All The Young Dudes and FREEDOM HAS ITS PRICE covers

N

NotThatBright

New member
Hello, friends.

These are a couple songs I did a month or two ago, some of the last I was able to do before I had to temporarily abandon my instruments and stop recording. While I used my DP-24 for the recording and mixing of these, I have the raw tracks on my computer, and I need something to do, so I'll screw around with these in Reaper based on suggestions and perhaps actually learn to use it effectively by the time I can start recording again.

This is a Templars song I covered called "Freedom Has Its Price". I got to use my tough guy voice for this one, which can only be harnessed after a night of proper drinking, and sounds way cool. Although the short drum intro should be simple even for someone like me, after 5 minutes of screwing up a 12-second part that isn't even hard, I just did the rest of the song, did the intro afterwards and tacked it on the front. The punchline is that I still didn't get the intro right, but hey, time is money.

https://soundcloud.com/user92696274096/freedom-has-its-price/s-JcnmR


And this is a cover of "All The Young Dudes" by Mott The Hoople which I did at the behest of a friend of mine. I used my sissy voice for this one, which is pretty much my regular voice when I'm not yelling. I had heard the song before when I was a kid many times due to the magic of FM classic rock radio, but never listened to the lyrics before and therefore never realized how homoerotic they were until I was reading them on my computer screen in the basement and belting them out into a microphone. While quite secure in my heterosexuality, I wasn't secure enough to leave in the line about "racing some cat to bed" and changed it to "chick". I also did palm mutes in the verses since I don't have an organ or whatever is being played in the original. And I screwed up some other stuff.

https://soundcloud.com/user92696274096/all-the-young-dudes/s-0tdm4


Any comments are appreciated. Thanks!

UPDATE- Here's the 2nd remix of FHIP (the 1st remix is in the thread, but I don't think it's as good as this one).

https://soundcloud.com/user92696274096/freedom-has-its-price3/s-bR7li
 
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You certainly slipped up on the phrasing and timing with ATYDudes but your heart wasn't in it if you had to edit the lyrics.
FHIPrice was pretty good. The Templars wouldn't be ashamed.
 
#1: I want to hear the vocal and the bass and the drums better. Easy. Turn down the guitars.

Dudes: Great guitars. Great vocal. BVs have intonation issues. You probably played the wrong chords - it sounds like a different song. This is you right down the line. You're so good at this stuff, so how you're not better? Hm?

Take some fucking pains.
 
rayc said:
You certainly slipped up on the phrasing and timing with ATYDudes but your heart wasn't in it if you had to edit the lyrics.
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Yeah, I did ATYD for one of my best friends who asked for it. I call him "little buddy", though he's not little... we constantly rip on each other and that's a nickname I came up with for him because it sounds disparaging and disrespectful. That nonsense at the end of the song was ad libbed because I got sick of singing and I played the drums too long. If I had taken 60 seconds and put some thought into it I could have come up with something funny to say, or maybe at least witty, but I wasn't really into it since I don't really care for the song and I wanted to go to bed. As far as the phrasing, I listened to the original once on youtube and just went with the lyrics on the screen from there. As far as the timing, well... it's me playing the drums.

I miss my little buddy. I should have been drinking with him today. Saturdays are not the same.
rayc said:
FHIPrice was pretty good. The Templars wouldn't be ashamed
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Thanks, though we must not assume we can measure another's level of shame. For all we know, they would be humiliated.

dobro said:
#1: I want to hear the vocal and the bass and the drums better. Easy. Turn down the guitars.
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Will do. I'll see how it sounds.

dobro said:
Dudes: Great guitars. Great vocal. BVs have intonation issues.
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Thanks. I used two BVs, I believe I have a chorus effect on one of them to make it sound different from the other, since I sang them the same. Maybe that's where the intonation issue is. I did play the wrong chords... I could tell from listening to the original that I couldn't duplicate whatever was going on there, so I simplified it and changed the bassline a little to go with what I did with the guitars. With no organ in the background, I think it sounded better this way.
dobro said:
This is you right down the line. You're so good at this stuff, so how you're not better? Hm?
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I can't tell if you're complimenting me or taunting me. A classic dobro comment! Good stuff.
dobro said:
Take some fucking pains.
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What the heck does that mean? And watch your language, for Christ's sake. There might be kids reading this.

