PhonoBrainer

Soundtracky goodness. Your choices with that toy piano/glockenspiel thing were nice. The mellotron had a slightly off-key quality somehow, that kept giving me anxiety. Nice work, very creative! cheers -Tom

I bet most people still listen to the end, which tells us something. As I've said before, just to let it all hang out there without feeling limitations - amazing. It makes conventional critique quite pointless, really. I liked it. cheers, -Tom

It's friggin awesome, great musicianship. I would say the mix balance seemed to tilt away from the bass guitar, and towards the hi-hats. But it's a jazz bass-Geddy sounding kind of thing, and you might not want the bass balls in favor of that nice midrange attack. Pretty cool growl up there. cheers, -Tom

Well, for starters, I wasn't "upset" that you covered H. Cali, just remarked that I wouldn't and commented on your bravery On to this one! I dig it. It's got a cool eighties feel, and your vocal arrangement, with the deeper part coming in, very inventive. I have not heard the original. If anything, I'd bump the vocal up in volume a bit. I like the mix treatments, nice compression and reverb. The snare has that huge 80's rvb sound, which depending on the tune, I think is quite appropriate. It certainly is here. The lead vocal seems dry by comparison - maybe add more delay or rvb, maybe double your lead vocal? Then it would slot in to the mix a bit better, for me, anyway. I kept hearing Psych Furs mix while I was listening to this, as a reference. This is a cool tune and thanks for giving it life! Nice job. -Tom

As singing practice, a good choice I reckon. I love this song, but no power on earth would make me touch a cover of it. It's a most excellent song, possibly criminally overplayed in the 1970's . . . You have talent as many do - I just think there are some songs that probably shouldn't be covered. Right? Wrong? Anyway, kudos on your courage and best of luck with it! Big, big balls! Next up, Stairway to Heaven? cheers, -Tom

nice tune, agreed on piano down a little, vocals up. Maybe a "C" section or a bridge. I dunno. It's a bopper with a nice vocal. cheers, -Tom

Probably your best yet in my opinion. Great mix, particularly the panning choices. Every instrument was in its own lane. Lyrics are great and delivered well. More little drum fills might be a plus - ocassionally the drums sound a bit over compressed? Do you have a "Drum bus" that is slamming both the toms AND the cymbals the same amount? I dunno. This is a very relatable tune. Nice job! -Tom

Thanks Bjorn! No Getty archive, which I will now dutifully go look up. I like your travel videos, you do a great job. Thanks for the kind words. And the credits? Yes, anything for a laugh. Starise! Thanks much . . . It's a bundle of images. I'm glad you are not wasting too much time trying to ferret out a narrative. I think they add up to something about limitations on creativity, external and internal. There is some thread to those images, but I'm damned if I could really tell you what it was. Glad you like the effort! Lynn, thanks a lot. It's just a fun ride for me and hopefully you, too! I appreciate the comments greatly. Thanks, Varorium! Sometimes it's good to keep it weird. I'll say "hi" to Herbie for you! Glad you liked it, thanks for the thoughts . . . Paul, spot on with "my own private exhibition" - it just felt cool to wrap it up with the visual references to the earlier stuff. Probably makes it all seem like something much more meaningful than it really is. I appreciate your comments, thanks!

Well, that was cheery! I like the concept, and it took some cool thinking to guitar yourself all up in a hazmat suit. That probably wasn't easy. The video clips were used well. You have selected some very relevant clips from this freaked-out era, and cobbled them together very expertly. I'd question the overall length - could you have as much effect in something say 5 minutes? Do the last four minutes really add anything to the impression? You might have been keen on creating a 9 minute experience, which is great, but I kind of "got it" after three. Should I adjust my medication? Also, the drums could have a little more to do in this piece. They are kind of like a metronome. Maybe that's what you were going for? I dunno. Just something from a viewer's perspective. I think the guitar work was appropriately apocalyptic, it sure fits the mood and tone well. nice one! cheers, -Tom, from the basement, admiring his six month supply of Spam

I think this is the best I've heard from you. Vocals up in the mix would be my recommendation, and maybe some more variation of the drum programming when they come in, the occasional fill would go a long way. Overall, great lyrics! Sad but a cool groove nonetheless. cheers, -Tom

