What do you think of this single?

[Huh?]

Luken.....you are actually starting to grow on me man:lol:...having the poor downtrodden OP's back and all.

Talking about shoes fitting and all......What in Pete's name are you wearing on your feet in that avatar? My eyes, not being what they used to be, cannot make it out.

Please tell me they are socks and not white 80's rock 'n roll boots! Please tell me you are not going for the Yngwie Malmsteem look?

If so...... I am going to have to come drag you out of the winter encampment and take you shopping, give you a little LA help in the style department. I'll even buy you a beer or two to get you open to suggestions.....clothing suggestions buddy!!


Considering your background I'm thinking something hipster with a law enforcement edginess. Take a look at this darling collection. It has got some camo faux paramilitary in there which is always good. The Scotland Yard sweater is flat gorgeous in this setting, accented with a touch of the Middle Eastern Homicide bomber look, provided by the scarf.....very now........and take a look at those boots!!!! OMG they are to die for, I can't take it! Think of how stunning this little ensemble will co-exist with the Gibson SG!! I love this look...it is delightfully scrumptious!!!





Hey........what's scary is I do that whole designer thing quite well don't I? Didn't take much either....just came right on out of me!

Aah Jeez:facepalm:

[Lukenskywalker]

Wait...Blue2Blue, you're A Mod?!?!...I thought you were a Rocker.

[Surrealistic]

... The only sad thing about this ordeal is that listeners here put up this mental wall before listening removing the potential to be impacted ...

Hmmm, not really. Well, sort of, but no more than anyone else out there in the big wide world.

 

Be honest with yourself - do you a) automatically listen to everything you have a chance to listen to or b) are you more likely to listen to something when the person asking you to do so is someone you know and/or someone you like?

 

I'm not going to listen to every song in the world - I'd fail even if I tried, and to be honest I don't try. I listen when I have some reason to listen. Sometimes that's because the person sounds interesting, sometimes because I feel I ought to, sometimes just because I have nothing else to do and think to myself "why not?".

 

People can choose not to listen to your music you know. It may be hard to take (I'm a musician too and of course I think everyone should listen to my stuff) but it's pretty much the way the world works and, to be honest, it's a perfectly reasonable position to take.

[UstadKhanAli]

 

Art is, of course, a two sided proposition. I may invest some of my works with great emotion on my side -- but unless I can communicate that emotion to my audience, the artistic transaction will be frustrated, trapped by a kind of emotional solipsism.

 

 

Therein lies the rub. This artist, Siva, may have invested a great deal of emotion into the writing, the performance, everything, but if the audience isn't receiving that communication...and if the communication has been further affected by the initial presentation - spam - this may further impact the audience from receiving the attempted communication. Perhaps this may even be the "mental wall" that siva references. this sort of, "How dare he spam? I'll go listen to his music now, but it's definitely getting a more critical listen!" from some.

 

Or the audience may in fact genuinely feel the way they've expressed themselves because they're really not receiving the intended communication of emotion.

 

 

Maybe you'll find an audience for your music as it exists now -- or maybe you'll evolve/grow toward a place where the emotionalism you're putting will be communicated to a broader group of people. That's kind of up to you...

 

 

And although many artists may want to communicate emotions to a broader audience, it may not always be in the artist's best interest to do so, preferring to find more of a niche audience who may appreciate a less "obvious" manner to showing those emotions.

[blue2blue]

Holy {censored}! Someone who has an IQ in the double digits finally said something. I agree with you wholeheartedly. The only sad thing about this ordeal is that listeners here put up this mental wall before listening removing the potential to be impacted. Regarding the reviews; I listened to some tunes by a few different artists here, and considering how defensive the majority of you are already, the act of me writing reviews for the most part would not end well. But I'd be more than happy to anyway.

I sometimes flatter myself into thinking I might actually cross the line into triple digits on my sharper days.

 

Good on you for listening to other folks' tunes!

 

When one considers that they may well be just as invested in their tunes as one is in one's own, it may give one a moment to pause and think about the broader implications...

 

 

You may have read reference above to my participation in the songwriting forum here at HC.

 

In that work-oriented forum (there's a strict works-in-progress-only rule with a few minor exceptions noted in the rules sticky thread there), I listen to a lot of songs of virtually every level of expertise and craft. Of course, the purpose there is not to judge or rank, but rather to offer constructive criticism/feedback... the goals are process oriented, in a sense: we try to help each other grow and improve our craft.

