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Description:
Carlo and I have been working on a new song or two and we have come to the stage in the development of this song (in progress) where feedback is appreciated. We invite all criticism and concerns.
Thanks,
Bob
Lyrics:
SPECTATOR LENS
YOU THINK THEY’RE LOOKING AT YOU,
THEY’RE NOT LOOKING AT YOU.
WELL, MAYBE THEY’RE LOOKING AT YOU,
WITH CYCLOPS EYEGLASS RED
GONE CUCKOO, GONE CRACKERS.
GONE CUCKOO, GONE CRACKERS.
CH] SPECTATOR LENS, SHOOTING FOOTAGE
FOR THE CAMERAHEAD;
BUT THEN AGAIN, SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE
MUST BE WATCHING
YOU THINK THEY’RE LOOKING AT YOU,
THEY’RE NOT LOOKING AT YOU.
WELL, MAYBE THEY’RE LOOKING AT YOU,
WITH CYCLOPS EYEGLASS RED
IT’S A STADIUM FILLED WITH EMPTY SEATS,
A MONUMENT OF MUTE CONCRETE.
CH] SPECTATOR LENS, SHOOTING FOOTAGE
FOR THE CAMERAHEAD;
BUT THEN AGAIN, SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE
MUST BE WATCHING
br/solo]
WE ARE REDUCED BY THE EYE,
DON’T NEED NO FILM ANYMORE.
IGNORANT OF CONSENT TO
BROADCAST ALL THE TIME—
IT DEADENS THE SENSES OR
BROADENS CONSCIOUSNESS?
WHO KNOWS THE CONCLUSION
OF THIS EXPERIMENT?
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
CH] SPECTATOR LENS, SHOOTING FOOTAGE
FOR THE CAMERAHEAD;
BUT THEN AGAIN, SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE
MUST BE WATCHING
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Spectator Lens &mdash 09/03/08 - 05:58:50 AM
the Punk festy end right ? the vocal singing just
fabulous my friend ...great live music here ...
ROCK ON !!! [ Reply to This ]
Punk Fest &mdash 09/03/08 - 09:04:34 AM
Thanks Feter. I think Carlo has a great voice too, but you should see him live! He redefines the concept of an "Action Figure". [ Reply to This ]
Devo like &mdash 09/03/08 - 06:03:32 AM
Very interesting. Acoustic guitar and lots of synthy bits and bobs. Almost defiantly lo-fi :)
I guess it depends on what you want. There's a lot of things going on but I don't get the feeling of a coherent whole as yet.
It works as a quirky song with lots of ideas and really does remind me of Devo.
Lacks any bass kick but whether that's how it was designed I don't know.
I really like it as it is but I'd put some heavier bass in.
Dunno if this has helped!
Cheers
Dick [ Reply to This ]
We Are All DEVO &mdash 09/03/08 - 09:28:51 AM
Thanks for the valuable comments Dick. I was hoping to hear from you actually.
I agree there are a few places that haven't completely gelled as yet.
I intentionally held back on the bass, playing very sporadically rather than throughout the whole song. I have a muted track of my original idea which was just a typical rock and roll bassline with no surprises. I'm thinking I'll have to find a middle ground between the safety of what works and the edginess that I so desire. It needs a good mix too to thicken up the bottom.
Carlo hasn't heard it yet and I'm curious what he'll think about it. He might ask me to punch the Ratt pedalon my bassline.
Thanks Dick. This helps immensely. [ Reply to This ]
Your explanation &mdash 09/05/08 - 11:26:45 AM
about the bass makes perfect sense and it does add to the spacious feel.
Mind you when it does come in then I'd make it heavy :)
Listened again I really do like this as it is anyway.
Cheers
Dick
[ Reply to This ]
I do &mdash 09/03/08 - 06:10:43 AM
like this lo-fi, rough and ready, sound. I'm listening through some 'not so good' headphones so it's hard to judge really - it does sound quite sparce - but I rather like that... Interesting and original as ever.
Peter [ Reply to This ]
Rough And Ready &mdash 09/03/08 - 10:06:28 AM
Thanks Peter. One of the reasons I'm not playing a bassline through the entire song is to preserve some of that spaciousness. I still like Carlo's voice out in the middle with nothing to support it. It just belongs there.
So how are ya these days? Good I hope. Thanks for your 2 pounds worth. I appreciate it.
Bob [ Reply to This ]
who knows the conclusion of this &mdash 09/03/08 - 06:35:19 AM
experiment ? I've never heard anything like it. it's on a planet of its own. Like Dick, I feel things arrive on different planes- maybe because of sound levels between guitar and synths at the beginning - though for me they gel at some point ( the cukoo crakers/part, the backing vocals on the empty seats, the bridge)and get really good.
i'm not too nuts about the big drums alone before the chorus, though I like it on the talk-over bridge and in the end.
great violent-femmes-like singing and synth noises.
