Revive, Reject or Reguritate?

[JR Loman]

Writing and recording on my first DAW computer with a "just dive in approach" has resulted in a parasitic cesspool of insert effects, bad eq, confused dynamics, misplaced files and any distinction between individual tracks has taken on a life form of it's own, morphed into what I can only describe as a mutation that would baffle even the likes of Doctor Moreau. That said, as I wait for my new computer, do I scrub all the lipstick off the pig, throw it back on life support and hope with some reconstructive surgey and rehibilatation it survives on it's own, or do I throw it in a giant box, put it out in the garage with all the other crap that I think some day I will need...................................or what?
As you may have noticed, I have come to the realization with the help of some Taxi screeners, Road Rally "one on one" mentorship with Don Grierson and Fett, sessions with Robin Fredrick, Jason Blume, Paul Zollo, Steven Memel, the wisdom of the Grand Ballroom Heavy Hitter Panels, the incredable Taxi Members I met at the Rally and the "Beloved Father of Taxi", Michael Laskow.
My question is to anyone who dare enter my hosting page, Is there anything that stands out as something that SHOULD be salvaged?
Thanks for you time.
Respectfully, JR Loman

http://www.taxi.com/jrloman

[fret17]

Hi JR......You know....there are days when I think my stuff is brilliant....and there are days when I think it's all crap...sometimes I blame it on the writng...sometimes on the poor production.....but what keeps me in the game is that I enjoy my little world of music and creating it....not everyone gets to be a star on a global scale...that doesn't mean we don't shine on our own.....I dared to venture into your hosting page and was pleasently surprised as to what I heard there....so what if it's not Broadcast Quality....So what if it doesn't fit into what a lot of people think is commercialy viable..(if that's what you've been hearing)...what I found there is an artist...an artist in his own right...who understands the complexities of music and combines it with heartfelt expression....JR... everything you create is worth something and worth treasuring.....Your style reminds me of Leon Russel meets Steely Dan....a very interesting combo....I would take each piece of work...one at a time...and decide to fix whatever it is that's bugging you about it.....polish lyrics if they don't say what you want them to say...clean up tracks in a pro studio if that's what you want....but don't throw the baby out with the bath water....you've got great stuff...
re-work it all in your new studio....and remember JR....music is supposed to be fun..do it for you first...and the world will follow....Good luck and keep writing!

[nick.moxsom]

Hey, JR

I'm new to this forum, so forgive me if I trangress any presupposed protocol, but I will take you at your word and be honest.

You seem to have written a complete rock opera here. You've got sophisticated chord sequences a la Steely Dan, and intelligent lyrics. But your own style is set in time – your guitar, while tastefully played, sounds like 70's prog rock and your voice is getting in the way, man. But your material is great. In the UK we'd call this Art School. If you could find a theatre group with a couple of strong vocalists (I'm thinking Joan Baez/Scott Walker-style?) backed by a jazz quartet, you have yourself a unique, one-off hit album, imho.

This is only my spin, and I hope I haven't offended you. I am no stranger to how much the truth about oneself can hurt. I believe we all get stuck somewhere in the quicksand of time. My place was the 80's.

To use your analogy, try a different shade of lipstick on the pig. Put a dress on it, and high-heeled shoes, and one of those fascinators, maybe. But DO NOT GIVE UP. You live in a country where there's a market for everything. Maybe you've been taking your pig to the wrong market.

And while you're at it, listen to some techno, trance and ambient, see if you can't find a space for what you do in there. Onward and upward, buddy.

