Judy is a Punk! - Classic Ramones cover just for fun

[Greg_L]

Can barely remember the original. You know my first sound gig was with a punk band in CT. We even played Ron's Place in New Haven a few times which was kind of a punk mecca at the time. Judy is a Punk was one of my favorites. That and Sub-mission.

I think it's cool you did a mix for nostalgia's sake, but this would sound really awesome with a contemporary mix. I am one who is glad we moved beyond the basic 4 track mixes to stuff that is more symmetrical across the stereo field. Yeah, I listened on headphones. lol

I love that you put the vocal inflection on "ice capades". That little part always stood out to me and you covered that tiny little detail. Awesome.

No other comments on the mix or tonal balance or anything. You got it nailed. Thanks for the trip back in time.

Thanks a lot Chili. Yeah mixes like this are not too good in headphones. This kind of mix was already way out of style even back in 1976. As a kid I had no idea the first album was done like this. Listening through speakers in my bedroom it sounded fine. In the car it sounds fine. I never listened to anything through headphones. In fact, the way I learned that this mix was just one bass and guitar hard panned was in my GTO. That car has an 8-track player in it (not original) and I had to use a cassette adapter for tapes. That adapter threw the balance way to one side. If I listened to this album on tape in that car, I got little to no guitar channel. I had to tweak the balance back the other way and crank it to hear both sides. Goofy.

Anyway, I'm still gonna redo the guitar and add the claps, so when redoing the guitar I'll do a second track for a more modern style mix and see how it goes.

 

[rayc]

I was listening to Leaonard Cohen's 2nd album last night. the 1st time I'd actually listened to it with headphones and most tracks on it have electric bass on one side. That was very late 60's but has similarly simple arrangements and works brilliantly in a room but less so with h/phones.
I look forward to the 2 guitar mix but, to be honest, apart from adding the claps anything else is likely to be redundant or superfluous.

 

[DM60]

On mix 2, not much I can say about this except a very good overall performance. You do get a great recording and mix.

Good stuff.

 

[Greg_L]

I was listening to Leaonard Cohen's 2nd album last night. the 1st time I'd actually listened to it with headphones and most tracks on it have electric bass on one side. That was very late 60's but has similarly simple arrangements and works brilliantly in a room but less so with h/phones.
I look forward to the 2 guitar mix but, to be honest, apart from adding the claps anything else is likely to be redundant or superfluous.

Right, I agree. It's not like I could do anything to ever make this song better, and no mix I could do will ever touch the raw energy and time/place of the original - no matter how close I try to get to it, which is futile in and of itself. Why bother? That whole first Ramones album is perfection in my book. Adding a second guitar to the mix is simple enough to experiment with though just to see how it sounds as a more contemporary mix.

On mix 2, not much I can say about this except a very good overall performance. You do get a great recording and mix.

Good stuff.

Cool man, thank you.

 

[Mr Clean]

*Listening to mix2.

This kind of mix means nothing to me on headphones with only having one working ear but I listen to a lot of old records that are mixed like this and I usually flip them to mono so I can hear it all. (Especially in headphones)

This works as perfectly as any old mix of the 60's/70's. Sounds great

 

[Lt. Bob]

listening to new mix ....... sounds freakin' great!
VERY clean and clear recording for one thing ....... doing that downstroke thing you do better than anyone ........ dude ...... that's a great recording of that style music.
it's easy for that to get muddy but no, everything is clear as a bell.
Nice.

 

[Greg_L]

*Listening to mix2.

This kind of mix means nothing to me on headphones with only having one working ear but I listen to a lot of old records that are mixed like this and I usually flip them to mono so I can hear it all. (Especially in headphones)

This works as perfectly as any old mix of the 60's/70's. Sounds great

Haha great, thanks. Checking it in mono is one thing I never even thought of. Doh! That's a good idea for a mix like this and it's probably how they did it for the original to get it balanced so well. In a roundabout way I "mono" checked it by backing way away from the monitors and listening from far away. Flipping it to mono would have made more sense.

listening to new mic ....... sounds freakin' great!
VERY clean and clear recording for one thing ....... doing that downstroke thing you do better than anyone ........ dude ...... that's a great recording of that style music.
it's easy for that to get muddy but no, everything is clear as a bell.
Nice.

Awesome, thanks Lt!


Gonna start tracking guitars again right now to see if I can get a little smoother sound and add a second rhythm guitar for a modern style mix.

 

[polarity]

Awesome cover. I'm listening on headphones at work so the balance sounds funny there but as always all the instruments and vocals sound crisp and clear. Good stuff

 

[Greg_L]

Awesome cover. I'm listening on headphones at work so the balance sounds funny there but as always all the instruments and vocals sound crisp and clear. Good stuff

Cool thanks dude.


Okay, one more mix up top in post #1. Redid the lone guitar track, I think it's maybe better? Closer to the original? And added the glorious little handclap sections.

And......also a "modern style" mix. Used mix #2 and mix #3 guitar tracks, panned em wide, centered bass, tamed vocal doubling a little, jacked up the drums.

 

[Chili]

The modern mix is a keeper. Sweet.

 

[fat_fleet]

Cool. I listened to mix 3 and the modern mix and I liked em both pretty good. You really do sound a lot like Joey. Was never a big Ramones fan myself. I had Leave Home when I was 12 and mostly played California Sun and Commando over and over,..that was pretty much close as I ever came. I could never get over the sameyness of it all.

I read something awhile back where Joey's record collection was up for auction and all the titles were listed... It was like 100 records, and the vast majority were pretty disappointing...like Pat Boone, Neil Sedaka, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Cat Stevens. I remember thinking how counterintuitive that the godfather of punk's record collection was so lame...and I felt a little embarrassed for him. He probably had this dusty stack of records he never played languishing in the corner of his apartment, then he dies and it's displayed for every music snob in the world to see and judge. Guess that's the price of fame.

