# Songs With A Demo Like Sound? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206 "2014-12-03T05:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/1 "2014-12-03T05:03:49Z")
I was listening to the White Stripes’ first album “White Blood Cells” which I had not heard mostly for a good decade. Some of the songs sound like they could be demo recordings, and in many ways that is part of the charm. So what are some examples of songs that sound like demos? Speaking of the a White Stripes, singles like “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” and “She’s In Love With a The World” come to mind. A handful of 1960’s songs sound like they are demos or just recorded in the garage. “Hanky Panky” by Tommy James and the Shondells “Louie Louie” by Kingsmen “Money(That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong “Liar Liar” by The Castaways “96 Tears” by ? And The Mysterians. What are some other examples? ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/2 "2014-12-03T05:05:12Z")
I was listening to the White Stripes’ first album “White Blood Cells” which I had not heard mostly for a good decade. Some of the songs sound like they could be demo recordings, and in many ways that is part of the charm. So what are some examples of songs that sound like demos? Speaking of the White Stripes, singles like “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” and “She’s In Love With a The World” come to mind. A handful of 1960’s songs sound like they are demos or just recorded in the garage. “Hanky Panky” by Tommy James and the Shondells “Louie Louie” by Kingsmen “Money(That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong “Liar Liar” by The Castaways “96 Tears” by ? And The Mysterians. What are some other examples? [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/3 "2014-12-03T05:08:31Z")
Weird accidental double post, moderators please fix. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/4 "2014-12-03T05:38:11Z")
“All Day and All of the Night” by The Kinks ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/5 "2014-12-03T05:58:23Z")
“Jesus Gonna Be Here,” Tom Waits (along with most of the _Bone Machine_ album, come to that) [“Easier to Cry”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82VEEUmYI2U) by the Shangri-Las actually **is** a demo, put out as a b-side. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/6 "2014-12-03T11:52:59Z")
To my knowledge, Phil Collins recorded his first solo album, including the single _In the Air Tonight_, brought the demos in, got his own deal and tried to record them. He decided the demo’s sounded better and released them. The feel of that song - a lot of space in the mix; raw, raw vocals, and that signature gated-drum sound (recorded so the lingering tone of the drum hit is cut off quickly) make the song… ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/7 "2014-12-03T13:05:35Z")
There are a lot of songs/albums with a stripped-down, demo-like sound that I enjoy. One album I can think of off the top of my head is “World Gone Wrong” by Bob Dylan. One of my favorite albums by Dylan and in my opinion by far his best album from his later period (I think it came out mid-late 90s). Just Bob’s voice and an acoustic guitar, covering old somewhat obscure bluesy songs. I didn’t realize what a good guitar player he was before I heard this album. And his voice has often been criticized and ridiculed, understandably sometimes, but few other singers can convey the emotional quality, the cynicism and world weariness, in their phrasing that he can, IMO. This was true even when he was young- his version of “House of the Rising Sun” on his first self-titled album is the best version I’ve ever heard. Another, more obscure album I’m thinking of is “Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack” (Mac Reb. is Dr. J’s real name). Just him singing old cover tunes and playing piano. Come to think of it, this is a good time of year to dig out that CD and at his version of “Silent Night” off that album. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/8 "2014-12-03T16:54:29Z")
The early [Black Keys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP0Lq0l_7L0) probably match what you’re looking for. [Wikipedia has a pretty comprehensive list of garage rock bands.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_garage_rock_bands) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/9 "2014-12-03T16:54:34Z")
Nitpick first: \*White Blood Cells \*wasn’t the White Stripe’s first album, they released [_The White Stripes_](http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-white-stripes-mw0000246565) and [_De Stijl_](http://www.allmusic.com/album/de-stijl-mw0000068146) before. Those two are btw. great matches for what you’re looking after. My other recommendation and one of my favorite “lesser” albums: [_Frank Black and the Catholics_](http://www.allmusic.com/album/frank-black-and-the-catholics-mw0000600713). Recorded with two mics live in the studio, very basic, rough sound and pure fun to listen. Here’s a teaser: [The Man Who Was Too Loud](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abJgsr9Z6Vk) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/10 "2014-12-03T17:08:00Z")
Sorry for the double post, but I got one more that perfectly fits: Danny and Dusty’s [_Lost Weekend_](http://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-weekend-mw0000085913). Recorded by members of Green On Red, Dream Syndicate and the Long Ryders in a beer-fueled 36 hour session, it sounds exactly like the title suggests. Great fun stuff, too: [Song For The Dreamers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b6P9--k81Y) ETA: of course there are a gazillion early punk albums from about 1976-78 that fit the bill. The Ramones’ debut comes to mind. And the complete oeuvre of Hüsker Dü sounds demoish. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/11 "2014-12-03T17:17:09Z")
Bruce Springsteen’s _Nebraska_ album was entirely demos. He did record full versions of the songs with the E Street Band, but decided that the sparse sound of the demos fit the themes better. So the demos were released as the album. Paul Westerberg’s _Black- Eyed Susan_ off the _14 Songs_ album is another demo, recorded in his living room, that ended up on a studio album. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/12 "2014-12-03T17:35:01Z")
