DavidK Helps A Moron (again)

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DavidK said:
Needs more Cowbell:mad:

Yeah...I'm thinking eighth note hits through the entire song would be good. :D

So where the hell is Harris???

I want a damn report dammit all.... :mad:

And I want streaming audio too...:mad:

;) :D

(but seriously, even a lo-fi copy of the interview would be pretty cool some day)
 
Jagular said:
So where the hell is Harris???

I want a damn report dammit all.... :mad:

And I want streaming audio too...:mad:
Hey Jag: Here's what I just posted in the Cave:

scottboyher said:
Well Chris?
LOL...I'm actually touched. I had the NPR interview today, and it went pretty well, I think. It was taped...well, actually, only my part was recorded...the brilliant questions are apparently recorded later...Man, I could TOTALLY fuck somebody up with a process like that. For example

REAL QUESTION:
Interviewer: How long have you been writing songs?

Chris: I started, with really bad, rough ones, when I was in High School.


AIRED QUESTION
Interviewer: How long have you been a pole smoking homosexual?

Chris: I started, with really bad, rough ones, when I was in High School.


I guess we'll see. I got an email tonight letting me know that the interview is gonna' air "regionally" on Thurs or Friday, but I didn't get a time...However, they did say that they will post the interview and the song on the NPR website...so I'll let you know if you're bored enough to listen to it...LOL

thanks for asking,
chris
 
Very nice arrangment. Definantly a pro job. Reminds me of the Beatles, "Shes leaving home" Man, hell of a collab.
Myx
 
Originally posted by chrisharris Interviewer: How long have you been a pole smoking homosexual?

Chris: I started, with really bad, rough ones, when I was in High School.



thanks for asking,
chris [/B]

:D :D :D :D :D lmao:D
 
chrisharris said:
Hey Jag: Here's what I just posted in the Cave:


I guess we'll see. I got an email tonight letting me know that the interview is gonna' air "regionally" on Thurs or Friday, but I didn't get a time...However, they did say that they will post the interview and the song on the NPR website...so I'll let you know if you're bored enough to listen to it...LOL

thanks for asking,
chris

Let us know when it's posted to the website. I would love to hear it :D
 
Chris, I listened to December, you should be proud! I think it sounds awsome. I really really like the strings and how they sound with the acoustic. What kind of acoutic guitar is that? You also have a very cool voice. You have very mature songwritting style. This song is something I am going to burn and put on one of my mix CDs. Thanks for posting it.

Rich
www.richbischoff.com
 
Well gee...now I feel like I FORCED you to listen, lol...but the comments are totally appreciated, because I like your recordings a lot.

I used 3 acoustics. The one carrying the lion's share of the rhythm is a Martin D-42AR (Amazon Rosewood). It's not very environmentally conscious of me, but it was a recent gift, and I love rosewood. There's a really subtle "thin" guitar that's mostly there for picknoise...that's my road-weary Takamine...I have no idea what model, but it's about as beat up as I am. For the little guitar fills, I used my Larrivee (another rosewood git). Did I mention that I like rosewood? Anyway, thanks a lot for listening.
 
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MMMMMMmmm Martin
no wonder your gits sound good.

What do the stickers do for the sound of the Takamine ? :)
Perhaps you should try them on the Martin too ? :eek:

Hey I got one of those Lexicon stickers too !
 
Hey Chris,
December just shines. It's a really excellent piece. The amount of work you put in on this one is evident. I didn't think the violins were too busy at all. But man, what a sad song! After the 5th play, I was thoroughly depressed. Now I know what you mean about writing happy songs. I think the lyrics would have gone well in a more up-tempo piece. You know, cartoons and all....but a really great song anyway.


Twist
 
twist said:
HBut man, what a sad song! After the 5th play, I was thoroughly depressed. Now I know what you mean about writing happy songs. I think the lyrics would have gone well in a more up-tempo piece. You know, cartoons and all....but a really great song anyway.

SSSSShhhhh ! Don't push that button or you'll really regret it ...LOL Been there done that ;)

Want a happy tune ? I got loads :D
 
Okay, I haven't read the other comments.

1 This one gives Crawdad's middle age blues song a run for its money - ace writing, ace singing and playing, ace sound. You could do a lot worse than having David bowing behind you too. :D

2 Cut the vocal 1 dB.

3 This is the best sound I've heard on David's violin in this clinic so far, but it still needs work. I want to hear David's violin like it's at the singer's elbow, damn it. I'll do it myself, if I have to. LOL David belongs at the singer's elbow. There should be a good bass player at the other elbow. That or Shania Twain on backup vocals. Put her in her place. Hey Shania - stop looking so damn pretty and just sing!

4 Ace writing. Did I mention that?

This is a really, really good song.

Maybe you and Crawdad should organize a homerecording.com shadow compilation CD - nostalgia for one's younger years.

Good work, Chris. This deserves to be heard by lots of people.

