|
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Actually, I don't think that the sound of the video does that guitar justice at all. I've played that guitar (when it was still at Dave's house) and it is steller. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2006
Posts: 4236
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | That was just plain fun to hear Pascal. :D |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Well, more fun is just one click away!
This next song comes to us from Damon ... most of you know him as the red blanket photographer. He is a man of many talents. I hope there is another OFC CD in our future, because his music needs to be on one for everyone to hear.
Meeting Damon is another one of those "small world" stories from the OFC. I lived on the same small island as Damon, and while we never met (that we know of) we both bought guitars from the same places, ate in the same cafes, walked the same streets, and stood on the same beach watching the jet fighters land at the Naval Air Station whenever an aircraft carrier came home. We both bought our first Ovations from Shoreline Music ... now long gone but forever etched into the very fabric of our being.
But it is not Alameda I now hear in Damon's music ... but instead I hear the sound of Seattle. The birthplace of what is now "alternative" ... that happening driving sound of the nineties that draw their influence to what came out of the clubs and bars in Pioneer Square and the seedy heroin-friendly neighborhoods around. And the alleys and byways all along the waterfront from the dome to the space needle and up 1st. Kurt and Nivana, and Eddie and Pearl Jam, and Layne and Alice in Chains. Underneath the grunge, the great music and social changling coexisted side by side, until it devoured those that defined it ... or at least 2/3 of them. The third just barely making out it alive.
When it came down to picking a track for this Song-O-Th'Day, I was struck by the pure guitar sounds, both acoustic and electric, that make this cut so listenable. Well, having a distinctive vocalist performing nice lyrics over a solid melody ranks right up there too. But from the first opening note, you sense something good is coming your way ... so get ready for this one ... put on some real speakers, or headphones, lean back, close your eyes, and let me:
Take You Down - Chasen Chantz
Pleasant dreams and high times until the next one. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 1227
Location: Connersville, Indiana | What a voice! The guitars sound full and I could just lay down and take a nap hearing that song. Great Pick!
Kit Mann Ovation Plug it in |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | What an honor, thanks Bobbo!
I'd love for you all to think that's my voice on there, but it's not. I figured if there was any chance (or Chantz) of doing something big and mainstream in the music industry, I had to have a good-looking young frontman.
That would be Brian Burnett. He's not only a fantastic singer, but he writes most the melody and lyrics. He's a stellar guitarist as well. That's him you hear on the acoustic. He's using my "Book" Elite. It was miced in 2 spots and also direct in to the board.
As for me, well I stand off to the side and noodle around all day long. In this tune I wanted a distinct tone so I went with my '67 Tornado. I just love the tone that comes out of that thing.
All the recordings were done right here at home. I used a Tascam FW1082 as my interface into the computer (a mac). I use Logic Pro for my DAW. The Tascam was also used for mixing in the end.
Thanks again Bobbo! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | This is pro-quality, in terms of the music and the musician. Sure, it could use a professional studio to mix it and produce it, but this could easily be a recording from someone famous. Hats off, Damon. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2006
Posts: 4236
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Nice one Damon! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| First class, well done! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I llllllike this thread! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Yet another fine selection! Has anyone ever mentioned that there's a whole heckuva lotta talent in the OFC?
Oh.
I did...a few posts back.
Wellllllllllll...it's STILL true! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | And the hits just keep on coming!! All the players so far have been great and if you're just getting here, go back and catch up ... but be prepared for more great tunes coming your way.
It's a beautiful afternoon in CasaBobboLand, mid 80 degrees with sunny skies, a slight breeze coming off the ocean and into the valley, with palm trees, a sparkling pool, and a sparkling beverage awaiting a step outside ... and the 5:00 bell just rang here on Friday. Officially into weekend mode and hearing a song in my head. It's time to play it.
Look What the Wind Blew In - Slipkid
I first heard this song when Brad played it at the singer songwriter night at the Frisky Mermain in Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, South Georgia Florida. Piratesville. He didn't win even though everyone thought he should have, but that's celebrity judges for you. He played it twice with a great backing band including (if my memory isn't all up in smoke) Templeman, Cliff, Waskel, and Beal. So every time I hear this studio version (from the OFC Day at the Beach CD, and also featured on "Out Of Th' Box"), I get that island feel, of swaying palms, ocean cooled breezes, sparkling ocean, a cool adult beverage, my feet in water, and my head in the clouds.
And with that ... it's outside I go. Start your weekend right. Don't forget kiss your baby tonight. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | One of my personal OFC favs!
That shoulda been the winner for sure. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Thanks.
I'll always remember that night at the Mermaid fondly.
Those guys who got up and played made my simple little 2-1/2 chord song sound like a lot more than what it really was. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Brad, I thought you did win????
Was it a different song or is my memory faulty? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I'm pretty sure that was the year ProfBB won with the song about the redhead. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I think MusicMike won with his song. Brad won some money for second place but blew it all on a bunch of derelict drunks at the Huddle House. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Eh, you may be right, Bob. I was thinking it was AI-2 (really AI-3), but the date on the videos show 2008, so it was AI-1 (really AI-2).
Boy, doesn't seem that long ago... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Originally posted by stonebobbo:
but blew it all on a bunch of derelict drunks at the Huddle House. Not blown at all.
Just taken care of the boyz in da band and some various hangers on.
 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | The only band member at that table was the guy wondering what was under his nails and how it got there. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | That picture was a year later than the night we celebrated your win. ProfBB won the That Guy topic. Your night was capped off by the infamous "Escape from Huddle House".