Thanks for the comments, guys.
 
The reason I'm goading you to do better is cuz I like your stuff. Look, I don't know if you have it in you to take some pains with this stuff, but I know that if you do, it will start to really shine. I know that. I get that you're having fun and you love making the music, and that comes through. But if all it takes to get you to pay attention to important details (like chords and rhythm and intonation) is me going furphuxache have a care, then I'm good with that.
 
More bass, please! (or less guitars). Otherwise rockin as hell. Had you not said this was a cover, I'd have never known. Completely made it your own.
 
dobro said:
The reason I'm goading you to do better is cuz I like your stuff. Look, I don't know if you have it in you to take some pains with this stuff, but I know that if you do, it will start to really shine. I know that. I get that you're having fun and you love making the music, and that comes through. But if all it takes to get you to pay attention to important details (like chords and rhythm and intonation) is me going furphuxache have a care, then I'm good with that.
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I actually didn't know what "take some pains" meant... you know how dense we Americans generally are. I can tell from this subsequent comment that it means something along the lines of "put some effort into it and pay attention to detail". The goading is actually very kind of you. I believe that your intention is to help, and I always appreciate someone who knows much more than I do about a topic giving advice. I only bust the balls of people I like, so don't ever let that give you the wrong idea. I just started screwing with Freedom Has Its Price in Reaper and it will probably sound completely different by the time I'm done. I'm lowering the guitars and increasing the bass (if lowering the guitars alone doesn't bring out the bass enough), but I'm also screwing with the drum sounds. They sound a little thin and weak to me.

I don't know what furphuxache means. Why the hell are you making up... oh! Never mind, I get it. Maybe you're looking out for the kids, after all.

Bubba po said:
Hi, NTB - as usual, the guitars are FAR TOO LOUD!!
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Greetings, Bubba. You know, I don't get it... everybody loves guitars, but nobody wants to be deafened by them. Rather than ponder this paradox, I'll just lower them.

sammydix said:
More bass, please! (or less guitars). Otherwise rockin as hell. Had you not said this was a cover, I'd have never known. Completely made it your own.
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Thanks. The original actually sounds pretty raw itself because the Templars seem to record lo-fi (I assume they do it intentionally), whereas I go for as hi-fi as I can with the resources at my disposal. I didn't really "make anything my own" other than playing simpler guitar chords and using the toms too much in fills at the ends of lines. That's a bad habit I plan to eventually break.

Thanks, guys.
 
I listened to both tracks earlier today, but I'm listening to "All The Young Dudes" as I type this...

Guitars are a little loud, definitely lower 'em a little in the mix dude, it might help bring out the bass/drums...But I do like the guitar sounds man...

Vocals sound good man, I'd pan the backing vocals out a little wider myself, but if you do that, you may have to bring up their levels in the mix too...

Maybe some compression on the bass to even it out just a little, & a low-end boost???

Same thing on the kick as the bass, maybe just a little compression to even the hits out, & add just a little low end eq...Seems like it's got pretty good beater/"smack" sound to it, but I think it needs some bottom...

More power on the snare dude, while it doesn't sound bad, I think it'd sound better with some "crack" to it...maybe try some compression??? Drums sound a little dry (for me anyway), so you might wanna add a little reverb to 'em???

This actually does sound pretty good, but I think the previous comments are right, if you'd put a little more into it, it could be much, much better....Not bad as it is though...
 
NotThatBright said:
I actually didn't know what "take some pains" meant... you know how dense we Americans generally are. I can tell from this subsequent comment that it means something along the lines of "put some effort into it and pay attention to detail". The goading is actually very kind of you. I believe that your intention is to help, and I always appreciate someone who knows much more than I do about a topic giving advice. I only bust the balls of people I like, so don't ever let that give you the wrong idea. I just started screwing with Freedom Has Its Price in Reaper and it will probably sound completely different by the time I'm done. I'm lowering the guitars and increasing the bass (if lowering the guitars alone doesn't bring out the bass enough), but I'm also screwing with the drum sounds. They sound a little thin and weak to me.
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Sure, I like your approach to music. I wish you'd pay more attention to detail, cuz it'd really pay off. But I don't know if you can do that, pay attention to detail, and keep that thing alive that you got going in your music. I'd like to know the answer to that, though.
 
minerman said:
I listened to both tracks earlier today, but I'm listening to "All The Young Dudes" as I type this...

