Outside inspiration or isolation?

[Greg_L]

My songs hit me like a lightning bolt. They're usually so detailed and complete in my head that getting them down to tape is like doing a cover song. Lyrics sometimes give me a little trouble, but I think lyrics are generally stupid and mean nothing to me so I don't put much effort or stress into them. If they're good, then great, if not, the rest of the song will be good enough to carry it. Arrangements and tones and where to put what comes pretty naturally. Not that my stuff is groundbreaking or anything, but no one plays Greg music better than me.

As far as inspiration....I guess I have some like most everyone else. I sometimes steal/borrow little ideas and tidbits from stuff I like and change it up a little. One guy told me one time that he can hear my influences in my songs. Surf, rockabilly, punk...it's all there in various degrees in most of my stuff. I don't directly rip anyone's sound or style off intentionally, but if my stuff might sometimes sound like the Ramones or Motorhead, that's not entirely by accident. I'd rather just rock the fuck out than try to be something I'm not. I just roll with whatever naturally comes out of my head and hands. If I have to think about it or force it, it gets scrapped. I've got about ten albums worth of songs that never got finished because they haven't finished themselves yet.

 

[71D]

what i do is listen to my favorite artist and pick up their vibe and try to match that vibe and incorporate it in my music

 

[grimtraveller]

what i do is listen to my favorite artist and pick up their vibe and try to match that vibe and incorporate it in my music

I can sort of do that in my head but it never translates to the actual sound. If I ever do that, it comes out in such an idiosyncratic way that even I can't tell after a while what I may have been trying to incorporate. We get so many threads here that start "How do I sound like ........?" or "How do I get this sound ?" and I just skim over them. I stopped looking at them a long time ago. I couldn't replicate someone's vibe if you attached explosives to my hardware.

I figure if I don't remember it, it wasn't all that good in the first place.

I remember years ago reading a Paul McCartney interview in which he said that. I didn't agree with him then and I don't now. I'm awful at remembering things like melodies or instrument lines. For every 2000 things that comes to me, I might remember 2 without the aid of my dictaphone or some recording device. Some of the things I've hummed, I've caught up with them years later when I'm getting set to record the song and indeed, some of them were not worth the memory cells it would've taken to recall them ! But many of them I just loved and was so glad I recorded them ! I would never have remembered them. I barely remember them when I'm trying to work them into the song.

but I think lyrics are generally stupid and mean nothing to me so I don't put much effort or stress into them. If they're good, then great, if not, the rest of the song will be good enough to carry it.

I do enjoy lyrics. But the presence of a lyric I think is good is nowhere close to being a factor in whether or not I like a song. It's like a bass drum pattern or solo or backing vocal. The "song" has to be good enough to carry it's own awesomeness, independent of any individual element within it. I was listening to "Medicine woman" by Middle of the road yesterday. I love that song in every way. Except the lyric. Great bass, chunky drums, neat vocals, nice backing vocals, wicked mellotron, superb arrangement, nice and short, doesn't outstay it's welcome, lovely melody etc. But whoever wrote the lyrics either needs or should be thoroughly . They are beyond horrifically bad. When my son was 8 and he first heard it, he just said "What ? What was that song about ?".

If I have to think about it or force it, it gets scrapped. I've got about ten albums worth of songs that never got finished because they haven't finished themselves yet.

I sometimes force the songs. I hate to waste the bits. Even if I don't like the song, I'm almost compelled to get it out. It's like a fart to me. It's just got to come out. What's been surprizing is that some of those forced ones actually ended up being ones that I really liked. But you know me, I suspect songwriting is overrated. But performance is what really makes a song worth it.

 

[Greg_L]

I do enjoy lyrics. But the presence of a lyric I think is good is nowhere close to being a factor in whether or not I like a song. It's like a bass drum pattern or solo or backing vocal. The "song" has to be good enough to carry it's own awesomeness, independent of any individual element within it. I was listening to "Medicine woman" by Middle of the road yesterday. I love that song in every way. Except the lyric. Great bass, chunky drums, neat vocals, nice backing vocals, wicked mellotron, superb arrangement, nice and short, doesn't outstay it's welcome, lovely melody etc. But whoever wrote the lyrics either needs or should be thoroughly . They are beyond horrifically bad. When my son was 8 and he first heard it, he just said "What ? What was that song about ?".

Yeah. Vocals are important to me in the sense that the vocal performance has to be good and fit the song. Vocals are not unlike a guitar track or drum take to me. The lyrics don't mean shit, but the delivery and performance of the vocals has to be good.

I sometimes force the songs. I hate to waste the bits. Even if I don't like the song, I'm almost compelled to get it out. It's like a fart to me. It's just got to come out. What's been surprizing is that some of those forced ones actually ended up being ones that I really liked. But you know me, I suspect songwriting is overrated. But performance is what really makes a song worth it.

My best songs, in my own opinion, are the ones that just fall out of my head with no effort whatsoever. If I find myself forcing it to come up with any part of a song, it gets scrapped until later, or forever.

 

[jayfree]

Both, but more of just random inspiration. Most of what I ever came up with on my own I either was playing around and came across it, or was in the shower or mowing the lawn or something and the melody or parts of it just come to me and I think it out in my head. That being said, there is style inspiration from whatever you're listening to/into at the time, and I am probably more likely to have "inspiration" moments when I'm inspired/thinking about when I was inspired by someone else. If any of that makes sense.