Just Like Rock-N-Roll by psexnyc
Genre: Rock & Roll
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Attribution-NoDerivs
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Keywords:
writer's block (1), rock-n-roll (3), performance anxiety (1), stage fright. (1)
Description:
This final version of the song that used to be called "Ummm" would not be possible if not for the contributions of Allen Dean on Bass Guitar and the rapping of Spitlogic. Many thanks to you guys for helping me out with this tune. This was a fun project, once I finally got over my creativity block.
Many thanks to Vic Diesel, announcer and Bob Rodgers for hooking me up with some Bass lines.
Hope you all enjoy this one!
Many thanks to Vic Diesel, announcer and Bob Rodgers for hooking me up with some Bass lines.
Hope you all enjoy this one!
Lyrics:
Just Like Rock-N-Roll by psexnyc
featuring Allen Dean - Bass Guitar
featuring Spitlogic - Rap
©2008 Phil Sexton
Keep your mind wide open.
And those ideas flowing.
Never mind the direction that its going.
Just get it all down.
Don't interrupt the flow.
Be ready to deliver steady just like rock and roll.
(Verse 1)
I think I got the blues
Please Tell me How'd this happened
Can't seem to find my groove
Might as well start nappin.
But my mind's in a cage
Can't find the words to explain
Frustration turns into rage
Something's blocked in my brain.
(Chorus)
Keep your mind wide open.
And those ideas flowing.
Never mind the direction that you find it going.
Just get it all down.
Don't interrupt this flow.
Be ready to deliver steady just like rock and roll.
(Verse 2)
Its time to hit the stage
Standing bright in that spotlight
My hands don't want to play
My head just does not feel right
Feeling weak in the knees
Butterflies in my chest
I think that I'm gonna freeze
From all of this rising stress
(Chorus)
Keep your mind wide open.
And those ideas flowing.
Never mind the direction that you find it going.
Just get it all down.
Don't interrupt this flow.
Be ready to deliver steady just like rock and roll.
(Bridge)
I think I got this
I think I can do this
I think I can handle this
(Bridge Verse)
But the feeling remains
Trapped in my brains
I got to find a way to let go!
(Guitar Solo 1)
(Chorus)
Keep your mind wide open.
And those ideas flowing.
Never mind the direction that you find it going.
Just get it all down.
Don't interrupt the flow.
Be ready to deliver steady just like rock and roll.
(SpitLoigic's Lyrical Flow):
Words seem to loose me
Though my pen is willing, at times the paper would rather sit and refuse me
Even switching to loose leaf proved to be in vain
Tried leaving my girl just so I'd feel some pain
But my mind is blocked
As I look at my watch and counting down until its time to rock
Its like I'm in a dryer trying to find a sock
It's the lack of inspiration, combined with shock
I am sitting on edge, feeling unprepared
Like the heart of my manager, its nothing there
What the hell can I do, they're expecting a show
And if I don't get it right then they're neglecting the doe
But am I here to get paid
Or am I here to just blaze
And come though like ghost rider, lighting up the stage
Release your inhibition, writing up the page
All the joy and the peace and the pain and the rage.
So here I stand
This guitar in hand
I'm ready to release
But before I play
Let me get this out the way
Cuz I'm gonna find some peace within
Standing on this stage
Bright lights in my face
I'm feeling the power of Rock and Roll
So now I close my eyes
Let my pressure rise
All the way to the top
Pass the point of no return
(Guitar Solo 2)
(Refrain
Hardware:
eMacFender Stratocaster
Software:
GarageBandYou must be registered and logged-in to comment.
Feter
just Great Rockin ..and perfect Colab ...killin
guitar and arrangment with brilliant Bass work !
KUDOS !!!!
psexnyc
Thanks for the comments too!
apb
Excellent collab- reminded me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (in some of the vocal melodies), some Faith No More (even perhaps Beastie Boys and a little Tom Morello) in the guitars and some Living Color (with the more bluesy touch)... but this is much more than the sum of the parts .. which are all top notch. Hats off to you, Allen and Mitchell.
One little idea/tweak I thought was to effect those spoken parts 01:39 "oh yeah man, those sound like some great ideas but.." so they sound more like a telephone call and the 02:32 "I think I got this" section I would have lifted the oomph factor a little just for that part.
psexnyc
Thanks for the comments and the Tweaks!
I thought about those spoken parts, I took them out at one point but I felt as though I need to keep them. Then I considered creating an "environment" for the spoken parts. I wanted it to sound like the character was sitting at a table rustling papers trying to write a song...but I didn't attempt it. I just left it like it is. Your tweak is an interesting idea though, gives me a good excuse to dive deeper into GBs vocal efx. That "oomph" factor....give me about 2 more months of these online vocal exercises I'm doing and we'll see if I can get my breathing right to get that oomph going on!
I'm gonna listen to some Faith No More and RHCP and gather some ideas.
craft
Great souding guitar.. Your voice reminds me Prince and Lenny Kravitz... maybe a inch of RHCP too.. Spitlogic rhymes, flow and cuts sounds handsome too.. I love it
psexnyc
Thanks for the vocal comments. If I had a shred of any of those guy's talent......hmmmm......I wonder where I'd be now.