'The radios up and the windows rolled down'

This one's gonna sound good years from now. (You'll have a good reason to feel nostalgic then LOL).
 
Good tune Chris. Country is not really my thang, but I can relate to the lyrics and the performance is good all-around. Very heartfelt.:)

And that pic above, LOL! Is that duct tape holding the top together on your Tak? :D All those stickers reminds me of my old singer's Yammie.

What the hell, plywood doesn't resonate much anyway, and you can always pick up that beautiful Martin if your serious.:eek:

:D
 
Dobro--hey I tellya, this Harris guy is a writing fool! I agree--this is a great song. Its long, but it never loses the focus. He's pulled off something very difficult to do in song here. It goes through time and generations yet retains a common thread.

As a matter fo fact, Chris is getting so damn good, I'm really starting to hate the guy. He's raising the bar so high that ol' coots like me have to try and slip under it when nobody is looking! Plus, he wanted my guitar, when he had an $8000 Martin all along! And--get this--music is his HOBBY! Oh, he's really starting to chap my ass, I tellya! Now he's on NPR, while I'm sitting here hoping some old folks home will call me for a gig!

Hell, if I had a better memory, I'd be jealous....what were we talking about anyway? Oh, Chris Harris--hey--he's alright with me! Did I ever mention that this guy is a songwriting maniac? He's got this song called "Ol' Yeller" thats a freakin' masterpiece....:D
 
"Its long, but it never loses the focus."

Exactly. Long, but stays interesting all the way through. Sure, he's got good sound and good performance skills, but it's the song that carries the enterprise along.
 
Not my type of song really. Still, I like the mix and the vocals and the performance of it all. Backing vocals are done nicely and all the instruments seem to sit in well. The acoustic guitars could be a bit more warm. I hear more of the "string striking sound" than the actual notes during the more busy parts... I just noticed there's no drums. I guess I don't miss the drums since the song is so emotional and I guess they could detract from the whole thing. Your vocal delivery is very convincing and warm.
 
Congratulations on the airplay!

I'm late to the party, but here's some thoughts anyway.

This is one of my favourite songs of yours, and I've listened to the original so often that I know the vocal performance inside out.

You know how if the first version of a song you get to know is a live recording, then the album version can sound "wrong" when you finally hear it? Except that I don't think this sounds wrong, I think it sounds great.

Your vocal sound is so much better than your earlier stuff. Your performance is very good, as usual. But the sound is so much clearer, and so much more "intimate" than before. Great effort.

"Unglued" doesn't sound quite right - you seem to lose conviction as the note ends. Mind you, that line is probably my favourite bit in the first version - heart-breaking.

"Picking out her own tunes" is much better this time around, and very nicely sung. It's pitched very low, but you've kept the melody precise and clear.

The guitars sound great too, and I like your choices in arrangement. I particularly like the intro break, and the fill at 4:03.

I agree with someone else, though, that sometimes there's a bit too much string noise. I have the same problem, so I'm afraid I can't help you fix it!

I think the track might be a tiny bit too slow. It's not a major thing, but maybe a couple of bpm faster would suit better?

I love the subtle percussion. But a little cowbell couldn't hurt.

There's some nice playing in the strings. I think you should choose one string track and really bring it forward and centre. Keep the other tracks just as they are - quiet, pushed back, there but not up front. But bring one violin up with the vocal - I think you're missing an opportunity to feature another "voice" in the song; it's there, it just needs bringing forward into the spotlight!

Also, you could try some crescendos into the choruses - that might sound cool.

I like the backing vocals, and the doubled lines and chorus BVs are perfect as is. The oohs and aahs, though, are too hard-panned. (But nicely sung) I'd either bring them in a bit, or double each voice and hard-pan.

Basically, it's a very well-written song, much better recorded and arranged, with a very strong vocal performance and more interesting instrumentation. Your original vocal was so full of character that every detail has stuck in my head, but even so, I think this version is better. Much better.

Will you still talk to us amateurs when you're rich and famous?

(Actually, given your guitar collection you're clearly rich already. :) )

Cheers

AB
 
Hey guys: I've been busy doing stuff...and stuff. It was a ton of fun reading these comments.

dres - The stickers are actually structural. I don't dare take them off.

myx62 - That's a cool Beatles song...3/4 time signature, cello...I probably subliminally stole it, LOL. I appreciate the listen.

twist - I know...even my "happy" songs come out kinda' somber, but I've written a bunch of stuff lately that I hope will break the trend, LOL.

crawdaddy-O - I'd gladly take your acoustic off your hands. I just love acoustics. (he considers posting another pic). That particular guitar was a gift, and yes, it may list for 8 grand, but you know nobody pays list for something like that. Anyway, when I say "gift," I mean that a guy basically owed me for some work, and that guitar was payment. I'm frankly afraid that it may be stolen, lol. Thanks for the niceties in your other post. You give me hope, LOL, and that's a valuable thing.

dobro - I appreciate the writing comments a lot. I pulled the vocal down exactly 1db, lol. Basically, I just wanted to say thanks for everything you said.