Where do they think he keeps his money? :55 I like how psycho it is, and Lynn your voice's quality sure fits the mood/genre/subject. Nice job you two. cheers, -Tom

Nice! We're going to get this one to over 10,000 views! Guitars great of course but I found myself focusing on the drums - they sound very well recorded! What did you use? Looking forward to the new stuff in the pipeline. cheers, -Tom

Throwback Monday!!! You nailed it. I like how when the rhythm guitar riff "stops" there is still something there in the silence. Performances are all very solid, but it has the attitude of the original without being too clinically, digitally precise. great job! -Tom

If you listen in the first minute, I think the snare is coming in just a hair after the guitar strum. I'd vote for the drums louder on this one, particularly the snare. Great concept, great voice, awesome guitar tones, drums are great (tasteful ride and those fills), cool lyrics, nice bgv's . . . I could see chilling out to this kickin back on the beach after a full day's surfing, a west coast sunset. And I don't even surf. great job (again)! cheers, -Tom

Hi Kloon, thanks, and I agree! The video adds and adds while the song itself is just kind of ok. The whole exercise was really about getting to know some new tools. That said, it took a boatload of editing time with the learning curves. Many thanks, glad you liked the vid! -Tom

Steve C - many thanks. I'll take smooth electronic funk jazz any day, all day! Thanks for the listen . . . Wookie - cool, glad you liked it. Bjorn - yeah I really don't even know what genre this is, but ignorance is bliss in this case. Thanks for the comments! now with video . . . see link in op cheers! -Tom

I would buy that CD in a heartbeat!

I came back for a re-listen but it's gone, gone, gone.

Quite the puzzle! Well, to start you off, process of elimination: it was not me that wrote this. It's a nice groove. You have revived it and it sounds nice, although for me it's less organically live, and would still be not out of place if encountered in an elevator, in which I would ride quite comfortably. Perhaps it's the 1990's arrangement that is too hard to update, even though your instruments make it sound better. If the original didn't have words, perhaps you could add some? I think a vocal would help, and it sounds like the arrangement could support a vocal. I think your vst's make it sound just fine so mission accomplished there. Good luck in your search! cheers, -Tom

I can't remember but have I heard this before? Did you post this earlier in the other forum, or is it new-new? Synths and their treatment are top quality. Arrangement goes down easy. The vocals when harmonized are great, and well mixed! The solo lead vocal was the weakest link here, for me. It wasn't bad, but just not as smoooooth as the rest of the work. I dunno, he doesn't have a bad voice, it's not pitchy or anything weird - it's just for me his vocal timbre doesn't match the piece that well. But it's absolutely great when it's got the excellent background harmonies, and a little more reverb. Love those parts. I suppose everybody has an opinion! Your piece is extremely listenable and the mix / arrangement is way good. cheers, -Tom

Wow, I agree good song, good mix, good harmonies, and as I've said before, in particular, great lead vocal quality! But, for me, I'd back the lead vocal down just a bit, particularly in the intro, with just the piano, seems like it's too much out in front there. good work. -Tom

I think the bass sits very well as is, and no, I didn't think the vocals loud at all. Hey, is Norway all it's cracked up to be? #1 in Quality of Life index? which is where it typically ranks . . . cheers, -Tom

Hey, nice tune, that melody really sticks in the noggin. Very sorry for your loss that inspired it. Neil Young came to mind, in a good way!!! Just a catchy tune sung with emotion. I would be tempted to do more processing on the lead vocal, maybe double it more than just the chorus. But that might be overdoing it . . .you are probably looking for something more stripped down and raw. The arrangement of parts is pretty bulletproof. Everything seems to be in the right spots. I liked the arpeggiated steel-stringy guitar but maybe a touch less volume on that while you are singing? It poked out a bit. Maybe a tiny bit of delay on it could take the edge of the attack off. Might be worth a try. Cool tune. cheers, -Tom

Fun! For me, #1 had too mechanical and fake vibrato. #2 had better vibrato, but unrealistic, non-legato attack #3 sounds like a french horn. Therefore, the answer is . . . none of them. Keep looking! Check out 8dio Adagietto if you have Kontakt. It's on sale now apprently. Best of luck! cheers, -Tom

A supergroup!!! Nice job . . . I got an Ozzy vibe, except better, because I could understand the words. Nice and punchy mix. cheers, -Tom