So I was sitting around the house, waxing nostalgic about the glory days of hair spray metal. Then, at three AM, this happened:
Wail.
If any of my friends find out about this, there’ll be another of those soul-crushing interventions and I’ll be put on guitar restriction again.
You can have my spandex when you pry it from my cold dead hands!
I got to get some sleep.
Thank you very much for posting my stuff - sorry about asking you to do all the work. I look forward to listening to your hair metal clip after I get the kids up and dressed…
Like Wordman said. Much thanks for your generosity and effort.
first link - http://www.surrenderthewind.com/Emotional_Sanctions.mp3
and second - http://www.surrenderthewind.com/Song_for_Prrrl.mp3
These are both just me fooling around with ideas and toys. Guitars, bass and keyboards (except Nanny’s piano) are all pretty much junk. The drumkit is Pearl “World” Series (out of production) with Sabian HH cymbals and various percussion. And a toy cell phone.
Guitars, bass and keys are recorded straight into a Boss BR-864 8-track recorder. Any effects are from recorder. Drums, percussion and piano are miked with SM-57s and one AKG D112 and run through a small Mackie mixer.
Everything is improvised with minimal overdubbing. I’m very lazy and easily distracted and these were never intended for anything other than my own amusement.
Hopefully these will encourage others to post their own flailings. Enthusiasm counts for something, right? Oh, and Prrrl is my neurotic dfrntcat. She hates her song, but she hates everything.
Dude - you’re ready to go get hair extentions! Rawk on! Too funny…
Actually, I have some friends who are on tour right now as guitarists in the Hair metal tour happening right now - one is with Steve Pearcy of Ratt, and the other is with…who is it again? Maybe Don Dokken. I can’t remember - my buddy who is the main connection back to those guys tells me that it is a tough tour - a bunch of mid-lifers trying to relive their 20’s, but with toupees and beer guts…
You clearly have fun with that stuff - cool. I played a ton of that type of type (I was especially proud of my Hot for Teacher) but have really tried to slow it down since then - just a personal challenge to play single-note stuff with a real bite…
Thank you for hosting our songs 
Now a bit from the non-wailing set…
(I have only ever recorded myself a few times, mostly because I get all nervous and mess up.)
Anyway, here’s a snippet of recording I did a few years back:
Villalobos, Chôros – No. 1 (first section)
This piece is by the Brazilian composor Heitor Villa-Lobos. The style is, as the name says, a chôro.
http://www.aracnet.com/~curly/chili.wav ]here
I wouldn’t call this wailing exactly, but it’s an ok little piece from South of the Border…played on a '74 D28 Martin.
Link isn’t working for me.
Cripes, sorry! How do I fix this?
Is this it? http://www.aracnet.com/~curly/chili.wav
Thanks.
bump
one last shot - anyone else?
And really - no comments at all on what I posted? Forgive the complete and utter self-indulgence, but I am curious if folks had thoughts on it…
I’m a little surprised there hasn’t been more activity here. I know there have to be more musicians on this board. Anyway, my two cents:
Euthanasiast - Another thread asks if there are any licks that can’t be played by anyone other than the original musician. You demonstrate my belief that any part that has been recorded can be reproduced by someone with talent and the patience to learn it. I would have no trouble believing the songs you posted were (at worst) demo versions of the originals. “Euthanasiast” is a great “spandex-metal” name for the player of your “Wail”.
Sleestak - I really liked the first songs you posted (I can’t get the middle one to play now. I thought I heard it before tonight.) I REALLY like the next one, the one you’re working on. I hope you’ll let us hear it when it’s done.
Tarrsk - I’m far from your target demographic, but I liked the songs on your page. Especially “Spin”. (I assume you’re not writing for 50 year old men.) I sent a link to the page to my daughter (28 year old woman).
fishbicycle - You got Nothing!! to be ashamed of. That is a very cool rendition of that song.
Lynn - I’m not your brother’s demographic either, but my son-in-law turned me onto Clutch and I think the least I can do is steer him to Chromasoul.
AnArky - I’m not a big fan of punk (is there any music I like?) but your band had some interesting things going on. Your post said those songs are a couple of years old. Are you guys still playing together?
WordMan - Thanks for not letting this thread go away yet. This sounds like a fun gig, everybody havin’ a good time (maybe the most important element of all). Is “Pretty in Pink” an original or just a song I’ve not heard before? Either way, I like it. “Stray Cat Strut” is one of those songs that guitarists love to play, and drummers get bored to tears 'cause ya’ll never want to stop and the drum part is boooooring. I’m still gonna play your version for the guys I play with, especially the bass player.