Nick

[JR Loman]

fret17 & nick.moxsom:
Thanks, first of all for giving up your valuable time and giving me the time of day, or anyone else that has ventured in. It can be lonely in this world and having attended my very first Road Rally and joining the forum has been very exhilarating.
Fret17,(First let me say, you have a nice song selection and I think" Ask Any Fool" and "Thanks to You "are outstanding.) you mentioned “do it for you first”. I like that and if I can find the balance between that and something that is marketable, that would be the ultimate.
Nick.moxsom, You mentioned that I” live in a country where there’s a market for everything “. I went into this with that very same premise but I’m beginning to wonder. According to the (Taxi Industry Listings) I think my genre (whatever that my be), is dwindling. The Taxi Listing should be a fairly good indicator of which direction the industry is moving. Anyway, You may be right as far as where I’m trying to sell the pig.(maybe I need to take it to the spa and then for a complete make-over). Anyway, what’s done is NOT DONE and I will move on with my new tools.
Musically, although not being a virtuoso, it all comes fairly effortlessly,(as long as I can tighten it up). Lyrically speaking,( that’s another story) to say differently what has been said a thousand times before without being cliche or expecting the listener to use some exotic encryption code to decipher what it is I’m trying to say. My ten minutes with the renowned Mr. Don Grieson would solidify that by his comment to “simplify, not to dumb it down, (they’re two different things you know), just simplify.” That I will take to the bank!
Another thing I heard from a Fellow Taxi Member at the rally was to remember that “Song Is King” I will try to let the SONG direct me instead. Thanks Gary
Again, Thanks for Listening and if anyone else is willing and cares to steer me in the right direction, I’m all ears.(what’s left of them)

Respectfully,
JR Loman

http://www.taxi.com/jrloman

[Len911]

JR, The Price was my favorite. I love the sound of all your songs, they had a very organic sound to them. I think your intros are excellent.
The problem I had when I listened to all 13 songs was that the intros were great, but the verses on most were long and very similarly structured, almost template-like. The hooks on some of the chorus's were short or seemed part of the verses. The Price was different because there was something different that broke the mold and didn't follow the same verse structure, and it got quickly to the hook, and the hook sounded great. I think there is a lot of good stuff here to salvage, the verses stood out for me because they seemed labored when compared to the intros, the choruses and the instrumental solos and overall quality of the songs.

[JR Loman]

Thanks Len911: I have some stuff in the works with verse/chorus/verse and variations. I will also be doing some slicing and dicing on the stuff you listened to with an arranger track, along with stripping out all the automation, effects, dynamics and trying some default compression and eq for various instruments and vocals. By the way, the only songs that have some actual guitar are
I Know You’re Out There & If It’s So Bad. Every thing else was done with keyboard. The bass, harmonica, drums, elect. Guitar w/ gain. That’s my keyboard, but you probably knew that already.
I like that you like the Price, there’s something real for me within that song.
Thanks for Your Thoughts,

JR Loman

www.taxi.com/jrloman

[bwd]

Hi JR. Your style is definitely in the Art Rock area. "Angel In Waiting" reminds me of early Genesis / Prog Rock. I'd make your vocals a lot drier. "Answers To Why" sounds like something from a musical. I can hear the Steely Dan influence in "Burning Man". Fagen and Becker would make the groove a little funkier and would leave a lot more space in the arrangement though. I agree that all your intros are really cool. I skipped through to "The Price". I like the curve of the melody. I like to hear this song more stripped down with a more contemporary groove, acoustic guitar and a drier vocal. I'm 55 and , even though I still play in a cover band doing some solid gold and some top 40, I still have to come to terms with the fact that I easily slip into a timewarp comfort zone if I don't push myself to be a little more "now". It's a challenge - but it's fun! Cheers, Doug

[JR Loman]

