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Do your songs ever start 'sucking' to you?


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It happens with frightening frequency. I think it's almost as interesting to look at the like-dislike curve. Sometimes it's like a snare drum transient - like it a lot right away, very shortly afterwards I ask myself, 'what the heck was I thinking?." Sometimes its like an open G chord on a D-28 - it starts well enough, swells to nice round feeling and sustains for a while before the sound gradually fades out, leaving a pleasant memory. Best of all is when it acts like a Santana solo note, starts out sweet and creamy and hangs on and on and on...

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Do you ever go from thinking your songs are, maybe not great, but pretty good (and the band thinks they're great) to suddenly thinking they suck and being embarrassed by them?

Like a VU meter flicking back and forth in a club mix. Maybe not so much the core songs/writing... My opinions of the songs don't typically change that much over time (unless I make changes in the song)* but my recorded versions sometimes go from pretty acceptable in my head to near-trainwreck. Much of this depends on my oddly varying tolerance for my own voice. Somedays some songs sound OK and other days the same songs seem to have deal-killing, out-of-tune vocals. It's vexing.

 

 

*There can be a slow drift. I went through a period in the late 80s and early 90s when I was writing as much as fast as I could. Anything that wasn't a total embarrassment became a song. (I was gigging a lot then. I would have done better if I hadn't compulsively switched up what I was playing so often, instead focusing on putting over key songs. Sometimes prolificacy is curse and blessing.) Anyhow, while I did write some good stuff in that period, when I flip through it, I often find myself thinking, Man, what a bunch of dross. ;)

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Trivial.

 

That's usually what I decide the next day about yesterday's masterpiece.

 

Though I'm getting better at stepping back and being detached, and analytical, and better about finding what works and what probably needs to be trashed and reworked.

 

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

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Creating deadlines and too much experimenting... I've published some songs that are pretty bad, but I have some that I really still like... I'd like to remix/remaster some of them, but too late.

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Sometimes your ears are more receptive than other times. I notice that sometimes everything I listen to sounds like crap (all music). Not as much the music as the production, mix, instrumentation, etc. But then I know my ears are weary and need a rest. A couple hours later everything sounds fine. Don't know what this phenomenon is called, but it's real. Just don't slit your throat at this moment, 'cause it will pass.

 

John :cool:

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I'm sorry, this was answered so eloquently by Rick D. in a previous thread, I can't help but repost it here. If it were shorter, I'd put it in my signature, or tattoo it somewhere fun.

 

 

1. Song idea - wow - grammy for sure


2. Song demo - wow wee - grammy possible with good luck


3. (option a) Song do and redo and board comments. - oh ah - not really sounding too awful bad, maybe I can fix it


3. (option b) Song do and redo and board comments. - I'm bleeding fast, to the triage.... maybe the song can be saved, at least for the academic of it


4. Song final - yippie! - Well, forget the grammy, but I'm proud of the effort


5. Song final plus 1 month - not too bad. could have been better here, here and here. But I'm more interested in creating the new song I am working on.


6. Song final plus 3 months - I'll just put my newer ones ahead of it on my web page


7. Song final plus 6 months - boy was I really just learning when I did that one


8 (option a). Song final plus 1 year - I can't stand it! it has to be redone. Hope no one connects me to this song


8 (option b). let's put that baby in storage.

 

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I may feel they are less good as time goes on, but I pretty much always maintain an affection for every one of them. They are a snapshot of me, and most people like snapshots of themselves. I have recordings of double tracked songs I did when I was 15 years old that suck beyond sucking. But I remember recording them fondly and what I was thinking when I was doing so and what was going on in my life. I remember what they meant and what the situation was that caused me to write them. In that regard they are one hell of a memory aid.

 

Think they are good? No. Glad I made them, yup.

 

Rick

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