 

But that is a forum culture that the regulars have carefully nurtured.

 

Listening -- really listening -- to others' works in such a capacity is hard work and often requires some real stretching. (Ask a mutant roots pop guy like me to listen to some Scandinavian death metal and you'll see just how much a strain that effort can be. )

 

 

But when one is marketing oneself, one can pretty much kiss all that supportive, collegial, friendly diplomacy stuff goodbye. That's just the way it is. You're in the marketplace, hawking your wares. Subject to the whims and prejudices of the crowd. Trying to fit in with the other merchants who are, after all, competing with you for those dwindling music dollars.

 

For that duty, one needs not just self-confidence and a tough hide -- he also is going to, sooner or later, need some real perspective.

 

Most of us pay lip service to the subjectivity of music, yet, I suspect, most of us still cling to a somewhat self-centric view of those aesthetic priorities.

 

But in the real world of real people, the array of aesthetic sensibilities is bewilderingly broad. What strikes one listener as sublime may strike another as unmitigated crap. It's the nature of art -- and the nature of the musical marketplace.

[blue2blue]

Wait...Blue2Blue, you're A Mod?!?!...I thought you were a Rocker.

Well... the last two wheeled motor vehicle I rode was a Vespa. Does that count? I hope not.*

 

No, while I enjoyed the first wave of UK ska revival bands in the late 70s a lot, I was much more invested in the first wave punk scene and, in the early 80s, the post-punk scene. So, I think that makes me a rocker. But that was probably the last time I really felt connected with rock. But, you know, at this point I've heard over a half century of rock and/or roll... let's just say that I now appreciate rock as I do blues, gospel, bluegrass, etc. As a classic form.

 

 

*It was a lark; I'd sworn off motorcycles after a careless driver put me in the hospital for two months but one of my young musician clients offered to let me ride his Vespa 200cc, freeway legal in Cali, and I left my cane (which I had to use for five years after my wreck) with him and took a fun putt around his neigborhood. Sadly, maybe 6 months later, only blocks away, he was extremely seriously injured by another careless driver and he ended up in the hospital for almost a year with a devastating head injury. So I think that will be my last motorcycle/scooter ride for the foreseeable future.

[Philter]

In defense of this forum, could anyone recall the thread from a year or so ago with that first post from a young Russian guitar player? He was using a Pod of some sort and doing the progressive rock/metal kind of thing. I remember it because it was what convinced me to buy a Pod.

 

The reaction here was quite different because his samples were good. I just can't recall any search terms to help find the thread.

[Lukenskywalker]

Luken.....you are actually starting to grow on me man:lol:...having the poor downtrodden OP's back and all. Talking about shoes fitting and all......What in Pete's name are you wearing on your feet in that avatar? My eyes, not being what they used to be, cannot make it out. Please tell me they are socks and not white 80's rock 'n roll boots! Please tell me you are not going for the Yngwie Malmsteem look? If so...... I am going to have to come drag you out of the winter encampment and take you shopping, give you a little LA help in the style department. I'll even buy you a beer or two to get you open to suggestions.....clothing suggestions buddy!! Considering your background I'm thinking something hipster with a law enforcement edginess. Take a look at this darling collection. It has got some camo faux paramilitary in there which is always good. The Scotland Yard sweater is flat gorgeous in this setting, accented with a touch of the Middle Eastern Homicide bomber look, provided by the scarf.....very now........and take a look at those boots!!!! OMG they are to die for, I can't take it! Think of how stunning this little ensemble will co-exist with the Gibson SG!! I love this look...it is delightfully scrumptious!!! Hey........what's scary is I do that whole designer thing quite well don't I? Didn't take much either....just came right on out of me! Aah Jeez:facepalm:

Nope, they are white socks, The picture was taking in 1996, and sorry, that's not me..it's my brother Lothar at his girlfriends apartment in Chelsea New York.

'I know it's hard to see, but on the SG's Headstock (guitar is mine) is perched a Lutina (not Latina) piebald Cockatiel (my bro's girlfriends bird.)
Whenever someone picks up a guitar the bird would fly over and perch on the Headstock...looks like the original Woodstock 3 days of love and music...you know the rest,

As for my personal wardrobe, I am, and always will be be a 'Dandy':thu:Armani suits, lot's of leather, love linen and cotton suits, white silk scarves, Fedoras,etc.

