Original Heavy Metal (a Halloween special): Gothic Rose Curiosities

[napoleonboot]

As usual, constructive criticism is welcome.

I was very happy with the way this turned out . I think I'm slowly developing my own style.

George

[MDEW]

:cool: I think your voice sounds great. The music was fantastic.

The only suggestion I have and it may be my own taste. Starting the verse with "she sits" and "Her" they are not very melodic words. How about " Sitting in the dark shadows among the curiosities" A raven sitting on her scull" Just my opininion. It does sound awesome. Gread job! :D

[napoleonboot]

Thanks for the feedback and lyrics comments.

I loved singing the lines

"Sad faced harlequins and clowns,

Dangle from the ceiling,

Hoping for the day they’re set free"

[MDEW]

Did you play the instruments yourself? I loved the feel of the song. Everything seemed like it belonged there.

[napoleonboot]

MDEM

Thanks for your feedback.

No, I didnt play all the instruments myself

I work with some musicians on an collaboration site: www.musicianscollaboration.com

There are probably about 150 active musicians on the site, there are many different songs in progress at any one tine. There is a group of about 25 rock musicians who I work with in various combinations on different songs. I have worked with some of them for several years now. They include guitarists, bass players, keyboard players, drummers, songwriters, lyricists, and a couple of musicians who also specialise in mixing. I started off playing guitar (hence my handle), and still do on some songs, but mostly I sing these days and compose the vocal melodies, and do some lyrics (mostly rewrites and edits to make them to fit the songs).

It is a truly international effort, on this song we have:

Producer, Bass, music/arrangement: Andy Gupta (Calgary, Canada)

Lyrics: Paul Dempsey (California, USA)

Lead and backing vocals, music/arrangement: George Williams (me - Scarborough, UK)

Mix/master: Adam Kirby (Chicago, USA)

Rhythm/Riff Guitar: Adam Rodeh (Los Angeles, USA)

Guitars, main solo : Billy Playle (Bognor Regis, UK)

Guitar, outro solo: Nick Testa (Elgin, Illinois, USA)

Drums: Marcel Hoeke (Switzerland)

[MDEW]

Sounds pretty tight for everyone being so far apart! :P

[napoleonboot]

I just updated the mix on the above link, repeated here. :)

In the earlier mix some harmony vox had gone missing somewhere :mad:.

[napoleonboot]

I got loads of views for this thread but hardly any comments.

Does that imply its good, average, bad or just boring? :/

George

[ronws]

I got loads of views for this thread but hardly any comments.

Does that imply its good, average, bad or just boring? :/

George

yes.

just kidding. I quite liked it but I usually like your stufff, anyway. Even though your voice has it's own quality, the songwriting and vocal melody made me think of the Ziggy Stardust phase of your elder statesman, David Bowie.

I also like that this song uses almost the entire range of your voice. Granted, you mean to express something in the lyrics and tell the story, as you do, but it would be a good to keep in your regular set to keep you limber.

[Adoney]

This is cool, you're trying to get me to join that site or what? I think I will, looks like an awesome place, haha. And I have very decent recording equipment. You inspired me, in a sense.

This recording is pretty much perfect! Awesome job on the performance!

[ronws]

The question that always came to mind has been answered, at least for this song. Kirby in Chicago. For, just as important as it is to get something recorded well, is to bring the parts together into a cohesive whole and that takes talent. Many people think that mixing means all parts have equal prominence. Not so. Mixing means have the right things in prominence at the right time. And that is tough to do. Usually, it requires someone who didn't play any of the instruments so that he does not unfairly weight the mix in one direction or the other. And each song has to be mixed differently. Hardly ever can you take a mixing set and make a macro of it and just punch it in whatever track comes along.

[Adoney]

I often try to make the guitars quieter just because I know my ears are biased. But mixing is very hard when you do it for extended periods of time, your ears start to get blurry.

[ronws]

I often try to make the guitars quieter just because I know my ears are biased. But mixing is very hard when you do it for extended periods of time, your ears start to get blurry.

The books I have read on recording and mastering advocate stepping away after the initial mix, just because of the brain fog problem. Sometimes you have to come back the next day to realize what sounded awesome last night is crap around lunch time, today.

[Jugulator]

Fantastic song. Great voice!

[napoleonboot]

Thanks all

I felt that this was at least as good as anything I've done before, and it was great song to sing.

[ronws]

I just gave you a rep point, George. You are doing what we should all be doing. Writing and singing in your own unique voice. Years from now, new singing students will be beating themselves senseless trying to get that "George" sound.