Yes, somebody else is posting a song on here...

[Delle_Rose]

First... books. Yeah, it is "The Darling". I've never read "All the King's Men". "Hell's Angels" is great, though... I love Hunter S. Thompson. Have you ever read "The Rum Diary?". It's amazing... I love the side story about Chenault. I'm not reading anything now... I'm about to move and really busy getting {censored} together. But a couple weeks ago I read a book by Mariam Firunts called "The Beauty Secrets of Margarita Morozova". It's not very well written, and it really seems like it was written by a teenage girl (coz it was), but the imagery and desperation is amazing. I love the idea of the actress wanting to be a "star", as in a celestial body, and everyone misinterpreting that as something vulgar (ie: fame). If you can find it, it's worth a read (quick)... though the writer is a friend of my girlfriend's, so I'm not sure how easy to find it is. Also, recently "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which is {censored}ing brilliant. I also started my annual Wilde-refreshing, though I've put off finishing that until after I move. I've also been off and on reading letters/statements from Tennesse Williams that I've always avoided because I'd much rather just read the plays.

 

Hm... are the songs good enough? Honestly? Ohk...

 

*Keep in mind, this is just my opinion (though I generally have good trend sense and can usually tell whether an artist will "make it" or not)*

 

I think, in terms of songwriting, you're brilliant. "My Sweet Delilah" could easily, with a better recording, be a legendary Dylan song, or even a pop-hit-worthy southern-tinged alt-rock song with a little tinkering and polishing and really playing up the hook. Seriously... the music choogles along, really simple, but the song constantly feels like it's being "lifted" (or is lifting something). It seems bigger than it is, which is good. I love the lyrics, and I love the way you sing them. There are points that it feels like you're channeling Samson - or at least that betrayed yet in love feeling - perfectly. It's like the song has it's own life, and there's hints of another life trying to claw its way out (vicarious feelings breeding vicarious feelings?).

 

Quite frankly, most songwriters who never made it don't have that quality. Bolan had it, Dylan has it (well, had it, anyway), quite a few others do, too. I've never heard a bar-band burn-out who "never made it" with that quality (good imitations, but never it genuinely). I've never heard a "part-time" musician with a serious job on the side with that quality, either (however, I must admit, I've heard a few homeless wanderers with it, so be warned...). No one who can make a living doing anything but music (while still feeling life is worthwhile and having a soul) has that quality, for better or worse. It just doesn't happen.

 

"Come On Down" is great, too. The hymn at the beginning really sets up the song... the entire song feels like an extention of that... like there's something genuinely pious about it. I don't like the song quite as much, but something about it still hits me hard and is undeniably haunting.

 

However, obviously your style is an acquired taste. For huge pop status, there'd have to be some give, I'd imagine (though I can definately see how the jump could easily be made). For a cult following in (indie) folk/americana... I'd say you're a shoe-in. The recordings also aren't too great, but frankly, that doesn't really matter much if the songs are actually good (at least not at this stage). The songs would take a little technical tinkering... but the feeling and power is there and that special something that people connect to is definately there, too.

 

It depends on what you mean by "more than a hobby", I guess. Honestly, I think you're beyond talented. However, I'm basing that on two songs and I don't really know you. There aren't many people I'm genuinely impressed with (in fact, I'm a huge snob)... but, from what I can tell, you'd be one of them. However, if those are your only 2 good songs and you're not a particularly interesting person, that could be wrong (but for that to be the case, the 2 songs would have to be total flukes, so...)

 

Your voice has great feeling and natural timbre. You might want to work on the technical side a little, though (but then again... Tom Waits? Lou Reed? You're a waaaaaaaaayyyyyy better singer than them, and they're huge - I don't mean to say that you sound like them or have a similar style, either. And yes, I really like your voice... but I can see how someone wouldn't).

 

I'm rambling. Basically, I think you're incredibly talented. Of all the songs I've listened to from people on this board (though not just this board), many of which are wonderful, yours are by far the best, in my opinion... They're the only songs that I get that vicarious sense that they're really just my own thoughts/feelings, playing in my head (the teenage feeling that initially draws people to music, that all great pop music since the birth of rock n' roll thrives on). There are no guarantees, that's true. So enter at your own risk. However, face it, most people who "never made it" a) aren't very good (artistically moreso than technically), b) play a style of music that doesn't have any marketable value anyway, c) have too much to back-up on and inevitably do when it gets tough, d) any combination of those. Every 30 something accountant who 10 years earlier had a jew-fro, studied "ethnic studies", and constantly took polaroid pictures "never made it". Every blues-rocker with a leather jacket and jammed with his buddies "never made it". Every scenester with a slim tie and a squeely-shaky voice singing about that tie "never made it". But face it, they never really stood a chance, anyway. To be really lame and quote a song here, I've always admired Mr. Steve Kilbey's "all the people with their voices/random choices, will they ever learn/To really see/To really be on fire when their spirits burn". And this isn't meant to insult anyone or anyone's motives... whatever matters to you is what SHOULD matter to you. People are just people. But obviously, some people just *should* make it, and some people shouldn't. The only problem is knowing when you're being realistic and when you're being delusional.

 

I guess it depends on how much you want it and what you want. Based on these songs, I think you're worthy of it. But you need a certain arrogance to believe you can truly connect with people (and therefore, actually do so).

 

Blah. Long rant. Sorry. Cheers!

[baron85]

Thank you. I was expecting far less praise when I asked for honesty, to be honest. I'm really quite at a loss for words. I do have other songs that I believe are as good or better than the ones I posted (the only reason I posted these are b/c I'm waiting on a friend to play some drum tracks for my other songs and these didn't absolutely need drums to be decent). I suppose the fact that I think I have something here is the certain arrogance that you speak of. Like I may have said before (I know I've said this somewhere), it's a very fine line between reality and delusion. I know the difficulties a musician faces, but it's also one of the only things I've ever wanted to do (although I'm fairly qualified to do just about anything and everything). But anyway, thanks. Again. This one meant something.

And by the way, "that teenage feeling" is a great way to describe rock and roll.

[Delle_Rose]

I have a habit of being over-dramatic (which explains soooo many of my interests, it's scary). It's like... the entire world should be a 1930s melodrama. All the same, I meant it, so you're welcome.

 

And yeah... the arrogance, the only thing you want to do... I understand. It's this weird limbo thing... You know you can do anything if apply yourself. With my grades in school and especially my test scores, getting into a great school and getting a high paying serious job would be quite easy, certainly no harder than for anyone else who does that... But... People really have to realise that just because you *can* do something doesn't mean you want to or you should. And just because you "can't" do something doesn't mean you shouldn't.

 

Making a living at something else and doing music on the side would be so easy in theory. But then again, I could never see myself doing anything else (sans other art-stuffs that are no more financially sound)... I wouldn't want to live. You have to eat, but you have to keep your soul, too... so it's really a personal decision.

 

And yeah, reality vs. delusion... there IS a fine line, but a line, all the same. Just because something seems crazy doesn't mean it actually is (and the opposite is true, too, obviously). Yeah, every wannabe rockstar believes in themself. But some of them are warranted (despite all the "enter at your own risk" warnings circulating about).

 

Anyway, best of luck. You'll do great, I'm sure.