Who's Online
Invisible Members: 6 Visitors: 57
Past 7 Days
Song Uploads: 153
Song Votes: 513
Song Comments: 1649
Forum Posts: 563
New Members: 73
Participation Points: 7876.45
|
Get Flash to see this player.
Having playback trouble, try the Quicktime player:
 
NoDerivs-NonCommercial
|
|
|
|
|
Description:
This is the type of song that I have always wanted to write. A progressive rock concept piece with a message. I originally posted this in the MJ Forums. It is now time to post "IT" the proper way. I was going to post "IT" on Friday the 13th... but couldn't wait any longer.
"IT" was done entirely in GarageBand 1.1. The violin sound is software instrument "Fiddle (vibrato)" from the AMG Expansion Pack (UK). The organ is the GB "Rock" organ, the guitar is an altered version of the GB "Clean" guitar. Other sounds are from the "Vintage Keys" soundfont. An M-Audio MobilePre was used to power an MXL 990 microphone for vocals. Speedster was used to change the intro voice-over. BTW, I played 80% of the parts on my Keystation! I'm almost ready to retire the pencil tool! LOL!
"IT" is 8 minutes and 48 seconds long! The music was done in one file, and the vocals in another over a period of two weeks. The organ parts and guitar solo were added two weeks later. I think "IT" is done.
Many thanks to Suni, Flange, Ringo, Tobin, Cameron, Pack O Smoke, SlimGirlFat, Penguinsocks, McBoy, Ka_Klick, MCSWeb, Juedm, Alexplank, TKTran, OrangeFizz, Simon, and Miguel (and many others!) for the numerous pre-completion "listens" and critiques! Their suggestions offered were taken into consideration, and used where necessary.
This was the first collaboration with my wife, Suni (who is also a drummer)! She assisted me with the drum sequences, (because I could not "mike" her set effectively). We both wrote the lyrics together. Thank you, SUNI... I love you!
Music ©2004 ALIMAR / A D Ligammari II – All Rights Reserved
Lyrics: ©2004 Alimar and Suni – All Rights Reserved
Lyrics:
It's behind you and it's sharp as a knife.
I'll remind you when you've lost your true sight.
It'll blind you when it shines its true Light.
It'll find you 'cuz it's Larger Than Life!
Listen to me closely, while telling you this tale.
Your ears are mine this moment, reveal the Truth I shall.
Your knight in shining armor, Your damsel in distress.
So see it in its glamour, embrace it with finesse.
It's standing right before you, it's in your every breath.
Inside you it is living, releasing you from death.
So take it not so lightly, your heed is in demand.
The power of suggestion, is stronger in your hand.
It'll blind you when it shines its true Light.
It'll find you cuz it's Larger Than Life!
It lives within your essence, it carries not deceit.
You hear it in the silence, but never in the heat.
You see it in the mirror, which side reflects the Truth?
Now drink the cup of wisdom, for everlasting youth.
You listened ever closely, to voices of this tale.
Your ears were caught in moment, a Truth it did impale.
Your damsel is your armor, your knight is of distress.
In hopes you saw its glamour, give freely to the rest.
Hardware:
17" PowerBook 1Ghz 1Gig RAM
Software:
GarageBand 1.1 exclusively
|
Proud to be the first &mdash 08/12/04 - 12:35:34 PM
to comment on this...
How much did you change from the original? It's either
much improved or I'm in a different frame of mind. This is
awesome. Sounds to me like you added some vocal
tracks-- like a bass harmony, which really fills out the
vocal sound. Also, I don't remember such a great guitar
solo-- and how you pulled that off one note at a time is
beyond me. You've got a total package here-- great
composition, great execution. I love it! 10s. [ Reply to This ]
Proud to be the first &mdash 08/12/04 - 12:54:18 PM
Thanks, MOMO! I appreciate the comments. I went back into this one because
I remember Tobin saying it could use some organ parts. So I labored over
how to accomplish it. Once I did that... I really wanted a guitar solo. It took
two days for the solo!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Very Ambitious &mdash 08/12/04 - 12:53:15 PM
I'm patient with sequencing, but not tht patient!!! I won't
comment on production 'cause i listened to it on my
powerbook but I'm sure it's fab.
