freddy j

Hi Rik. Thanks for your kind comments. It was indeed trying to come up with something using the Spam guitar. It was a bit challenging to play a one string instrument and just a bit more challenging to make a pitiful plunk sound like something more, but fun --- ya, it certainly was. Hi Tom. Thanks very much for your input! I certainly pay attention when you make suggestions and I value them. I am better on the creative side than I am on the technical side -- so, I hope you can forgive me if my response sound a bit lame. The mic I have been using is a Sure Prologue LO Z 14L Dynamic. It is an old one and I can't even remember how or where I got it. I believe that Sure discontinued that model in the mid-1990's. I hope that means some thing to you, as it falls into my level of ignorance. My guide in EQ'ing is a chart that I found in an article that I read called The EQ Primer. This chart listed what the author determined were the frequency ranges best used for various instruments and voice. In particular, for vocal he suggested 10 kHz, 5 kHz, and 200 Hz and to this he suggested boost and reduction rates. In my limited experience I found that the biggest influence for sound was in the 200 Hz range and I just fiddle with this range until it sounds right to me. The author suggested reducing to add clarity to low vocals and boosting to fill out high vocals. Depending on the type of song I am doing I bounce between boosting and reducing but I do tend to use mid to lower values in many songs (usually -3 to +2). In this particular song I believe that I was in the -0.5 dB range. I do tend to gravitate to artists that are in the baritone range (e.g., Muddy Waters, Daryl Higham, etc.). I sure would appreciate it if you might be able to provide me with any specific ideas or suggestions as to how I might improve. Thanks very much again Tom.

Absoflippinlutely cool! I like the bass on this number. To me the bass and guitar carry this number along while the "cacaphony" of the keyboard (?) - synth (?) provides the edge that keeps one's attention focused. To use beat jargon - you get the full "snaps" (that's a good thing) on this one. I now have a new favourite of yours.

Hi John. I think that I commented on your previous version -- which I liked. I think that you have done a wonderful job in this revision. I am glad that you kept the vocal drops in this on. I like that!!! Well done!

This is an extremely nice song. It took me exactly to that place that you described in your intro above. "Lord I hate to get up in the morning." Very good guitar work and interplay between the guitars. Nice one!!

Hi FMented. I think you have a great start on this number! It reminds me of something I heard on a show I was watching on TV. It was used as background music in scene with a bit of tension or anticipation. BTW, I think the guitar sound is rather cool. I like the wide panning that you have used. However, on my cans the instruments panned left were a bit low. The interplay between the edgy guitar parts and the softer piano part are a great contrast in defining the edgy nature of this song. Perhaps adding an intro and outro would add to the length of the song (as mentioned above). Also including other edgy parts using other instrumentation or other extended riffs (e.g., a distorted guitar lead ?) would help to extend the songs length and add an extra level of "edginess". Just a couple of thoughts. I look forward to hearing the final product.

This one is a bit different from the usual and I must say that I really like it. The drums and bass add kind of sense of urgency that really carries the song along well. That is complemented well by some extremely good guitar work. As usual you lyrics and vocals are a class act (great timing, delivery and they fit the music) and your and playing is top notch. This is a very well thought out songs (e.g., the intro and outro using the didgerdoo -- very cool). Vocals too loud ---- nah, sounds good on my 'phones.

You have a great commercial pop sound in this song. The guitars provide a good rhythmic riff that carries the song along and the organ is definitely a cool touch. I must agree with the comments above that your vocals are really the star of song. Excellent on the lead vocals and BGV's. As some mentioned above, the spoken vocals might be better done in an emotional higher register. I like the spoken part and think you should keep them in the song. Excellent work and in a tweak or two you it will be time for your agent to get it on the airwaves and internet!!!

Hi Bjorn. Thank you very much and ya, it really is a spam guitar (see below). As you might imagine, the sound is not of the best quality but FX and a little bit of this and some more of that, it can sound a bit like some kind of instrument. With only one string it can be a bit of a bother to play. Hi Lynn. I really appreciate your kind words and your encouragement. Given that we are faced with empirically based facts concerning this subject ---- "if we don't do something, there'll be nothing left to do (if I may quote myself). Thanks again!!! Hey Joad. Thanks!!! I sincerely appreciate that you took the time to listen and for your kind comments. Hello Grem. Thanks very much. Yup that was the Spam guitar. I had to use a microphone to record it and then used the Blue Cat Free Amp, Sonitus Wahwa, and the Blue Cat Phaser 3 to make it sound like something. I had to do some work with the sync on the harmony and main vocals. I didn't use any Vocal Align or Vocal Synch but I did it the hard way ----- a lot of cut, move, and paste. Some of the harmony was so badly synch'ed that the most expeditious way was what I did. However, re-recording multiple attempt at harmony, until I got it, would probably been quicker 😉. Thanks very much again!!

With your productivity in putting out songs it is hard to keep up but I believe that this is my favourite to date. I love that deep bass sound (what is it?) and can it be just a bit of rhythm in this one (that keyboard riff). It is real gone (you know me -- rhythm rules). This song sounds just a wee bit like beatnik music for the 21st century. Anyway, I don't mean to be too apple butter-ish but this was the most, dad.

I have never been able to understand how Django was able to do what he did with such an injury. Very nice composition, excellent playing, and a nice complement/tribute to Mr. Reinhardt.

