Tommy does rock (?)

[Guest]

My Sacrifice (Creed) cover

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=12015679&q=hi

[ronws]

I like this as much or more as I like "Higher." And I am a closet Creed fan. I was one of the first ones on my block to compare Scott Stap to Eddie Vedder and I kinda meant it as a compliment.

Scott Stapp identifies himself as a baritone, and he is. A bit dramatic in the weight of his voice, if you ask me. He has a heavy bottom end in his voice that is there, regardless of the note. Okay, enough of the Stapp admiration society.

Anyway, I am so used to hearing the original that I am going to break ranks with the usual form of critique, wherein you are criticized and nit-picked because you don't sound just like him and then get offered tons of advice, including getting a coach, in order to sound like a carbon copy of Stapp. I just ain't gonna do it and no one is actually big enough or skilled enough to make me do it.

However, I did hear a few pitchy wobbles and I think it was because you were singing against a track that has the original vocal on it, which will throw you off because the vowel that Stapp used is not necessarily the vowel you need to get this or that pitch right. And it wasn't everywhere, just a few spots and I am too lazy at this point in time to go back and get surgical with it and pinpoint what point in time I hear a discrepancy.

I also know, from your own admission in prior threads, that you used these recordings as practice, rather than practice and then produce the finished product. So, this is a work in progress and darn good, just for practice.

You sound nothing like Stapp but you sing this song with the intention that he meant, I think, and that is golden. And bravo for the chutzpah to sing a song that is a bit higher than you normally sing. You are also going to sound different because I think, in my humble opinion, that your voice is centered higher and a bit narrower than his. You have a brassier tone than Stapp has.

I know this breaks your heart, but I don't think of your voice as legit baritone, though that may not matter since, in pop and rock, music, fach, tessitura, whathaveyou, doesn't matter too much.

That sustained note shows some skill in your breath support.

All in all, I liked it and I wouldn't mind it at all if you did some more hard rock songs.

Which reminds me. Thank you so very much for correctly identifying this as rock and not "grunge." This is way to musical and polished for me to consider it "grunge."

[Guest]

However, I did hear a few pitchy wobbles and I think it was because you were singing against a track that has the original vocal on it,

A track that has the original vocals? It was a karaoke track with no vocals. Well the only place there were any vocals were the cheesy backing vocals on the chorus. Any pitchy spots must have been in the chorus and it was that backing vocalists...not me!!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!! :D

[ronws]

And actually, I believe you, Tommy, and not just because I consider us friendly to each other. I would like to find the guy that thought it would be good to put backing vocals on a karaoke track and introduce him to my rapier wit. However, I know they do it for the half-drunk people in clubs who think they are Stevie Nicks, or whomever. Just as often, those backing vocals are atutotuned, as well as on a different vowel. It has marred more than one recording of mine. Plus, you get locked into their timing.

That's why I do better, mostly, when I just play guitar for myself. And, to be fair, I have never heard you be pitchy on anything else.

So, can I still criticize you for picking a karaoke track that had vocals on it? (not that you had much of a choice.)

Let us form the "I hate backing vocals on karaoke tracks" club. All we need is some cool patches to signify that.

[Guest]

There sort of a jingle at the end also that freaked me out when I heard it. I thought someone walked in the room (I was home alone at the time) or phone rang or something

Thanks for the listen. I was kidding though....could've been me off pitch.

I also know, from your own admission in prior threads, that you used these recordings as practice, rather than practice and then produce the finished product. So, this is a work in progress and darn good, just for practice.

Just to clarify. What I mean by this is that I'm not into recording. Don't know how, don't really care. I'm into singing live. So I record as practice yes. But I don't mean practice for a better recording at some point. I mean I record because it gives me practice for singing live. I make mistakes, forget lyrics, I've sung lines backwards, the computer screws up etc. So I end up doing the song quite a few times. Sometimes maybe 25 times!! So this gives me practice and it helps me really memorize the lyrics and the ins and outs of the song. It's practice for live performance. So When I get done I save it, post it and add it to my list. I really don't care much about the recording. I'm not cutting albums! :D

[ronws]

I'm not cutting albums!

And why not?

:P

[Guest]

And why not?

Ha ha. Even if that were possible I think it would still be imposable. (what the hell does that mean?)

What I mean is that I'm a pain in the ass. I complain a lot and I don't like change, I don't like technology and I don't like any one telling me what to do. And I don't care about money (as much as I don't have any!) Hey, I lived on the streets, if not for my family I can do it again!!

So with that said. Like I said. When I make recordings here, as you can hear, they aren't perfect. What they are is me singing as close to live as possible but "recorded." I don't (can't/don't know how) fix the mix. I don't even do any mixing at all. They are raw and they are me. So I would be hard pressed to make a "perfect" album with a manager. Autotune? Yea right. They'd have a fight on their hands.

I don't dress up my stuff. Tommy doesn't "wear makeup." (so to speak)

It's warts and all baby!!!

Yea... I'm a strange one. My wife can't figure me out. :/

[Jugulator]

I much did you pay Ozzy to sing the cover? ;)

[Guest]

I much did you pay Ozzy to sing the cover?

That's the second time you've said I sounded like Ozzy. Out of anyone I would never think Ozzy. I don't hear that Not to mention his voice is higher. But hey I'm getting used to being compared to people so I'm just gonna go with the flow man. I've even had someone compare me to Randy Newman !! :o

[Jugulator]

Actually, your voice sounds as a mix of Ozzy and Gary Moore to me ;)

[Guest]

I may have to do a Gary Moore song. Oddly enough I am in the minority when I say I am not really a big fan of Gary. To make matters even worse and put me even more in the minority; what I don't like about him is...get ready for this....I am not a fan of his guitar playing! Yea, yea I know. Hey what can I tell ya! :D

[Jugulator]

Maybe you could try "Jumping at shadows"?

[Guest]

Maybe you could try "Jumping at shadows"?

Maybe "Still Got The Blues." We'll see. No time soon though.

Believe it or you know What led me to sing this Creed song? I wanted to do a rock song as a change of pace. A song that I swear I sing great is "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters. But I have recorded it before and quickly erased it. Wow! To myself I sound like I nail this song. Once I hear it recorded ...yikes. Bad, bad, bad.

So it's been awhile since my last attempt and like I said, I felt like Rockin' so let's give it another shot. Same result!! No good. I had so wanted to do it live and that is why I recorded it last time. I was testing it and giving it a practice for a karaoke performance. I wasn't even going to test it first because I thought I sang it so well

Wow, good thing I checked it out first. In the trash!!!!

So after Everlong didn't work out yesterday I figured I'd try Creed and then call it a day.

[ronws]

Ha ha. Even if that were possible I think it would still be imposable. (what the hell does that mean?)

What I mean is that I'm a pain in the ass. I complain a lot and I don't like change, I don't like technology and I don't like any one telling me what to do.

Yeah, but tell me something I don't know ....ouch!

Bad ron, bad ron ....

I was powerless to resist the open invitation of those statements.

Anyway, like the old song says, "It's yo' thang / do what you wann do / I can't tell ya / who to sock it to ..."

[Olem]

Hahaha, blues-Tommy becomes rock-Tommy and handles it very well. I am impressed. You have the coolest voice here that´s for sure.

[Guest]

Hahaha, blues-Tommy becomes rock-Tommy and handles it very well. I am impressed. You have the coolest voice here that´s for sure.

Singing, or music in general, like art or even taste in clothes is very subjective, isn't it.

Thanks Olem :)