BlazingDragon's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[DreamGate-|-Greensleeves]

Too short!

I like the original of this song a lot, as it has a very flowing melodic line. I've always loved listening to it and arrangements of it.

Your rendition of the piece is alright in my opinion. Nothing bad, but nothing that grabs my attention and says, "Listen to me!" It lacked a certain level of originality. It sounded close to the original aside from the instrument choice and the high pitched "beeps". It also just repats itself, even before it loops. Here are my suggestions:

-Make it more original; change it up a little more by changing the melody of harmony a little. Embelish it a little more!
-Add some variety; You've got a decent idea, but it's too short. Maybe you could add some more intruments, or change it (even if only a little) instead of just having those few bars repeat over and over.

I did like the strings or pad or whatever it was in the lower register. It sounded fairly close to the melody at times, but with some of your own personality. Try to do mroe of that!

Not bad, but not great. Keep working at it! :)

DreamGate responds:

i just wanted to make a clear piece and nothing to complicated that may ruin it (: okay now i'm from sweden and understand most of your typing ^^ thx for the rev, one day i will go pro =D

[Princess Zelda's Serenade]

Good Samples?!

Is it just me, or are these samples better than that of your past work? They sound much more natural and properly reverbed. The sound effects are incredible too! (Ocean, birds, ect)

Anyhow, I really like it! I find it really relaxing. I love the melody instrument; it's almost like the bells (Which I play in my school band). The piano is nice and relaxed, too. This almost reminds me of a certain level on Super Mario 64. :P The only part that I had problems with was an octave in the bass in the piano toward the song's end. It sounded unnatural to me. It just didn't blend in, as it should have been held a bit longer.

As for the arrangement, I love what you've done! The chords you used are interesting and gives Zelda's Lullaby a new feel. You did a great job on the dynamics, too! I can tell you've poured your heart into this one!

Great job! 10/10 (95/100, Not quite perfect :P)

SuperTonic64 responds:

Nope, I didn't get any new samples, I just used some different ones out of my massive library. (It's actually from the same soundfont I use. :D)

I used a Fantasia pad, a Crystal pad, and a Grand Piano to get the right, waterlike texture for this song. :) It almost does sound like the bells when mixed the right way. :D Oh, and I think you are talking about Dire Dire Rocks from SM64? (I could be wrong though. :P)

Yeah, I had a feeling that I needed to extend that hold a little longer...:P I'll work on that. >_>"

I wanted this piece to be a little bit darker than the normal Zelda's lullaby so I based the chordal structure off of minor instead of major chords. :D That's why there is a Picardy Third at the end to signify the transition from minor to major. :D After composing many bland songs that had no real feeling, I want to work harder to bring one of the most important elements into my music: dynamics. :D If I can allow my listeners to feel what I feel, then I have done my job. :)

Thanks for the long review! ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed this song. :D
~Smartpoetic

[F-777 "Crystal Dreams"]

I like the strings!

I liek it a lot. It's beautiful. My favorite part is the reverbed bass drum and the strings. The samples could be better, but that doesn't take away from the song itself. It does get a little repetitive, but it's pretty good as a whole. I would love to hear more in the background though, other than just a chord in the strings. Maybe a counter-melody or just some more instrumentation. Good job!

F-777 responds:

Glad you like it. Thanks for the review.

=D

[Bells-]

Bells at last!

It was very nice to hear the bells for once, as I play them in my school band quite often. :) You don't hear many songs on here with them.

I really liked the song. I love the bells throughout the song, especially when they do this downward, faster motion later on in the song. I liked the percussion as well, and the tubuler bells. The waltz-like piano was nice and it was complimented by the strings. I liked the brass seasoned throughout as well. There was a nice level of variety too! I liked the oboe too, btw.

Nice job as a whole! I like the instrumentation and variety. I LOVE the waltz feel. It was fun for me to listen too, and a bit haunting. Very good job, though I would love to hear it with some better samples.

5/5

sorohanro responds:

well, bells... one of my favourite percussion instruments...
didn't quite used too much cause i didn't find good samples of it .
Glad you liked my work, i'll check yours later ;)

[Hymn of the Fallen]

Repetitive, but emotionally driven

I like this song a lot, because in some small way, I can liken it unto how I've felt many times before. The sorrow and emotion that comes with it is touchhing.

