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Only Make Believe (remix)
by Lennon714

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Guest views: 387
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Song comments: 23
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Plays: 75
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Downloads: 13
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Submitted on: Nov 30, 2008 - 12:14:08 PM
Last Updated: Nov 30 2008 - 12:14:08 PM
Description This is the second song ever started putting together on GB. I started in Jan of 08 and I'm getting closer to being done. I posted a version a few months ago that I got a lot of great ideas on. Mixing has always been an issue, but I also left that version kind of incomplete. Thanks to everyone who threw some ideas my way. Let me know what sounds off to you. In Garageband the vocals seemed to have enough presence, but in iTunes, they seem to be a little buried. I have the auto normalize turned off so maybe that's just what happens when it gets put in MP3 format.

Excuse the lyrics. I don't even know what they mean. One day I'll change them.
Lyrics The Stage is set and my blood's in overdrive
will we survive?
It's a heart attack waiting to explode
What will unfold?

You're not even listening to a word I'm saying
You're not even worth the breath I'm praying

Don't worry, little girl. It's only make believe.

I could sing for hours to your deaf ears
What would you hear?
In power and anxiety we trust
Deliver us.

You're not even listening to a word I'm saying
You're not even worth the breath I'm praying

Don't worry, little girl. It's only make believe.


Hardware Fender Telecaster, Marshall DFX, M-Audio fastrack pro, Yamaha Keys,
Software: GB 08
Fan List

lavalamp

Vic Holman

davisamerica

dajama

Feter

buckhorn

lengold

ted23

rsorensen

michael2

five_extra_arms

dolby

tempie

bud

egobandit

guitapick

dreadmon

HenriROGERsoloandbands

Moviz
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lavalamp said 40 days ago
Like the song a bunch
Love this song in every way except one; the bass line.

You need McCartney on this.

Dave

Lennon714 said 40 days ago
Sir Paul
I'd love to have him come over for some pizza and wings. We could talk about how bad his acting is and then he could law down some low tones.

Which part do you mean? The end or during the verse? The verse needs some bass. As it is, both verses have no bass at all. If you have some ideas, let me know and you can throw them down.

lavalamp said 40 days ago
-
No bass line. Is what I meant. I think a McCartney style bass line would be appropriate. Do you have a bass?

Dave

Lennon714 said 39 days ago
bass
I do have a bass. I have a Fender Jazz bass. The bass on this recording is MIDI, though. I get lazy. Very lazy.

lavalamp said 38 days ago
Let me get this...
...right. If someone were to pay you, you would...

I hear you.

LL :)

Vic Holman said 40 days ago
cool redo Eric
sounds great and i really like the transitions and mix.

vocals sound right here. itunes is deceiving on play backs. I always listen to my songs through quicktime to get a true sound before I post a tune.

Lennon714 said 40 days ago
Thanks Vic
I'll have to try listening in QT rather than iTunes before posting. I think I can tell that my ear is slowly improving. Don't know that I would have noticed a difference 6 months ago.

davisamerica said 40 days ago
eric ...
nice tune my friend.

Lennon714 said 40 days ago
thanks
for the listen, man. Appreciate you coming by.

dajama said 40 days ago
Nice one
I think the vocals sound good here, not too lost in the mix at all. Great percussion, and a lovely use of distorted guitar - the washing, broad sound of the guitars is excellent. Lyrics are certainly cryptic, but even if you do decide to change them in the future, you should consider keeping most of the imagery, because it's pretty cool stuff. Nicely done. Peace.

Lennon714 said 40 days ago
Thanks.
With me there seems to be a fine line between cryptic artistry and nonsense. If I wrote them about something or someone in particular they wouldn't bother me so much. But because they're just words put together to sound interesting it's kind of embarassing.

Glad you liked the tune, though!

Feter said 40 days ago
Only Make Believe
whata cool keys work here my friend ...nice feelin
with your voice there ...yes I liked the burst with
the guitars ...heavy drums there maybe helping the whole feelings ...good work my friend .thnx alot for sharin !!!!

Lennon714 said 40 days ago
thanks!
Glad you liked, Feter. The feedback I got from people helped me make it a little more cohesive.

lengold said 40 days ago
Lovely song
and extremely well performed and produced. Really enjoyed the listen.
Cheers
Len



Lennon714 said 40 days ago
many thanks,
Len. Thank you for your compliments!

ted23 said 40 days ago
Very good
I like the lyrics. It leaves things open for interpretation which is good. They melody is more or just as important for me and you got that here.
Nice job.

