Grand Prize
Category Winners
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Compilation CD
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Song Critiques |
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Letter
from Grand Prize Judge |
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GRAND PRIZE WINNER CRITIQUES |
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1. |
Andy Taylor, Marietta, GA | |||
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2. |
Paul Reaney, Deeside, Connahs Quay, UK | |||
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3. |
R.X. Bertoldi, Everett, WA | |||
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4. |
Walter Sargent, Huntington, NY | |||
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5. |
Louie Cate, Alexandria, VA | |||
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6. |
Alvin Scroggin, Rowlett, TX | |||
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7. |
Phillip Marcus, San Francisco, CA | |||
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8. |
Linda M., Toronto, ONT, CAN | |||
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9. |
Michael George, Harrowsmith, Ontario, CAN | |||
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This is a heartfelt song with excellent lyrics and lots of truth in it. The opening verse is disguised a little. You really don’t know what he is singing until about 35 seconds into the song. The chorus is the most memorable in this whole competition. It sucks you in with a “Grand Slam Homerun…” and you can sing the first two or three lines of the chorus by the time the second time through. By the third verse, you have most of it. The entire song is a good descriptive lyric that puts a twist on love that I’m not sure has been done in a song before. The Morning You is a simple hook that was clearly motivated by the writers relationship. This is a song that will stand the test of time and will never sound old. This kind of hook concept and hook is not written, it’s inspired and will win a song competition every time. My only critique: “Twenty thousand days” and “twenty thousand ways” is in the bridge seems to be a little artificial compared to the rest of the lyric. However the melody in the bridge is strong, I just think the words could be more up to par with the rest of the lyric. It’s my pick as the best song in this competition. |
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A great opening line that sets up the entire song. “They shut down the steel mills and tore up the railway tracks.” Probably the best opening line in the competition. The lyrics are excellent and I gave them a perfect score. The melody is simple, but easy to sing along with. A good bridge as well. I think the reason this song works so well is that we all know a town, if not many towns like this. I thought an interesting twist in the song was in the last verse when “Mr. Bates took a dive off the dock.” It kind of through me for a loop where the focus was now a person and not the town, but the writer didn’t bring it back with in next few lines. The first time I heard it I didn’t think it would make it to the final. However, I found myself humming this and singing a town like this quite often throughout this process. It grew on me as I listened more. My only criticism , and possibly a compliment, is the melody or the hook may be more suited for a TV show theme song and/or an advertisement. Maybe more so than a country single. With that said this song has continually moved up my list from the first time I heard it. If there was more time, it’s possible it may have moved up to number one. Great job and great song. |
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Till The Morning Light I am in awe of this writers ability to describe in song the pain that addiction brings without directly saying it. It’s like listening to a melodic version of a great book as the verses are so descriptive. If you listen with your eyes closed, it is easy to visualize all of the scenes that the lyric is so eloquently delivering. When the lyric questions the Lord, “Don’t you think you put too much distance between Heaven and Earth”, I believe this could be one of the best lines I have ever heard in a song. The melody has a perfect marriage with the lyric in the verses, the set-up and the first part of the chorus, especially with the emphasis on “Crazy world” I could go on and quote the lines throughout this song, but there is not enough time. This is a lesson in songwriting as the writer has taken a “truth” in life and turned in into “truth” in song. I felt that the only slightly weak point in the lyric might be the last line of the chorus. “I can be alright if I can hold on Till The Morning Light”. It’s not a bad lyric, it’s just been used a bit doesn’t seem to hold up to the rest of words. I believe this song could have won the competition with a slightly different twist on the hook. With that said, the melody does match and it works. This is an expert songwriter and I would love to hear more of their stuff. |
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After the first listen, this song was not in my cut list. It has worked it’s way up steadily with each listen. Everything about the lyric is simple. Everything about the melody isn’t and they work well together. When listening to the melody, especially in the chorus, the second “You’re Beautiful” is an unexpected melodic twist. At that point I thought I was going to hear the predictable, but it wasn’t. And each time I hear it, it’s still catches my ear. I have found myself humming the chorus over and over. This isn’t the first writer to use “You’re Beautiful” in a chorus, but they are the first to do it like this. The bridge is excellent as well and could be a song in itself. This melody continues to grow on me. This is a good song. |
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A great opening line, “You want a vacation, see the travel agent”. We know where this is heading right out of the gate. It is a simple concept that is delivered well and makes you smile when you listen to it. “When you get down to what you need, You Come To Me” is a great line. The second verse starts with,”Go see your boss, if you want a raise”. By now you are really interested in what the next line is going to be and where the writer is taking That’s the continuing hook in this song. As I was listening I was also writing my own words with other occupations that the writer didn’t cover. Great work! |
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The Message On The Wall A great twist on a old theme. The writer uses graphiti on a wall to make their point. The lyric is good and the story builds throughout the song. Although I understand this line, “Someday some may sing, glory to the king”, I wish it was written more uniquely like the visual concept of the song. To make my point, “Someday some may sing, at the wall of the king” could drive home the image on the wall a little more. This is a good song and made my immediate cut. The melody is strong and memorable right away. I love the visual concept of the wall and believe that the song becomes great with a few tweaks. |
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I love this hook, “I’d Rather Be Lonely, then be with you”, and it is one of the best in this competition. It really caught my attention and it carries the rest of the song. I think the melody is excellent and would probably be good with any set of lyrics. I feel the lyric is not quite as good as the hook. Opening line is good but not great. Maybe say it up in a different way. The hook and the melody are the strong points here. My sense is this writer has been writing melodies for a long time and has really honed their skill. |
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I had to listen to this a few times before I started humming this one. The chorus is an undeniable hook. The opening line, “You’re not like other men, you’re a perfect ten…”, kind of surpised me. I was expecting the lyric to go the other way after hearing, “your not like other men”. The melody is excellent and works well with the lyric, for the most part. But I believe some of the words could tweaked. “…..latest styles, you always wear a smile” is an excellent lyric”. Then the next line is “You light up my world”. At that point, I think it goes from excellent to good at this point. This is a good song with a great concept. I love this writer’s style. |
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This is a song with a couple of hooks, simple words that work well with a melody that is common and unique at the same time. The song title could, and maybe should, be “Could This Be Love” as it is sung multiple times at the end of a very unique melody in the set-up to the chorus. The lyric is simple. As I mentioned, it is delivered uniquely at times. In the phrases leading up to “Out Of The Blue” it is somewhat familiar and predictable. I say that as a compliment as it is done well. Very interesting to listen to over and over again. I hear different things about this song that I like each time. I do think the intro could be cut in half, singer doesn’t hit the mic until 26 seconds. I almost lost interest. Also the string progression is a little reminiscent of LZ “All of My Love” at a more upbeat tempo. I like this writer and would like to hear more from them. |
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