Zoom Gear & Home Recording Forum

I finaly think one song is ready to get out from my HD8.

I was shock to realise I only got out 3 songs in 1 year and they are all covers. 2 Beatles covers (I want to hold your hand, Free as a bird) and 1 cover of 1ManBand (I'm Inside Out).

This cover was hard to do because of the original very slow tempo crawling at 72.3 bpm. My wife had her first listen last night and I know she likes it because she told me 'it sounds like Jimmy Hendrix' Where did you hear that? 'In the electric guitar' You look like Marylin Monroe you know? 'Where did you see that?'...

I enjoy doing cover songs, I learn a lot everytime. I could not have done this only with my limited tracks on my HD8, I bought Mixcraft 5 and and I am very happy with it. My HD8 is now like a HD100 tracks!

I hope you enjoy this song that talks about life and death http://soundcloud.com/1manband-1/free-as-a-bird

If this had been an original song, I would have said it was very good, but as a Beatles cover, I'm forced to say that although it's reasonably well performed and recorded, it's just mediocre. But hey, that's what happens when you go up against The Fabs. Some of the lead guitar parts seem like they're on the edge of flat, or sour, but that's not the problem. I'm only passingly familiar with the original, and it sounds like you put your own slant on it, but essentially, it just strikes me as a cover of a song that would, of course, be hard to top.

I'm not big on covers so I'll leave it at that. I did listen though...

This is really accurate and quite strong. Good job. You have such a huge Lennon/Harrison feel it's scary. I think you shoulda grabbed Craft6 though...waaay better DAW than it's predecessor. Contact Acoustica and see about switching it up. I've used both and 5 doesn't even compare.

Hi Lou!....Wow, quite a production! You must have studied the original very closely, because you 'nailed' the vocal sound here and there!....This is the best track you've posted so far imho! Great job!....sideshow bob

Man, I really dig this. Most don't feel the dark aspect of this tune; you got.

I really like the vocals. Really kooky and dark within the harmonies, and I think the slide work you do is tight. Good dirty guitar tone; it kinda does mix a little Jimi with the F4s.

These are real drums, yes? Awesome mic'd sound, good playing. It's harder to play at slow tempo and keep a groove, let alone nail a beat like this one.

The piano sounds a little to far back, kinda toneless. Doesn't jibe with the guitar tone. Could just be me.

I really like those vocals.

Nice.
Thanks!
Matty

I can't remember the original.
Great work, and nice ending.

I think the problem here is the strident beat; it's choppy....no flow. I know that the original version was also like that, but it still had a flow to it.

It's also kind of harsh sounding/trebly. But..........I like the arrangement, and the vocals have that dis-embodied Beatles-y thing going on which I love. All the pieces are here. I'd suggest adding more low end here and there and doing it again with more of a smooth, easy flow to the playing.

Covering the Beatles is tricky

It's well played and sounds pretty good.

As a song, I've always hated that "The Beatles" put this song out. Lennon was always against getting the band back together. I wish George or Ringo would have stood up for John and said no to using one of his songs for the Beatles during the Anthology project. Sir Paul and Yoko couldn't help themselves, I suppose, when so much money was at stake.

It's a good cover, you've done a good job on the vocals. It's a complex song. It's best moments are the less busy ones for me; when it 'all comes in' the instruments seem to compete for space.

I don't know the original. But this stands up on it's own regardless of the Beatles' version.

Well played, I like the way you've ended this.

Thanks for the review gwood, it is much appreciated. Of course I've put my own slant in there otherwise it is useless to make a cover song.

Sungodv you have listen but if you don't review it why bother listening? It doesn't help me in any way.

Thanks Mark for the kind words, Mixcraft 6 will be free for me but not available now, I made sure of that when I bought Mixcraft 5, thanks for your advise.

Thanks Sideshowbob, I did not study the original all that much at all, like I was telling Mark on a pm once I start on a cover I never listen to it again, I try to find my own bass line and rythm guitar to start with and I go where the song and my limited talent drives me. I don't think this is my best song but I did enjoy doing it as much as all the other song I did. I can never be totaly happy when I do a cover cause I fight against real professionals and I know I can't win the fight, I just like to fight!

Thanks msb3671, drums are Zoom drums and I have work them a lot and could have work them more, there is spots I don't like like at 2:09. The slide guitar and the vocals were hard to do, I took many takes and decided to put 3 slides takes and 4 vocals takes to everage them. In my hd8 they all sounded terrible but once I had put them into Mixcraft they worked better because the sound was coming from my pc speakers and not in my headphones, they became more forgiving. The piano plays almost exaclty the same thing as the bass so I panned them left and right, I needed the piano cause I didn't like the sound of my Fret Bass, Allan's bass was much more friendly to me but it is gone now! I am surprise you like the vocals that much, I had to put lots of reverb as always to hide the imperfections.

Thanks guitar fan for the comment , here is the original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqHjXF1gUWU

Thanks topographic for the friendly and helpfull review. This is the first time I master a song without my zoom and headphones, this one I did on my pc speakers and you are right it is too much trebly. The flow was very hard to get as you noticed, George is the one making the flow on the original but I don,t have that kind of talent, so I made it more punchy with stops and go instead, but it does affect the flow, you are spot on again. Covering The Beatles is the next best thing to do even if it's tricky lol

Thanks The Cracks, your comment was very informative and yesterday I read a part of McCartney bio, well mostly looked at the pictures and their comments and it was writen in the book "the disapointing Free as a Bird and Real Love" I was surprise to read that in a Paul bio, cause I have always thought he was the main man behind this since John was not there to tell him not to do that or not like this or like that.

Thanks Polly for the review and I agree with you the middle eights are too busy, but in fact I need another main vocal in first one like I did in the last one, what I want to hear is not there. I would never end a song if I wait till it's perfect for me, I can't do it all alone with the limited time I have. The ending part is my big slant!

Quite a slow version considering your dislike of slow songs

The recording is a bit grainy to my ears. Not resounding clarity, which is surprising considering it was done on the HD8. I hear very little clear definition mix-wise; it’s as though it's been given the wide stereo field treatment with not much left in the middle.

Love Les Beatles and really like the original song, and this version is rather good (as an interpretation).

By the way, apropos your comment to Steve, some of us listen to covers under protest, and only do so out of a sense of politeness. To be honest, I don’t have too much to say either, so I should maybe bypass covers completely as several others do.

Cheers

Pete

Appreciate it, Pete.
Nice PM, 1mb.
Potty mouth.

Wow. NICE job with the drums. I thought they were real. Sound great to me.
Vox rox!

I don't generally listen to covers although I appreciate that you learn a lot by trying to recreate a sound.

Not one of their greatest songs but you've done a pretty good job here. Decent vocals and well put together.

Cheers

Dick

Yer wife hade the wrong Jimy, you sound more like Jimmy Page (check the solo of 'I'm gonna crawl').
Loved the drums.
You know I quite like your vocal style, but in this song in my opinion you should try to sing more softly, and with a lot less reverb.
Covers, covers... I'd rather listen to an original - or how about covering some of your buddies in the forum? I thought about that once or twice, but I don't even have the time to work on my own stuff!

Sounds true to the Fab Four's original, but you managed to make it your own in a few spots. Nice!