[ Reply to This ]
Very Ambitious &mdash 08/12/04 - 01:05:56 PM
Thanks, DC. I know how much time you spend on your songs. I can't wait til
you post! And, CONGRATS on the new baby girl!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Too over the top for me &mdash 08/12/04 - 12:59:19 PM
There are some great sounds going on in this. Particularly
the snare guitar at the 1/4 mark. The production is really
open and big. Great 'tron sound. Is that a prepackaged
software instrument?
The lyrics don't do it for me. Pretty corny, I gotta say.
Thanks for not mentioning unicorns. The deep distorted
vocals that open it are an overused cliche. Stop it. I like
your voice untreated. Sing more.
There are some drum strikes in the intro that are way off.
There are less obvious recurring drum missteps
throughout as well.
It's just too dang long. I'm all for long prog epics, you
know that about me, I'm sure. But it's very difficult to
hold the listeners ear for that long. Think about the
similar length Genesis song "One for the Vine". A long
song has to have melodic variety, compelling and
seamless transitions and tempo adjustments that "It" just
doesn't have.
This is incredibly ambitious project. I recognize the work
that went into it. My hat's off to you.
Move on to some new pieces. [ Reply to This ]
Too over the top for me &mdash 08/12/04 - 01:28:47 PM
Hey Troy, great to hear from you. The mere fact that you spent nine minutes
listening is enough for me.
The Mellotron sounds are a "Vintage Keys" soundfont.
The offbeat drums are something I couldn't put my finger on... they were
intentionally offbeat... maybe that's bad. ???
The lyrics may seem corny because everytime someone expresses an internal
truth or emotion, most people turn away. These words are from the heart of
hearts. Prayers are considered corny... but I am surprised at how well, and
often they work. There are no such things as unicorns.
Tobin, Cameron and another friend suggested an interlude to be a "change-
up" in the middle... to set a new sonic palette... or melodic variety... but I
couldn't get the right feel.
Thanks for the tip of your hat!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
No speakers at WORK &mdash 08/12/04 - 01:09:07 PM
Amazing &mdash 08/12/04 - 03:45:32 PM
The guitar really adds that extra something to this track...
you have such perserverance ...
It is worth sticking with something you believe in and this
is a great track.
(I noticed on the graph that someone took the time to
give an extremely low rating and no comment...
This track outshines many many other tracks on
Macjams..
Its a shame they are not adult/intelligent enough to
provide constructive criticism along with a rating like
that.)
SlimGirlFat
10 10 10 10
[ Reply to This ]
Amazing &mdash 08/12/04 - 03:52:58 PM
Thank you so much, Slimmie. The support that I recieved this past month
from you, and others from MacJams, has given me the strength to perservere
in every aspect of life! MacJammers are Larger Than Life!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Oh yeah! &mdash 08/12/04 - 06:12:21 PM
Very complete, very solid! That's the stuff Prog.
dreams are made of! [ Reply to This ]
Oh yeah! &mdash 08/12/04 - 06:46:18 PM
Thanks, PackO... You were a great help during the process. And more recently
by critiquing the guitar solo! Smoke one for the MacJammers!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
maestro..... &mdash 08/12/04 - 06:37:19 PM
maestro..... &mdash 08/12/04 - 06:48:57 PM
YOU da MAN, McBoy! What's next? Thanks for playing it on your radio show!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
lotsa love in this! &mdash 08/12/04 - 08:31:07 PM
It's obvious there's a lot of love and attention to this. It's
an understatement that this is an exemplary prog-rock
epic!
Obviously a lot of care went into putting this together. I
would have to admit that the lyrics are not exactly my
taste, but I couldn't really figure out what "It" is. My bad, I
guess..
It is a bit long, but that's what most of my friends say
about my songs!
The voice reminds me of Greg Lake. I like it! [ Reply to This ]
lotsa love in this! &mdash 08/12/04 - 08:42:53 PM
Thanks, JB!
Why... you're "IT"... we ALL are, of course! "IT" is as simple to see as the face
on behind one's nose... I love LONG songs.