Lennon714 said 39 days ago
thanks, man
melody is a deal maker for me, too. If I come up with a good one, I feel I'm lifting someone a little too blatantly, though.

rsorensen said 39 days ago
wow man
you really improved this one. vocals sound really good and I don't think they're buried too much at all. the feedback lead in to the chorus is great. really like the bouncing guitar in the second verse and I still love that outro. . Awesome. If you ever revisit this I would love to hear that outro burst out into a full raging band an go on for a few more rotations, but maybe that's best saved for the live version ;) I think this is one of your best mixes so far. i love this song. Great job!

Lennon714 said 39 days ago
thanks, ridd
Your suggestions helped push this one closer to the end goal. Glad you liked it. I feel the same way about the mix. It's getting better, slowly but surely.

michael2 said 39 days ago
dude
this sounds unreal, so good. what were you recording with before? the vocals sound so nice and warm, everything is full and present. that guitar sound is amazing. really stellar job. i agree that you should put a real bass on this one. can't believe how great this sounds. and it's still a good song.

Lennon714 said 39 days ago
Geez
Michael. You trying to butter me up? :). Honestly, it's the exact same tracking as before. I've started "mastering" my tracks and I'm focusing my efforts on improving my mixing. You know all those questions I send you and Ridd? Every time any MJer talks about their recording/mixing/mastering process I try to take something in and apply it. Sure, it's not perfect but I think I've improved since joining in January. Thanks for you kind words. Really means a lot.

somebuddy said 39 days ago
Love it
Love the new mix broser! Great transitions and great sound.

Lennon714 said 39 days ago
aw shucks
You're too kind. We need to finish up our recordings. Perhaps we can talk Brandon in to letting us record with his logic setup.

somebuddy said 38 days ago
...
I'll twist his arm - I've been working out

five_extra_arms said 38 days ago
Great Mix
I love that I can go back to the previous version and hear the changes. They both rock, but this version rocks harder.

Keep up the good work.

Lennon714 said 38 days ago
if
you think this version rocks, think about how much the next version will rock. Or better yet, the version after that! Just kidding. Thanks, though. I'm proud of it, but I'm still humbled with what people post here. I'm just trying to absord some of it.

Unrelated: I was at guitar center today playing around with a micro korg. I had a really bouncy synth going and it made me think of you. I damn near cut up my credit card into picks and started rocking out.

five_extra_arms said 38 days ago
Credit Cards
LOL!

Thanks for thinking of me man!

That's hilarious!


dolby said 37 days ago
Massive
Another good one Eric -

Great guitar as others have said - and the vocal is very cool. Sounds like an indie classic to me -

The Clash-style white reggae stomp was a beautiful moment when it came in - love it! There are so many of my favourite things in this - I'd buy your album if you ever got signed!!!!!!!!

More please -
Phil

p.s. as others have said - it needs a real bass - happy to help out if you want

Lennon714 said 37 days ago
thanks
for the comment, Phil. I've been convinced. I'll put real bass on it. My biggest issue with using real bass is I'm never satisfied with the tone. I always do it DI. My songs "Mookie Wilson" and "Wasted on You" and even my cover of your tune have real bass on them so maybe I should just suck it up and stop being lazy. Twittle the knobs a bit more, as it were.

dolby said 37 days ago
Are you...
...using an audio interface, or going directly into your computer? I've only recently started using an AI and so far am impressed with what it's allowing me to do with (what at the end of the day) is a fairly old and crappy bass -

Just a thought -

Lennon714 said 37 days ago
I'm
using an audio interface. My bass isn't the best, either. I think I just need to be more patient and mess with the settings, EQ, etc. I also probably need to concentrate and more controlled bass playing. Sloppy guitar has its place, but sloppy bass is never a good thing.

tempie said 37 days ago
what would you hear?
i hear very cool keys - love the little melody that carries the verse. other commentors are right, a wicked bass groove would sound great, something a la Peter Murphy circa 'Deep'.

Like the shock of the chorus when it kicks in - the crescendoing (that a word?) lead guitar - also the way your vocals gain some attitude for the chorus.

GREAT break with the chimes (only make believe)...

Really like this tune - lots of nice transitions and a solid chorus.



Lennon714 said 37 days ago
Thanks
If crescendoing isn't a word, I'll make it my honorary word of the day. Thanks for the listen and the compliments. Means a lot coming from one of MJ's most acclaimed new comers. You've got very solid material.

Moses said 37 days ago
Enjoyed
the song. I liked certain parts a lot, as well as the melody. There were a few things my taste would like to be different. The effect on the vocals in the chorus (doubling, chorus) whatever it was I didn't like so much. I think it would've sounded better if you just left your voice as is. I loved the parts where you sang "Don't worry, little girl. It's only make believe". Reassuring in a very haunting way. On the part that says "deliver us" and "In power and anxiety we trust" I think it would be nice to hear some extra emotion in your voice. Those are some emotionally loaded lines. Thanks for sharing, I'll be back for another listen I'm sure.

