totally agree, but it doesnt change the conversation any.
Robert Plant is best (worst) example. Dude had a great gift of a voice. Smoked, drank, drugged. Didnt warm up etc. Just walked out on stage and used 'Rock and Roll" or “Immigrant Song” as a 'warm up" lol.
How long was that going to last??? About 2 albums worth then it was downhill
Dio never had a lesson and kept his voice until he died. HE did play trumpet which gives a clue…he developed a strong air pressure support system etc
I would say it lasted until after IV, they tried to hide it on Houses of the Holy by speeding it up and on Physical Graffiti by including old songs. Presence sounds all right, but he sounds atrocious on In Through the Out Door. Yes, Dio did keep it up until he died, couldn’t quite hit the high notes anymore, but for the most part he was still spectacular. Same with Kevin DuBrow. Never had a lesson but sounded great when he died. Technique is important though, but not the only factor. I think loving what you do is a huge part of it. Guys like Dio felt metal in their blood, they were the music.
Yes, I can’t be anything else… I came to terms with this fact about 25 years ago…
I am the culmination of my influences and experiences filtered through my abilities and limitations.
No matter what, it always ends up sounding like me… & I’m happy with that, because anything else would be disingenuous.
Gotcha. I see what you’re saying.
What was your rating?
Play sometime??? 
haha. I played like maybe 6 tourneys in my late 40s after not playing for years and I got to like 1862 and just sort of lost interest. The amount of study and headache isnt worth it lol. Me and this young dude used to go at it at starbux playing 5 minute clock games and it would get crazy intense. Lots of ego and trash talking. Id feel like I was going to have a stroke and he said the same lol
I just want to get my head out of my ass and record a few of the songs I’ve written. I don’t care to be tied to a specific genre or anything like that. I know I’m never going to be a multiplatinum artist so I’m not even going to try to fit into anyone else’s mold.
You can’t completely blame me, you’re still too afraid to type out my full username.
That’s understandable, your recordings probably sound murky when you listen like that. I’d like to hear your stuff BigAl, our minds work in a similar fashion I believe.
I’ve spent the last 20 years plodding along with the same band, simply putting together bass lines. I’ve never written a song, but have assisted in producing songs with my fellow bandmates. To be honest, on reflection, I wish I had got into home recording, and this is where my vision is somewhat foggy! I lack the balls to take this venture forward!
Just out of curiosity, have you ever played in a band, or have you always been the one-man band? Maybe if I hadn’t joined a band I would have gone down the home recording route? Unfinished songs? You must meet our guitarist… He’s a master at creating them!
Yes, I am in your fuzzy club! Overall sound? I thought we’d cracked that one until a couple of our songs were bashed on here!
Keep up the good work Jon-Jon
Yes, a big +1 to this from me.
I’ll add that there was a period where I hated things sounding too “normal” but railing against that is in itself contrived and a cliché, so I’ve come to terms with that aspect.
You’ve gotta find new ways to push up against the mainstream. Most people try to attack it, maybe try passively resisting it? Don’t write weird material to be edgy, do it for the love of being odd.
I like it!
I think that I come up with slightly odd stuff anyway - I suppose what I’m saying is that I’m not forcing it.
If something arises that’s a bit conventional or whatever - so be it.
I’ve never had a clear vision of my musical self… once upon a time I wanted to be famous and then I totally went off that idea 
Now I just follow my nose and see where my random creativity takes me…
yeah, im pretty fuzzy at this point.
guitarwise I sort of know more or less what im about but after 30 years of playing it can still be a pretty wide area. generally “blues-rock” (VHalen, Led Zep etc) but also some grunge and metal leanings and I could easily be into a fusion type of thing which I do keep in mind as I try to be disciplined about getting better and better at electric lead guitar playing
but singing and overall songwriting? thats another story. it shows in the fact that when I start with a drum track I might have one idea in mind. Then I lay down some guitars and now it might be away from whatever I was thinking when I put down the drum tracks.
Then I start to lay down vocals and who knows what will happen then lol. I think with me its sort of common sense that I have played guitar for almost 30 years but been considering myself a singer for less than 2. So obviously the singing is really hit or miss and im as surprised as anyone about what might come out. Also I have no final idea about how good my singing might get. Will I be able to do any legit power metal type stuff or soul styles etc? dunno yet
I havent written THAT many songs. Im talking with lyrics/melody etc. I suppose the best goal right now for me would be to get 50 original songs under my belt while continuing to work on the craft of singing and guitar playing
Of course I also just got my new Novation SL MK2 keyboard so that in itself can add completely different dimensions (if I ever unbox it and get it hooked up and mapped out lol)
My headset deal is working out nicely. I wrote a full song yesterday. Very casual and in very loose demo form. Only took maybe an hour.
