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Here is my latest tune. It's a 3min. alt. rocker with a touch of rockabilly (guitar). All comments and critiques welcome. Don't be shy to tell me what you like and don't like about the song and production!!! OCD <- linkLook at me Can't you see I'm always in a hurry I don't know where I find time to be O C D Always harder than it has to be All tangled up in wasted time Rushing forward, never check my speed I saw the stop sign as I flew on by Look at me Can't you see Forgot my medication I don't know where I find time to be O C D Mad encounters of the third degree I fear I might just lose my mind My obsession put a tax on me Threw out a dollar so I could keep the dime Look at me Can't you see Plagued by indecision I don't know where I find time to be O C D
Last edited by TC Perkins; 12/14/17 01:41 PM.
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Hi TC, Pretty cool tune! Your guitar work always sparkles. I like the quirky playful composition, vocals, everything..You asked for nits..I got nuthin, lol.. I remember once I said a song of yours reminded me of Boston, Now I get what I was thinking. It was after you mentioned Steely Dan in another thread--I realized that your admiration (of Fagen in particular) has rubbed off and given you a great work ethic in regards your songs, I always admired Scholz for the same reasons. His recordings are gems, whether you like the songs or not. Your musicianship shines through again here. And I still do hear a little Brad Delp (Boston) in your vocals.. Enjoying this.. MIke
Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 12/14/17 11:29 PM.
Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice Fortune depends on the tone of your voice
-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon) from the song "Songs of Love" from the album "Casanova" (1996)
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Madness. So much energy. Makes me want to run around the house and jump on the furniture.
Vic
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Musically, this sounds really good TC. Good energy to it.
Lyrically, I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be better changed to ADHD? OCD is obsessive/compulsive, not manic, like the music would suggest. Just an observation.
Ricki
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Refreshingly different TC Good work Travis
Last edited by Travis david; 12/16/17 08:39 AM.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde
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Hi TC, Pretty cool tune! Your guitar work always sparkles. I like the quirky playful composition, vocals, everything..You asked for nits..I got nuthin, lol.. I remember once I said a song of yours reminded me of Boston, Now I get what I was thinking. It was after you mentioned Steely Dan in another thread--I realized that your admiration (of Fagen in particular) has rubbed off and given you a great work ethic in regards your songs, I always admired Scholz for the same reasons. His recordings are gems, whether you like the songs or not. Your musicianship shines through again here. And I still do hear a little Brad Delp (Boston) in your vocals.. Enjoying this.. MIke Thanks, Mike! You are making me blush. I do love Steely Dan. Their arrangements are killer. I also really like the Eagles for more or less the same reason. LOL, no way! Brad Delp? I would need much tighter underwear or surgical intervention. The high notes are very hard for me (thank goodness for Melodyne) I feel like my recordings are getting better but don't be afraid to pick away at stuff; it helps me hear stuff I might have missed. It's amazing how "ear-blind" we get to our own tunes after working on them for a few days or weeks. Thanks, again. Thanks, Martin. I am glad you liked it. Thanks, Calvin. I am still not sold on the exact arrangement but I figured I would toss it out there for some comments. ------------ Thanks for the listens and comments. They are always appreciated. Peace, TC
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Hey TC,
Hey this sounds like early 70's pop, but good pop. This was very unique, I especially liked the verse melody. The choruses were an interesting change-up for sure--having said that, it might be interesting to hear "two" quick verses before entering that music change-up so quickly--JMO, and only my 1st impression. Very cool write you have here!
steady-eddie
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Really neat tune. The feel in places reminds me a lot of of Oingo Boingo - and to be able to coax that sound out of a production says a lot. Doing so launched Danny Elfman into greater things.
The chords and melody definitely lend themselves to Alt Rock. I was really excited at first by the rushed lyrics. I felt a little let down when it went to chords that were held longer and longer melody notes in the verse ("Always harder..."). It just seemed like the energy level dropped too much too quickly.
I think you should experiment with keeping the intensity up throughout the song to make even more of a statement. I would want to hear the rapid-fire lyrics, even if it means leaving some contrasting space at the end of the line.
The alternative would be to make an even starker contrast between verse and chorus like Relient K did with "No Reaction" by thinning out the verse and using a Reggae feel. However, the groove of your chorus is kind of sparse already, so maybe the verse could be heavier. If you go this route or keep it as-is, you may want to consider doubling the length of the chorus.
And yeah, maybe Ricki has a point with ADHD. A lot of folks would be on board with that!
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Hi TC:
You picked the right title for this one... and then nailed it! Your lyric speaks tons of truth about our slightly out-of-focus society today but in a way we are able to enjoy "looking in the mirror" and still enjoying the "ride" you provided. No "nits" or "crits"... it is what it is and I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing. ----Dave
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Madness. So much energy. Makes me want to run around the house and jump on the furniture.