One time in the Eighties, 'on the job' I was tricked out in my 'Sonny Crockett'
regalia.. White linen suit, pink tee shirt and opened toed sandals.
We went into the projects and I kicked a 'hypo' needle on the steps and nicked the sole of my foot.
AIDS test followed, scared {censored}less, thank God they came back negative

I never sacrificed SAFETY for FASHION after that.
I do have lots of Military style clothing too, still wear my Docs too

I am just short of six feet tall, trim,165lbs. work out 3x aweek, run every morning,so I've always looked good in my clothes.

BTW that was a good fashion synopsis...loved it:thu:

Just for the the record, My brother WAS "put on report" for the white sock 'fashion faux pas.'

Thanks for the LA fashion offer, but I'm an East Coast 'O.G' peppered with some Brit-Rock flair.

[blue2blue]

Therein lies the rub. This artist, Siva, may have invested a great deal of emotion into the writing, the performance, everything, but if the audience isn't receiving that communication...and if the communication has been further affected by the initial presentation - spam - this may further impact the audience from receiving the attempted communication. Perhaps this may even be the "mental wall" that siva references. this sort of, "How dare he spam? I'll go listen to his music now, but it's definitely getting a more critical listen!" from some. Or the audience may in fact genuinely feel the way they've expressed themselves because they're really not receiving the intended communication of emotion.

Right. That analysis is very much one I've been trying to illuminate in part of my posts above. Whether or not the OP's music is necessarily eveyrone here's cup of tea, or not, I suspect he just got off on the wrong foot (as they say in line dancing) and would likely have elicited a much different crowd reaction with a different approach. Live and learn.

 

But I agree with others, he shows some good fortitude at sticking in the thread and taking some lumps without too much more than a few flashes of pique and frustration; although he might be -- impolitically -- a little long on self-justification. But, like I said, live and learn. I strongly suspect he'll hone his craft in the music marketing arena as he's honed his fretboard skills. It just takes a while to feel out the ground in this stuff, I think...

 

And although many artists may want to communicate emotions to a broader audience, it may not always be in the artist's best interest to do so, preferring to find more of a niche audience who may appreciate a less "obvious" manner to showing those emotions.

I think I'm pretty much down to a niche of one. And my cat doesn't have a credit card.

[Lukenskywalker]

 

 

Sorry to hear about the wreck,

I remember they asked Ringo if he was a Mod or a Rocker and he said...'I'm a Mocker'

[blue2blue]

Sorry to hear about the wreck, I remember they asked Ringo if he was a Mod or a Rocker and he said...'I'm a Mocker'

Ancient history on the wreck. It gives me something to talk about. (Remind me, sometime, to tell you about how I walked on a broken leg for five years [hence the cane]. Always get a second opinion. Really.) Sadly, my young pal's injuries were a lot harder to laugh off. But he was doing pretty well last time I heard from him.

 

 

I like Ringo. I think he had precisely the right attitude about a lot of that stuff.

[UstadKhanAli]

Right. That analysis is very much one I've been trying to illuminate in part of my posts above. Whether or not the OP's music is necessarily eveyrone here's cup of tea, or not, I suspect he just got off on the wrong foot (as they say in line dancing) and would likely have elicited a much different crowd reaction with a different approach. Live and learn.

Yes, I was a little surprised there...but surprised that he actually returned to comment at all. Usually, the spams are a hit and run affair. Maybe he'll stick around and participate. I've found that this group is a very forgiving bunch again and again, forgiving of things far greater than an innocuous spam, as we've had some serious insulting going on here in the past.

Yup! But, uh....you line dance?

But I agree with others, he shows some good fortitude at sticking in the thread and taking some lumps without too much more than a few flashes of pique and frustration;

I think I'm pretty much down to a niche of one. And my cat doesn't have a credit card.

Every week, I have a couple of friends come over, and we hang out and record ambient improvisational music, just for fun and no other reason. It's a lot of fun, even more so because I'm simply capturing it in the room. But talk about a niche of one!!! I post this stuff here, and people are gonna say, "Okay...no hooks, meanders, can't dance to it, one of the amps is buzzing, and...uh, what's the point to this?"

Furthermore, my three-legged cat doesn't really care for it, scampering away when we begin to play!!! Your audience might be larger than ours!

[Lukenskywalker]

. Always get a second opinion. Really.) Sadly, my young pal's injuries were a lot harder to laugh off. But he was doing pretty well last time I heard from him. I like Ringo. I think he had precisely the right attitude about a lot of that stuff.

