WHITE ELEPHANT RECORDINGFEST REVEAL!!!!!!

OK I've listened!

Blue Lady by Modern Saint:
Rockin' 70s harmonized guitars, melodic bass and breathy cool rock vocals! I did the melodic solo too - nice tones and solid bass and drumming going on here. Ends in a frenzy of soloing and bringing it home in double time for the ending. Very cool track!

Knox in Box:
Not one but two versions of "Boys Don't Cry" - the acoustic version is sweet with fingerpicked guitar, heartfelt vocal and nicely done orchestral strings sweetening. This is followed by what I'd call the "prog" version, with grandiose intro that would give the Cure heart attacks followed by a two-handed hammer-on cadenza and then a relatively straight rendition of the original. All three could be called "The Boys Don't Cry Topographical Suite" since it all goes together and the themes are the same. The pop version has jaunty clean rhythm guitar, supportive bass and propulsive drumming with a more awake version of the heartfelt vocal turn. This is pretty much proof that any song could be a folk song, a pop song or a prog song depending on how you arrange it. Cool!

Dexter:
At first I though it was going to be "Roxanne comes are she is" but it was a faux intro to bring us into the metrical metal of the main theme of the song and it comes out as a rockin' metal version of the Nirvana favorite. The vocals fit perfectly and the bass and drums are spot on. In fact, a friend was over and I played this and he said "I like this way better than the original!" I think I do too, it's got more of interest to those with little tricky bits and the swagger of the groove is right on.

Prages:
I figured he might be the "ringer" of this little event and I was not dissappointed: the rendition of the Cars tune is spot-on - the vocals, guitars, synths, bass and drums are totally right on and the mood echoes the original very nicely. But in this case it's a little heavier and you can hear the lyrics a little better. You gotta wonder who Ric Ocasek was writing about. I call this type of song a "not really a love song" since it's obviously about a guy who likes a girl who might be using him for a place to crash and get food, drink, companionship but the guy doesn't mind. I think you did a great job and yes, I think Elliott and Greg should hear it. Heck, they might be out of a job if Ric hears it.

Kerouac:
Losing End - it starts with an 80s power pop sound - muted 8th note guitars and right-on rock singing breaking into an almost pop-metal song with great guitar, bass, and drums. The solo is a nicely done harmonized lead guitar part that kicks back into the sing-a-long chorus. The most I listen to this the more I think "get a band and hit the road with this stuff" since it sure seems better to me than most of
the bands doing this kind of thing.

Suhnton:
The Final Countdown - when I first played this I wasn't sure what to expect. When I heard the groovacious backing I wondered what I might have gotten myself into since it sounded like something on any number of european techno imports but all of a sudden the Europe vocals were there and I was grinning from ear to ear. Great job, brilliantly done. Another one where my wife goes "I like this...and I don't like that song!"

Phil:
Time - nicely done. I thought when people reported you were adding other instruments it would build to a huge loud crescendo but this is better - it adds other instruments but not to the extent that it blocks the message of the lyrics out and I think you did a good job singing a song where the lead vocalist who originally sang it would make it hard to think of anyone else singing it. I like the quiet and sparse feel you put together here. Not really a big guitar song but it didn't need to be. Cool track!

Rev:
Just Got Paid: Well it's got the Gibbons tone for sure - especially in the solo section. The hard part is trying to play the rhythm lines and sing it at the same time - if it were me, I would have cheated all the way! The way the vocals were delivered here really reminds me of a guy who just DID get paid and he's off to have some fun. The other hard part of this deceptively easy sounding song is the rhythmic feel in both the first section and that second one with the jam. How on earth do you try to replicate the tops rhythmic feel with a bass and drum machine right? I think you did a good job considering those difficulties. I also like the tasty leads throughout. Lets hear some more next project!

When Doves Cry:
Well, Ogg gets the "Jeff Lynne/Roy Thomas Baker super layered production award" for this particular version and he gets extra points for doing the long intro that was never played when this song got on the radio. Given the difficulties of the multitracking on the original song and the pretty much note-for-note respectful reading of this (down to the timing and everything) I can't think of anyone else who would be crazy enough to attempt a cover of this song I'm really impressed. Bravo!

noquarter1983:
The A Team: First of all I have to say that I'm super bummed that this wasn't a cover of "The A Team" TV show theme song. That being said I'm really impressed you did your entry as video playing live. Very nicely done.

Everlong:
She's teh class I'm the trash. I realize now that I overdrove the mic on one of her vocal peaks. so sorry. I also came in slightly late after one of the drum out bursts and it sticks out like a sore thumb to me. I might even try to re-do that.
 
