All right, like I always say, I know there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in the songs I post, but I really encourage you to check these out, as they have at least three things going for them:
1. They're full-length, unlike a lot of stuff I've posted recently.
2. They're not covers.
3. The production is the best of any recordings I've done since I started playing guitar.
With that said, on to the backstory/files.
Over the break, I mentioned that I was planning to do some better recordings that included live drums. That didn't happen, but it's because I chose to put my epic song on hold to work on another project.
I've mentioned before that my mom teaches 6th grade. One of her students this year considers herself something of a lyricist, and I volunteered (at their suggestion, but still) to write music to go with a few of these lyrics. There were about 20 songs to choose from, and I ended up picking 3 that stood out and writing guitars and drum loops.
I was pretty much given a choice of what style to go with, but I did make these specifically for the girl who wrote them, and I was told that she likes Evanescence, so I tried to give them a darker vibe than some of the stuff I write on my own. I've been told she's happy with them, so I guess that's good enough.
Anyway, that's pretty much all the background you need to know. I won't post the lyrics since I don't have permission, but as the writer of the music, I can post that. I'm very proud of these, as I think they demonstrate both the progress I've made on guitar over the last year and the awesome power of the Epiphone Les Paul and PODxt. Here they are (for those who don't like reading, just click on the links, but I really like explaining the process behind my work, so...yeah):
1. Revenge of the Derived (Link)
The main riff of this song came to me almost immediately upon reading the verse lyrics, and the rest pretty much wrote itself. It starts off slow and quiet, then kicks in at full power after about 30 seconds. It has kind of a Sevendust feel to it. Be sure to listen after the final chord for the ridiculous Les Paul sustain.
Production info:
- Rhythm guitars = Dual Rectifier amp model; 2 tracks of neck pickup and 2 tracks of bridge pickup.
- Clean guitars = I honestly don't remember the model, but I used the Phaser modulation effect, and that's what's important because it sounds really cool.
2. Open Arms (Link)
This song has more of a Creed-ish feel to it. I also show off my mediocre but slowly improving lead skills with a solo inspired by the chorus lyrics. Full disclosure: I kind of ripped off part of the main riff from "After the Rain" by Revelation Theory, but I changed the chord and added a lead lick, so it's not really that big a deal. Finally, I tuned down to drop-Db for this. Just thought I'd mention it.
Production info:
- Rhythm guitars = Dual Rectifier again, this time with reduced mids and more room/reverb. The lead in the intro is also the Dual Rectifier with the Expo Flange modulation effect.
- Clean guitar = Fender Twin amp model.
- Lead guitar = Marshall JCM-2000 amp model with Tube Screamer stompbox.
- Bass guitar = The crappy bass that my dad "borrowed" from work, probably played through the Fender Bassman amp model.
3. Break (Link)
This is, without a doubt, the heaviest song I've ever recorded. It's an aggressive, up-tempo riff rocker in drop-C tuning, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. The lyrics seemed pretty angry (I think they're about the girl's parents getting drunk and fighting or something), and I tried to make the music match that.
Production info:
- Rhythm guitars = Dual Rectifier yet again, but using the same preset as RotD and cranked up a bit in the mix.
- Clean guitar = Vox AC-30 amp model (I think) with opto tremolo effect.
- Lead guitar = Marshall JCM-2000 amp with Tube Screamer effect.
That's it. Seriously, I'd really appreciate some feedback on this stuff. These actually sound good now that I have a real guitar to work with.
Posted by CD on February 4, 2007 12:04 AM | TrackBack