Reply To: Song-Fu 2
I agree that the imposed topic limited how great the songs could be. I also agree with Mitch that the main indicator of how great a Fu song is is how well it gets stuck in your head. I couldn’t get P&S’s “moon” song out of my head after hearing it, which is how I knew I’d found the winner.
I think P&S’s “Rufus” song had the potential to break out a little more. I liked the a capella opening and the straightforward reading of Rufus’ life, but I think it would have been better if, after the first verse, they broke out into a really memorable melody (perhaps with some pickin’ and a jivin’ on some down-homey instruments like banjos and washboards) so that even if the words weren’t particularly memorable, the melody was. As an example, take a look at “Still Alive”. It starts with nothing but the singer and the very simple instrument in the background, but builds to add in a beat and eventually guitar. “Still Alive” wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting if it had stuck with just the simple instrumentation it started with.