Guitars are a little loud, definitely lower 'em a little in the mix dude, it might help bring out the bass/drums...But I do like the guitar sounds man...

Vocals sound good man, I'd pan the backing vocals out a little wider myself, but if you do that, you may have to bring up their levels in the mix too...

Maybe some compression on the bass to even it out just a little, & a low-end boost???

Same thing on the kick as the bass, maybe just a little compression to even the hits out, & add just a little low end eq...Seems like it's got pretty good beater/"smack" sound to it, but I think it needs some bottom...

More power on the snare dude, while it doesn't sound bad, I think it'd sound better with some "crack" to it...maybe try some compression??? Drums sound a little dry (for me anyway), so you might wanna add a little reverb to 'em???

This actually does sound pretty good, but I think the previous comments are right, if you'd put a little more into it, it could be much, much better....Not bad as it is though...
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Thanks, man. Just did a remix of the other one (Freedom Has Its Price) and I think I pretty much did all this stuff to it. Not having much Reaper experience I think it may have come out a little muffled-sounding, but maybe the original wasn't muffled enough!

Dobro said:
Sure, I like your approach to music. I wish you'd pay more attention to detail, cuz it'd really pay off. But I don't know if you can do that, pay attention to detail, and keep that thing alive that you got going in your music. I'd like to know the answer to that, though.
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I've thought about that myself... the two may be mutually exclusive. In fact, for me, they almost definitely are. When I'm doing real-life work, I don't fuck around, I do a great job, but I don't enjoy it. Then I want to do something like this where I can be the careless fool I wish I could be all the time.
 
NotThatBright said:
Thanks, man. Just did a remix of the other one (Freedom Has Its Price) and I think I pretty much did all this stuff to it. Not having much Reaper experience I think it may have come out a little muffled-sounding, but maybe the original wasn't muffled enough!
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I was just suggesting things dude, I'm still learning too man...I'l give your re-mix a listen or two tomorrow...
 
minerman said:
I was just suggesting things dude, I'm still learning too man...I'l give your re-mix a listen or two tomorrow...
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I actually read your comments after I did the remix... the others had made suggestions along the same lines. But I do appreciate them. They were apparently pretty accurate comments!
 
I thought it was cool. I've heard the song a bunch, but not enough to know if you screwed it up lol. Pretty good :D
 
Listened to the re-mix, & there's not a lot of difference to me, other than the guitars in the mix dude....I think the 2nd mix is a little better though....

I'd personally like to hear some bottom end on the bass guitar to give the song a little more punch...it's not bad, just a personal preference thing...

The drums still sound just a little dry, but again, that's a personal preference too, I'm a big fan of reverb myself...:D.

Your vocals sound good man, they really suit the song well!!!!
 
Hi Brighty. Here I am again with a more constructive variety of feedback :D

All the Young Dudes: Yeah, feedback - I would've liked to hear some on this. You've played so fast and loose with the timing, phrasing and actual CHORDS on this, that some anarchic feedback would've just put the cherry on top! :D The guitar tones are nice and rich and solid-sounding - I like them a lot. Likewise the backing vocals are sweet, but your indifference to major and minor chord voicings is letting them down a bit. :D

Freedom Has its Price: I don't know this song but I like the bare bones way you've recorded and mixed this. I was beginning to think, halfway through, that it was a bit lacking in stuff like backing vocals, but it struck me almost immediately after that this would be detrimental to the song. The lyrics are very individualistic and it makes sense to have it as a one-man rant rather than have other voices sticking their oar in. Pretty good, although I liked the guitar tones on Dudes a bit better. :)
 
Interesting take on ATYD, agreed with others regarding BG vocals on the choruses, they don't fit the chords which are not the same as the original - which uses a descending bass pattern (hold the original chord).
 
The drums of "Freedom" are pretty punchy but I think they are too dry.
Your bass is great.
Guitars could be more powerful or just louder.

I like the drums in "All the Young Dudes" a lot better. Still punchy but not as dry and fit in more with the rest of the song.
I don't know the original. Keep the backing vocals, I like it.

lol@the ending



Your vocals are great in both tunes
 
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