Everyone who makes music should read this ... scary times folks!

[Super 8]

Hey artokh74! Great story man, thanks for sharing. Most inspiring! You've put a cool spin on this - I really like your perspective on all this - in fact my friend it's just the tonic I was needing! One of the MAIN things I've disliked about my so-called professional work-in-progress LP is that, if anything, it's sounding 'too' clean & produced. Personally I really like a bit of 'old skool' grit that you speak of (I'm off to listen to the above track next) - I don't tend to like stuff that sounds too polished. Thanks for pointing this out to me as I admit I wasn't seeing the wood for the trees for a while there! When music becomes too 'commercial' sounding it loses its appeal for me & that's what's happened with these songs I've recorded. I MUCH prefer my home-demos to the stuff I've done in the so-called professional studio so yeah, thanks for bringing this to my attention as I'd lost my mojo and, along the way, the fun had gone out of my music (things went all Pete Tong & oh so serious sounding which, for those who know me, is just not like me at all - someone else's vision). Sharing this with you guys (and gals - sorry Hilary!) has been a great help for me as I now know what it is that I wish to do from here on in where my muzak is concerned and that is simply to just keep doing what I do! So long as it's fun & I dig it then I'll keep on doing it. If other folks dig it too then that's a bonus & I'd be honoured but it's no biggie if they don't - I'll be pretty much just writing purely for the pleasure of writing from here on in now. ("It's not about the money, money, money!" as that song goes - not that I'm at all familiar with it, hooky chorus mind!) The fact that my music-making had started to get 'heavy' was what was causing me problems. I'm now going to scrap this existing album (I've become very aware that it's the producers' interpretation of how he hears my songs and NOT how I hear them!) Yep, just kick that one into touch rather than throwing anymore at it and swiftly try to just 'get back' to producing my songs the way I hear 'em using the collected home studio gear I have at my disposal. Above all what has been missing from these 'so-called professional' commercial studio takes is 'FEEL' & 'HONESTY' ie: possibly the two most important ingredients in a recording. Moral of this story? You've just gotta be true to yourself and what you're doing folks! Thanks a lot for reminding me of this! OK, that's more than enough from me. I'm off to wipe the slate and start over ... AGAIN! So expect more home-produced songs coming your way here soon enough I'd imagine. I'm 'back on the horse' as it were but, for now, 'Adios Amigos!' while I go off & get my proverbial (music) house in order!  THANKS AGAIN! CHEERS ;-)          

[Super 8]

Sorry for rambling on guys

Yeah, me too. Rock on Tommy!

[fenderbender]

Best wishes Super8
Look forward to the new you.


Tommy

[Super 8]

Look forward to the new you.

He! He! Thanks Tommy! NB: The 'new me' will be just the 'old me' again.

[artokh74]

Hey artokh74! Great story man, thanks for sharing. Most inspiring!

Thanks, glad if that story was of use to you too. I do believe that the important thing is finding your own personal style and sound. At least you now know that the heavy production thing probably was not your thing. At least not for now.

I often tend to overdo things too within my own modest studio facilities, and then usually revert back to the earliest demo I can find or rip out half the tracks and try go back to that simple garage rock feel...then put that one out there with warts and all. So easy to get completely lost in all the possibilities on offer but I guess that's part of the learning curve to get better too.

Looking forward to hearing your new stuff too.

[Super 8]

THanks again for going to the trouble of putting down your thoughts on this matter artokh74 - it REALLY has been a great help to me and has brought things very much back into perspective for me as, I admit, I had lost my way somewhat! PLUS ...you're right! I too often find that 'the magic' is usually found in that first scratch demo when an idea first presents itself. I'm a terrible one for 'over baking the cake' as it were (and in doing so completely losing sight of the original embryonic idea!) It's very much time for me to get 'back to basics' this end methinks (in fact, that's it! That's the title for my album ie: 'Back To Basics' ... cool!) Thanks once again for your insights.

[Flash Harry]

It's why we're here.

To echo one of our major talents, Rock On.

[Oldrottenhead]

for me. making music/songwriting is a hobby/diversion/leisure activity/essential necessity/ calling.

i do it cos i do it.

making money from it?

that would be nice,

the icing on the cake

the pop off the cherry etc etc

highly unlikely tho.
















but so fucking what,



i play/write/do for an audience of one.




yup i'm a self centred fuckwit that listens to his own stuff.

am i at the right place?

[Super 8]

am i at the right place?

"'Ooh, heaven is a place on earth!' (As some '80s pop tart informed us).

[Super 8]

UPDATE: Thanks to some very kind words I'm pleased to say that my minor ... 'Blip'? 'Wobble'? 'Throw the rattle out of the pram?' whatever it was is (fortunately) behind me and I'm back in the saddle once more. Yep, back recording again but 'bringing it all back home' (ie: no more commercial recording studios for me for the foreseeable future - that didn't work at all!) So yeah, first up back home in my box room project studio is what you could refer to as a 'warts'n'all, erm, 'epic' I guess! Think 'Bohemian Rhapsody' without the Rock/Opera aspects! Yep, I know what you're thinking: BR w/o those aspects doesn't leave very much else! My new comp sounds nothing like Bohemian Rhapsody - it's more 'the concept' of it. That said it does have about 10 vocal layers at one section! It's a song I've been puuting off for a while as I knew it would take a monumental effort to get the thing down but, with my renewed enthusiasm, I feel the time has come to tackle this, erm, 'big bastard of a song!'  I'd be very interested to hear folks thoughts & take on it when it's finally done'n'dusted - it's gonna be a complete bugger to mix that's for sure! PS: The song in question is called 'Sweet Baby Jane' by the way. Look out for it if you get a chance. I'll try to remember to post when it's done! CHEERS