Minor7flat5 - I wouldn’t know a choro if it bit me on the eye, but that was very nice. A friend of mine plays a lot of classical style guitar (his name is John Williams, but he’s not THAT John Williams). I’ll have to ask him if he’s heard this piece or anything else like it.
Godfrey Daniels - That’s cruel, dude. I was just starting to really get into your song and it stopped. The little bit that’s there sounds pretty good, though.
SamStone - That was the cheesiest cover I’ve ever heard. Almost.
If I missed anyone it wasn’t deliberate.
Thanks! Yup, we’re still together and entering the studio in a couple of months. I’ve written some pretty good stuff lately and can’t wait to get it down. I’ll post it when it’s done.
Maybe there should be a sticky with all the doper musicos stuff on it.
Pretty in Pink is by The Pschedelic Furs (“the Furs” man!) and was the song that led to the John Hughes movie of the same name, done with Sixteen Candles and epitomizing 80’s teen movies…
DfrntBreign, thanks. Glad you like the stuff. I’ll keep posting stuff as I get more done. Now I just gotta finish writing the thing. I have more heavy stuff to record (like 5 or 6 songs worth). The problem is that I don’t have enough time to record it all…that and it took me a bit to figure out how to get an ok heavy sound.
WordMan, your stuff sounds great. I am impressed as hell when anyone can play and sing. I can’t play and talk, much less sing. I’d like to hear another song or two that are a little more guitar heavy…
Godfrey Daniels do you have that whole song posted? If so I’d like to hear it.
Slee
Dude - you have no idea. When I was in a 3-piece, I’d be play syncopated riffs like on Walk this Way, singing and slipping in lead parts. Oy.
I suppose I can post another recorded-live track with more lead on it. No doubt it would be another chestnut oldie, but you can hear the tone of my amp and how I approach lead work in a non-studio, it-better-be-okay type of setting - Euth would that be okay for you?
Aside: Wordman, how do you know all these cool people, playing out with name bands and stuff? Sheesh, I wish I did.
Tell me about it - I pinch myself everyday. I was (and am) your average lifelong guitar player who never tried to make it, but always wanted to be in bands on the side. I moved to my town when we had our first kid and heard about this drummer who toured professionally for 15 years, played with Billy Idol - really shit hot. He was now a working stiff like me. I saw him at a party and introduced myself and said I played guitar and he looked at me like “you know how many times I’ve heard that?” and I piped up with “but I’m actually pretty good!” and got an even worse look. I basically invited myself over to his house and we jammed (without a bass - ugh) and he said “okay - not bad” and we left it there. Then at a formal dance a few months later, the hired band was playing Girl From Ipanema-bad lounge music and so at the end of the evening I invited myself up to play a song (I guess I do that a lot) and played That’s What I Like About You and really revved up the band - the dance floor filled up and it was fun. The drummer came up to me and said “okay - you know sales; I suppose we can do something” and we found a bassist (a whole 'nother story) and formed a mid-life crisis band and played around town.
THAT’s when it got interesting: we played at a local bar and this British guy approached me and said “you guys are GREAT!” and it turns out he is Mr. Connected Rock Producer Guy who got his start playing drums over in the UK and producing acts like Paul Carrack (he sang Tempted by Squeeze and some other hits), Asia, etc…I tell you, between the first drummer being willing to play with me and then this guy telling me we sounded good - I had never felt so personally validated as a player. Really cool.
My first band drifted apart - the drummer enjoyed the occasional gig, but after 15 years pro, didn’t really enjoy the whole break-down and set-up roadie work we had to do as a mid-life crisis band. And the Rock Producer contacted me looking for a little fun on the side music-wise - for the last 20 years he hadn’t played drums in a steady gig so was a little more hungry for live experience compared to the first guy. And it was all down hill from there - a new guy moved into town who was a touring bassist who had record deals and some minor hits in the UK in the 80’s and was now a stay-at-home dad. He is also Mr. Connected and I do Session Work occasionally for fun. The drummer and I connected up with him and it just clicked immediately, musically and personally as friends. I had no idea how good and different it would be to have a pro rhythm section pumping it out. I can’t imagine going back to amateurs (um, er, like me I guess - man, are they patient with me…).
I recruited another guitarist (we’re the easy ones to find) and then this stay-at-home mom walked up to my drummer at a party and told him she sang in rock bands. And she rocked!
Sorry for the long diversion - as you can tell, I really do pinch myself every day and like to tell the story. Thanks for your patience.
Well, that’s one way to kill a thread. Sorry 'bout that…
Nah, I’m still here. Hoping to get over to the studio and record something “Wailing” with at least dummy bass & drum trax. BakSon.