Also, thanks for the Greg Lake reference!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
D-dah, dah, d-dah. &mdash 08/12/04 - 10:51:08 PM
T2 x 2. Much improved, I agree. I like the Contra middle
part the best. Dare I say Emerson Lake and Palmer? Believe
it or not, some of the vocals remind me of Phish. Great
resolving harmony: "Cuz It's larger than life". Guitar solo
was worth the work. That wasn't seriously just nine
minutes was it? Felt more like 4:30. Yeah, more vocal
stuff. Let's see what you can do!
F-er [ Reply to This ]
D-dah, dah, d-dah. &mdash 08/12/04 - 10:58:20 PM
Thank ya, F-er! Dare you say ELP... SURE! LOL! I will smoke more so to get
that vocal style more improveder... Thank you kind Sir.
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Yes, yes sir e; &mdash 08/13/04 - 01:12:14 AM
Yes, Jethro to Tull you the truth I hear it and many other
influences to this piece. As we are the some total of our
experiences and that to which we have been expoesed.
You have a fine election of quality artist here to this
expression of Yours. Your an artist you don't need to
justify the foundations of your work. It's yours.
You have a voice too or voices three. It should be brought
out a little more over the music. Flaunt that thing, it's a
Real instrument.
There's a lot of time in your work. It shows and is
appreciated. When's the next production? [ Reply to This ]
Yes, yes sir e; &mdash 08/13/04 - 01:27:23 AM
Thank you, Regulus. You are very wise. You know exactly what "IT" is!
This song IS a tribute to all of my influences, including Genesis, YES, Jethro
Tull, ELP, Kansas, The Moody Blues, Jean-Luc Ponty... to name a few.
They have given me inspiration for many years. I am giving them my
interpretation of everything they have taught me.
As for my next composition... soon, very soon.
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Love that wailing guitar &mdash 08/13/04 - 03:48:13 AM
near the beginning. It's so Steve Hackett it's spooky. Well
done on the vocals. Reminds me a bit of "Watcher of the
Skies".
Guitar solo is total SH again....He hasn't moved to Niagara
has he...? Really captures his style perfectly.
Great pic too. Amazing as ever. Dunno what you have for
breakfast but I want some...
Bravissimo Alissimo! [ Reply to This ]
Love that wailing guitar &mdash 08/13/04 - 09:52:42 AM
Ringo, man... you are TOO kind! No, THREE KIND! LOL! You were extremely
instrumental in helping me with this song. After all... I sent it to you, what... a
dozen times?
Thank you, from your American friend.
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
epic proportions &mdash 08/13/04 - 08:25:08 AM
This is a GRAND piece, in scope, material, production and
performance.
Although it is a fairly long composition, it holds together
very well with the various contrasting sections, which
keeps the listening interest high.
You manage to combine the elements of careful
composition/structure with an improvisatory feel, which
creates a very pleasing whole.
Your choice of sounds and the way you combine them is
artful, in a symphonic style. (Of course, I am a fan of
symphonic music in general!)
Your vocals add a great deal of spice and color to the
track.
The only (tiny) thing which I wish were a little different is
the quality of the string sound. It's very, very difficult to
find a good synthesized string patch. You've done very
well with what you've got, though.
I know how hard you worked on this song and I applaud
the hard-won results. It is an inspiration to me!
[ Reply to This ]
epic proportions &mdash 08/13/04 - 10:04:52 AM
Once again, from my French Horn playing compadré, kind words of
encouragement. Thank you, also, for the many listens. Your critiques have
helped considerably! For someone who travels as much as you, finding the
time to participate at MacJams must be taxing. You are one of the most
consistant members there. Can't wait to hear your recorded HARP and HORN!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Your Masterpiece &mdash 08/14/04 - 10:20:00 AM
The ambition here is undeniable. I wanted to wait until
some of the dust settled here before I commented. The
mix of instruments is astonishing, and so is the playing
and writing. The influence of King Crimson and Genesis is
very strong here, which I see as both positive and
negative. Positive in the sense that the music is far more
complex than your average song, but negative in the
sense that much of this has already been done, and makes
the song sound a tad dated even though it's just been
released. Does that make any sense? Of course, if you
write in a classical or jazz genre, you often have the same
problem unless you add a modern twist to the music. I
would like to see the song takes some chances OUTSIDE
of the genre that the old art-rock bands established 30
years ago, and then this piece will be unto itself. 8:9:8:8
The very low ratings on this song are shameful. I have
come to believe the ratings here are worthless and will
continue to be until they are suppressed until after you
vote. You shouldn't even see who the artist is. Who
knows who you've irritated??? LOL [ Reply to This ]
Your Masterpiece &mdash 08/14/04 - 10:46:06 AM
MCS, very eloquently put! Thank you for your honesty. Afterall, who would
know better than someone with a background in actually "performing" this
genre. In the future I will attempt to venture outside the box... a little
further... maybe creating a "new" improved box! As I get more comfortable
with actually "playing" melodies, I am hopeful the "backlog" of musical ideas,
that are in my head, will flow more freely as time goes on.
