye
Domination
Even Flow
Jeremy
When Love Breaks Down
Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen)
Sad American
Trilogy of the Damned
Palette
Hocus Pocus
Starfire
November Rain
Bleed Into Me
The Killing Words
Acquired Taste

The score so far...
HOF - 27
kingshmegland - 25.5
TAC - 25.25
Tomislav95 - 25
Sacul - 25
lonestar - 24.5
Buddyhunter1 - 24
Vmadera00 - 24
Puppies_On_Acid - 23.75
ReaperKK - 23.75
jingle.boy.- 23.5
senecadawg2 - 23.25
Revenge319 - 23
romdrums - 22.5
wolfking - 22.25
twosuitsluke - 22
Stadler - 21.5
Elite - 21.25