It isn't your best work IMO, but I like it nonetheless. The harp kind of threw me off, as I expected it to go in a different direction, but it worked out in the end. I wasn't a huge fan of the choir in the beginning for some reason...It just didn't feel right to me.

My favorite part was probably when the brass came in. I do think that the harp and choir gets a bit repetitive over a while though. The melodic instruments do change around every so often, and you employed some light percussive elements, but as a whole, I would have liked more harmonic variety. A change up in the chord progression or something like that would have been nice, as it did kind of drag on.

Good job on it as a whole, though. There was a nice amount of reverb (Maybe slightly too much in the higher intruments and brass, it sounded sort of mucky) and the mastering wasn't bad. My older brother walked in the room and started listening with me when he heard it from a different room, even. He really enjoyed it.

8/10

SuperTonic64 responds:

Thanks for the review BlazingDragon! ^_^

Yes, I know for a fact that this is not my best work. :D In fact, this is the first song I have ever written that I only used FLstudio with. (I usually use a notation program, so then I can see what I am writing on a staff.)

Anywho, I HAD to start writing again. I was feeling really depressed...since I hadn't wrote anything in months! (Since my song, Escape.) However, my 30th song on Newgrounds is coming soon...and I have something very special written for that occasion. :)

Yeah...it is kinda repetitive...^_^" But my next song will not be repetitive like that other one. :D

Thanks for the review! ^_^
~Smartpoetic

[Life Weaver]

Could use some work, but good

It is a very beautiful song that reflects a wide array of emotions. The chords seem to speak of sadness, yet hints of peace throughout. That is, until the drums come in. At that point, it takes on a more adventurous aspect, showing conflict and excitement while retaining some of that original sadness. The harp at the end was nice, but it ended too abruptly.

The piano was alright, but it felt very rough around the edges and synthetic. I would love some pedal in the bass and some more attention on dynamics. As always, I liked the strings. The drums were repetitive, but they served their perpuse I guess.

Work on dynamics, please add some pedal to the piano, give the drums some more variety, and you'll have a nice little piece under your belt. Can't say I understand how the title fits, but I dig the music. :)

5/5 vote, but 8/10 over all rating.

Bosa responds:

It's in my head, so it's completely not understandable.

[Chrono Cross -Intro]

Good, but add some variety

I love the original of this song, and I liek your rendition on it a quite a bit. :) I'm not a huge techno reak, but I like it nonetheless. The only huge suggestions I have are these:

-Work on making the percussion not so repetitive. Add some variety to it; don't just loop it over and over. It's boring and lazy to do that. :(
-And some more variety to the song as a whole; I liked it at first, but it got dull after a while. It seemed you just used the harmony and bass drum throughout, only changing what instruments had the melody. Throw in some interesting chords or change up the melody a bit every so often to make it stand alone from the original song more.
-Add some dynamics; it felt as though all of the dynamics were at the same levels. Make things more interesting by adding some quite and loud sections. Use dynamic contrast!

I know I might sound harsh, but I'm trying to help. I did like this a lot, despite my above suggestions. Keep working at it and you'll get some really great music going! 7/10

4/5 Rating

DrWaldo responds:

Thanks for the crit.... I like it sometimes XD, but none the less i try my best on it. tho i do tend to repeat stuff alot. Once again Thanks

[Bosa Rain Song]

I hear the esence of serenity...

As someone who absolutely loves the rain, I found this song surprisingly soothing. Every time it rains, I can't help but walk around outside, admiring the beauty of nature. The beautiful gray clouds which fill the sky against a background of rolling green hills, the wonderful smell of the moist, damp air...the feel of the light, humid breeze against your skin. It is all simply incredible. But best of all is the sound of the rain, lightly pouring down on everything. The sound of it hitting the ground, the sound of the streams it feeds, and best of all, the sound of it pelting against the leafs of the trees. When I walk in the rain, it is relaxing; almost hypnotic.

This song, in a vague way, reflects upon all of the feelings I embrace as I walk in the rain. Relaxing, calm, soothing, enchanted, mystified...Though the guitar might not sound 100% real, I think it is a good thing in this case. It actually made it sound more like the subtle fall of the rain drops. The waves in the background led to a further liquid-like feel, and the pads added a layer of relaxation to the mix. Also, the dynamics in the guitar harmony also did a wonderful job of lending to that rain-drop like feeling. It was all very calming, and the melody was beautiful.