“Barbara Ann” - The Beach Boys ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/13 "2014-12-03T18:20:13Z")
Much of Daniel Johnston’s music would fit here, including his best-known song “True Love Will Find You in the End.” Similarly, the early albums from The Mountain Goats have a very demo-y, low-fi feeling, especially as they were mostly solo efforts recorded on a boombox. The album “All Hail West Texas” is especially notable, as John Darnielle had matured a lot as a songwriter by that point and had recorded on better equipment, but made one last boombox album. The songs “Fall of the Star High School Running Back” and “Jenny” off that album are always ones I’d recommend to anybody interested in The Mountain Goats. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/14 "2014-12-03T18:30:17Z")
The Basement Tapes? ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/15 "2014-12-03T18:36:17Z")
The first thing that sprang to my mind was the entire album [_New York_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_8-Fm1vfw0&list=PL0424EB84AD0B64BA), by Lou Reed. As I recall, it was pretty much 100% recorded live. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/16 "2014-12-03T18:46:29Z")
Another collection of songs that I’ve always thought sounded delightfully under-produced was Danzig’s [self-titled debut album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7eQ3eP6kO0) (which was produced by Rick Rubin). Of course, the same can be said of other albums that he’s produced, like the Cult’s [_Electric_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_FxxRTiiKE&list=PLrsbQkjm7ZKD7jvH8BS1P0L1Nt9xn3UPU), and especially Johnny Cash’s [_American Recordings_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp5kJ-8YZl4&list=PLiLmEPtcLcm40-QlSx4VxRIFhm4BX23oC). ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/17 "2014-12-03T19:13:49Z")
> [@Eddie\_F](#): > > The first thing that sprang to my mind was the entire album [_New York_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_8-Fm1vfw0&list=PL0424EB84AD0B64BA), by Lou Reed. As I recall, it was pretty much 100% recorded live. > [@Eddie\_F](#): > > Another collection of songs that I’ve always thought sounded delightfully under-produced was Danzig’s [self-titled debut album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7eQ3eP6kO0) (which was produced by Rick Rubin). Of course, the same can be said of other albums that he’s produced, like the Cult’s [_Electric_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_FxxRTiiKE&list=PLrsbQkjm7ZKD7jvH8BS1P0L1Nt9xn3UPU), and especially Johnny Cash’s [_American Recordings_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp5kJ-8YZl4&list=PLiLmEPtcLcm40-QlSx4VxRIFhm4BX23oC). Those are good examples. Reed’s and Fred Maher’s production on _New York_ has in fact a lot in common with Rick Rubin’s usual style: minimal effects, almost no echo, mostly live and few (if any) overdubs. Another great album in a similar vein is Matthew Sweet’s _Girlfriend_, recorded with Robert Quine on guitar (as well as Richard lloyd), crucial collaborator of Lou Reed in the early eighties: [Girlfriend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-U2X2yHpOo) I could go on and on in this thread. I love these kinds of recordings. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/18 "2014-12-03T19:35:48Z")
Lucinda Williams’ album “Blessed” had a second disc labeled “The Kitchen Tapes” which contained demo versions recorded in her kitchen of every song on the album. Kind of interesting to compare the sparse demos with the fully fleshed out album cuts. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/19 "2014-12-03T20:00:11Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > A handful of 1960’s songs sound like they are demos or just recorded in the **garage**. > > “Hanky Panky” by Tommy James and the Shondells > “Louie Louie” by Kingsmen > “Money(That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong > “Liar Liar” by The Castaways > “96 Tears” by ? And The Mysterians. > What are some other examples? (Emphasis mine) I promised to come back to this thread, and on reread I couldn’t let that slip. There’s of course a whole musical genre of music that sounds like it was (or actually was) recorded in a garage. It’s called, tada, [garage rock](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garage_rock), some of whose greatest bands are mentioned up there. The classic genre compilation is [Nuggets](http://www.allmusic.com/album/nuggets-original-artyfacts-from-the-first-psychedelic-era-1965-1968-mw0000599845), first compiled by later Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye and being one of the sparks that lit the rising of punk. But my favorite garage band are the [Sonics.](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-sonics-mn0000428717)Here’s their still unbelievable Psycho from 1965: [Psycho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-_0V0IXEkc) ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206/20 "2014-12-03T20:59:10Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > (Emphasis mine) > > I promised to come back to this thread, and on reread I couldn’t let that slip. There’s of course a whole musical genre of music that sounds like it was (or actually was) recorded in a garage. It’s called, tada, [garage rock](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garage_rock), some of whose greatest bands are mentioned up there. The classic genre compilation is [Nuggets](http://www.allmusic.com/album/nuggets-original-artyfacts-from-the-first-psychedelic-era-1965-1968-mw0000599845), first compiled by later Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye and being one of the sparks that lit the rising of punk. But my favorite garage band are the [Sonics.](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-sonics-mn0000428717)Here’s their still unbelievable Psycho from 1965: > > [Psycho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-_0V0IXEkc) I know about Garage Bands, The Castaways being one of them, but I’m looking for songs that have that primal recording sound irregardless of genre. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-a-demo-like-sound/706206.md?page=2)