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YES!!!!!! I already know that the melody in the opening lines of each verse is the same as "Flowers on the Wall." Is there anything else I should change before re-doing the demo?


The Wilbur Family Bagpipe & Banjo Heavy Metal Bluegrass Band
Words & Music copyright Neal Klassen 2003

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/7/nealklassenmusic.htm

(V1)
There was a band from Birmingham, the Wilbur Family kin
Brothers Elmer, Billy Bob and cousin Mandy Lynn
Friday nights you’d hear ‘em at the Wild Wood Saloon
Not a lick of sense between ‘em but they sure could pick a tune

(V2)
Mandy learned to play the pipes before she learned to walk
Baby Billy played guitar so loud his cradle rocked
Elmer loved the sound of those Kentucky Bluegrass Boys
They put it all together and they made a joyful noise

(Chorus)
It’s the Wilbur family bagpipe and banjo
Heavy metal bluegrass band
Stomp your feet, clap your hands
For the Wilbur family bagpipe and banjo
Heavy metal bluegrass band
Bang your head and dance
Bang your head and dance

(V3)
They hit the road and Elmer drove ‘em playing one-horse towns
And everywhere the Wilburs went they made that crazy sound
Then one night in Tennessee they met the Nashville Man
He said, “I’m gonna make you stars and famous ‘cross the land”

(Chorus)

Bridge (spoken, as if by concert announcer):
“Ladies and gentlemen... with a song that’s climbing the charts like a rocket... ain’t nothing gonna stop it... here’s the Wilbur family bagpipe and banjo Heavy metal bluegrass band”

(V4)
Now they’re filling stadiums with metal heads and freaks
Scottish folks roll up their kilts and dance around the seats
On CMT they’re number three, the latest country craze
And Bill Monroe is rocking and rolling in his grave.

(Chorus)

Neal

I couldn't find anything wrong with this song, which either is a testament to your ability or my lack of taste. It was funny, it was fast, it was catchy and everything else it's supposed to be. Great job, IMO.

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Insert hackneyed "insert signature here" signature here

Wow! interesting mix. But I like it. I'd say it could be even a little louder, but what you got is good. I engoy songs that you can have fun with. The little metal licks are fun. So is the banjo. This is a good way to get more people to listen to stuff like bluegrass. I'd recomend this for sure. But a little more of the "heavy metal" would be even greater. But yeah, fun, I like it.

Hey man, your song is really great, I am going to be humming about the Wilbur Family all day. Great feel, the plucking is really good behind it. All the genres blend together very well and make a great piece. There just needs to be a little more bagpipe, all the other genres are represented really well, but the bagpipes need more! So catchy, i love the humor!

Very cool. I'll be banging my head and dancing all night long. Can't think of anything to say besides good stuff!

Don't change a THING!! Love it.

hmmm... i consider myself sort of a traditionalist when it comes to appalachain/bluegrass oriented music. This is neither.

But it rocks. Interesting melody and powerful chorus. The guitars could be a bit more gritty... and the spoken word bridge i didn't think would work, but it is fun and fits with the song. Great vocals. Good luck!

great story telling.

This is a hoot. I like it a lot. I'm not sure I would have noticed that "Flowers on the Wall" melody if you hadn't pointed it out, by the way.

I don't think I'd make any significant changes if I were you. Other than....more bagpipe. Considering the prominence of the word bagpipe in the title, I expected to hear it more prominently in the song.

Really clever and fun. Great work.

Randy

Thanks for the listens and positive comments folks. What I have here is an unpitchable song. But, man, was it fun to do! If there are any pipers among you, you will know that those are not real pipes - just de-tuned keyboards. I laid the bedtracks on my original demo in the key of G before seeking a piper, and only then did I find out that pipes can only play in Eb. What use is THAT!

Billy Bob Wilbur

Hey BB,

I didn't know that about bagpipes. Interesting. I didn't think those were real pipes on there, but it sounds close enough for the purposes of the song (IMO).

