I Ate It and It Felt Good

Volume 8 (ate): Danbient (Hylton, April, 2006)

When giving an overall grade to each song I use this:  Best song EVER! = 10,
Loved it = 9, Liked it =8, Not bad = 7, Could take it or leave it = 6,
Uninspiring/boring = 5, Didn’t like it = 4, Hated it = 3, Worst song EVER! = 2,
You’re an idiot for putting this on a CD = 1.

0. Number of new songs to me on this album.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11. Song number 1’s lyrical grade. Witch Doctor

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12. Song number 1’s musical grade. Witch Doctor

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

13. Overall grade for song number 1. Witch Doctor

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

14. What do like about song number 1? Witch Doctor

I love the “Witch Doctor” voice. The beeping in a dark cavern deep underground is very haunting. What’s coming around the corner? Will I be captured? I also like the beating aspects to this song. It seems as if there is a pace master trying to keep the dwarfs on a certain pace to meet a specific goal.

15. What do you dislike about song number 1? Witch Doctor

“Are we ready to go?” At the very end those words echo out and seem to disconnect the song. I thought that it was the beginning of song two for the first few listens. “Ok, ok, ok, ready?” Not a good ending in my opinion.

16. Additional comments for song number 1: Witch Doctor

I thought that this song was a good way to grab us by the horns and rustle us into the Ambient Ranch. I love the whole witch doctor theme, but I felt as if they could have done more with that. Especially the end as I already stated above. I wish that there could have been more bizarre instruments or sounds in there somewhere. Not a bad song by any means. It did receive a 9 from me, so let’s see if it gets beat out by another tune.

21. Song number 2’s lyrical grade. Café Coca

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

22. Song number 2’s musical grade. Café Coca

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

23. Overall grade for song number 2. Café Coca

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

24. What do like about song number 2? Café Coca

I like the little monolog about meeting in one of the seventh layers of Hell. He is going to be there for not helping someone and so will the person who didn’t stop him. Interesting topic Hell is. Whoa! Yoda just possessed me for a second. A lot of people have a lot of different points of view on Hell. Not going down that road, so I will leave it at that. Another aspect that I like about this song is the pickaxe sound. I think that it might be two pieces of wood or blocks being hit. It could possibly be a stick on the edge of the drum too. I am not sure, but it sounds like a pickaxe hitting rock. Is he digging in Hell? Those going to Hell will have to send me a postcard to let me know if that’s what he is doing.

25. What do you dislike about song number 2? Café Coca

I can appreciate the lyrics of “You blow my brains out”, but they say it a little two much. Towards the end of the song, I heard enough of it. The beat for me was a little dry. The music grabbed my attention more than I think ambient music should. Not in a good way either.

26. Additional comments for song number 2: Café Coca

I would like to add that I sense a jazz connection to this song. I can hear the brass in the background. It also has a blues feel to it. There are some good aspects to this song and some not so good aspects. I felt like I was in a twisted little Jazz club somewhere in devastated New Orleans.

31. Song number 3’s lyrical grade. High Roller

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

32. Song number 3’s musical grade High Roller.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

33. Overall grade for song number 3. High Roller

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

34. What do like about song number 3? High Roller

This song has a great beat. For being ambient music this song is energizing. I see myself running around the starship Enterprise looking for stowaway aliens. I love the robot crickets chirping. The other vibration on the track sounds like a giant Venus flytrap gasping for air as it slowly digests a fuzzy tribble. A lot of great aspects in this song.

35. What do you dislike about song number 3? High Roller

I wish that there could have been a few more different sounds that took you out of this world. The chirping, the flytrap, and mission control lyrics were great, but I felt that this song had room for more different sounds. This song could have been a 10 for me if it would have completed its mission. It missed being a 10 by its inability of being slightly more creative.

36. Additional comments for song number 3: High Roller

This song has the making of being my favorite, but I have seven more songs to evaluate yet. It will be hard to beat a nine. It is possible to tie it though. As you recall, Mixdorf’s album got me to choose five of his ten as my favorites. Good stuff so far brother. I will have to go back and read other posts to see what was said about this song. With a title of High Roller, it makes you think that it should be about gambling.