Lennon714 said 37 days ago
thanks
Moses! I am a HUGE fan of criticism. I think you're spot on about the issues you take. I'm going to be tinkering with this again soon. Along with putting real bass on it, I'll see about taking out the doubled vocal on the prechorus. One of my constant criticisms is that I need is more emotion is my vocals. You're definitely right about the "deliver us" line. It's a little "blah". Maybe I'll try to touch that up, too.

Thanks again for your honesty. It's always good to hear what people like, but it's most helpful to hear what needs to be improved.

Moses said 35 days ago
Ha
I'm glad you are a fan of criticism. Some people don't take it well. While criticism may seem negative, the underlying reason for it (mine anyway) is because I enjoy the piece and would like to see it improve and know the potential is there. My hope for my criticism is that it would help the artist better analyze his or her song. Whether the artist agrees with my critique or not is up to them! But I figure I should just say it how I see it (or hear it).

bud said 37 days ago
This is great
so glad I stopped by - I really like the space and structural change-ups. Excellent guitar playing throughout - from the little up-strokes to the overdriven power chords. I find the vocals perfectly balanced - not buried at all - and the lyrics work for me too.

Lennon714 said 36 days ago
Thanks Bud
I'm flattered you think so highly of the tune. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

craft said 36 days ago
nice delivery
Well done.. This song soundz really good

Lennon714 said 35 days ago
Thanks, craft!
I appreciate you stopping by and giving it a listen. I really love that tune you just did with Ridd. great stuff!

egobandit said 35 days ago
When
you sing your not listening and your not worth the song just drills through my soul powrful!

Lennon714 said 35 days ago
haha
I'm really not sure what you mean. If you like it, cool. If you don't, cool. Thanks for giving it a listen either way.

Lennon714 said 35 days ago
hahahahahahaha!
nevermind. I get what you mean now. Good lord I'm an idiot.

dreadmon said 30 days ago
It's been said and not
Really great tune, man - my crits have been covered. My praise has not - you've got a nice mix of Radiohead, Peter Gabriel and Elvis Costello going on here - intriguing listening and one to play over and over again. Interested to see where you might take it next!

Lennon714 said 21 days ago
Thanks
A lot of my favorites there. I'm glad you liked it and I'm glad to even get mention with those names.

Moviz said 21 days ago
I just
think this is tops.... I love it whether the lyrics make sense or not..... they will to someone, cheers M

Lennon714 said 21 days ago
lyrics
haha. you're right. I don't hate them all. I think the "You're not even worth the breath I'm praying" part is pretty cold hearted, thus midly interesting.

VicDiesel said 9 days ago
Good mix
On the whole this sounds pretty good. Definitely the part starting at 1:15 sounds very cohesive.

I see a bit of a problem with that celesta and the rhodes in the beginning. The celesta is definitely too far forward in the mix, but those clear sounds don't seem to gel with the distorted guitars. Where you mix it into the chorus at the end doesn't work for me. I'm not sure how you would make it work. Maybe those sounds are simply not meant to go together. A grand piano would probably be a sound that is more idiomatic for the rock genre.

Btw, what are the squeaky sounds at 0:49 and further? A cheap drum stool? It's probably something legitimate, but it doesn't work very well here. In my latest track I had a guitar loop somewhere, and a couple hours of mixing later I was thinking "what on earth is that annoying sound". Turns out that, buried in the mix, only a couple of stray notes remain from an otherwise fine guitar lick. And out it goes.



Lennon714 said 9 days ago
Thanks, Vic
Thanks for stopping by and giving it a listen. Thanks also for your honest critique. The sounds around 0:49 are actually part of one of the drum loops I used. You caught me on being too lazy to edit them out. I didn't like them at first and then I just got used to them and don't even hear them anymore. I'll have to work them out next time. Thanks again!

Artist Profile
Lennon714 photo
Lennon714

Artist Bio Every time I eat at Rubio's my pee smells like carnitas. As far as collaborations go, I have very few. I do hope to do more of them now so feel free to send me a note and see if there's something we can do. I can't guarantee satisfaction, but I'd ...[more]
Artist Music
Only Make Believe (remix)
When You Get Carried Away (Second Chance Analogapalooza)
Come to the Dark Side (Second Chance Analogapalooza)
Mama's Turd Collection (LIOLI 8)
Half a Million Miles (Dolby Cover)
Mookie Wilson
Wasted on You (w/ rsorensen)
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Only Make Believe
Star Spangled Banner (With the Dark Lord Zarvox)
Pita Pollo
Wasted on You
Peter Pan (with Somebuddy)
Song for the Liar Joseph Strauss
Blood on the Chevrolet
Fat Francess
Sweet Disaster
Shine
I Don't Know
Woman
Waiting on American Girls
Choir of Robots
Square Pegs