Maybe it's not pitchable, but most songs aren't. All too many songs aren't even much use for performance pieces. Yours, however, I think would be a blast to have on a set list. That's worth something.

Randy

I wouldn't write this off as unpitchable just yet. . I reviewed this song on another site and was quite impressed with it. Difficult pitch, yes. Impossible, is anything? LOL.

I could see a current country artist doing this as an album cut. It's different and I think that is it's strong point. The problem is getting it past the gate keepers.

Plus there could be specialty acts that might cut something like this. Don't write it off just yet. I think this song is too good for that.

Billy Bob,
Randy B. took the words right out of my mouth, "this is a HOOT"!!

Yessery Bob, don't give up on this yet, I think there's a market for it. This is a nice mix of Rockabilly & New Grass... Yeee-haaaw!

This song's definately got the gumption to function. Glad I gave it a chance.

You can imagine with over 1,900 posts, I've heard plenty of stuff to make me a bit cautious and skeptical... meaning I've gotta save my poor little worn-out ears for the really good stuff, and this was one of them!!

Well done partner!
Michael Borges

I had the good fortune to attend the NSAI Symposium in Nashville in April. I won't go into all the boring parts of the "Industry Rate A Song" panel, but I will attempt to capture the essence of the moment. (Among the panelists, was Woody Bomar of Sony/ATV/Tree.) They pulled this cd out, played it and critiqued it or that tape out, played it and critiqued it-some of the songs sucked........some were really good. They would tell good things about them and bad things about each one. But, the ONE song that grabbed the attention of the whole room was a song called "Walmart Woman". It started out as this sexy, sultry, seductive little number and then WHAM, went into a commercial type thing about a harried housewife wanting to save money and time by shopping at Walmart. I don't remember the words, but they were cutesy and clever and not unlike this song. Of course, they said it was great but too long........maybe not that commercial but that with some tightening in the length would fly for the right artist. WHY am I telling you this story? It's because the great Woody Bomar took a copy home with him to his wife!! Hell, I hope she got a cute somehow. HE TOOK HER CD HOME TO HIS WIFE. It blew my mind and I was really jealous. I might have wanted to harm this woman in some way........but, whe was 9 1/2 months pregnant. So, you see-they like cutesy.

[This message has been edited by Tricia Baker (edited 11-07-2003).]

I'm only teasing about wanting to harm that woman-just to clarify that statement. Her song was so cool, just like yours is.

I like it a lot man....
Send it to Rounder Records....
they have artists that might dig it man......

The electric guit almost sounds like a pedal steel or Dobro at points...

Holy cow...it's the bagpipe...
TOO Cool!

Banjo is excellent and the bass holds it all together man...good drums too...a little low in the mix but, really good...

Cool lyrics...reminds me of Dr. Hook....
ever heard of them?

Cool stuff man,
Joe

Ah, but Rounder Records won't take unsolicited demos. Along with every other worthwhile publisher and label in the good ole United States of America. Ain't that the problem we ALL face, even if we do have a half-decent song?

Billy Bob.

Totally enjoyable, BB! Except for the opening line in each verse needing to be changed -- as you mentioned, this is great!

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Mary Lou

Absolutely Wonderful.
ENjoyed it!
I would only change one very small thing.
If you changed the Guitar distortion to a
more Metallica Deep bassy distorted monotone
I think it would bring it up one more notch.
Maybe just in the bridge solo area where you accent it with that cool riff.
Otherwise I am jealous of the wit and musicianship of this production.

David

Just to let you know, you guys and Bill Osofsky are tearing up the charts on Soundclick, man! Way to go!!

Soundclick has charts?

BB

Indeed they do.

You're at 14 in the country subgenre chart, Bill's at 7 and moi?? Well, a humble 29. I'll take it.

Hey, another one of my songs is #1 on the Country Blues charts. Cool! How does that happen? Do they just rank the songs by the number of "hits" they get? What's to prevent somebody from downloading his or her own song like, 100 times?

BB

Don't know. I guess you COULD do that, but everyone knows that God doesn't like ugly.