Song -- "Oh Yeah"

[dbd1963]

Here's another new one I worked up into rough shape here. It would be so much better with a real lead guitar player. I mean I don't think I did terrible, but I can imagine more going on than I'm capable of producing myself.

 

I also used my cheap Korean Tobias on this song, rather than the much more expensive, and quirky Rickenbacker -- I think it did pretty good! It's probably mixed too loud, as usual.. heh.

 

**link gone dead**

 

I seem to be on a kick where the songs I write are arranged with just drums, acoustic, bass and voice, with some lead parts overdubbed. Would you call this acoustic music? I don't really know where what I'm writing fits so I put it in "Rock general". Any thoughts on these lines?

 

I think I'm happy to be out of my "power pop" period..

[Floophead3]

Even though it's still a rough recording, I like the song a lot. I think if you smoothed this out with a real recording it'd be fantastic. It's got a nice groove, some very catchy melodic figures. I think it's pretty brilliant in its simplicity. If you are worried about lead guitar work, perhaps you can give me a recording without lead parts and I'll fit some in there for you. I really like this tune, though honestly, I don't think the lead parts are bad, just maybe a little robotic. I also think this a very difficult song for you vocally (hell what you do in this one would be difficult for nearly anyone) so a lot of work on recording is probably going to be necessary to work out the kinks. It'll be worthwhile though, this is a gem. :thu::thu::thu:

[dbd1963]

Thanks Floop. I just started a cold so there's no chance of re-singing any time soon, unfortunately. It's not really that hard to sing, just a matter of flipping up to falsetto without any hiccups. The trouble for me is always in getting the feeling for performance of the song after I've done it a few times. It starts to become a drag..

 

I will put up a "lead guitar-less" copy of the song for folks to try their slow-hands at if they want. I am always happy to work with others.

 

Thanks for the kind words and the offer of help, I appreciate it.

[blue2blue]

I sort of like the strain in your voice but I suspect it might be easier to sing in another range, since a lot of what you're doing seems to fall at or near the transition between your 'voices' (head, throat, chest, yadda yadda).

 

I don't think the lead is bad, although I'm not sure the sound of the guitar serves things that well. I might just be trying to fit your loafers into my shoebox but I'd kind of like to hear how it sounds with an acoustic lead. One thing I've found is that -- particularly if I find myself overplaying [not saying you are, necessarily] on electric, sometimes it helps me to sit with one of my acoustics and play something a little simpler and more melodically driven (than, say, scale/lick driven).

 

Anyhow, a solid effort!

 

[dbd1963]

Well that's the Spider III there on one of the stock "lead guitar" sounds. You've heard me use that one before. I don't know much about guitar sounds and how to get them beyond twisting the little knobs on the Spider III, and I don't even do that very often..

 

I did an acoustic lead on another song of mine and it sounded just right on that one. I might take your suggestion. AND this is the song I got from stealing your Am9 chord thing in the thread about 7 chords. I wound up changing what you showed there a bit but this song was born out of that, which makes you some kind of spiritual father to it.

 

As for the singing, it feels right in that range but it is right at the transition point. You know, listening to it now I think I did ok for a demo. I probably won't try to redo it unless I actually take it into a studio, which is not that likely..

[blue2blue]

Yeah, for sure, I mean, presuming you're not trying to sell it to some tin-eared, imagination-free A&R man (and we all know they are forked-tongue devils, anyhow, right? )

[eeglug]

It didn't knock my socks off but it was pleasant enough all in all. Nice bass tone and playing! The lead guitar was fine - it didn't feel lacking as I listened...

[Adondai]

"

seem to be on a kick where the songs I write are arranged with just drums, acoustic, bass and voice, with some lead parts overdubbed. Would you call this acoustic music? I don't really know where what I'm writing fits so I put it in "Rock general". Any thoughts on these lines?

 

Pretty sure its just called 'acoustic rock' nowdays. Im personally a big fan of this type of music. When my net speeds up a bit.... ill be checking this out

[dbd1963]

Thanks guys. And now you've given me an excuse to talk bass..

 

I've become fond of that bass tone as I've listened to it. It took me forever to get to a tone I liked from the Tobias, which is why the Rickenbacker entered the picture in the first place. But a Rick is a temperamental creature -- I could recoup some cash if I could deem it surplus to requirements.

 

I basically built that Tobias myself.. the body was made in Korea but I ripped out the pickups and electronics and put on a new bridge. I had to have someone else do the soldering of the electronics, though, and I have thought that they goofed it somehow because the bass now just has an awful tone in most positions. But if you take out as much mid as you can, it sounds like you hear it on this one. Now I'm going to fiddle with it some more, but this seems like a solid starting point.

 

I kind of think the bridge is boring.. Usually I have no trouble thinking up a bridge but here I feel like I need to look at it again.

[Chicken Monkey]

The beginning really wobbles a bit. The acoustic guitar SOUNDS really cheap--doesn't sustain much.

 

The chorus is really, really good, though. I'd re-pitch it so that you're a bit more comfortable with the range, but I love the melody on the chorus.

[dbd1963]

Thanks CM.

 

I also think the song is a bit too slow. It's at 75bpm right now. I tried it at 85bpm but that was way too fast. I'm going to guess 80bpm might be the sweet spot.

 

And I don't think I need to re-pitch it, I think someone else needs to sing it!

[dbd1963]

Ok, I sped it up to 80bpm. I think it sounds better at that speed. Anyone else willing to render an opinion?

 

**link gone**

 

I'm trying some other ways of singing it but so far that is in the draft stages and isn't on this recording.

 

Ah, crap, the bass got wrecked when I changed the tempo. I'll have to retrack that.. gives me an excuse to play with my knobs.

 

Wait..

[Open]

I think I like the tempo change. Nice song man. I agree about the lead sounds rather robotic. One thing that could change it would be to get a tone that sounded a little more natural sounding as well as bringing down in the mix a bit. I recognize that drum sound. Are you using Drums on Demand loops? They have a very distinctive sound.