Last edited:
Knox In Box - Boys Don't Cry

Loved the "Am I Evil?" intro in the first version, but the second one was definitely my favourite. Great stuff.

Thankx, I actually thought more folks would pick up on the blatant rip off of "Am I Evil", which happened spontaniously on the third harmony guitar track. A added the harmonics on another track after I decided to leave it in.

I have no time for full reviews, but I can say that suhnton, Prages and OGG were my favorites this time around. I'm sorry I picked a song that was so daunting, I thought it would be easier to dumb down, forgetting that I also had trouble re-inventing a ZZ Top tune once before.
 
OK I've listened!

When Doves Cry:
Well, Ogg gets the "Jeff Lynne/Roy Thomas Baker super layered production award" for this particular version and he gets extra points for doing the long intro that was never played when this song got on the radio. Given the difficulties of the multitracking on the original song and the pretty much note-for-note respectful reading of this (down to the timing and everything) I can't think of anyone else who would be crazy enough to attempt a cover of this song I'm really impressed. Bravo!

Thanks!

I have to say though, I have no idea what you're referring to in regards to the intro. as far as I know, there never was an extended pre-intro to the song, it's just something I came up with as an addition in order to put my own twist on the song... If there's a Prince version out there somewhere that has a weird, spacey intro, I (to the best of my memory) have never heard it. Now you have me wondering if I somehow unconsciously kyped something from deep in the recesses of my sub-conscious memory :grin:

Oh, and I'm still working on a new mix...
 
Thanks!

I have to say though, I have no idea what you're referring to in regards to the intro. as far as I know, there never was an extended pre-intro to the song, it's just something I came up with as an addition in order to put my own twist on the song... If there's a Prince version out there somewhere that has a weird, spacey intro, I (to the best of my memory) have never heard it. Now you have me wondering if I somehow unconsciously kyped something from deep in the recesses of my sub-conscious memory :grin:

Oh, and I'm still working on a new mix...

I don't know if it was THAT Prince song but back in the 80s I knew a guy who listened to a lot of Prince and I remember some ambient bed with massively flanged acoustic on it and figured you were paraphrasing that. Maybe it was something that hasn't really been released.
 
A friend of mine went to Indonesia a few years ago, and bought a Prince tape. When he put it on, it was some Indonesian guy singing Prince tunes. :)
 
FWIW, here's my basic rig rundown.

Drums: Played them on an Alesis DM8Pro kit triggering EZ Drummer with the metal expansion pack.

Bass: Fender Jazz direct with some amp modeling plugin and EQ and compression.

First clean guitar: Orange Warmoth on neck pickup into VHT Pittbull on the green channel with the gain turned way down and the volume turned way up into my homemade 212 cab with a V30 and a G12H30 speaker. I don't remember which I mic'd (with an SM57). A little EQ, reverb and compression added in post.

Second clean guitar: Orange Warmoth on the middle/neck position into Weber 5E7M into same 212 cab above. Again, EQ, reverb and compression added in post.

First dirty guitar: Orange Warmoth on bridge humbucker into Classic 30 and extension cab with G12H30 mic'd. EQ, reverb and compression added in post.

Second dirty guitar: This is just to add a little more grit to the prechorus and chorus sections. Orange Warmoth, bridge pickup, VHT Pittbull on red channel with gain most of the way up into same 212 above. EQ, reverb and compression added in post.

Main lead guitars: Orange Warmoth, bridge pickup, VHT Pittbull Red channel, gain up, same 212. EQ, reverb, compression and a little delay added in post.

There is one note at the end of each chorus that is a harmony guitar bend. I used SVH's new EVH Wolfgang into his Marshall Class 5 for that...mic'd with the SM57.

Synth: This is just a stock instrument plugin that came with Pro Tools. I think it's called 'Vacuum' and I used an electric guitar preset. I triggered it with a cheap Casio keyboard.

Vocals were done with an AKG C4000B and I did one lead vocal track and about 5 harmony tracks. I bussed the harmony tracks and ran a single compressor for all. There's also some slapback delay and reverb on all vocal tracks.

Then I ran the main mix through the Waves Ultramaximizer.

Haven't got to listen to it yet but u must have changed a lil buy I'm sure it's great
 
It is. As usual....................

I've been waiting like 7 years for Prages just to tank ONE entry. And it still hasn't happened.

:l:

Me an Prages have been friends for a long time and if I can say anything about him it's that detail is everything. Its in his being, I Iove that guy, wish I could spend more time playin with him. When we were young we recorded all kinds of stuff. Even then it was " get it right." we've both loved EVH and many others and he always just finds this way to bring it through in the end. Much talent there that's FOR SURE. I hope we can get together and do another original. Hes an influence
 
Last edited:
Back
Top