"Arabian" New Bubba original - work in progress.

[Bubba]

Morning, twats.

This song is finished music-wise, apart from the vocals/lyrics which are, at present, evading me. JD offered the sub-title "Them Saudis are cunts, aren't they?". Whilst being admirably forthright and probably true, I think that's a bit overtly political for me.

I want to replace the drums with Frank eventually. These are a free midi drumset called the MT Power drumkit. I used stock grooves and fills to put this together.

Any comments, creative input (Ray? Lyrics?) will be most welcome.





And now, featuring Frank on real drums!



Lyrics below:

Arabian

Out on the dunes
In the dead of night
The life essence quietly flows
Nodding silhouettes clank and whine
Leeching the blood from the stone

Two hundred million years it has simmered
Crushed and pressured by the overburdened mass of ages past
Disturbed and distilled, refined and reborn
To cause the engines of the world to turn

A gleaming icon purrs and roars
One thousand horses lurk in wait
A furnace rages at a cliff
An edifice so out of place
A landscape of frost cocooned within
By a million barrel wall

Two hundred million years it has simmered
Silken blackness pressured by the mass of ages past
Purified and polymerised, recast and reborn
As trinkets destined for a landfill tomb

Out in the Empty Quarter
The bones of the land split and crack
Bedrock hunched, anhydrite seal
Carbonate voids fill with black
Sleeping giant, The Ghawar Anticline
Bleeds out oppression and war

Two hundred million years it has simmered
Crushed by the overburdened rottenness of ages past
Renounce your god, renounce your life, suffer sword and cross
Or carry on within your living tomb

(Wanky Solo to end)

[Greg_L]

Pretty interesting. Very Arabian sounding. Conjures up images of magic carpets and beheadings. I'll wait for drums before mix comments. I don't have any creative input.

[Bubba]

Pretty interesting. Very Arabian sounding. Conjures up images of magic carpets and beheadings. I'll wait for drums before mix comments. I don't have any creative input.

Cheers, Greg. The guitar melody on the "verse" parts is kind of a placeholder for a vocal melody, but I'm not convinced, yet. Oh, and Armistice is playing some guitar on the verses.

[Greg_L]

Cheers, Greg. The guitar melody on the "verse" parts is kind of a placeholder for a vocal melody, but I'm not convinced, yet. Oh, and Armistice is playing some guitar on the verses.

Okay. I was wondering how vocals would fit in there with all that noodling going on. You should get someone to sing it in Arabic. Such a lovely language.

On second listen, I think your outro solo is kind of wanky. A little corny. A little too "adult" for my tastes. It sort of sounds like some adult rock Santana style guitar solo. But that's just me. It works, it's done well, it just left me feeling like it sounds kind of old guy adult rock. I know the song is not a rip-roaring rocker, but if you're not married to that solo, maybe do something a little more dangerous. That's just how I hear it.

[JD01]

Bullshit! The outro solo is ace!

[Greg_L]

Bullshit! The outro solo is ace!

Oh my God, it was you. That explains it!

[Bubba]

On second listen, I think your outro solo is kind of wanky. A little corny. A little too "adult" for my tastes. It sort of sounds like some adult rock Santana style guitar solo. But that's just me. It works, it's done well, it just left me feeling like it sounds kind of old guy adult rock. I know the song is not a rip-roaring rocker, but if you're not married to that solo, maybe do something a little more dangerous. That's just how I hear it.

Point noted - that's just the sort of insight I needed to hear. When JD and I were discussing an outro, it was suggested that the last few bars ought to go kind of crazy with drums and guitar splurge. Not wanting to take an easy route (for me) of a "noise"-type solo, I tried to have a go at something actually written and played, with notes and stuff in it.
In the end, it's just not me, although I showed myself I CAN construct and play a wanky solo with the best of em, and it's not just lack of chops and laziness that makes me want to do stuff the way I normally do.