Hi cclarry. Now that you mention it --- I can detect a wee bit of the low rider sound. Thanks for listening. Hey Jesse. Thanks for the input pal. Ya, I was having fun so I got a bit carried away. BTW, you have been putting out some interesting and original stuff. Keep them coming. Hi kakku. I very much appreciate your listening and thanks for the kind comment!

Absoflippinlutely wonderful, Bjorn! You not only have become an accomplished musician/composer but you have become a video artist as well. This really is an excellent marriage of sounds/music and video. Each compliments each other perfectly. You really have been posting some great music-videos. Excellent work my friend!

As Grem noted above, I liked the change in the beginning. I was settled down for a pleasant number and then BANG. Everything sound good on this number to me. You indeed have a very pleasant composition, it is well executed, and the mix is very well done. I enjoyed this. Thanks for posting.

Need you even need to ask Bats? Of course it is up to your usual high standard and on my system it sounds great. Even on my less than adequate speakers! I love that pause around 2:16. The bass really stands out on this number. I can't help be impressed by your Vocals. The lyrics, performance and mix all sound professional to my geriatric, temporally challenged ears. Excellent work!!!

I recently was listening to Rokia Traore's song Tounka and then I went back and listened to one of Lynn's songs that had a world beat flavour. This inspired me try another world beat song (previous one How Will You Answer). It ended up being more difficult than I thought. In the first place I could not find decent drum(s) clips. I use loops in hopes that some drummer is getting paid for his/her work. Although I was going for more of an African beat I had to settle on a clip that I had that was a tumba beat. I also needed a stringed instrument that would sound like a Jeli Ngori. Well no luck with that so I used a one string SPAM guitar that my friend Thom had given to me. The only way I could record it was to mike it and it really sounded flat. So I had to fiddle around with amps and FX until I got something that would do. I was also going for that hypnotic rhythmic feel that gave birth to the Blues. Hmmmm, I may have overdone that. Anyway, it is a bit rough and out of synch in some places but here it is. As always I would appreciate some input on this song. Oh ya, I got a wee bit self-indulgent on this song and it runs on for almost 5 minutes. Sorry about that but I was having too much fun to stop. Thanks!!! I Went to the Well https://www.soundclick.com/bands3/default.cfm?bandID=963481 BTW the song icon (picture) shows the instruments that I used including my Spam guitar and homemade mbira.

Hi Rik. Thank you very much and thanks for turning me on to Omar and the Howlers. Hello Jesse. Thank you. The vocals that you mentioned are my attempt at 3 part harmony. Simply recording (and many frustrating times of re-recording) a separate track for each vocal part. The part that you mentioned at 1;20, as Rik noted, is just a little bit of "borrowing" from the Peter Gunn theme. I have the working file -- and that has the settings. Thanks again! Hey John B. Thank you. I appreciate the kind comments and your taking the time to listen. Hi Lynn. "Gritty" --- I do know what you mean. However, in my case it probably means I should bathe more often. 😀 Ya, Jesse has opened up a new area of interest for me. I don't quite have the chops for this style yet but I find it fun and am going to listen to more of it. Thanks for your kind comments my friend.

This was a cool, fun tune. It looks like you had a good time. The song was mighty impressive, especially that it was done on a tablet. Nice one.

Kudos on the album. I couldn't help but be impressed with the variety of styles of music. I listened to most of the songs and was also impressed with the job that you did. The mixes sounded very good and the performances were excellent. Great work!

What creativity!! I love the the way that you introduce, layer in and then quite the instrumentation. I think a lot of different styles and genre are cover in one song --- circus music, raz-matz 1920's Jazz, the theme to Midsomer Murders mixed with deliverance banjo, etc., etc. What a great song to listen to!!

Hi amiller. Thanks very much for the kind comment. It is much appreciated! Hello Gary. I grew up with this kind of music (and the Blues, and rockabilly, and cool jazz). It is kind of like a magnet that always draws me back. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Hey Douglas. It had you thumping -- well, anything that gets you moving must be OK, right? I really appreciate your kind comments and thank you for taking the time to listen. Hi Bjorn. Thank you very much my friend! It is amazing what images are out there in the ether of the web. A little Photoshop for titles and it can fit the need. I always have to find the picture to match the song. Thanks again.

I can appreciate your comments above as to how the song came to be. I love it when a song just sort of takes off on its own after you start it. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen often enough for me. It is a beautiful song and some doggone good git. playing also!!! If you had fun doing it then that is just icing on the cake(walk) isn't it!

Boy Bjorn -- The past couple of songs that you have posted really tug at the heartstrings and cause one to reflect on their own circumstances. This is an absoflippinlutely beautiful song. What a treat!!!

Hey Jesse, John B was right in his comments above. Every song that you have posted recently is like traveling to an new place each time. I like the bass line that you put in this one. It adds a nice ominous edge in the background. Keep 'em coming.

Phrygian scale?? One of my major areas of study in college was Ichthyology --- so, I thought I knew a bit about scales (you know -- placoid, cosmoid, ganoid, cycloid) but I sure don't know the Phrygian. I guess I studied the wrong kind -- at least for music. What ever kind of scale this was this was a terrific song. Your playing was excellent, and I love that Spanish style and sound that you used. Nice one!!

Brilliant --- excellent composition, arrangement, playing, mix, and outstanding vocals. As Bjorn stated above this is done at a professional level that is second to none.