Dad3353

From an insurance company..?

Yes, it should, to be grammatically 'top', but we'll let it pass this time.

One may appreciate the exhaustive description.

Good afternoon, Ed ... Beware of what you wish for..? I listened to the tracks linked, and you've asked for feedback, so... Shades of Lou Reed, early (and late...) Bowie, a couple of French blokes you probably haven't heard of... Take that as compliments; one could have far worse 'bed-fellows'. I'll start with the 'liked less' stuff (don't fret; it'll be brief...)... I wasn't keen on the composition format, with a few bars intro before the first verse. It works, of course, sometimes, but it breaks things up a bit to have the lyrics bang in right from the start. No big deal, but a minor irritation that's easily remedied. I'm a drummer, so maybe am more susceptible to the drum sound; I wasn't in love with these drums. The playing is apt enough, and fits in (mostly...), but the recorded sound was disappointing, and, for several tracks, seemed 'apart' from the rest. I realise that singing is a special skill (I wish I had it at all...), and one has to go with whatever one has been given, but maybe some vocal training could enable a little bit more vocal range..? I haven't checked, but most of the vocals seem to be in the same key, or at least the same spectrum. Again, a minor niggle that could be worked on..? That'll do for the harsh, neon-light 'criticism; time for a bit of positive enthusiasm, perhaps. Given the subject matter of many of these pieces, that doesn't come spontaneously from the lyrics, which are often darkly introspective, but there are points to be earned from that. I could find many echoes in many of the sentiments expressed (sometimes troublingly so...), so thanks for that. There are very touching, moving emotions performed with delicacy, all the more so in such a direct, seemingly simplistic manner. There is, throughout, a lack of 'polish' and 'production' which is, in this case, rather more of an advantage, as the 'raw' capture hits home harder than might a Hollywoodien super-production. There are a few 'blips' here and there (nothing major...) that serve to accentuate this 'basic' atmosphere, and that's to the good, to my ears. As for the guitar and bass work: entirely in harmony with the overall concept, well executed with no pretension nor pomposity. It all fits together very well indeed. Special mention for the discreet backing voices, and the trumpet (or cornet..?), very much in the style of 'Love', back in the late '60s. I'm not a digital person (I'm old, you see...); is there a hard-copy CD of this available that could be posted to France..? I'd buy it immediately, not just to support your efforts (although they deserve that...), but to be able to listen again, and think again of past moments of my own life that are captured in there. Any joy..? At any rate, here's hoping that this is what you wanted when asking for feedback. Cheers Douglas

Good evening, Jay, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Yes, use the 'Share' button just below the U-tube video, copy the link displayed and simply paste it into your post. The System will then embed it. Try it..? Hope this helps.

Good evening, rossamc , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, oZZma, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Dan , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

To be utterly frank, 'heathen' was not what immediately came to mind.

Let us know what musical genre you favour, and I'm pretty sure there'll be a queue of folks howling about just how awful it is..!

Good evening, ILMB , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

I'm a drummer, and there is no 'Tab' for drum stuff, and few scores of pop stuff, too. The drum methods had to be read, and any parts I needed to learn, I had to transcribe. It becomes easy enough, if approached in a methodical way (ie: don't start by trying to read Bruckner symphonies...). Slow, steady, little and often are the keys. One tip, for bass players (or others...): invest in a modest method book with simply rhythmic exercises. An often neglected aspect of 'dots' is the recognising the rythmes (whatever the instrument...), and the music makes sense, I found, much more quickly if one can 'hum through' the rythme, ignoring the notes at first. A lot of stuff has 'patterns' that are assimilated quite quickly; the notes can be added with more confidence with later passages. Just sayin', hope this helps. PS: here's an excellent book to get one's motivational juices flowing; recommended... J.S.Bach for Bass ... It has Tab, too, but it's easy enough to ignore that (or use it at first to fumble through a few bars, as a 'teaser'...). Good Stuff.

Wot, the original, or this spoof..?

I'd suggest starting here ... Hal Leonard Bass Method ... Seriously; start from the beginning, as you'll reach the end far more quickly that way. I'm not sure how easy it'd be to get lessons from a bass tutor, too. The way to run fast is to start walking slowly, then (slowly...) speed up. Hope this helps.

More information would be needed in order to get a coherent reply. Reading 'dots' can be a pleasure in itself, without ever having had to do it in any gig situation (it's my case...). There are equally so many manuscripts, methods and transcriptions to learn from that justify in themselves the acquisition of this skill. In many 'rock' situations, I'd say that it's rare, or even extremely rare, to have any written support given; at best a few chords. For studio work, as a session player, it would be more common, but not systematic. In theatre, show or 'pit' work, or orchestral formations, it would be much more common, and, in some cases, obligatory to be able to, not only 'read', but to 'sight read', which is a different level of skill. Which of these (and other...) objectives you may have will dictate the utility of making the 'effort' to do it. What are you intending to use this for..?

Good afternoon, Armin , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. I listened to the track that you linked; if that's you, I'm afraid you can't be heard for the racket that other bass player is playing. If, on the other hand, that's a track that you want to play along to, I'd recommend something a little more 'staid' (less lively, with less chord changes...) for starting out. We could propose several methods for taking the first steps in bass playing if you so wish. You haven't indicated your locality. If you've not spoken English in ten years, this would suggest Norfolk; am I wrong..? Hope this helps...

No, no; stop it, please..! I know it's only short, but I couldn't watch all the way through; it hurts too much to laugh like that. I can only type this after waiting for the tears to clear. Thanks, but it's all too much.

Good evening, Prime , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Sincere condolences.

Good evening, BW , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.