41. Song number 4’s lyrical grade. Le Soleil es Pres de Moi

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

42. Song number 4’s musical grade. Le Soleil es Pres de Moi

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

43. Overall grade for song number 4. Le Soleil es Pres de Moi

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

44. What do like about song number 4? Bonus: Tell us of a 44 memory that you have.

I really like the cymbals at the beginning of the song. I also like the speeder bike slowing to a stop at the 2:36 mark. There are some great parts to this song, but most of those where burned by the irritating things. There is some nice keyboard work at about the 3:14 mark. It is almost a solo, but I think that there is something else going on there too. I am not 100% sure about that.

45. What do you dislike about song number 4? Le Soleil es Pres de Moi

I didn’t like the soft lyrics in this song. I have to blast the song just to kind of understand what they are saying. It bothers me when I don’t understand what the artist is singing or saying. This song sounds as if it should be played in the restroom at K-mart. Not a groovy song brother. It basically sucks.

46. Additional comments for song number 4: Le Soleil es Pres de Moi

I will use this space for my 44 memory. I recall when 44 came down to UNI for a concert. They made like $600.00 bucks from that gig and they played to about nine people. That’s good money for not having anybody at a weekend party that was set up by UNI. Funny thing is that everyone from UNI went home or something because it was during Spring Break. Crazy time! I loved it thought. The worm made an appearance I think.

51. Song number 5’s lyrical grade. Kaye

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

52. Song number 5’s musical grade. Kaye

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

53. Overall grade for song number 5. Kaye

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

54. What do like about song number 5? Kaye

I like the bizarre beeps at the beginning of the song. They are also carried throughout the song. The beat is also something that I like a lot. For me this song is carried by its musical creativity. Like I said, I like the beeps along with the beat. It gives me the feeling as if I am traveling through space. The space type ambient sounds are really tripping my trigger. Sounds as if this song should be on the soundtrack to Ice Pirates. I loved that movie and I really like this song.

55. What do you dislike about song number 5? Kaye

What I didn’t like about the song was the lyrics. They were hard to understand. I realize that sometimes lyrics are subtle for a reason. Whatever the intent, it is a great pet peeve of mine to have lyrics in a song that I can’t understand. It pisses my off. My ears struggle and it throws the whole song off for me. With that said, I gave this song a high rating because the musical component really spoke to me. The lyrics were thrown out and I went with my heart. A good song Dan.

56. Additional comments for song number 5: Kaye

The voice in the song sounds like a British Prince. I am not talking about royalty. I mean the musician from Minneapolis. I should mention that the female voices are very pleasant. A wonderful harmony that is interwoven with the already subtle lyrics. Clever and it worked. Probably the thing that kept me from giving the lyrics an even lower mark.

61. Song number 6’s lyrical grade. Sea of Tranquility

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

62. Song number 6’s musical grade. Sea of Tranquility

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

63. Overall grade for song number 6. Sea of Tranquility

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

64. What do like about song number 6? Sea of Tranquility

The things that I liked about this song included almost everything. The beat was great and the musical component again struck a good cord with me. I will talk more about this in the additional comments section, but the lyrics were great. I know what you are thinking. Anyway, the lyrics were like radio transmissions that were being broken up while the astronauts were slipping onto the backside of the moon. As you know the sea of tranquility is on the moon’s surface. The Apollo 13 mission was a great human story of endurance and problem solving.

65. What do you dislike about song number 6? Sea of Tranquility

The biggest thing that would fit in this section of the songs review is the length of the song. It is good to have a good song last more than two minutes, but seven plus is a bit too long for this song. It is great, but sometimes a little less gives it a whole lot more. It is not song killer by any means. I caught myself looking at the clock on this one and that generally means that my attention span is eroding a bit. I fear some of the other songs may fall to this fate. I see a song that is 8 minutes and something long. WOW!

66. Additional comments for song number 6: Sea of Tranquility

Alright, I will try to defend my back and forth stance on lyrics. The lyrics in this song are designed to be scrambled and weak. They are broken radio signals. But when a song has hard to hear lyrics and when they are presented in a manner not like the lyrics in this song, they blow. I get Enya and also the lyrics in this song. However, I don’t get them in others. To put it simply my reason for harsh criticisms for some songs and not others is purely subjective. If it makes sense to me then I like it.