Now it's time for our collaborations! I will let you know when I got the first song done!
ktb
The bass lines are phreakin great. The guitar is nice and crunchy. Vocals are outstanding. 10's to all involved. Love the direction
The only thing I can pick on a bit is that I thought the mixing could be better and a few off pitch notes on vocals in the beginning. Maybe a little more funk on that rock and roll. Otherwise, I really liked the sound and the songwriting. Really good overall performance.
guygrooves
How this came together WOW what an evolution. This is very good. Great job on all levels I love the addition of the rap. It really pushes the next level. Great job on the bass Allen could come up a bit in the mix. Spitlogic has some serious Rhymin skills. Kudos all around guy's.
Peace
Guy
sloparts
This is way cool. Not being a Rap kinda guy, I'm not much into what I've heard on the radio, but this is a whole different kinda gig man.
Love the overall feel of this and the way it makes you want to move. It's a get up ofa yo a__ and boogie kinda drive you got going on here.
I agree with guygrooves about the bass needed up i the mix a little, but Alan did a great job on the bass line, So did you P on the Ax my friend.
Great track guys, love it,
Be well and be cool,
Ed
Relic67
this was great. huge sound. like others have said you could turn up the bass some to make it perfect.
does sound a bit like lenny kravitz but probably better! killer guitar solos.
the rap section was genius too.
superb post.
announcer
Love the piece but I wonder what gear you are using and what your setup is. Here is why I ask the question: The vocals sound really hot in the treble and the bass sounds a little weak. I wonder these conditions are the result of some weakness or bias in your monitor system.
BTW this is a great collab.
psexnyc
My setup is pretty simple. My guitar is plugged directly into my eMac's USB port by way of a Sound Tech LightSnake Guitar/Keyboard USB cable I picked up from Target's.
My vocals are captured directly into the eMac by the eMac's onboard pinhole microphone.
That's it. That's my setup. If I use my acoustic guitar, I capture it the same way I do vocals. I figure out the distance I need to stay away from the mic, make sure my livingroom is reasonably quiet and I hit the record button.
After all is recorded, I spend large, large amounts of time fiddling with the various GB eq's and compression settings and I get into each individual track to adjust the volumes throughout. And then I export it out to iTunes where I then convert it and upload it to MJ.
My eMac is running at 800MHz, so the more real instrument tracks I have, the more problems I have with "slow disk speed". I end up having to "lock" tracks while futzing with others. Plus, the longer my computer is running while connected to the USB cable, "latency" issues arise, causing me to restart the whole computer. I re-start often.
So that's my set up and that's my process.
I do know that if I keep hanging around MJ, my recording equipment is going to eventually evolve. Case in point, my wife has approved my future purchase of an up to date Mac laptop. I am waiting for the Christmas season to go purchase it.
psexnyc
Seems like I started with no bass and ended up with Low Bass. I used the same .mp3 file "Ummm w/Allen Dean on Bass" mix,(that was previously posted here) to complete this version. I liked the way the bass sounded on that mix and just re-imported the file back into GB as opposed to going the original GB file. On another GB file that contained the vocal tracks, I exported out just the vocals and converted it into a .mp3 and re-imported it into GB right under the "Ummm w/A.D." and adjusted the volumes and set the master track to Pop > R&B and viola!! The result is "Just Like Rock-N-Roll".
All my mixing was done thru a decent pair of Sony headphones. Now that I have listened to this track thru my iPod headphones, I can hear where parts of the vocals become loud or very high in the treble area. I haven't heard this song on a full fledge stereo system yet, but judging from the comments, it sounds like the bass is seriously lacking. So it looks like I will be revisiting my mixing strategies again this week and the on coming weekend to see if I can get a better handle on this.
Thanks everybody for helping me make the most of this song!! I truly appreciate the comments and any suggestions on some mix down strategies and recipes!!
announcer
Seems like there should be a pretty smooth mix from the setup you mention especially the monitoring. I would have expected you to say that you were monitoring through a home system that often has hyped bass and that you turned it down because of that. What sony phones? Phones can give you a false mix but if they are sony 7506s or something similar they should be pretty good. I'll be anxious to hear what you get when you get the new gear, cause you do a hellof a job with your modest set up.
five_extra_arms
You guys are amazing!
Your lyrics and swirling vocals are very original. The back and forth style swapping between the best of rock and hip hop and all parts between. Back up vox are perfect. Your strat is smoking and AD's bass has big metal ones to anchor this killer tune. I like the simple beats and the scratching sounds because the really let everything else showcase.
Guys, I'm really impressed with this amazing production.
egobandit
been following the progression and this just kicks ass very cool. Your singing has the right attitude and range. Im keepin my mind open Very cool!
egobandit
adds a dimension I didnt see comin!
psexnyc
Spitlogic hooked me up hard with his contribution! On my own, I never conceived of the idea of having a rap session involved in the song. I simply did not hear it in my imagination. Spitlogic apparently did and he spit it out and I mixed it in. He totally brought this song to the next level.....and boy do I appreciate it!