Vic Lol, Vic. I must have succeeded somewhat, then! I wanted the song to be a bit unsettling and manic in nature. Musically, this sounds really good TC. Good energy to it.
Lyrically, I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be better changed to ADHD? OCD is obsessive/compulsive, not manic, like the music would suggest. Just an observation.
Ricki Thanks, Ricki. You are, of course, right from a scientific point of view. But, after all, it's just a song and OCD worked so much better than ADHD. Refreshingly different TC Good work Travis Thanks, Travis. I took some risks on this tune, and tried to write a bit outside my comfort zone. -------------- I appreciate the listens and comments, as always. Peace, TC
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Hey TC,
Hey this sounds like early 70's pop, but good pop. This was very unique, I especially liked the verse melody. The choruses were an interesting change-up for sure--having said that, it might be interesting to hear "two" quick verses before entering that music change-up so quickly--JMO, and only my 1st impression. Very cool write you have here!
steady-eddie Thanks, Eddie. To be honest, I am not sold on the arrangement as it exists now. I figured I would take a shot at it, and get some feedback, and think on how I can make it better. I appreciate any ideas which will help me decide what to do with this tune! Really neat tune. The feel in places reminds me a lot of of Oingo Boingo - and to be able to coax that sound out of a production says a lot. Doing so launched Danny Elfman into greater things.
The chords and melody definitely lend themselves to Alt Rock. I was really excited at first by the rushed lyrics. I felt a little let down when it went to chords that were held longer and longer melody notes in the verse ("Always harder..."). It just seemed like the energy level dropped too much too quickly.
I think you should experiment with keeping the intensity up throughout the song to make even more of a statement. I would want to hear the rapid-fire lyrics, even if it means leaving some contrasting space at the end of the line.
The alternative would be to make an even starker contrast between verse and chorus like Relient K did with "No Reaction" by thinning out the verse and using a Reggae feel. However, the groove of your chorus is kind of sparse already, so maybe the verse could be heavier. If you go this route or keep it as-is, you may want to consider doubling the length of the chorus.
And yeah, maybe Ricki has a point with ADHD. A lot of folks would be on board with that! Thanks, Corey. I wanted some contrast in the song but I hear you about the changeup and the drop in intensity. The structure of the song actually starts with the chorus so it is changing to a verse there. I am not really happy with the arrangement but I wanted time to think and get some feedback so I decided to do a first cut and post it. It's interesting you mention changing to a Reggae feel during the tune. I actually played around with that for quite a while but I couldn't quite get it to mesh with the rest of the tune, and my wife HATED it, lol. It's gonna stay OCD! No one is gonna care about the scientific accuracy of a song. Hey, maybe I could write another tune called ADHD and put the two songs in a suite. Hi TC:
You picked the right title for this one... and then nailed it! Your lyric speaks tons of truth about our slightly out-of-focus society today but in a way we are able to enjoy "looking in the mirror" and still enjoying the "ride" you provided. No "nits" or "crits"... it is what it is and I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing. ----Dave Thanks, Dave. I'm glad you liked the tune. We are, in fact, becoming a disoriented society with all the changes and the manic pace of life in our modern age. ---------------------- Many thanks on your listens and critiques! Peace, TC PS: I hope I didn't miss anyone.
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Thanks, Corey. I wanted some contrast in the song but I hear you about the changeup and the drop in intensity. The structure of the song actually starts with the chorus so it is changing to a verse there. I am not really happy with the arrangement but I wanted time to think and get some feedback so I decided to do a first cut and post it.
It's interesting you mention changing to a Reggae feel during the tune. I actually played around with that for quite a while but I couldn't quite get it to mesh with the rest of the tune, and my wife HATED it, lol.
It's gonna stay OCD! No one is gonna care about the scientific accuracy of a song. Hey, maybe I could write another tune called ADHD and put the two songs in a suite. Oh yeah, that would be the chorus wouldn't it!?! Cool, and hats off for being open to ideas and time for revision. Wow, what a coincidence about the Reggae thing. Take a listen to that Relient K cut if you haven't already. No Doubt did the same thing with "Spiderwebs" too - a very 90's thing which is starting to come back around. Haha, ok got it. I look forward to the mental illness suite. Don't stop with only two, though. Many of us have other diseases that need to be represented, myself included!
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Sounds good to me! The various muswical changes keep it fresh all the way through. nice guitar licks! Reminded me of 1973 - 1976 era. nicely done!
David
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An amazing piece of work TC. Really liked the percussion and those sweet guitar licks.