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Another magnificent epic &mdash 08/14/04 - 04:48:49 PM
Another magnificent epic &mdash 08/14/04 - 06:07:58 PM
Thank you, IG! You have an amazing sound, yourself!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
If you would just . . . &mdash 08/17/04 - 02:29:49 AM
. . . listen to the words of this piece, the message is
interestingly conveyed, which, I choose as being equally
important as the actual Music . . . . the [ big word coming
up . . .] 'congruity' has suspect portions for I am leaned to
think 'Gothic Music' while having a Positive Message
regarding the actual Lyrics of this piece.
Therefore: If I had only listened to this 3 times before
voting, I would have voted more than the 8's I gave it.
Wow - That's a head explosion!
-Cheers! [ Reply to This ]
If you would just . . . &mdash 08/17/04 - 05:58:23 PM
Thanks for coming back to this and listening to the lyrics. The "eights" are
much appreciated. I like that word "congruity". I will add that to my
vocabulary!
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
indeed &mdash 08/18/04 - 12:54:33 AM
This sounds 'Yes'-ish to me--which is great Alimar. I appreciate the content...the only bug I have is the with the string sound, not just the sound but the overall ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) of the strings. If what you did is the intention then disregard this comment. >M again--like the words, nice melodies as well! [ Reply to This ]
indeed &mdash 08/18/04 - 01:11:48 AM
Thank you HandOverGold! I got a lot of resistance to the string sound... from
many people. Cameron suggested I change it on several occasions...LOL. It is
one of the four Mellotron sounds from the SoundFont "Vintage Keys'. I liked it
very much from the beginning... and was driven to keep it the way it is. I
deleted several chords and measures using the "brighter" versions of this
string sound (for you Cam!). As for intention (reluctantly)... YES! BTW, Are you
the singer of HoverG?
---
"If you compose it, they will listen"! [ Reply to This ]
Finally got a moment to comment... &mdash 08/19/04 - 12:01:26 AM
This piece just keeps on giving! Your voice reminds me
so much of Lake... the work you've put into this one really
shines through. Awesome stuff... I'm thoroughly
impressed. As for length... I say the longer the better! Of
course I've always felt that 2112 was a little too short! [ Reply to This ]
Finally got a moment to comment... &mdash 08/19/04 - 11:42:26 PM
Thanks, Gio. It's great hearing from "REAL" musicians! These comments are
so encouraging. Maybe someday I"ll write a ROCK OPERA!
---
"Think outside the box? Naw, create an even BETTER box"! [ Reply to This ]
*applause* &mdash 08/19/04 - 11:09:39 PM
This is remarkable. Sorry it took me this long to hear it...
DSL is devine now that I've got it at home. :)
Miss Chaos [ Reply to This ]
*applause* &mdash 08/19/04 - 11:47:24 PM
MissChaos (Pensive) LOL! Thanks for coming back around to listen, vote and
comment. I realize you have just gotten DSL... Yours ears must be bleeding
from all the listening you have been doing!
---
"Think outside the box? Naw, create an even BETTER box"! [ Reply to This ]
|
|
Friends
iLounge - All things iPod, iTunes and beyond
|
Dish Network - the dish
network limited time bonus offers - get all three
|
|
How much did you change from the original? It's either
much improved or I'm in a different frame of mind. This is
awesome. Sounds to me like you added some vocal
tracks-- like a bass harmony, which really fills out the
vocal sound. Also, I don't remember such a great guitar
solo-- and how you pulled that off one note at a time is
beyond me. You've got a total package here-- great
composition, great execution. I love it! 10s.
[ Reply to This ]