Poopot's Cover Challenge #25 - the letter L

flying_pie

@thecolourbox in the playlist with a cover one of my favourite songs (and I suspect @IMC1980 's too)

thecolourbox

Thanks, I wasn't deliberately playing to the gallery but if it helps in the points considerations then great.

Hopefully my removal of all the interesting parts and bed-wetter style delivery doesn't ruin the song for you 

Bezzer

flying_pie said:

@thecolourbox in the playlist with a cover one of my favourite songs (and I suspect @IMC1980 's too)

One of mine too, and that was fab @thecolourbox !!

thecolourbox

Thanks that's very kind. It's me singing and playing at the same time, so effectively that's one of the takes I did recording into two different machines as my interface doesn't have enough inputs for stereo piano and a mic. Then exported from one to the other and plastered it with effects plugins.

Enjoyed idiotwind's effort also, a nice groove on the rhythm guitar part in particular and a nicely thought out arrangement to keep the contrast and variation in there

IMC1980

You are correct @flying_pie, that album is bottled lightening IMO. And as for you @thecolourbox that was absolutely stunning! Amazing performance and the perfect mood for the subject matter. Very classy vocal delivery, pushing yourself but making the melody your own. I think this is my favourite of all your covers so far. Brilliant 

Habanero

I liked it too, but probably shouldn't say I've never heard the original.

flying_pie

I decided against a big band jazz version of LAS as while it would be fun to do it would also be very disrespectful to the original.

I'm now even more glad in didn't do it as @thecolourbox has knocked it out the park. Great, great cover tcb. And I loved the guitar solo on the piano - shows how well it fits the song

thecolourbox

Habanero said:

I liked it too, but probably shouldn't say I've never heard the original.

Ah you're missing a treat mate - as IMC1980 says that whole album is absolute fire and well worth a listen. Chaps from Rage Against the Machine with the always-elevating vocals of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), what more could anybody want right? Creative musicians at the top of their game absolutely smashing it with stunning songs performed just incredibly.

Thanks IMC, Hab & Flying Pie for the kind words. I did indeed try to push my voice as far as I could - it still wouldn't break up though, so I added some "distortion" via doubling the vocal part through a dirty bass amp with an octave down added, very low in the mix but it did contribute I think so I'll be noting that little trick down in my Little Red Book

flying_pie

thecolourbox said:

Thanks IMC, Hab & Flying Pie for the kind words. I did indeed try to push my voice as far as I could - it still wouldn't break up though, so I added some "distortion" via doubling the vocal part through a dirty bass amp with an octave down added, very low in the mix but it did contribute I think so I'll be noting that little trick down in my Little Red Book

You shouldn't be pushing/straining your voice to get break up. It's much better to do it with medium effort. There are lots of different techniques but I find that focusing on tightening my throat/soft palate works for me (when I'm not doing higher fry tupe noises). Trying to sing along to soul/metal that's in your comfort register and not overdoing it is a good start while focusing on not straining.

And doubling with distortion low in the mix won't make it sound growly - it's actually a Nashville recording technique to help sounds cut though in the mix and works well on any instrument as well as voice. FWIW I think it sounds better with a clean vocal. It fits the arrangement perfectly.

thecolourbox

Funny you mention a jazz version actually Flying Pie. I was kind of influenced by an incredible performance of Black Hole Sun by Norah Jones which she did a few days after Cornell's death, i think in the same venue he'd played a few days before. That one and Like a Stone to be fair do lend themselves to a bit of jazz treatment somehow, as well as other versions - just pure well written music I think, tends to make it more versatile

Habanero

I've buckled under the pressure and ordered the secondhand Audioslave cd for the princely sum of £2.99.

thecolourbox

I'd consider that £2.99 well spent, enjoy!

Habanero

I've sent mine in.

flying_pie

@Habanero in the playlist

fnpt

I've sent mine.

flying_pie

@fnpt in the playlist

TTony

Worryingly, I seem to have a track almost done.

Just the vocals to add and mix in.

thecolourbox

I'd missed the update of habanero's entry, so grateful for fnpt for submitting also as I saw the thread then (and for ttony for almost entering - get it done and get yourself in on the cover challenge train)

fnpt

Here’s the thing: I was going to cover Like a Stone as well but now won’t dare after hearing @thecolourbox ‘s version. But I’m on holidays so I’ll probably submit another entry if that’s ok to compensate for not taking part last time. 

thecolourbox

fnpt said:

Here’s the thing: I was going to cover Like a Stone as well but now won’t dare after hearing @thecolourbox ‘s version. But I’m on holidays so I’ll probably submit another entry if that’s ok to compensate for not taking part last time. 

I wouldn't worry about that, I suspect your version would be a different take on it (I did almost submit a more straight cover of it as well to be fair as I enjoy the tremolo effects lol). I'm still kind of working on another one but I'm struggling to get the bassline typed out in the midi editor (attention span is short at the moment), then I need to tune my guitar down a tone as the key of D is slightly too high for the high bits (albeit C is slightly to low for the low bits). Hmm, we shall see.