Serve The Servants - Nirvana Cover

[JD01]

Not done a Nirvana cover before, which is odd 'cos they're pretty much my favourite band ever.
Anyway, opening track of my favourite album... one of only Nirvana songs where the vocal isn't too high for me and this was borderline!

Serve The Servants Mix 1.mp3

Serve The Servants Mix 2.mp3

[rayc]

Gooooood song & good cover.
Your guitar playing is a little retrained but that comes with recording in a house with children I suppose.
I enjoyed hearing this from another perspective.

[JD01]

Cheers Ray, yeah, probably is a bit restrained... but then I probably know the song better than he did by now. My tone is also more of a normal nice guitar tone (except the solo), whereas its pretty wild on the album.

[musicturtle]

Cool cover James.

Your vocals sound great in the verses. In the chorus, the doubling is very obvious as the takes are a bit out of tune or timing just a bit. If that's what you are going for then disregard, but if you doubled the verses I can hardly tell, but it's plain as day in the chorus.

You program drums really well, one day you should give me a lesson The cymbal crashes seem a bit forward to my ears, they dominate when the come in and in my opinion it's a bit distracting.

As always, great guitar work.

Overall really good job, was a good listen and I was not familiar with the song.

[JD01]

Cool cover James.

Your vocals sound great in the verses. In the chorus, the doubling is very obvious as the takes are a bit out of tune or timing just a bit. If that's what you are going for then disregard, but if you doubled the verses I can hardly tell, but it's plain as day in the chorus.

You program drums really well, one day you should give me a lesson The cymbal crashes seem a bit forward to my ears, they dominate when the come in and in my opinion it's a bit distracting.

As always, great guitar work.

Overall really good job, was a good listen and I was not familiar with the song.

The chorus vocals are probably a bit rushed. I had about 45 mins to record the vocals. The verses took me a little while as the melody is tricky and high for me. The chorus is probably only a couple of takes. Even though the chorus is pretty simple, that's just not enough for me to get it right.

Despite not getting to drum often or ever being any good at it I can drum a bit. It helps when programming drums as I can think how I'd hit the drums.

[TripleM]

Overall I thought this was very good.

The ride cymbal and the crash cymbals might be a bit loud.

I'd turn down the doubled vocal in the chorus.

Was there some kind of edit at 2:04? Not sure.

I liked the guitar and bass sounds. Those were great.

[Tadpui]

Nice job on this one JD. I agree the cymbals are too loud. Hihat sounds fine, but the crashes in the verse and solo are pretty loud. The crashes in the chorus sound just about right.

Nirvana is one of those bands that I never got into when I was coming of age, and I keep meaning to go check out their discography now that I'm finally distanced by a few decades from despising their omnipresence on TV, radio, movies, friends' houses, and every other place their music could possibly be crammed into. The early and mid 90s were all Nirvana, all the time. Plus I was into awful hair metal at that point and Nirvana pretty much killed that genre off, so I was a little bitter at the time. Now that I can appreciate how bad Hollywood hair metal was, maybe there's room in my life for their executioners

[Alison]

My kids turned me onto Nirvana. I did a cello quartet version of Heart Shaped Box. . .a rather depressing but relevant song as most of theirs are. I am not familiar with this song but it seems to me that you have captured the essence of their music here. The song really suits your vocals very much. I think the cymbal crashes could be tamed just a bit but I really like what you did with this. Your guitar playing is excellent, as always!

[rayc]

My kids turned me onto Nirvana. I did a cello quartet version of Heart Shaped Box. . .a rather depressing but relevant song as most of theirs are. I am not familiar with this song but it seems to me that you have captured the essence of their music here. The song really suits your vocals very much. I think the cymbal crashes could be tamed just a bit but I really like what you did with this. Your guitar playing is excellent, as always!

C'mon Alison, let us hear you HSB please.

[JD01]

Cheers guys, when I get a spare half hour I'll re-track the chorus vocals. I agree, they're a mess.

Not sure about the crashes. I think I kind if like them, I'll have another listen.
No edits in the music, guitars and bass are all single takes, I've been able to play this song for about 25 years!

[vomitHatSteve]

Not familiar with the original (just the radio hits), but I'll echo what others have set. Sounds pretty solid. Crashes are loud.

