City of Legends

Nemicorn

I have come to learn that I attributed the chart of analysis of the tracks for Nemicorn incorrectly to Lupi Basil, it was actually her son (a note to that effect was obscured in the download of the media portions of the mail). I would still very much like to share the chart with you, but will need their permission first (I am a stickler on the etiquette of copyrights).

In the course of the chart, very nicely colour coded, he breaks things down in multiple categories, piece by piece, and assigns grades…I am sad to report it wasn’t all A’s and B’s.

The categories he used were (his explanation) along with the high and low "students":

Voice Tone: (How the poet’s voice plays with the poem on the recording)
A+ on "Texture of Your Tongue", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn", "Thetis", "Wild and Defiled, Along the Way", "Once Again, the Nemicorn" and "A Passion, Unrelenting".
D+ on "Falling and Fallen Angels" .

Emphasis: (Annunciation of words and sounds, clarity in voice and sound)
A+ on "Nosferatu’s Quandry", "Texture of Your Tongue", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Thunder Out of Valhalla", "Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn", "Thetis", "Darfur (Jesus Wept)", "Amomancy" and "A Passion, Unrelenting".
C- for "Damascus 3" and "Love Gods (Multivox)".

Rhythm: (The beat and/or stress and/or flow of the poem with its words)
A+ on "Nosferatu’s Quandry", "Right Set of Lips", "Falling and Fallen Angels", "Brisant Revelations", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Thetis", "Wild and Defiled, Along the Way".
D+ for "Love Gods (Multivox)".

Image: (Imagery; the use of sight, sounds, taste, smells and tactile sensations in the poem)
I won’t bore you with this one…15 of the 19 tracks got A+, the lowest grade was a B…for "Thunder Out of Valhalla".

Sound: (Linking words through alliteration, vowels & consonants, or the use of onomatopoeia or rhyme)
A+ for "Right Set of Lips", "Brisant Revelations", "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Thetis" and "Amomancy".
C+ for "Falling and Fallen Angels".

Density: (Detailed poetry shows slower pace and less detail quickens pace - the use of either in an easy, fluid manner)
A+ for "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn", "Thetis", "Wild and Defiled, Along the Way".
B- (for shame!) on "Love Gods (Multivox)".

Poetic Line: (The poem as a whole, whether long or short, analyzed by how the poet uses rhyme or non-rhyme schemes through creativity; this includes "content" quality: This is not based on the subject matter choice or preference, but how you play with it)
12 tracks got A+, 6 got A, one didn’t have lyrics. Hey, I am a poet, after all.

Music Content:
A+ on "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)", "Love Gods (Multivox)", "Thetis", "Amomancy", "Once Again, the Nemicorn".
D- on both "Nosferatu’s Quandry" and "Falling and Fallen Angels".

Final average grades:

A+ "The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful)" and "Thetis".
The lowest overall average was B- for "Theocricide".

In the real world, the two tracks I ended up dropping were "Amomancy" and "Brigit".

I can live with those grades. And I am grateful to Lupi’s son for the energy and time he took to involve himself in this project…I’m sending him a free copy of the CD.

Without complex comments, just wanted to reflect on the 18 tracks under consideration for "Nemicorn". A simple 1 to 10 scale (10 being the highest) which is a combination of the technical merits of the piece, the artistry and creativity and my own opinion of my performance (weighted, as I generally do not like my own voice):

Damascus, Movement 3 (01:09) I give this one a 7.
The Nosferatu’s Quandry (02:37) An 8.
Right Set of Lips (02:12) Hmmm…another 7.
Fallen and Falling Angels (02:59) Let’s give this one an 8.
Brisant Revelations (03:10) Tough, but a 7.
Joining the Machine (02:42) I have to give it a 6.
Texture of Your Tongue (02:40) Another 6.
The Faerie (Strange but Beautiful) (03:15) A nine…edging towards a ten.
Theocricide (05:02) A seven.
Thunder Out of Valhalla (03:28) An eight, almost a nine.
Pink Jade - Soft as Dawn (02:16) An eight.
Love Gods (Multivox) (03:58) An eight.
Thetis (03:06) A six.
Wild and Defiled, Along the Way (04:04) A nine…but just barely.
Darfur (Jesus Wept) (03:55) A nine…almost a ten.
Brigit (03:35) I’m giving this one six.
Amomancy (19:04) Tough, it is so long and changes flavours so much…but an eight.
Again, the Nemicorn (04:08) An eight.

Remember, these are not judgements on one aspect, but my overall take.