I'm not married to the solo at all, but I do want something splurgey at the end.

[JD01]

Bullshit! The outro solo is ace!

Oh my God, it was you. That explains it!

Nah, its all Bubba! I did encourage him though. I think my exact words were to think about the crazy atonal ending solo to Paranoid Android and do something like that. I think the solo's really well constructed, sounds good and has a real beginning, middle and end to it. Its not just noodling.

[Bubba]

Bullshit! The outro solo is ace!

Oh my God, it was you. That explains it!

He wishes he could play like that. I'll probably release an AOR version for MTV.

[Greg_L]

Point noted - that's just the sort of insight I needed to hear. When JD and I were discussing an outro, it was suggested that the last few bars ought to go kind of crazy with drums and guitar splurge. Not wanting to take an easy route (for me) of a "noise"-type solo, I tried to have a go at something actually written and played, with notes and stuff in it.
In the end, it's just not me, although I showed myself I CAN construct and play a wanky solo with the best of em, and it's not just lack of chops and laziness that makes me want to do stuff the way I normally do.

I'm not married to the solo at all, but I do want something splurgey at the end.

Okay, you know what the problem with all that is? You said it yourself - it's not you. I can hear it through the outro solo. You reached for something different, and you succeeded in achieving it, but is it really a win? You composed it well, you played it well, but there's something in those notes that just seems unnatural. Lol. To me. This is just my opinion. I heard it. I'm not trying to be that pompous douche that claims to hear space between the notes and all that crap, but I hear something in that solo that just doesn't seem comfortable. I wasn't thinking of any alternatives, but now that you mentioned "noise solo", that seems like a way better idea IMO.

[JD01]

Point noted - that's just the sort of insight I needed to hear. When JD and I were discussing an outro, it was suggested that the last few bars ought to go kind of crazy with drums and guitar splurge. Not wanting to take an easy route (for me) of a "noise"-type solo, I tried to have a go at something actually written and played, with notes and stuff in it.
In the end, it's just not me, although I showed myself I CAN construct and play a wanky solo with the best of em, and it's not just lack of chops and laziness that makes me want to do stuff the way I normally do.

I'm not married to the solo at all, but I do want something splurgey at the end.

Okay, you know what the problem with all that is? You said it yourself - it's not you. I can hear it through the outro solo. You reached for something different, and you succeeded in achieving it, but is it really a win? You composed it well, you played it well, but there's something in those notes that just seems unnatural. Lol. To me. This is just my opinion. I heard it. I'm not trying to be that pompous douche that claims to hear space between the notes and all that crap, but I hear something in that solo that just doesn't seem comfortable. I wasn't thinking of any alternatives, but now that you mentioned "noise solo", that seems like a way better idea IMO.

The fast descending section sounds a little uncomfortable - but that's something that will sound better if you keep it under your fingers over the next few weeks until you have the vocal down and then do another take. Shred your bollocks off mate, you know you want to!

[Bubba]

Okay, you know what the problem with all that is? You said it yourself - it's not you. I can hear it through the outro solo. You reached for something different, and you succeeded in achieving it, but is it really a win? You composed it well, you played it well, but there's something in those notes that just seems unnatural. Lol. To me. This is just my opinion. I heard it. I'm not trying to be that pompous douche that claims to hear space between the notes and all that crap, but I hear something in that solo that just doesn't seem comfortable. I wasn't thinking of any alternatives, but now that you mentioned "noise solo", that seems like a way better idea IMO.

One thing that occurs to me is that the tone is probably way too clean for that kind of solo. It's a Strat on bridge pickup, using Red Crunch mode. Those little fast runs need the compression and note-leveling that a middly, gainy, brown sound gives.

Okay, it was an experiment, no need to beat on me further.

pet lip small.jpg

[Greg_L]

One thing that occurs to me is that the tone is probably way too clean for that kind of solo. It's a Strat on bridge pickup, using Red Crunch mode. Those little fast runs need the compression and note-evening that a middly, gainy, brown sound gives.