[WhiskeyJack]

Really good job on this JD. I remember this one. Guitar parts all sound pretty deadly spot on to how I remember it. All the little nuances are there that made this a great Nirvana Song. I think you are in your range vocally. It can work how you have it.

Another vote for loud crashes as well from me.

[WhiskeyJack]

Nirvana is one of those bands that I never got into when I was coming of age, and I keep meaning to go check out their discography now that I'm finally distanced by a few decades from despising their omnipresence on TV, radio, movies, friends' houses, and every other place their music could possibly be crammed into. The early and mid 90s were all Nirvana, all the time. Plus I was into awful hair metal at that point and Nirvana pretty much killed that genre off, so I was a little bitter at the time. Now that I can appreciate how bad Hollywood hair metal was, maybe there's room in my life for their executioners

Might be a fun idea for a video tad, explain your back story and then do a listen video. Assuming of course you can do it with out having your video demonetized or whatever. Even if it did get demonetized it would still make for an interesting video.

I enjoyed a bit of Nirvana when they were coming "in bloom" back in the day but i was on such a musical exploratory journey at that part of my life that i didn't really put them on any great pedestal. they had that punky kind of sound i was exposing myself to and that was cool.

[JD01]

My kids turned me onto Nirvana. I did a cello quartet version of Heart Shaped Box. . .a rather depressing but relevant song as most of theirs are. I am not familiar with this song but it seems to me that you have captured the essence of their music here. The song really suits your vocals very much. I think the cymbal crashes could be tamed just a bit but I really like what you did with this. Your guitar playing is excellent, as always!

C'mon Alison, let us hear you HSB please.

Yes, @Alison a cover of HSB would be good. Actually, colab?

[JD01]

Really good job on this JD. I remember this one. Guitar parts all sound pretty deadly spot on to how I remember it. All the little nuances are there that made this a great Nirvana Song. I think you are in your range vocally. It can work how you have it.

Another vote for loud crashes as well from me.

Cheers, Shan. In Utero has always been my favourite Nirvana album. Aside from the songs being good and unpredictable, it just has the best sound of any of the Nirvana recordings and is one of the best sounding albums I can think of. I think its mainly to do with the drum sound, but also the way it all sounds a bit chaotic with a really abrasive guitar sound, to me it sounds almost like a live album.

A lot of albums you're really into when you're young and still put them on now and again but there's a handful that I still listen to regularly - In Utero is one of them. In fact, I'll listen to it now.

[Alison]

C'mon Alison, let us hear you HSB please.

Yes, @Alison a cover of HSB would be good. Actually, colab?

Oh! That's enticing! Need to finish up something for @rayc first, then work on that. If you're willing to work out the guitar part, I can finish it up with cello and vocals. . . that would be fun! I may have done the quartet version in a different key, I'll look it up and maybe do a second, instrumental version. Hmm, so much recording, so little time. Good thing I'm somewhat retired!

[JD01]

Yes, @Alison a cover of HSB would be good. Actually, colab?

Oh! That's enticing! Need to finish up something for @rayc first, then work on that. If you're willing to work out the guitar part, I can finish it up with cello and vocals. . . that would be fun! I may have done the quartet version in a different key, I'll look it up and maybe do a second, instrumental version. Hmm, so much recording, so little time. Good thing I'm somewhat retired!

I know how to play the song already, so I could easily provide guitar track and bassline. The guitar is in drop D.
Time isn't exactly on my side though, so tell me if/when you want to do it and I'll bump it up the queue then.

[Alison]

Oh! That's enticing! Need to finish up something for @rayc first, then work on that. If you're willing to work out the guitar part, I can finish it up with cello and vocals. . . that would be fun! I may have done the quartet version in a different key, I'll look it up and maybe do a second, instrumental version. Hmm, so much recording, so little time. Good thing I'm somewhat retired!

I know how to play the song already, so I could easily provide guitar track and bassline. The guitar is in drop D.
Time isn't exactly on my side though, so tell me if/when you want to do it and I'll bump it up the queue then.

Awesome! I know your time is limited so, why not just knock it out when YOU have time, send it to me and I'll get going on it. I'm pretty flexible these days.

[JD01]

2nd mix above. Just tightened up the chorus vocals and lowered the crashes, slightly, in the verses.

[vomitHatSteve]

Cymbals definitely sound improved