 

 

Yeah, second opinions are a good thing...Went to another Dentist for a second opinion (at the last minute on a whim), and saved 5,000'

Young Turk I was going to, took over an trusted professsional's office and was bent on becoming a Millionaire his first year in practice, starting with my 5k

 

I went to another older guy and he was livid...he actually called the young Turk up and cursed him out, right in front of me. I was agape, cuz they usually cover for each other.

About Richard Starky...He looks great, he aged well and, I still find him a fascinating, savvy, businessman and Entertainer who stayed true to his Working Class Liverpudlian Roots.

[blue2blue]

Yeah... you gotta get 'em after they've paid off all their med/dentist/veterinary school loans... and since those are getting up to the kind of amounts folks typically take out 30 year mortgages on, that can be a while.

 

A bunch of California folks who'd been clinging to insurance by the skin of their teeth, and so hooked up with Blue Cross/Blue Shield (now Anthem Blue Cross) just got big insurance premium hikes up to 39%. I had insurance through them, paying enough in to buy a little house -- and never once got up to the co-pay threshold. Which was $4000 (before I would see a dime of partial compensation) when I parted ways with them. (In fact, the tear point for me was when my insurance -- which I payed out of pocket -- jumped about 75% over the course of a year and a half.)

[Coaster]

BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! IMA BANANA!! IMA BANANA!! IMA BANANA!! IMA BANANA!! IMA BANANA!!

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

[UstadKhanAli]

 

A bunch of California folks who'd been clinging to insurance by the skin of their teeth, and so hooked up with Blue Cross/Blue Shield (now Anthem Blue Cross) just got big insurance premium hikes up to 39%. I had insurance through them, paying enough in to buy a little house -- and never once got up to the co-pay threshold. Which was $4000 when I parted ways with them. (In fact, the tear point for me was when my insurance -- which I payed out of pocket -- jumped about 75% over the course of a year and a half.)

 

 

The school district that I work for and our teacher's union are at an impasse, and Blue Shield is largely at the heart of the matter. As Sacramento has run the economy and the state of education into the ground and our district has no money and medical costs are rising (seemingly logarithmically), all of us teachers are going to face furlough days and cuts in our benefits...or to put it another way, thousands of dollars shaved off our salary per year.

[Huh?]

Thanks for the LA fashion offer, but I'm an East Coast 'O.G' peppered with some Brit-Rock flair.

How about the beers then?

You know about this thread........the OP should at least be thanked for starting a thread that became somewhat enjoyable to read.

[UstadKhanAli]

True dat.

[Lukenskywalker]

How about the beers then? You know about this thread........the OP should at least be thanked for starting a thread that became somewhat enjoyable to read.

Beer is a good thing.. It's really food right?

About thanking the OP...I might of done that yesterday in a convoluted type of way...

'Whooda' thought that a 'SpamBoy' could have been the catalysis
all this member interaction?

Check your PM's,...Yeah, I'm talking to you....Pierre Cardin:thu:

[siva115]

How about the beers then? You know about this thread........the OP should at least be thanked for starting a thread that became somewhat enjoyable to read.

You can thank me by buying my song

[blue2blue]

You can thank me by buying my song

 

[Lukenskywalker]

You can thank me by buying my song

Jeezuz... you are on your fellow members of SSS like a cheap suit from 'Men's Wearhouse'...you are NOW a member... Right?....
None of this "I'll call you in the morning" {censored} Right?

Ok, let me flip a coin....



Nah, still can't buy your song,

[Anderton]

 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that while all criticisms are valid, you guys are pretty much stuck in groupthink and are afraid to have an original thought.

 

 

Wrong. I definitely admire your staying in this thread because, as pointed out earlier, most true spammers post their link and never come back. So, over time, you're shown that you actually are willing to get involved and that's a big plus.

 

So, I listened to your music hoping that it would be really cool and I could add a little momentum in your direction. But, I also have an obligation to be honest. I've been involved with records that have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, as a player, producer, or engineer (it varied for different projects). I also know quite a few A&R people, and know what they listen for and how they (in general) think. The comments I made were made from a standpoint of WANTING to like the music, but in the end, I thought it would be better to give constructive criticism as presumably, that's why you're here.

 

For example, the "up until 2:50" comment - would have loved to hear a lead line over that, something like a lyrical wind part. There's an old saying about "there's nothing I can hum" and while that's a limiting, narrow view of music - I certainly couldn't hum anything by Stockhausen, but that doesn't invalidate what he did - the point is that for a lot of successful music, there's something that can stick in your head, whether it's the opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth, the melody line of Inchworm, or the infectious pop hooks of the Beatles ("She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah"). Now, obviously you're not going for pop music, but if you think about it even a lot of modern jazz returned to some kind of melodic line that served to identify the music.