Right, but that would be even worse! Think about it...that's like page one from the easy listening dad-rock handbook. Slow intricate arrangement with a smoldering molten lead on top of it? That's fine for Gary Moore and Steve Vai. Is that the kind of company you want to keep?

Okay, it was an experiment, no need to beat on me further.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to beat on you. You asked for creative input. I want punk rock Bubba, not yacht rock Bubba.

[Armistice]

I think you should turn everything down except for that fascinating and well played guitar figure in the left ear throughout the verse... It's simply marvellous work...

Yeah, listening a bit more, I think a bit more bite, not necessarily more distortion, and a bit more work on the ascending 5 note sequences at the end which are sounding a little hesitant to me.

I do love the beginning and the dynamics of the rest of it though very muchly - as I was listening to you put the pieces together I was wondering where it was going to end up, but I can hear it now. Good!

Lyrics? Here you go...

"Arabs, bombs and guns, they are coming..." in time and pitch with that brilliant piece of left ear guitar work I may perhaps already have mentioned earlier... Job done!

[Bubba]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to beat on you. You asked for creative input. I want punk rock Bubba, not yacht rock Bubba.

Ha ha, I think I forgot to add a smiley, there. I'm fine.


:choke:

[Lt. Bob]

One thing that occurs to me is that the tone is probably way too clean for that kind of solo.

there!
That's the issue ..... that's the very first thing I thought when listening ..... also way to much 'verb/delay whatever. It obscures the playing and makes the notes, already a bit dissonant, clash a bit too much.
you want the dissonance but with the delay stringing it out it becomes too much.

I LOVE this kind of stuff ..... are you familiar with Dead Can Dance? Fav band of mine and some of their stuff is in this general area ..... I'm quite interested where this goes.

[Bubba]

I think you should turn everything down except for that fascinating and well played guitar figure in the left ear throughout the verse... It's simply marvellous work...

Yeah, listening a bit more, I think a bit more bite, not necessarily more distortion, and a bit more work on the ascending 5 note sequences at the end which are sounding a little hesitant to me.

I do love the beginning and the dynamics of the rest of it though very muchly - as I was listening to you put the pieces together I was wondering where it was going to end up, but I can hear it now. Good!

Lyrics? Here you go...

"Arabs, bombs and guns, they are coming..." in time and pitch with that brilliant piece of left ear guitar work I may perhaps already have mentioned earlier... Job done!

Yes, yes, your guitar part is excellent. It's in there on merit, I don't do charity work.

I think perhaps some vocal ideas might be beginning to focus.

One thing that occurs to me is that the tone is probably way too clean for that kind of solo.

there!
That's the issue ..... that's the very first thing I thought when listening ..... also way to much 'verb/delay whatever. It obscures the playing and makes the notes, already a bit dissonant, clash a bit too much.
you want the dissonance but with the delay stringing it out it becomes too much.

I LOVE this kind of stuff ..... are you familiar with Dead Can Dance? Fav band of mine and some of their stuff is in this general area ..... I'm quite interested where this goes.

Thanks, Bob,. I'm aware of the band but not that familiar that I could name a song. I'll check them out. Did you catch the solo at the end as well as the beginning?

[Armistice]

Yes, yes, your guitar part is excellent. It's in there on merit, I don't do charity work.

LOL, just yanking your chain... Where to from here?

[Bubba]

Yes, yes, your guitar part is excellent. It's in there on merit, I don't do charity work.

LOL, just yanking your chain... Where to from here?

I think I have a handle on some lyrics at long last.

It's going to be about oil - not the politics of it, though.

[Armistice]

LOL, just yanking your chain... Where to from here?

I think I have a handle on some lyrics at long last.

It's going to be about oil - not the politics of it, though.

Extra virgin? Infused truffle? Details man!