This is great. Love that nasty Strat sound. Great vocal performances. The bass was cool, but I think you could bring it up a notch, just to drive the funk a little harder. I would probably cut the shaker(?) every once in a while, and let the cymbals take over, 1-2-3-4 on a bell cymbal would be funkier, or double that on a ride or hihat -- a little variation. Funk it up, man. It already kicks ass though.
Bob Rodgers
love the completed song Phil!!
This sounds great! I love your vocals and Allen Dean's wonderful bass lines!
An excellent collab and very much enjoyed!
Bob
Ibstrat
is extremely cool- great contributions from everybody!
Great rockin collab gentlemen!
Great to hear you back in action psex!
Git yer ya ya's out people!
Be well!
psexnyc
Thanks Michael!! I'm trying to get back into MJ as best as I can!! It seems my time here is "come and go", but I am working on it....but when life calls, it calls and my phone is ringing off the hook right now these past 10 months! I might disappear again soon, but when I come back, I coming with more tunes and hopefully some better song mixing skills!!!
lengold
that this would turn out so fantastically good. Love it. Downloaded.
Cheers
Len
Char
But, this has more dimension to it because of the great sounds and because there is singing. It is a wonderful piece, Phil. Sounds like a party. Thanks for inviting me.
davisamerica
this is perfect man ... absolutely perfect and you Rock!!
davisamerica
Thanks for the download ... i did!
dajama
This sounds great. The sound and production is top-notch - great sound and really cool mix. The guitar is superb throughout - nice tone and playing. I really like the vocals and the panned voices work very well. Very nice. I think the back and forth between the spoken part and the sung part is very effective. Bass rocks! Nice job, Allen Dean! And I love the rapping section - Spitlogic at his free-flowing best. Very cool. Nicely done. Peace.
VicDiesel
This is a very cool version. Sort-of rapped in places, and sung in others, your vocals go very well over that rocking guitar part.
Moviz
terrific recording this is and I'm really impressed with the vocals as well as all the excellent instrumental accompaniment from all who collabed on this. I just love it all, even the 'chicke-paw-paw' bit LOL, for me it's 'radio ready, but sorry I'm late with this response; I was on my hols, cheers M
psexnyc
Late is good too!! Thanks for popping by!!
wurzel
This really floats my boat. Super tune and collaboration.
I played it through a pretty large sound system, and the only thing that let it down was the slightly weak bass.
psexnyc
Thanks Wurzel!! I got to fix this!
peacepiano
Vocals very up front. Works well. At first I wanted the guitars louder, but the more I listened the more I didn't want to miss one word! With all that you have going on, you still came up with a clear mix that lets those beats drive the song.
Thanks
Bill
drakonis
I like the way the flow of words tends to slosh from one side to the other as we are propelled down the musical sluice. Again, great music writing and playing, good to see Allen cranking on this, and Spitlogic always delivers :-) Good mix, enjoyed the spread stereo harmony near the end.
ttfn,
Drakonis
HenriROGERsoloandbands
Powerfull track , with lots of good ideas .
You all did a great job .
This track ROCKS! I've been so tied up with work lately, I know I'm missing some killer tunes like this one. Thanks for the note, otherwise this might have slipped by me. Definitely a download- nice job guys!
timothy devine
the ''spit'' vocal is always a cool addition.
This is very hip.
I really dig the chorus lyric
the music is fine/real fine
the guitar solo stands out
and the harmony on the vocal is adding nice phat-ness to your vox
great sound overall
the mix has a nice feel
the jammin guitars are awesome
nice collab
pro
Vic Holman
oh yeah, this is now complete. I heard a couple of the other versions. Cool to catch up on this version. dang! great job to all involved
Bob6stringer
To borrow a trite saying: THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT. ...or try this one: THAT IS HOW IT IS DONE. Killer Guitars once ruled, still rule and will always rule the world.
The vocals couldn't be better mated to this tune, the funk, the riffing and powerful rhythm underneath it all. The genre-crossing funk-hop elements provide a timeless and broad appeal. I'm not just blowin' fumes here, I mean it. And thanks for the download.
Skean
This totally ROCKS.... Hove good can a song be? nice collab great result THX for the download... Cheers
racerat
psex,
Came by after listening to your MJRF submission just to see how far you have come in the last couple years...man, holy frijoles your axe chops and mixing chops have grown light years. This thing is epic! I am particularly impressed after reading about your process and recording setup. Just goes to show, it's all about the inspiration! Thanks.--P
psexnyc
Thank you! I really appreciate it. It has been a very fun, frustrating, interesting, impossible, inspirational and awesome journey since I first uploaded to MacJams. I find it unbelievable and satisfying what this web community has done to me, my guitars and my computer. And comments like yours lets me know that this is worth my while.
Jutta
I like the guitar-work and the whole song. As if you read my thoughts.
Jutta
I like the guitar-work and the whole song. As if you read my thoughts.