 

[rayc]

The Modern Mix sounds great - sounds like you doing one of your songs - that's a compliment!!!
Extra guitar track on original mix - feels a little lopsided but taht's to be expected. the claps stand up well.
How about adding Slade style footstomps too? Kidding!

 

[Greg_L]

The modern mix is a keeper. Sweet.

Cool thanks Chili.

Cool. I listened to mix 3 and the modern mix and I liked em both pretty good. You really do sound a lot like Joey. Was never a big Ramones fan myself. I had Leave Home when I was 12 and mostly played California Sun and Commando over and over,..that was pretty much close as I ever came. I could never get over the sameyness of it all.

Thanks man. I really don't try to sound like Joey. I guess it just maybe happens when singing one of their songs. Leave Home is probably my personal favorite of their albums. That one and the next one, Rocket To Russia, are the most classic quintessential Ramones records.

I read something awhile back where Joey's record collection was up for auction and all the titles were listed... It was like 100 records, and the vast majority were pretty disappointing...like Pat Boone, Neil Sedaka, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Cat Stevens. I remember thinking how counterintuitive that the godfather of punk's record collection was so lame...and I felt a little embarrassed for him. He probably had this dusty stack of records he never played languishing in the corner of his apartment, then he dies and it's displayed for every music snob in the world to see and judge. Guess that's the price of fame.

That wouldn't surprise me. Joey seemed to like a little bit of everything. Except for Johnny, who didn't like much of anything, none of them were the punk rock snobs that their music and reputation might lead one to believe. Hell, even Dee Dee tried to make a solo rap record later on, and the results were fucking hilarious. They didn't set out to be "godfathers of punk". They just wanted to play rock and roll the way they thought it should be done. They weren't an accident, they were deliberate, but none of them had any idea that what they were doing would become a major landmark on the timeline of rock and roll.

The Modern Mix sounds great - sounds like you doing one of your songs - that's a compliment!!!
Extra guitar track on original mix - feels a little lopsided but taht's to be expected. the claps stand up well.
How about adding Slade style footstomps too? Kidding!

Haha, thanks Ray. Foot-stomps are hard to record. You ever try it? I've done it a couple times. It takes a lot of tracks to make it sound right.

 

[DM60]

That wouldn't surprise me. Joey seemed to like a little bit of everything. Except for Johnny, who didn't like much of anything, none of them were the punk rock snobs that their music and reputation might lead one to believe. Hell, even Dee Dee tried to make a solo rap record later on, and the results were fucking hilarious. They didn't set out to be "godfathers of punk". They just wanted to play rock and roll the way they thought it should be done. They weren't an accident, they were deliberate, but none of them had any idea that what they were doing would become a major landmark on the timeline of rock and roll.

I think this is true for most artists that go beyond just making music. All they are trying to do is make music the way they think it should be done. This purity is also what makes them who they are.

 

[polarity]

The modern mix sounds awesome on my work headphones. I think you are right though, the other mixes would probably sound better in a room cranked. For headphone listening though this is the way to go.

I've never listened to the Ramones so I can't comment on yours vs theirs but I did enjoy the addition of the claps in this version (and is that humming or a kazoo or whatever it is) no matter what it is it sounds cool. I love how clearly I can hear each instrument.

Great job

 

[TripleM]

The difference in the guitar between mixes #1/2 and #3 are fairly minimal to my ear. I like them both, and don't really have a preference.

I like the "modern mix" the best. I know it's not Ramones-y. I guess I just like fuller guitars.

They all sound to tho.

 

[Greg_L]

The modern mix sounds awesome on my work headphones. I think you are right though, the other mixes would probably sound better in a room cranked. For headphone listening though this is the way to go.

I've never listened to the Ramones so I can't comment on yours vs theirs but I did enjoy the addition of the claps in this version (and is that humming or a kazoo or whatever it is) no matter what it is it sounds cool. I love how clearly I can hear each instrument.

Great job

Cool dude, thanks. There's no kazoo though. Lol. I don't know what you're hearing that sounds like that. If you've never listened to them, give em a spin. Any one of their first three or four albums will have you in good shape. They're not everyone's cup of tea, but those people are retarded.

The difference in the guitar between mixes #1/2 and #3 are fairly minimal to my ear. I like them both, and don't really have a preference.

I like the "modern mix" the best. I know it's not Ramones-y. I guess I just like fuller guitars.

They all sound to tho.

Awesome, thanks.

The only difference between mix #1 and #2 is fuller bass gtr on mix #2. Same guitar track.
Mix #3 has the same bass as mix #2, same guitar/amp settings, but re-tracked guitar with different mic placement.
"Modern mix" has mix #2 bass centered, mix #2 guitar panned left, mix #3 guitar panned right, and more drum levels and massaging.

Got all that?

 

[polarity]

The part I'm talking about is at like 48 seconds. It's probably you just going "oooo oo oo ooo" but with it cranked loud on my crappy headphones at work it sounds like a kazoo.. Which I think is epic.. In fact you should re-record that part with a kazoo.. I'm telling you man, it would be solid gold!

 

[Greg_L]

The part I'm talking about is at like 48 seconds. It's probably you just going "oooo oo oo ooo" but with it cranked loud on my crappy headphones at work it sounds like a kazoo.. Which I think is epic.. In fact you should re-record that part with a kazoo.. I'm telling you man, it would be solid gold!

Haha, just checked it. That's the confluence of sizzling open hi-hats and oh yeeaaaaaaahhhhhhhs.

 

[polarity]

kazoo man.. just do it..