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Originally posted by TD:
Other than that, I too am sick of jagoffs trying to relive their glory days now in their studios with therir drum machines and MIDI sequences. Get friends, get a band, and make some music that other people can enjoy too!

That's just fucking the most ignorant thing I've ever heard...Live and let live...You don't like what other people are doing in their own homes with the music they create, tough shit...

Whew! I gotta agree with Sparky and say that's a pretty indefensible position because:

1)Why should anyone care
2)Some great music gets done this way
3)Some not-so-great music gets done this way too, but it's still a creative and ultimately positive endeavor. There are a lot of home...musicians, painters, writers, photographers, sculptors etc. all doing what pleases them. Ignore what displeases you so much, they will probably do the same for you.
4)I'm one of those "jagoffs" and, although I have also started to play in a band again also, writing and recording music at home at my own pace all by myself is nothing but a good thing.

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Get friends, get a band, and make some music that other people can enjoy too!

5)Some godawful music gets done everyday in this manner. While collaborating is a great way to bring in new influences, styles and strengths...it can also be the best way to freaking ruin a good song. This artistic bullshit that says good music can't happen at home with a drum machine points to no other truth than the lack of insight of the person who's putting it out there. I'll take good music whether it's done on a "soulless computer/drum machine" or a washboard over "organic/human" garbage anyday.

-john

JOhn's post made me remember another reason I quit playing with other people as much. Not just every Tom, Dick and Harry out there can cut it.
I certainly don't mean to sound like a snob, because I'm really just an average picker. I know that. The problem is there are a lot of BELOW average pickers out there who can't hear it. I've played shows, jammed, worked on material, etc with a bunch of them. It takes it's toll on your playing. Thanks, but no thanks to that. I prefer to be the worst player in the group, or at least play with people who can keep a groove. Otherwise, I'll sit home and jagoff.

I know what you mean. I am the weak link in the band I play with every Friday night as a musician, but I can groove with a click track and the rest of those guys just can't do it.

Yes, the vocals are all mine, but I never could have gotten this loosey goosey vibe without a band playing the backing tracks.


http://www.speedyshare.com/781539601.html



Or could I....?

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I know what you mean. I am the weak link in the band I play with every Friday night as a musician, but I can groove with a click track and the rest of those guys just can't do it.

I know what you mean. I'm all for being able to play to a metronome, but one of my favorite banjo players couldn't do it. There was nothing wrong with his timing, but there's no musical or rhythmical feeling in a click.

I completely understand the role of a click in today's world of music production. But at the same time, I think it's the asbestos of modern music-making, something that seemed like a great idea but has serious long term implications.

There are young people who have probably heard fewer than 5 hours worth of music in their lives that wasn't produced by musicians playing to mathematically perfect metronomic rhythms. It even happens in live concerts, and of course, 99.999% of all soundtracks, radio ads, pop songs, muzak and everything else is created the same way. All imperfections are caught and edited before anyone besides the engineer ever gets to hear them.

It's very possible that if they were ever exposed to a great band that breathed and found their own human groove together, it would sound 'wrong' or 'sloppy' to them. This is a shame, imo.

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It's very possible that if they were ever exposed to a great band that breathed and found their own human groove together, it would sound 'wrong' or 'sloppy' to them. This is a shame, imo.

Earl Scruggs said that he and his brother, Junie, used to play banjo and guitar as a couple of barefoot kids. They worked on their timing by walking around the house in opposite directions playing. When they met on the other side and were still together, they figured they had it down. Who knows if they tended to speed up and slow down in the same places, but I always loved that story. The thing is, Earl has a different "lick" on the banjo. To me he almost sounds like he is rushing, but he's not. Other players (myself included) may sound like they are kind of lazy or mechanical in comparison...like they grew up playing to a click or something. There are lots of things the man has lost at 84 years old, but that unique sense of timing is not one of them.

I agree Jazzooo. Expression can be lost with such an uptight click track. But, I think when people listen to a recording they pickup the imperfections much more than they do live.

When you listen live you are using more than one of your senses, which make the live music an experience.

I do have to comment on the original post though. I see nothing wrong with creating music in a vacuum and working alone. I am a singer/writer/soloist so it is my preferred method of creativity. And if I could have done it all this way 20 years ago, I would have. I would argue that so would many others.

Yes, it is great to play in bands and enjoy that experience too. But to slam the soloist who wants to rely only on his own work is a bit narrow minded. Kinda like telling Picasso he should let one of his art buddies mix his colors to add a little more variety to the painting...or that it will somehow be more complete. But, then again, to each his own. Dot has the freedom not to read the posts or listen to the bedroom crapper tracks. Just don't tell that to the guy who mastered the Matrix sound track in his basement studio.

"I agree Jazzooo. Expression can be lost with such an uptight click track. But, I think when people listen to a recording they pickup the imperfections much more than they do live."

Hi, Synetos. I agree with you, but I think it's merely a symptom of the fact that they have been brainwashed into believing that mathematically perfect is 'correct.' The Beatles, The Stones, Hermans Hermits, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and all of the great classical pieces that have ever been recorded--they all sped up and slowed down as the spirit moved them. No one complained back in the '60s if Soul Sacrifice by Santana ended up faster than it started out--it was adrenaline combined with the spirit of the [layers (and possibly a little acid as well!)

I just think it's like looking at skinny, sour looking 'heroin chic' models over and over for a couple of decades--women start feeling there is something wrong with them if they look different from that, and that's pretty tragic imo.

Boy am I late to the party But would not a "jagoffs" be a spin off from the the TV show JAG ??

I do what I can when I can with who ever I can. I pay for air fare to get people to do parts. But in the end the question is "did the sound in my head get to tape", most times not.

So I do the best I can to get the soul of the song to tape.

I try not to write songs, I try to write and record emotional events others can relate to.

So far I've failed......

What happened to that JoeJoe guy? This was the guy defending the white pride crowd or something wasn't he?

Hi there! My first post here so be nice. I´m also a "homestudio" dood, but when it comes to evolving, i agree that being by yourself is very frustrating. Oh, and i´m a drummer. Have been for the past 8 years or so, so if anyone needs collaboration on their project i´m the guy to PM to. I have a roland kit plugged via MIDI to my Pc so bring it on! I mostly play Punk rock, but other derived genres are welcome too! Thanks.