71. Song number 7’s lyrical grade. Wilderness

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 N / A

72. Song number 7’s musical grade. Wilderness

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

73. Overall grade for song number 7. Wilderness

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

74. What do like about song number 7? Wilderness

Cleaver little song here Dan. The beginning was very impressive. The popcorning sounds were awesome. I don’t mean popcorn, but the way they move around from speaker to speaker. The instruments made insect sounds and other unidentified creature sounds. Could me imaginary creatures too. Who knows? The sound is great. I also really liked the echoing effects. It appears that the wilderness is inside some unknown and enormous cave. The cave echoes on forever it appears in a few instances. What’s ahead? Are they friendly creatures or hungry alien carnivores?

75. What do you dislike about song number 7? Wilderness

I like everything again. If there is room for improvement, I suggest that there be some type of lyrics in there. Maybe some lyrics along the lines of someone echoing something or screaming for help. “Help, I stepped in a deep pile of bat guano!”

76. Additional comments for song number 7: Wilderness

At about the 3:14ish mark there are some groovy electric banjo / guitar hybrid playing some funky strings. I really liked that aspect a lot. Good find brother.

81. Song number 8’s lyrical grade. Devotion No. 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

82. Song number 8’s musical grade. Devotion No. 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

83. Overall grade for song number 8. Devotion No. 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

84. What do like about song number 8? Devotion No. 1

LOVED THIS SONG! Best song on the album! I thought that this was a Beatles song at first. The Indian influence on the Beatles was strong, so I thought hey what gives Dan. Beatles aren’t Danbient. Then I heard the frogs, the wonderful frogs and I knew that this was not a Beatles song. I am taking liberties here as I make up my, I thought was the Beatles story. I knew it was not the Beatles. I Love the frogs! The drum sounds like a giant bullfrog slowly thumping his vocal cords inside his enlarged chin skin.

85. What do you dislike about song number 8? Devotion No. 1

Even though it was long, I was captivated by the lyrics. They were very hypnotizing to me. Great touch to the song. There is nothing that I didn’t like.

86. Additional comments for song number 8: Devotion No. 1

This song is my favorite. I know that High Roller has the same grades as this song, but Devotion No.1 has that little something extra that allowed for it to climb to the top. I think that it is the vocals that give it that twist.

Best song on the album! I will say it yet again, “Best song on the album!”

91. Song number 9’s lyrical grade. Numero Deux

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

92. Song number 9’s musical grade. Numero Deux

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

93. Overall grade for song number 9. Numero Deux

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

94. What do like about song number 9? Numero Deux

There are some nice components to this song. I like the heavy breathing and the I assume egg rattles (maracas?). There was not a lot of lyrics in this song, but I did like “What’s that flying in the sky?”

95. What do you dislike about song number 9? Numero Deux

I really didn’t like the beat. It seemed too familiar or common. I would rather hear more drums and less bass guitar. That’s just a preference of mine.

96. Additional comments for song number 9: Numero Deux

I thought that the song could have used a few more vocals. Ambient music is tricky. We are use to lyrics in our songs, but ambient music can and does often not hold to that standard. One of my favorite CD’s is the Myst soundtrack. That is all ambient music. It is hard to be objective, and not to grade in comparison to the norm.

101. Song number 10’s lyrical grade. Rapture at Sea

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

102. Song number 10’s musical grade. Rapture at Sea

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

103. Overall grade for song number 10. Rapture at Sea

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

104. What do like about song number 10? Rapture at Sea

I really liked the bubbling beeps throughout the song. This song had a great beat also. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t stand out for me.

105. What do you dislike about song number 10? Rapture at Sea

The length again was long for this one. I missed some vocals. Not every song has to have them, but it didn’t stand out on it’s own not to have at least some to make it special.

106. Additional comments for song number 10: Rapture at Sea

This is a good song that could have been made better with some more creative aspects.

Final Grade for: Danbient

1 2 3 4 5 6 7.1 8 9 10

The chance of me hearing this album again in the next year is at what percentage?

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

My favorite Dan created CD to date: DanPR

Final comments: Wow, what a bold theme! I applaud Dan with his bravery and vision in putting an album like this together. I really enjoyed it and I know that I will be listening to it again and again. Some of the songs were ok and could have been better, but all in all there was not a song that I will skip over. When I listen to this album, I will listen straight through and enjoy it completely. This is a good album to listen to while you work. I have a prediction about Dan’s next album, but I will wait to tell you that I was correct when the next Dan album comes out. I will tell Gibbs and he will verify it for me when it comes to be.