But that was then, and this is now. Time to move from the past and into the future. I am honored to have the opportunity to present the official, world-wide debut of this new composition by one of our resident masters. You've heard his previous work, and many of you are faithful followers and even had him up as one of you current favorites in your rotation right now. Each new work of art from Alan goes places beyond our ability to imagine ... drawing together tones and textures, tempos and dynamics, speed and touch, and melodies and harmonies into a complex multi-layered symphony of strings and things.
Meditation #8 - Alan Miner
Meditate Ye Terriers Meditate! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 1227
Location: Connersville, Indiana | Alan "Damn" that was so soothing and complex. You mind must be in overdrive to create like that. After that I want to be back on the beaches of Cancun, having some drinks with head phones on.
Wonderful job!
Kit Mann Ovation Plug it in |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | First: Thanks for that fulsome introduction, Bobbo! You MUST have done some real DJ'ing in the past. Second: Thanks, Kitmann, for your very kind words.
This is a fun thread!
Bobbo: I know you were hoping to get some kind of understanding of how each song you present is made, or whether there's a story to it.
Here's how this one found its way into existence.
First, you sit down and start to play, improvising for a while. Lots of runs to loosen up the fingers. Few well-hit notes; lotsa clinkers. After a while -- 10 minutes or so, the notes get a lot cleaner -- and a bit repetitive. Time to do some chording. You find some chords that work well together, and try to take them in a direction. Something like Am to Dm to E to F gives a nice Spanish flavor.
Quick key change, say using Bm, D, F#m, and it's a nice sound and flavor change to the vaguely Irish. Move some fingers around and you have some variations on your chords, and it gets a tad more exotic.
All of a sudden, you realize that you've found your way to a nice backing track, and the urge comes over you to "jam" with it. The progression grows and evolves...might have an identifiable rhythm, might not.
You grab your handy-dandy ZOOM H2 audio recorder, turn it on and play your backing track. When it's done, you plug the H2 into your computer and copy the new track to the computer. By default, it comes over as a .wav or .mp3 file.
You then launch your free Audacity software, and "import" your new backing track to start a new Audacity project that will eventually become your song.
Now, you take out your computer headphones and put them on. Turn down the volume on the computer, and start playback of the backing track through the headphones. At this point, take your favorite jamming guitar and play. The lowered volume on the computer allows you to hear both your backing track through your headphones and your accompanying jam outside the 'phones. This lets you know how your backing track works as a jammin' track.
Note: This is also how you "grow" your song. Each recording happens as you listen to the growing song on headphones, and record to the ZOOM H2 outside the 'phones. The recorder picks up only your jam; not the backing track playing through the 'phones. When you import the jam into Audacity and add it to your project, then the backing track and the jam synch up as you heard them through your head phones. Audacity further allows you to move the tracks backward and forward in time so that you can tweak the synchronization all you need.
When you are sure you want to continue, you start the H2 recording again at the same time as you re-start playback of your backing track through your headphones. Jam. When the playback is done, you copy your new recording to the computer and import it into your Audacity project.
Now, you have a backing track and your "jam" in the same project. Adjust volume of both the backing track and your jam to balance things out.
Repeat as necessary.
For example: simetimes I like to put a lead on the left stereo side and one on the right. Audacity does that quite nicely.
Another recording later, and I have a "rhythm guitarist" (the backing track) and two "lead guitarists" (all me) playing solos -- sometimes competing, sometimes complimenting each other -- all playing togeter. All that's missing, hypothetically, is one more lead -- say one in the middle along with the backing track -- jamming with the other two.
Done?
Maybe.
Now that you have four guitarists jamming with each other, you might want to add some percussion or some tambourines or, or, or...of course the possibilities are endless, and I've tried several, including empty bottles, (blown on and tapped), silverware, a bar stool, a cajon, whistling, humming and assorted other sound generators.
It's kind of like having your own "Band in a Box." But the band -- can be all you.
And, of course, after all that, you can convert your song to an MP3, play it through a nice stereo system, and videotape yourself jamming to it. All of a sudden you have a YouTube video.
That -- minus the video part -- is roughly how "Meditation #8" was made. It has four guitarists jamming together to a backing track that I really like, and they're all me. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Alan, thanks so much for the detailed explanation for how you can get your work to sound like it does ... sure seems like it is complicated to get right but no question you've got it working for you!! We look forward to more of the same!!
Lets make a giant right turn on the genre thing. T%his next player never ceases to amaze me with what he comes up with next. Each recording he does gets better and better ... proving once again that it does take that 10,000 hours. Serge, you're getting real close to paying all your dues, brother.
There's nothing quite like the blues ... played by someone who has the feel and the sound down pat. Not sure what exactly is in your past, but it has to include sleeping in the Greyhound station, eating lotsa baloney, and jammin' on the front porch. Oh, yeah ... and lots of walkin' down roads going to the next place ...
Walkin\' Blues - Sergio Caballero (G8r)
'Scuse me ... I've got more G8r music to go listen to now. Until the next time, you've got to let love rule. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Now, THAT's some good blues! I just sat there and listened to it about five times straight, eyes closed, nodding my head to the rhythm and the feeling. Great selsection! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 1227
Location: Connersville, Indiana | BOBBO, You need to take Serge, this song and road trip to Jackson Mississippi. Find the first juke joint you come to, take a left or right park and play this music.
I bet you get free food and drinks all night after playing this song!
Kit Mann Ovation Plug it in |
|
| |
song-O-the-day