M. Brane - Actually, it's electrical tape, and yes, it's structural, lol. That guitar has been through SOOOOooo much...like getting knocked over about 150 times by drunks in bars (and my kids..although they're mostly sober), being left in my car's trunk (in August...in Texas...for days)...but it just keeps on working. It's the only guitar I've played live with for the past decade, and it's like family...lol. Thanks for listening.

CrankyOne - Cool of you to listen...I agree on the string noise; most of my bad sounds are accidents, but this one was intentional...I threw a really thin guitar in JUST for pick noise...because of the lack of percussion, I thought that maybe some transients would give the mix more momentum and high end...guess I overdid it. Anyway, thanks a lot for the comments.

alibish - That was a HUGE compliment about "knowing" the first version of this song...really, that's what I guess we all *hope* for - some repeated spins. On the tempo, I've always wanted to speed this up a bit, but the way this happened made it impossible. DavidK and his cellist friend (Heidi Albert) played the strings FOR and TO the old version. When I heard the cello, I liked it so much that I just couldn't put that beautiful piece back into that earlier recording, so I retracted around the strings...in short (too late for that) the tempo was set by the strings. Of course, I'm actually supposed to get some more violin tracks from David soon...the guy's never happy, lol. String Noise - I thought I was making a savvy production choice on that one (read reply to CrankyOne), but I'm gonna' pull that stuff down when I get the new violin tracks. Man, you always give such detailed comments, I really appreciate it. I'm rich all right...great wife, children that I treasure, some cool friends, and this place for recreation...what more could a guy ask for? (and I'm not wealthy...guitars are really the only thing I spend my disposable income on...I should spend some on recording gear, but that stuff's just so cold and impersonal, lol...plus, then what would I blame my recording shortcomings on? I'm gonna' post a pic of some of my babies in a few. Thanks for the detailed comments.

Bye guys...hope to unbury myself soon.
 
Hey guys: I've been busy doing stuff...and stuff. It was a ton of fun reading these comments.

dres - The stickers are actually structural. I don't dare take them off.

myx62 - That's a cool Beatles song...3/4 time signature, cello...I probably subliminally stole it, LOL. I appreciate the listen.

twist - I know...even my "happy" songs come out kinda' somber, but I've written a bunch of stuff lately that I hope will break the trend, LOL.

crawdaddy-O - I'd gladly take your acoustic off your hands. I just love acoustics. (he considers posting another pic). That particular guitar was a gift, and yes, it may list for 8 grand, but you know nobody pays list for something like that. Anyway, when I say "gift," I mean that a guy basically owed me for some work, and that guitar was payment. I'm frankly afraid that it may be stolen, lol. Thanks for the niceties in your other post. You give me hope, LOL, and that's a valuable thing.

dobro - I appreciate the writing comments a lot. I pulled the vocal down exactly 1db, lol. Basically, I just wanted to say thanks for everything you said.

M. Brane - Actually, it's electrical tape, and yes, it's structural, lol. That guitar has been through SOOOOooo much...like getting knocked over about 150 times by drunks in bars (and my kids..although they're mostly sober), being left in my car's trunk (in August...in Texas...for days)...but it just keeps on working. It's the only guitar I've played live with for the past decade, and it's like family...lol. Thanks for listening.

CrankyOne - Cool of you to listen...I agree on the string noise; most of my bad sounds are accidents, but this one was intentional...I threw a really thin guitar in JUST for pick noise...because of the lack of percussion, I thought that maybe some transients would give the mix more momentum and high end...guess I overdid it. Anyway, thanks a lot for the comments.

alibish - That was a HUGE compliment about "knowing" the first version of this song...really, that's what I guess we all *hope* for - some repeated spins. On the tempo, I've always wanted to speed this up a bit, but the way this happened made it impossible. DavidK and his cellist friend (Heidi Albert) played the strings FOR and TO the old version. When I heard the cello, I liked it so much that I just couldn't put that beautiful piece back into that earlier recording, so I retracted around the strings...in short (too late for that) the tempo was set by the strings. Of course, I'm actually supposed to get some more violin tracks from David soon...the guy's never happy, lol. String Noise - I thought I was making a savvy production choice on that one (read reply to CrankyOne), but I'm gonna' pull that stuff down when I get the new violin tracks. Man, you always give such detailed comments, I really appreciate it. I'm rich all right...great wife, children that I treasure, some cool friends, and this place for recreation...what more could a guy ask for? (and I'm not wealthy...guitars are really the only thing I spend my disposable income on...I should spend some on recording gear, but that stuff's just so cold and impersonal, lol...plus, then what would I blame my recording shortcomings on? I'm gonna' post a pic of some of my babies in a few.
Thanks for the detailed comments.

Bye guys...hope to unbury myself soon.
 
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