You guys are crazy. [ Reply to This ]
Who Cares? &mdash 09/03/08 - 10:17:07 AM
Carlo really put a ton of work into this song long before he sent it to me, so I didn't get to sing back ups like I had hoped too. Oh yeah, I tried, but having heard his backups, mine were useless. I did use my famous Ghost Shepherd vocal trick at about 2:40 for the talkie parts (copied the vocal track - pasted it into a new track and dropped the pitch with the Vocal Transformer). Is that an effective use of the pitch drop to lower his voice?
I'm undecided about the big drums alone before the chorus. A decade ago we had a song where we used a clanging aluminum drum and I think Carlo was after that. I like it in the other parts, but not so much in the part you mentioned. Thanks for addressing one of my big concerns.
Crazy?
Guilty as charged. [ Reply to This ]
It's nice... &mdash 09/03/08 - 11:10:08 AM
...in this minimalist style. Enough changes to keep it interested. Lyrics are cool...
If anything, as far as changes; maybe work that distortion in, far in the distance, before the solo, and building up. Then throw it in, occasionally, in the end verse.
But I think it's cool as is, too... [ Reply to This ]
Work That Distortion In &mdash 09/03/08 - 01:53:45 PM
Hey Bob, thanks for your thoughts. I thought to myself that I may need to grind the edges off of the grinding edge.
I am glad to hear from you. [ Reply to This ]
I'm &mdash 09/03/08 - 12:11:09 PM
an idiot. But I love this as it is. I'm sure whatever changes you put in will make it even better. I like the absence of low end. the REALLY fuzzy bass (i think) that comes in at 2:41 is great.
I get wicked excited to see new Telephone Booth material roll in. What I like so much about you two is how original and unexpected the songs are. So where they may "lack" certain elements, that's what helps set them apart.
I won't say "Don't change a thing" because I'm sure if you did change something, it would only add to the song. [ Reply to This ]
Idiot &mdash 09/03/08 - 02:04:05 PM
Wow man, you officially made my day. Thanks for the support. It's like when we used to play out in Tampa, there were always about 6 or 7 people at our shows (or less) and one time there was a guy we saw at a previous show and he was rockin' out trying to sing along and we thought, "hey! That guy's our first fan!!" Of course we never saw him again, but the moment was magical, even if it turned out that he was there to see the headliner.
Thanks again for the vote of confidence, the good comments and for letting us know that there might be halfway to a double digit fan base!
[ Reply to This ]
haha &mdash 09/03/08 - 02:56:43 PM
My band used to play and the security would outnumber the audience. You just never know when the two guys watching football highlights would get out of control. When that would happen we were too embarrassed to go collect our pay. Perhaps Tampa just doesn't know what it's got. F*ck Tampa. I'm rocking out. [ Reply to This ]
yeah &mdash 09/03/08 - 03:29:05 PM
damn this is cool. like early jane's addiction but with better vocals and cooler stuff going on. love this. I like the rawness of it and maybe the only thing I'd change is the drums. they don't seem to live up to the rest of the song's energy - though I do really like the big drums at the end. other than that, a fave. really good, loving the telephone booth stuff. [ Reply to This ]
Big Drums In The End &mdash 09/04/08 - 03:15:51 PM
It seems that we've always been draw to kind of live raw feel when we write songs. I'd stink in a real recording studio if I had to play my parts til perfection. I really enjoy a stray note and a squeak here and there. Now the synths on the other hand... I'm a stickler for those. It's a drawing for me so every midi note matters and trust me, I touch every one of them. Oh yeah, duh, you held the actual GB file from verse versus chorus. I'm sure you looked under the hood for hours. I'm waiting for your songs to start sounding like mine.
Thanks Ridd. [ Reply to This ]
watching the man &mdash 09/03/08 - 09:27:48 PM
Devo yes I hear that. and those wicked synths are cool.
Some good points are made. but you know some times you have to rip off the shirts and let it hang out. there is a lot of really good stuff here.
The fast synth sound is that programmed or just all those extra arms working into a frenzy? It's real cool. and yeah I can see incorporating that Rat pedal on the bass in places. [ Reply to This ]
Midi Figgited Synth Tracks &mdash 09/04/08 - 03:24:31 PM
I have a few "secret" "patented" techniques that I use when writing a whacked out synth track. Sometimes I start with my Oxygen 8 and just try something nuts and ALWAYS go back and fix every single midi note, usually not using a single one originally played. Another trick I do is move that track to someplace it ought not to be in the arrangement. It sometimes sounds better in a place that I would never guess. I let accidents happen around me and I just modify them if they sound interesting. My other patented secret technique is to drag a green midi drum loop up into a synth track and modify it. If you use simple midi drum loops, like egg shakers or maracas, you'll be able to duplicate any of my extraordinary manic synth leads. But I can't give you any real details, because all of this is secret and patented.
