dreamer1962 @ Tue Feb 22, 2005 7:02 am wrote:
Subs that may have had a few minor pitch errors but for the most part was really good...seby gave a Ranking of 3 or 4 ....So now maybe you can understand why so many people were upset by that as the subs actually deserved a 6 or 7 or even an 8 or higher...The point is this...you are now reaping what you sowed...your sub Complicated actually deserves an 8 as it is very good.
Ok Dreamer, I appreciate what you're saying, but the comment of me giving such low ranks on 'good' songs is pure rubbish. I am 'over' the deal on my own sub... I made very clear the only reason it irritated me in the first place (but, even then it wasn't like the end of my world and *I* didn't make a big deal out of it).
In the entire time I've been here, I've only ranked below a 6 a few times, I could understand Brett's point of view because when I first came here, I heard a few 'not bad' songs that I gave an 'above average' rank. If I ever rank a 5 or less, we're getting into the 'painful' category. If I even rank below a 7, we're talking about a sub that will make you cringe in places. I remember ONE occassion, where I gave an overly harsh rating to a submission, simply because I really didn't like the way the person did the song. After being heavily admonished, I listened to the song again and changed my ranking because I realized I was being too harsh because I didn't like the style. I haven't been guilty of that mistake since then.
Dreamer1962 wrote:
If I were to Rank your sub...an 8 is what I would give it now.....(Before the Ranking was made into such a big deal)...I would have gave it a 9.5 due to the few Pitch errors... but 9.5 is not an option So I would have rounded it off to a 10 due to the fact that we are recording on computers and not in a studio where those errors would have been corrected.
Ok, I would not give my sub a 10 if I were ranking it, because there ARE some goofs. I never take into consideration that anything other than *very slight* errors could be 'fixed' in a studio. As I sometimes argue with jvj, I don't want to see how good I could make my voice using studio effects and processing, the point is to actually *improve* my singing. I rarely use anything other than some reverb, because I would have that available singing through a mic and PA.
Do I think a 10 is 'fluffing'?? Well, on that song, yes... honestly... BUT, of course I would not berate someone for giving me a 10, because I know most of the people who rate my submissions are critical enough to not do that unless I REALLY deserved it, so my rank would average out. Listening to and ranking MY OWN song in that instance, I would have given it an 8-9, because I particularly liked the way it turned out and hearing the same sub from someone else, I would have enjoyed it.
I DO believe I was ranked down for taking a different spin on it than Avril did (as I said before, it wasn't intentional, I simply wasn't familiar enough with the song to know how it was originally presented so I didn't have the advantage of 'mimic-ing' her), but that's ok... it doesn't really bother me. I plan to do the song again (as a challenge to myself) with the more appropriate emotion and see what people think.
(btw - the statement that was made about how I could not have done the song in the first place without being very familiar with it is not accurate.... I have probably heard the song less than 10 times (in all) before I recorded it. I just have a *very* good memory for melodies, always have. My sister has a similar 'gift' (if you can call it that), she will memorize every word of a song after only hearing it a few times. She's GREAT with lyrics.)
Dreamer1962 wrote:
I have now listened to your Complicated sub over and over for 30 minutes and i must say that you have improved a whole bunch since I listened to you last year.
30 minutes??? Geez, you must be totally sick of it now. Yes, the feedback this site provides has indeed helped me a great deal in some ways.
Dreamer1962 wrote:
Actually Im impressed cause I really did not think that you would improve as you have always seemed to think that you are better than you actually are...I say this due to some of your comments Ive read about what you thought your subs deserved rank wise... so I knew that you were not hearing what the rest of us were hearing....pitchy and lack of emotion...but you are improving and thats a good thing and I wish you luck and success :D
Now wait just a second here... 'pitchy'... I've made it very clear that I can hear when I go off-pitch on a song, and I've never slammed someone for stating something was off-pitch, BUT ya know... I don't think it's unfair to think a submission which only has a few off-pitch notes is considerably better than a submission which is *significantly* off-pitch.
Lack of emotion? I can see that on some of my submissions and it wasn't really something I noticed before people started pointing it out.. but NOW I listen for it. Sometimes I agree with other people's critiques, sometimes I do not (as is the perogative of us all), but emotion is definitely something I've been working on since those comments. I have also berated other submissions for lack of (or inappropriate) emotion. It's something I'm working on, personally... (that and the ability to sing with more power).
Dreamer1962 wrote:
sometimes I cant help but think you live in a fantasy land of your own due to some of your comments Ive read in the past...meaning you two are not what you think...sure you do just fine with your hobbies and what ever just as any one else...but you too seem to be a victim of fluff...it shows in your comments at times LOL nothing against you...just being honest here
I think you might be a victim of your own fluff maybe LOL
Ok... I am going to control myself here as much as possible after a statement like that. I have listened to your submission and you do sound very professional for your genre (one I don't care for), but to insinuate that jvj is a 'legend in his own mind' so to speak, really rankles me. It sounds to me, like YOU are a victim of too much BS you have read on the internet (especially after your last statement about 'UFOs').
Listen bud... jvj isn't a perfect singer, he well knows that and so do I, but his songwriting ability, combined with his abilities as a musician and vocalist gives him every right to be proud of himself. Sure I'm his wife, but I'm one of those people who would not have been impressed with his abilities unless he deserved it. I was a fan of his skills as a musician far before we were married.
Not even taking into account ANY of his talents aside from music, he was a professional performer and songwriter, making his living doing music for something like 30 years, in an extremly competitive environment. He was given kudos by some of the greatest performers in rock&roll history. He climbed to the top of any band he was in, performed at The Fillmore (San Francisco) alongside names you would all recognize, and was offered a recording contract by Bill Graham.
That means, unless those people in the professional industry are out of their minds, jvj must be pretty darned good. As far as ME, I don't take very seriously his supportive comments on my subs... I know he's my husband and (although he is EXTREMELY critical, even with me), he might say things just to be supportive. I'm not going to get a 'big head' when he tells me I did a great job on the group, because I hear the full critique at home.
Saying that either of us has an 'overinflated ego' just demonstrates your lack of information about us. I am confident about few things in my life. The things that I am confident about are well founded... singing is not one of those things. Never once have I bragged about being a wonderful singer or musician, (neither has jvj although he would certainly have more of a reason to do so). He IS however, a very good musician and he knows he is a good musician. Not because *I* told him so, but because the world-at-large has told him so his entire life. There isn't much of a better indication than that. If he had been able to take up Bill Graham on the offer at that time, jvj would probably be one of the classic musicians you have all heard about by now.
I'm sorry, but I just don't think it's 'amusing' or 'light hearted' to make statements such as those. If you're going to make those type of accusations, there are plenty of other folks on here FAR more deserving of them.