Thanks Doug Campbell:
I’m starting to see a trend here and this should be very useful. I guess you can’t hide where you came from. I’m 57 years young and the music of the sixties was cool but the transition to the seventies was phenomenal. Anyway your comments I will take to heart. I’m reading the “I like the intros” as I really like the wrapping on my present but the gift isn’t that special or taking a bite into chocolate and finding something sour inside. Bummer! I am enjoying some acts of today though, such as, COLDPLAY, DAUGHTRY, ONE REPUBLIC, NEON TREES, SHINY TOY GUNS, 30 SECONDS TO MARS, FOO FIGHTERS, ARCADE FIRE, FIVE FOR FIGHTING, GREEN DAY, LIFEHOUSE, PARAMORE, SHINEDOWN, THREE DAYS GRACE, NICKLEBACK, THE SCRIPT, ROLLING STONES. (Woops) well I guess some Stones influence would be OK anytime. Then again, music from the 80's & 90's still seems current to me. Funny how the decades fly when you get to be this age. Speaking of that, I better hurry up before I stop breathing. Man, this is a rude awakening!

I’m Still Breathing,
JR Loman

www.taxi.com/jrloman

[fret17]

Thanks Doug Campbell:
I’m starting to see a trend here and this should be very useful. I guess you can’t hide where you came from. I’m 57 years young and the music of the sixties was cool but the transition to the seventies was phenomenal. Anyway your comments I will take to heart. I’m reading the “I like the intros” as I really like the wrapping on my present but the gift isn’t that special or taking a bite into chocolate and finding something sour inside. Bummer! I am enjoying some acts of today though, such as, COLDPLAY, DAUGHTRY, ONE REPUBLIC, NEON TREES, SHINY TOY GUNS, 30 SECONDS TO MARS, FOO FIGHTERS, ARCADE FIRE, FIVE FOR FIGHTING, GREEN DAY, LIFEHOUSE, PARAMORE, SHINEDOWN, THREE DAYS GRACE, NICKLEBACK, THE SCRIPT, ROLLING STONES. (Woops) well I guess some Stones influence would be OK anytime. Then again, music from the 80's & 90's still seems current to me. Funny how the decades fly when you get to be this age. Speaking of that, I better hurry up before I stop breathing. Man, this is a rude awakening!

I’m Still Breathing,
JR Loman

http://www.taxi.com/jrloman

Hi JR....I understand the feeling that time is against us....that the music world and how it now conducts business is all changed....that older musicians are so stuck in their ways and behind the times, that we have nothing to offer.....that is simply not true.... commercial song construction and the basics of lyric writng hasn't changed all that much....I think there is more opportunity today than ever....you just have to have a clear picture of what you are trying to accomplish with your music and focus on that....you also have to be able to not BS yourself into thinking you can compete in an area where you are weakest...If you want your art to be heard and have people buy it, you should be doing all those things people do to promote themselves on the net....Web page..itunes...tunescore etc....but if you want to submit to listings on Taxi, you have a great chance to write specifically for the listings you feel are your strengths and improve as you go...you have to be comfortable with the fact that you may never get to those dreams we all want musically...to be successful and make tons of money...they're unrealistic and cause frustration and anger and self pity....there's nothing wrong with trying to reach a goal..but when they're set too high, it's a setup for dissappointment.....If you truely want to compete commercially, and haven't already, start by reading books on how to successfully accomplish that goal...hook up with local songwriters in your area...look for songwriting classes that may be going on in your area...in otherwords...take a different approach with the right attitude....and stop saying your material is crap...if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will....don't give up...dig deeper in yourself, there's gold waiting there...

[JR Loman]

Tom:
I appreciate the encouraging word and your patients with me. Sometimes words in print without expression or music, come off different then they where meant to. The fact of the matter is for the first time in (two + years), since this past road rally and this forum, someone’s finally listening to my music and I’m saying everything I’ve said with a smile on my face. I’m finally getting what I so desperately needed. (The good) to encourage me (and I’ve receive plenty of that, Thank You) and the bad (to whip me into shape and drive me to learn more). So if I sounded like Debbie Downer,( oh look the black cloud just went away) that’s just my humor.
On a more serious note, I can only hope that someday I will be able to help someone out as you have all so unselfishly given of yourselves.

Sincerely,
JR Loman

www.taxi.com/jrloman