Anyone that wants to see exactly what I'm talking about, just ask and I'll send you the actual GB file.
RATT Pedal! Thanks Vic! [ Reply to This ]
oh.... I get it &mdash 09/04/08 - 05:02:08 PM
I won't tell a soul on what you just wrote about your patented super secret [ Reply to This ]
Patented Secret Stuff &mdash 09/04/08 - 09:09:56 PM
Thanks Vic. If anyone ever discovered my secret, there'd be at least 2 extra five extra arms too many.
Thanks for your commitment to secrecy.
[ Reply to This ]
fi-lo-fi-fum &mdash 09/03/08 - 10:16:58 PM
Bob and Carlo,
Love the lo-fi take on this. The claen-no verb guitar is refreshing. I think the best thing about this apart from the crazy ass synths is the delivery of the vocals, really energetic and honest. OMG the guitar just came in distorto-matic in a RAT pedal kind of way. Really inventive and original.
P [ Reply to This ]
No Verb Guitar &mdash 09/04/08 - 03:41:22 PM
As long as Carlo and I have been friends, I can't think of one time when he lied to me, so I'd say his vocal delivery is honest and definitely super hyper energetic.
We both like the strummy jangly guitar sounds he makes and we try hard to avoid to many typical tendencies to write a predictable song. I'm not good at that anyway, so I'll go crazy and try to build a volume of work under the difficult listening catagory that Simon wants to add.
Thanks for your comments Phil. You know what you're talking about! [ Reply to This ]
Raw and.... &mdash 09/04/08 - 02:14:26 AM
Minimalist....Quirky and big drums. I personally love the use of big drums in this song. It's the drums and the vocal delivery that hold my attention. I'd like the song even more if the bass guitar was thumping as hard as those big drums were bumping. [ Reply to This ]
Quirky Minimalists &mdash 09/04/08 - 03:44:07 PM
Thanks psexnyc. I agree with you about the need for thumping bass guitars. I'm gonna plug in the RATT and turn everything up on the heavy side.
Thanks for the useful comments. [ Reply to This ]
I really &mdash 09/04/08 - 09:59:02 AM
like this, as is. I get what some are saying about a slightly disjointed feel in the earlier parts of the song. The guitar sound on the verse stabs is also a little raw for my taste, but that's not a criticism, just a taste thing. The vocal is very cool, and i really like the drums. The bass that is there is really nice; pump it up! Great lyrics, and terrific energy. Can't wait to hear where this goes. Peace. [ Reply to This ]
Pump It Up!! &mdash 09/04/08 - 03:47:10 PM
Thank David.
We'll continue to work this out. The comments we've received already are a true blessing. I can only imagine what Sgt Pepper would've sounded like if the Beatles had you guys to bounce their ideas off of. The album could've gone gold and they'd be a household name.
[ Reply to This ]
crazy synth &mdash 09/04/08 - 02:58:53 PM
this has tons of energy carlo sounds a bit like robert smith. very complex and simple at the same time breakin new ground [ Reply to This ]
Crazy Synth &mdash 09/04/08 - 04:19:43 PM
Hey Tim,
when are we going to get together again?
I miss ya man.
Bob
PS - thanks for the comments. Coming from a ground breaker like you, this means a lot. Kiss that baby for me. [ Reply to This ]
JEEPERS &mdash 09/05/08 - 10:06:47 AM
I should do a cover of this one.
Punk on you rock punker.
Punkalicious.
Dave [ Reply to This ]
PEEPERS &mdash 09/09/08 - 08:02:00 AM
great track &mdash 09/05/08 - 05:53:33 PM
i like the sparse bass, but would probably make it a bit bigger when it is in (god i love a Rat pedal). i like the real drums when they come in, and the synths are freaking me out they're so good. this is 98% of the way there. you guys are incredible. [ Reply to This ]
Big Bass &mdash 09/09/08 - 08:04:13 AM
Thanks m2 - we've been working on it this weekend and it's really sounding bigger.
I'll post the new version as soon as it's done.
Thanks all! [ Reply to This ]
Love the &mdash 09/09/08 - 03:51:32 PM
busy synth sounds in my right ear. This sounds really original to me. I like the big drums. I am also missing the bass - but you are right not to just do a usual rock type riff - needs something original sounding (over to you Bob).
The Telephone Booth concept works brilliantly in my opinion.
Cheers
Len
[ Reply to This ]
451 &mdash 09/12/08 - 05:20:09 PM
it is future punk. lyric is reminiscent of a science fiction movie. singing and music conveys feeling well, to escape from the experiment, from being watched and from watching. it is well made music, it squirms. 0x0 [ Reply to This ]
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fabulous my friend ...great live music here ...
ROCK ON !!!
[ Reply to This ]