Very Cool
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Hi TC,
This is so catchy! I enjoyed it! What I liked most about the song were the musical parts that revved up....my head was bobbing back and forth...LOL. Sounds great! And this line got me thinking: “All tangled up in wasted time”. The song is playful and entertaining! You mentioned on my post you wish you could sing....I beg to differ! You can sing!
Kristi
A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. -- Abraham Maslow, American Psychologist
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TC,
Jimi gave us manic depression and now you give us OCD. Very nicely done! People like to kid about OCD, myself included but I have other experiences as well and I know that things really are a lot harder than they have to be. I think a lot of people will connect with this song. It's upbeat, fun and rather universal.
Thanks for sharing, Paul
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Sounds good to me! The various muswical changes keep it fresh all the way through. nice guitar licks! Reminded me of 1973 - 1976 era. nicely done!
David Thanks, David. I have had Steely Dan on the brain lately, and I think that snuck in on some of those guitar parts. An amazing piece of work TC. Really liked the percussion and those sweet guitar licks.
Very Cool Thanks, Nelson. Percussion used to be the most dreaded part of the process for me (other than vocals!) but now I really enjoy doing drum tracks. I appreciate the compliment on the guitar licks. Hi TC,
This is so catchy! I enjoyed it! What I liked most about the song were the musical parts that revved up....my head was bobbing back and forth...LOL. Sounds great! And this line got me thinking: “All tangled up in wasted time”. The song is playful and entertaining! You mentioned on my post you wish you could sing....I beg to differ! You can sing!
Kristi Thanks, Kristi. This was a fun one to do. I do try to sing; Melodyne to the rescue on more than one occasion! TC,
Jimi gave us manic depression and now you give us OCD. Very nicely done! People like to kid about OCD, myself included but I have other experiences as well and I know that things really are a lot harder than they have to be. I think a lot of people will connect with this song. It's upbeat, fun and rather universal.
Thanks for sharing, Paul Thanks, Paul. I think just about everyone is stressed out a little these days, at the very least. The song is a bit off the beaten path but I do hope folks can relate to it. ----------------- I appreciate the listens and comments, as usual. Thanks! TC
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Enjoyed that! Good guitars! (can't ever have enough lol) I like the ear candy-like the"O" in OCD. Rather than rockabilly, the fast bit sounded very Police-y to me; well done! Don't know if it would work or not but I'd be curious to hear what the verses sounded like played and sung at a slower tempo. Good stuff, glad I listened! -Mike
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Jimi gave us manic depression and now you give us OCD. Paul What a great acid rock tune in 3/4 time. Love that whole first record.
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Great jangle rock. This reminds me of the glory days of Jangle Punk/Jangle Rock coming out of places like Winston-Salem, produced by people like Mitch Easter, and yielding R.E.M.
Very cool.
Yeah, great guitars. Very Let's Active. Nice.
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Very cool, TC. Yes, a LOT of energy. Love the lead guitar. I'm listening through earbuds so take that into account - but I think both the bass and vocal could be brought up in the mix. Don't want to lose the jangly though Scott
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Enjoyed that! Good guitars! (can't ever have enough lol) I like the ear candy-like the"O" in OCD. Rather than rockabilly, the fast bit sounded very Police-y to me; well done! Don't know if it would work or not but I'd be curious to hear what the verses sounded like played and sung at a slower tempo. Good stuff, glad I listened! -Mike
Thanks, Mike. The guitars were fun to do. I went back and forth on the tempo but decided to put the tempo pretty high for this tune. I will probably revisit the tempo when I circle back to this song for some changes. Great jangle rock. This reminds me of the glory days of Jangle Punk/Jangle Rock coming out of places like Winston-Salem, produced by people like Mitch Easter, and yielding R.E.M.
Very cool.
Yeah, great guitars. Very Let's Active. Nice.
Thanks, David. I was a huge REM fan. I remember once my band was playing at University of Georgia, and REM showed up to do an impromptu concert in Athens, GA. The concert hall was practically empty so the promoter just had us play a couple of songs to fullfill the contract then we all headed over to watch REM. This was during their heyday, and it was nuts. I think 90% of the student population was there along with townsfolk. Very cool, TC. Yes, a LOT of energy. Love the lead guitar. I'm listening through earbuds so take that into account - but I think both the bass and vocal could be brought up in the mix. Don't want to lose the jangly though Scott Thanks, Scott. I am not sure there is enough bass either; I just didn't want to overdo it. I will probably take some measures to give it more presence when I re-arrange it. I don't think the vocals need to be louder but perhaps I can make them sound 'bigger'. ------ I appreciate the listens and critiques. I hope I didn't miss anyone so far. Peace, TC
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"If one man can do it, any man can do it. It is true. But the real question is, if one man did it, are you willing to do what it takes to do it as well?" –Brian Austin Whitney
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