Thanks, Dave!
Yes, sometimes it works. I don't get inspired by such things very often though. Most of the time I just sit down and start composing without any idea where it will go.
"Sheep On The Driveway", "Ride On The Broomstick", "When The Night" and "Ahab" are a few exceptions.
As for "Sheep": I haven't listened to it for a couple of days, and now I hate the synth drums (especially the snare). I actually think the whole mix is too crisp. I think I'll post this song at a German site too in order to get some feedback. They are very honest and rigorous there - which is exactly what I need to detect the deficiencies in a mix.
Regards,
Steffen