Here’s a little song idea I developed, though it’s not a complete song in the classic definition. It turned out more like a TV show theme song (intro) or something like that, perhaps. I hope it’s a little bit catchy and groovy in some way.
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I’m listening to this through laptop speakers so I can’t give a detailed mix critique but it seems to sound fairly big. I’d imagine it will sound even bigger through headphones. It’s quirky, fun and humorous. Short and to the point.
I could see this being used for some kind of TV show or cartoon. The vision that first came to mind was some kind of fight scene with superheroes and villains…or the Transformers. Yes, a fight scene in a Transformers movie. Maybe? 
Well, some kind of quirky TV show or movie. This is a catchy little ditty. Fun stuff !
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Thanks! That’s what I was going for, or at least, that’s what I think I ended up with. 
I’m curious what you think through headphones or whatever you can critique on. I was definitely going for “big”, or something powerful and gripping at least. 
Rocking, catchy, and groovy. If I accomplished that, I’d be happy.
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Wow, it must be many years since we’ve heard anything from you, Stan! Great that you’re feeling inspired…
Yes, it’s catchy… the chorus vocals have a bit of a Prince vibe to it. The rest is more a Sabbath type sound… unusual combination. I think I’d like to hear a snare back beat rather than a cross-stick as the song gets going. The bass is a little on the boomy side.
Sounds like a bit of fun!
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I think IRD has been around right about 4 1/2 years now (founded ~ Dec 16, 2016?), and yes I haven’t posted much music for sure. I posted a fair amount of stuff on RR back in the day, but creativity went on hiatus for much of this last stretch.
Ha, thanks! I hadn’t really thought of it in those terms, but I like those comparisons. I don’t know how intentional anything was … I approached the project rather intuitively, which is how music used to come to me in the past. But I think I was going for something a bit rude and disturbing, but yet catchy and groovy, if that makes sense.
I’d be curious for any technical notes around that. Yes, I purposely drove the bass part in the song, it seemed essential. And that synth bass blurb in the choruses was purposely prominent. As long as it doesn’t blow up laptop speakers it’s what I was going for. I tested it on numerous devices and had no problems. As ‘Wicked’ mentioned above, “big” is a sound I was going for.
Truly joyful, I’m happy to say. And that’s perhaps the greatest reward. I think I even got inspired by something you said on another thread a few days ago, or in a conversation, about doing music for the fun of it. If it’s not fun, why do it? I had a blast making this, and am very happy with it, regardless of any other considerations. If it makes someone tap their toe, bounce their head, and puts a smile on their face - Mission Accomplished!
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Ditto to what Wicked said. Ya got my head bobbin this early morn. So good to hear “that sound” again.
I was going to start a post asking how many here on the forum are making “new stuff” I would be curious to know. I have been tempted to take old tracks that were decent and change the lyrics or drums and basically cheat. ha ha I haven’t given up on originality just yet on the blank slate…mouth open…staring at the screen…where do i start thangy…yet. This was fun STM
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Excellent! I’m glad you liked it. Hopefully it inspires more Rockin’ mayhem from this old boy.
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Very cool @Stan_Halen, it’s musically heavy but the vocals remind me of the Tubes a bit, nice combination! I hope you finish it.
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The Tubes, a band I really liked in the 70’s especially, so these references are interesting because they may be there in my DNA but I hadn’t identified them in the sound. For now, I’m considering it ‘finished’ in terms of a theme song or whatever it might be. The goal was to compose something and do something with it, which I did IMO. I tend to like short theme songs that are catchy and impactful. It doesn’t always have to fit the standard definition of a song unless that’s the goal, and unless it calls to me with more lyrics etc it’s probably on to the next thing. Thanks for listening.
Hey Stan, it sounds good through my headphones. Still sounds big, just as I expected it would.
One thing I notice is that the snare drum gets lost sometimes, mostly when the vocal is happening. Could be that the vocal is a bit too prominent in some of the same frequencies that the snare is. I also think the snare would better serve the song and groove if it were louder all around. It would add to that good groove you got going already.
Entertaining ditty you got here!
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Thanks for listening again and the recommendation. I can look at the snare volume and/or help it cut through with a dynamic EQ maybe. I’d call it a ‘dense’ mix and that may mean some things are going to compete. I can hear what you’re saying in a few places during the vocals. I do think it’s in the snare ‘crack’ freq range, which is where the high vocal part may be also.
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I personally just think it’s great that you contributed some music. The site, IMO, needs as much participation as possible right now to generate a little energy and hopefully get more people involved.
Your composition is great for doing just that. I hope it kickstarts what will one day be known as the “Stan The Man Era” on the site.
Recording is hard fun.
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Now that there is T-Shirt Worthy “IRD - Recording is HARD FUN!”
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Ha, well let’s start with Stan The Artistic Man Inspiring Needed Activity (S.T.A.M.I.N.A.) and see where that goes. 
That would be a great name for a heavily partying Rock band. HARD FUN! The band members could dress up in clown suits and wield sledge hammers. 
Or something like that.
I might even have to write a new TV theme song about that.
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Maybe a clown drowning in a dunk tank, or suffocating due to too many consecutive pies in the face?
Or an overpacked clown car? Or exploding during a pie eating contest?
Think of a blueberry outline on an album cover with an empty, blue stained clown suit under the picnic table.
Or a 68 year old guitar player in the emergency room suffering from an imbedded shuffleboard puck?
Or Darth Vader passing out over a mixing console with his gloved fingers adjusting the auto tune on Jabba The Hut’s new single?
Give me a C; a bouncy C.
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Oh Bob…I am 72 and I cut split and piled three chords of firewood, took four steel (heavy) doors off my house and garage sanded and spray painted them (binks gun)…weeded the garden, and did not take time for shuffleboard. ha ha
I love the way your mind goes from idle to full turbo boost. You really should start jotting down all of these crazy thoughts. Time for me to make a clown rock song. thanks
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Glad you responded, and I’m happy you want to write a clown song. Since we both have Michigan roots, we could redo “Tears Of A Clown” in some twisted way to show how hard it can be to have fun.
“If there’s a smile on my face, it’s because I just robbed a Kroger’s”.
Honestly, I have plenty of energy, but I get worn down in the process of writing and recording, so that sometimes takes a backseat to the home maintenance stuff. It’s also 95 degrees and raining, so I feel some sweaty clown blues coming on.
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Yeah, Bob has Dr. Demento on steroids compared to my imagination. Yikes!
Sounds a bit Willy Wonka inspired? Or Yaphet Kotto in “Live and Let Die” (James Bond). That’s some twisted stuff right there, man.
OMG, what have I started? 
You sir, must be on some serious actual steroids! You’d put my lily-white lazy ass to shame for sure! 
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It’s the Michigan in him. If you don’t work 3 jobs 6 days a week and fix everything on Sunday you’re considered a slacker. You have to do that on a diet of coney dogs and coffee. When your blood pressure gets to four figures you sit in a shanty ice fishing until it gets back to 540/300 from eating walleye.
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