 

As I mentioned, I thought the guitar starting at 2:50 was quite cool, it had a David Gilmour vibe that DID have some real feeling to it. I would advise dialing into that vibe and exploring it more rather than getting into the "flashy lots of notes" thing that so many guitar players fall into. Those fast runs should be the punctuation in a solo that takes it to another level, not the sole focus. If you listen to someone like Coltrane, he could play very melodically and then just when you think he couldn't take it any further, release a torrent of notes - tension and release, with the torrent being the tension, thus setting things up for a more melodic release. Bach did the same thing...all the great composers knew when to hit the accelerator, and when to hit the brakes.

 

 

It's hilarious for people to keep claiming that there is no emotion in this song. When I was at berklee this summer, I performed this song live with a backing track for a guitar showcase I got a standing ovation from judges Mark White (ala Joe Pass fame) and Joe Stump (shred-aholic). I was literally almost in tears at the end because I had invested so much emotionally.

 

 

That's all well and good, but live performance and recording are such different media. In fact, if I had to define what makes for a successful recording to my ears, it's the ability to translate the emotion of a live performance into a static medium. Just because you're capable of playing with emotion doesn't mean it translated into the cut you presented. Besides, I didn't say there's no emotion in the song; I said it had no emotional impact on me. Playing and listening are both subjective experiences. For example, a lot of people feel that Kenny G's playing is deeply emotional. I don't, but that doesn't mean I can't understand that other people do. Conversely, there's a lot of music that affects me emotionally that when I play it for other people, falls flat. So what? To each his own.

 

Remember that there has never been more music from which people can choose. As one A&R guy said, "You're not competing with the other guys in your city. You're competing with Prince, Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, the Killers, and the back catalog from the Police, the Clash, and the Beatles. If you can't compete on that level, I'm not interested." Do you honestly, really, truly believe that your music can compete with the very best that's out there? If you do, fine, and I'm glad you have that level of self-confidence. But not everyone will hold your music up to the best the world has to offer, and hear parity.

 

I've mastered about 40 different songs in the last couple months. All of them have been good, competent, well-played music. Of those 40, I'd say one had the potential to be a country-rock classic that could sell in the millions. Three more had the potential to be Disney-type girl-pop that could do extremely well - maybe not a classic, but great disposable pop for a car radio in the summer. One band wasn't pariticularly original, but had fantastic chops and I bet they are absolutely killer live - the music had a really live, infectious feel. I've played their music multiple just because it has such a great feel. The rest were good enough for the artist to get local gigs and maybe even support themselves, but they'll never "make it" without taking what they do much further. I'd put what I heard from you in the latter category. Not trying to be mean here, just honest. I do know what I'm talking about, and have developed artists.

 

I'm not saying this is where you'll always be. If you grow, if you listen to what others say, and if you keep probing your own music and being more critical about it than any critic, then you have a shot. I've heard demos that had potential - some people worked hard and realized that potential, while it became apparent that others couldn't take it any further.

 

 

In any event, keep up with the brutal honesty if you feel the need, although I'm inclined to think that most of this is a product of the beehive effect and that your opinion of me is overshadowed by my brash young ways and attitude.

 

 

Well, at least in my case, that's certainly not true. My opinion of you is based on comparing your music to what else is out there and I don't really care what others think because I'm not them, I'm me, and I have my own opinions. I would be thrilled if I could say "Wow, this is the best music I've ever heard, here's some $$, please send me more!!" Nothing would please me more than to add some great music to my collection. But for now, I put you in the "has potential" category. That alone is a compliment, I assure you. Most of the music I hear falls into the "Don't give up your day job" category.

[Jeff da Weasel]

I think of the music I did at age 21 -- the same age of our new pal, Pat Dimitry, aka Siva -- and there are a lot of similar aspects. Big focus on complexity and proving my musicianship abilities, and so on. It took me a long time to allow the song to conquer my need to show off my instrumental capabilities, and that bug still hits me to this day from time to time.

 

But like I told Pat, it's at least nice to hear some potential there. Like a lot of Berklee Kidz, he can obviously play. That's encouraging.

[Anderton]

Well Jeff, now that you're 22, I can definitely hear more maturity in your work