What do ya’ll think: Should I just try to write as many songs as possible for the next 2 months maybe, not worrying too much about recording quality etc, and then go back and pick the best few and redo them with my best effort?
I think that would help a good bit. I need as much work on the actual PROCESS of writing vocal lines as I need on anything. I have written hundreds of guitar only “songs” and its 2nd nature now so I suppose I need to get my vocal writing ability up to that point as well. Might be cooking with gas if I reach that point.
It’s worth a try. That has occurred to me many times, but I found it hard to keep cranking stuff out. If something sounds good, then it begs for more work, but then at some point that illusion dissipates and it may not get finished anyway. If you can discipline yourself to follow that program I do think it could help with writing and arrangement, and vocal honing. As you say, when there is a catalog of material you may have a new perspective on your writing and singing style, and can be in a position to pick and choose the winners to continue to work on.
yeah, im pretty convinced that there is an undervalued aspect to people like Prince, Paul McCartney etc. yeah, we know they are super talented…but they are also WORKAHOLICS! Being super creative is nice but there has to be a lot of elbow grease thrown in to get stuff finished.
Then there has to be at least some sort of vision pulling one forward…which is what this thread is about I guess. Problem being, once you are a grown adult with a full time job etc, its almost impossible to see what productive thing can be done with the music AFTER the creativity and elbow grease. Its hard to have that Prince/Paul McCartney level of drive etc if u dont see how people would ever really hear the final product lol
You can have a vision of entertaining an audience, or a vision of pleasing yourself (didn’t Cyrano de Bergerac say something like this?). Sure, Prince and Paul had record contracts driving them forward, but likely composed what they felt and what came from their heart/soul. After that it’s a matter of arrangement and production choices. Even the big boys (and girls) had flops and poor record sales on some disappointing albums. “The Artist” is not always a people-pleaser!
I also wanted to mention Steven Pressfield, who is a fiction writer but who has also penned the inspirational creative advice books The War of Art, Do The Work, and Turning Pro. The idea is to show up every day (or whenever you can on a regular basis) and “do the work”. Don’t focus on outcomes, focus on the next page, the next lyric, the next song, the next painting, etc. Just “do the work” and The Muse will show up and splash her magic. You can’t predict this or conjure it up, but The Muse is more likely to show up when seeing your commitment and diligence (i.e. elbow grease). And have the courage to follow where things lead.
For the record, this is the only “innuendo humor” song that I’ve recorded and published.
Ha, this is awesome!
only briefly in a band back in '97. for me to be in a band id have to start the band. No original music scene around here AFAIK.
So basically I started early on messing with 4 tracks like around 89-90, then got a drum machine, then digital 8 tracks maybe around 1998. But then basically I didnt do any recording for like 15 years or so lol. I never quit playing but obviously it wasnt any type of focused practice or whatever. I was into golf and lifting weights etc
around 2014 I decided to get back into recording etc and was clueless as to any modern methods. Had to learn from scratch
I started back using this site—> https://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack.php great and very friendly collaboration site. That got me going and one thing leads to another. You get tired of prerecorded drums so you get into EZ Drummer. Then you start wanting to add bass. Then you cant get anyone to sing on your stuff so you start singing. Then you want it to sound better so u work on your mixing etc etc
I feel like I keep getting better but so what? Until you have some pro product to offer up, who cares? Besides which, I dont think I can offer much to the Beiber/Beyonce generation.
I feel like im taking 1 step forward…meanwhile the escalator just went down 3 steps lol
It’s a very positive step forward…
Playing in a band does take quite a chunk out of your life. If I could simply turn up, plug-in, play, unplug and go home it would be brilliant!
Regular rehearsals take up an average of 2 hrs a weekend, as I work full time!
Also I’m in charge of storing and setting up the PA, coordinating rehearsals. Promoting I share with the drummer Chris, and we regularly update our website and social media pages.
Yesterday was a classic example. I was hoping to catch up online with @steban to discuss a way forward with the IFT project, but simply no time! I started loading gear into the car at about 5pm, set up PA and Bass Rig by about 8pm, nipped home to pick up the fan club, performed from 9pm to 1130pm, and was back home at 1am!
I still need to take that positive step forward with home recording…