Sunset Blvd Full Cover

[Sleeper256]

Hack. HAcky. Hack and the Hacktones.

So I made a cover of Sunset Blvd by Scott Grimes. He's quickly become one of my favorite singer-songwriters, with Livin' on the Run and Sunset Blvd as the best hits (haven't heard the rest yet, I admit I learned about these from American Dad (he's Steve) but still). At first I thought this song was too light for my taste but it's grown on me, anyway enough on that.

I recorded differently this time, with the rockband mic sitting on a pile of clothes about a foot away instead of holding it, and I think that's making a good difference. In this song I did the best I could with harmonies during the chorus, but I'm sure there's plenty I'm missing from the actual song, and better mixing required. Either way I'm calling this done, it was fun!

For vocals there's just reverb, and some compression and effects and panning but no pitch altering effects. My main complaint is the end probably, I feel I tightened up at the end of the bridge, and also emphasized some words by trying different things while I was singing

(like during the 1st verse "PLAY the world" I was thinking "Hmm, is my throat open, can't tell, lets try concentrating on breathing here")

also I think I fell out of tune in some places but going back and doing a 2nd take would be cheating and haunt me forever. I also tried different things in each chorus, like one with more legato to higher notes, and others with the falsetto-like-or-maybe-its-headvoice that Scott does in his.

Other than that, all instruments by hand, drums sequenced, and piano cheated a little because I separated the melody from the chords. Through this project I learned I can't follow the metronome on piano with both hands. I'll have to work on that.

I really like it (I think I still need a better voice tone or something though, rasp maybe?), but I want to hear what you think. And one of the things I notice is to me (even listening back) most of time it sounds like I'm in tune, but the tuner I put on this track says I'm off by a little most of the time. It also says I'm not doing the F# "AAAWAY" on tune, but it doesn't sound like that to me.

http://picosong.com/nuZr/

And here is the original:

Thanks!

[mr-leonor99]

hi,

I really like it,

maybe a litle bit of vibrato on the "walk aawwaaaayy" ?

keep up the amazing work :)

[ronws]

I liked it.

[Sleeper256]

Thanks guys I'm glad you liked it! What do you think I should work on the most? And mr-leonor are you saying I should've put a little vibrato on "walk awaaay" or that there was unwanted vibrato?

Thanks again!

[ronws]

Well, sleeper, different people have different aesthetics when reviewing. Some like larger, wider vibrato. Others might prefer the tight almost tremolo vibrato of Colin Hayes, for example. And judge everything by that. I once received a poor review for "the Immigrant Song" by someone who admittedly never liked Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, that style of music or that style of singing. But he felt the need to comment from his vantage point of male r&b singing.

What I look for when reviewing is the technical aspects, first. Was the singer on pitch and did they have what I feel was relevant volume for the part of the song they are in? As far as I could tell, you had both things going well for you.

The rest is aesthetics, what I "feel" about how you sang the song. I liked that, too. If it's different than what I expect, I may highlight that. Which doesn't mean it was bad, it just means it was a different interpretation than I had anticipated.

In this song, I think you "felt" this song. In which case, your efforts were a success, you communicated to the audience.

If you are looking for endless trivia on how you should make each and every sound at each and every second, I don't have that for you.

Just stay on pitch, support the note, stay as close to open vowels as you can (the last being an aesthetic choice of mine, see what I mean?).

[mr-leonor99]

yes ronws is right, but you see that I started the third sentence by the word "maybe"

so it was a sugestion that's all, I felt like it would be cool(for me) that you add a little bit of vibrato on the "walk away" :)

[Sleeper256]

Thank you guys, I'll keep that suggestion mind for next time. And Ronws what exactly are open vowels? Yeah I had just learned about how closely what you're feeling is connected to your actual singing through the diaphragm and nervous system, so I feel I really got into it.

...Why would someone who doesn't even like rock comment on a rock song?

Later I'm going to try Livin on the Run, but I feel I need more power and breath support for that one first, I tried it and I couldn't find where to pause and breathe, and I couldn't get the distortion (maybe it's rasp, still trying to gRasp the concept) in my voice for the chorus without actually feeling like I hurt myself (so I stopped) but he sang these when he was 30ish, so I got time.

I'm running out of money for everything fast, let alone lessons and just worried about general living costs now though. I need to find a job for rent...

[ronws]

to me, and remember, I am just an amateur, open vowels are ah and eh. ee and oo are closed and also, I think, involve higher tongue height.

On the other hand, in some training systems, I have seen where the beginner should start on the closed vowels like ee and save ah for later development and for use on high notes.

But also, each voice tunes a little differently. Experiment. When your voice rings forth so loud that you hurt your own ears, I think, then, you have found a sweet spot.

[Sleeper256]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind and do more research and practicing trying to find that sweet spot. I never knew about open vowels and things like that.