The only minor complaint I have is about the bass notes in the guitar. It felt just slightly unnatural to me at times, but not even very much at all. I think it helped the song as a whole, but I think some revision work could be done on it. Oh, and I can't believe that guy called this boring! I can't stand when people say such ignorant things, especially when it comes to relaxing or even classical pieces of music.

Great job, and, as always, keep it up! You've captured some great emotion in this peace, and everything was well executed. In particular, I loved the dynamic rising and falling, as well as the rain-drop like guitar harmony. The melody, as the whole song, was simply gorgeous. 10/10

Rating: 5/5

Bosa responds:

Ah.. I'm happy that this song appeals to you. And I might add that the sincerity within your review is straightforward and understandable. Sorry about the late response, but I'm just now going back and searching for reviews. Unlike other authors who have allowed their success to get into their heads and they believe themselves as too good for the lowly fans or intelligent listeners. You see, Bosa listens well and he responds to what should be responded to.

Thank You,
Bosa

[A New King]

So...Utterly...Confused...But good job!!!

I have to admit that I was a little confused at first, but maybe you were trying to show irony...Or something...The music didn't exactly reflect upon a grand, new, wonderful kind in my mind at first. Err...It felt more like one tyrant was just killed off, the people rejoiced for but a moment, only to find that someone even worse was coming to the throne. It sounded REALLY hectic, as if everyone was running around frantically like a thousand tiny ants about to be squished...Or enslaved. Either works.

But then it suddenly changed as if out of NOWHERE!...BAAM! And all of the sudden, the miserable little scene jumped far into the future (or perhaps the past) to a far, far away time of peace...joy...and prosperity...A NEW KING IS BEING THRONED!!! The key signature, the choir, the strings, and all of the instrumentation in general, all seemed to fit the tearful, joyous ceremony. The king would be a good one. Oh, yes, he was one heck of a guy! And as the crown was set upon his balding head, everyone smiled as a new age of peace lay on the horizon!...And then it looped, jumping right back to the horrible reality which was the past. (Or is it the terrible future which is doomed to come and forever torment them?) Either way, it's pretty messed up.

Musically, it was very well done. Great orchestration, loved the strings, and the mood was compelling! A lot of great sample work in there, and some nice compositional techniques seemed to be employed. Oh, and I love it, right before the major part, when the strings go crazy and "spiral" downward. The transition kind of scared me. In fact, the song completely confused and burned out my poor little noggin. But nonetheless, it was nicely executed, however much it made sense.

Wonderful job on this, you seem to have a knack for provoking really weird feelings in the listener. (As was such with "The Picture Player...) Anywho, keep it up! 10/10

You've just got fived!

Bosa responds:

Hmm... Past, Present, Future. You've given me an inspiration for something. However, I'm not saying what it is yet.

-Bosa

p.s. A smart mind you do have, friend. Thanks for the review.

[Shifting Reflections (Update!)]

So beautiful!

I have no idea why this piece has such a low score, as I without a doubt think it deserves a 5! It is very beautiful and soothing, with the kind of melody which seems to pull you into some far away, imagined world. The piano is so simple, yet so pretty.

The chords are simply wonderful, and you've got some nice transitions. I absolutely love the first melody that is at the beginning of the song. It really reflects the mood and the emotions I've been feeling lately. You've done a great job composing this, and the piano sample is really nice! The dynamics and reverb are very good as well. No complaints, except that I didn't like the fade out at the end, and I wish it would simply keep going. :PBy the way, what sound library/sample are you using?

Again, incredible job! This is beautiful. :) 5/5

Skitchstudio responds:

Thank you for the review, and I apologize for taking so long to respond:

The fade out at the end was because the original version of this was written in Reason, and was meant to be a simple looping track I was making for an independent game project that didn't go anywhere. The original samples used for the song were all based from Reason 3 (in fact, it was the default grand piano sound that Reason had).

The new updated version I've added is one that I pulled together later on, making it a fully developed solo piano song, with more sections, a real ending, and using higher quality samples to make it sound more authentic.

Thanks again for your review. :)