StevieM

Hey folks - unusual genre for this forum I know, but this is a dark and downtempo track I've been working on.

Your playing is quite nice with the capo'd chords. You have a nice sincerity to your vocals too. I am not as familiar with this song, but it does sound pretty good!

Love this song! The mix is fairly good overall, maybe slightly too much reverb. My only stylistic critique is that your version sounds a bit too clean and proper for a song written as a raw pissed off protest song. You probably are already aware of this. Some of the "Ohio" lines at the end are a bit off pitch - but as as live take that's understandable!

Damn I didn't think my voice was that good! I cheat with overdubs because I often hate the way my voice sounds with single tracking. Indeed. With all the immense talent exposed by amateur SoundCloud and YouTube musicians, makes me wonder even more how the "recognized" professional talents of today make it. Timing, connections, luck, work ethic? Probably equal parts of all 4.

Interesting. What's the order of your recording process? Do you lay down the drums first? If drumming to a scratch demo, how do you keep time without a pre-existing reference? Do you use a metronome or something on the demo track?

Dude I thought this was awesome. The vocals are pretty much perfect. Great harmonizing and chorus on her voice (a real hottie too). The guitar is great too. My only nitpick is the main riff with the bend sounds slightly out of tune. I play a lot of David Gilmour, so I'm really particular about bends ;-) Overall fantastic. I was listening on repeat for 30+ minutes.

Great cover. Sounds completely professional. Nice layered vocal harmonies. How were the guitars recorded and the drums? Was this recorded "live" as a full band in the studio, or were the drums laid down first?

Grantchester is a lovely little gem. I've always fantasized about covering "Cymbaline" from the "More" soundtrack. So simple and dark...great melody too. I can't believe that song isn't more popular.

Yeah, Sheep is SUCH an underrated track, both in the context of Animals and PF's overall catalog. I thought I'd beef it up (while staying true to the essence of the song). 🙂

Hell yeah! Always wanted to see those guys! Thanks for your comments on my sheep cover, and VERY astute observations on the subtle rhythmic differences from the original. I am indeed aware of them, and thought they would be a fresh variation on the original. I'm assuming they sounded okay (just different) to your ears? I also deliberately chose to keep the octave bass out of the outro - just because I actually liked how the droning single note drives the rhythm of the passage and elevates the guitar a bit more. And for some reason, the octave note thing just always clashed and sound out of tune whenever I tried it. You seem like a LEGIT Pink Floyd fan (and musician) so I am very flattered you liked the track. Check out my other Animals tracks on my SC page (shameless plug)...also, I think we should collaborate on future music projects, please PM me!

Hey all, Looking for thoughts on the latest installment of my Animals cover - "Sheep". Perhaps the most underrated track on the album. What do ya'll think? https://soundcloud.com/stephan-mathos/sheep4b4/s-tiKab

I am a massive fan of the original (and Tears for Fears in general). Very interesting interpretation of the song. Unlike the original, your instrumental actually matches the heaviness and darkness of the lyrics. Kind of sounded like A Perfect Circle track to my ears. Personally I LOVE the huge-sounding blissful instrumental of the original - but that is strictly stylistic. In general, I love ironic music/lyric combos - when the mood of the instrumental contrasts with the lyrical content (especially the happy music w/ dark lyric dynamic). This is why I love artists like Lennon, Tears for Fears and Tame Impala. The mixing & production-value on your track is excellent. Can you elaborate on how you did the mix and what instruments are at play? Curious how you did the guitars as it's a very dense, well-balanced sound. Are you a professional?

Just updated the track with polished vocals and other elements. What do ya'll think?

Good to hear it meets your standard (especially as someone already familiar with the track). Truly great Prince track. You tried a metal cover? Haha that is indeed a tough task. Heavier covers of Sign are so tough because the entire appeal of the track is it's stark, detached minimalism. Thoughts from anyone else?

Any Prince fans in the house? How does this sound in terms of 1.) mix quality and 2.) performance quality. Thanks!