We Want A Rock
December 28, 2014 9:35 PM
Hereby submitted for the MetaFilter Music Flood 25th anniversary tribute album.
The recording process for this had as many twists and turns as the end result: I picked it because (of all things) I was down the rabbit hole of reading about GamerGate's interminable campaign of harassment and its countless self-defeating ironies, and I started seeing compelling parallels between the ongoing furor over video games and We Want a Rock's lyrics.
This is ridiculous, I know, but it gave me an angle on the song by informing some of my choices of instrumentation. But then after I claimed it I realized: this song is, like, 75% chorus! Dang, choruses are like the thing I'm worst at, and repetition is like the thing most likely to bore me to tears when I'm recording! So I was worried I was going to get stuck and either not finish or end up half-assing it.
What saved me in the end was tossing out some repetitions of the chorus(es) and basically turning what remained into a shambolic Frankenstein's monster of a cover.
The recording process for this had as many twists and turns as the end result: I picked it because (of all things) I was down the rabbit hole of reading about GamerGate's interminable campaign of harassment and its countless self-defeating ironies, and I started seeing compelling parallels between the ongoing furor over video games and We Want a Rock's lyrics.
This is ridiculous, I know, but it gave me an angle on the song by informing some of my choices of instrumentation. But then after I claimed it I realized: this song is, like, 75% chorus! Dang, choruses are like the thing I'm worst at, and repetition is like the thing most likely to bore me to tears when I'm recording! So I was worried I was going to get stuck and either not finish or end up half-assing it.
What saved me in the end was tossing out some repetitions of the chorus(es) and basically turning what remained into a shambolic Frankenstein's monster of a cover.
posted by valrus (15 comments total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
This is great! I love the instruments you chose.
Not only did this make me break out in a big grin, it's quite possible at some point I actually clapped in sheer delight.
posted by barchan at 9:40 AM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
Not only did this make me break out in a big grin, it's quite possible at some point I actually clapped in sheer delight.
posted by barchan at 9:40 AM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
We Want A Rock is one of the less obsessed-over songs on Flood, compared to Istanbul, Birdhouse, or the almighty Particle Man, but it's a winner. Your cover is true to it in spirit.
posted by JHarris at 6:33 PM on December 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by JHarris at 6:33 PM on December 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
Thanks for the nice comments, everyone!
I think I'd like to amend "submitted" in the original post to "provisionally submitted." I was pretty sick of working on this last night but I've still got two weeks to get un-sick of it and try to tighten up the mix some.
Any advice from seasoned mixologists is welcome; I got no chops with that stuff and if you listen, you'll probably have no problem picking out the weak spots. Lacking that I'll do some research and start fiddling digital knobs on EQ and such.
posted by valrus at 7:46 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think I'd like to amend "submitted" in the original post to "provisionally submitted." I was pretty sick of working on this last night but I've still got two weeks to get un-sick of it and try to tighten up the mix some.
Any advice from seasoned mixologists is welcome; I got no chops with that stuff and if you listen, you'll probably have no problem picking out the weak spots. Lacking that I'll do some research and start fiddling digital knobs on EQ and such.
posted by valrus at 7:46 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
Wow. Fantastic. This is one of my all-time favorite TMBG songs. "Throw the crib door wide!"
posted by DMelanogaster at 5:22 PM on January 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by DMelanogaster at 5:22 PM on January 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just great. Love what you did with it.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:28 PM on January 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:28 PM on January 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Bravo!
posted by jeffamaphone at 3:22 PM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jeffamaphone at 3:22 PM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is great! Really like the arrangement.
If you are redoing the mixing and want the vocals to sound a little less "bedroomy/muffled" you could try a little EQ - roll off any "invisible" low-end stuff a bit while adding some more high end. Here's an example.
posted by en forme de poire at 8:56 PM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you are redoing the mixing and want the vocals to sound a little less "bedroomy/muffled" you could try a little EQ - roll off any "invisible" low-end stuff a bit while adding some more high end. Here's an example.
posted by en forme de poire at 8:56 PM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also I really like the vocal harmonies!
posted by en forme de poire at 8:59 PM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by en forme de poire at 8:59 PM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I love your instrumentation -- absolutely inspired! And your vocal harmonies are great. And I totally want to clap along. This is wonderful, and now I'm going to go back and listen to it a few more times.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 9:16 PM on January 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 9:16 PM on January 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I especially love the bits before and after the "If I were a carpenter ... " verse. Jeez, the assembly of this song is so pleasant and surprising. Awesome job!
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 9:19 PM on January 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 9:19 PM on January 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Top ring modulating there.
posted by Grangousier at 5:33 AM on January 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Grangousier at 5:33 AM on January 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
This song has a great flow to it -- you ride the crests and troughs beautifully.
posted by not_on_display at 11:14 PM on January 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by not_on_display at 11:14 PM on January 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wow! Great vocals. Love the harpsichord opening. Also really like the turn it takes around minute 2...
posted by Slothomatic at 9:48 PM on January 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Slothomatic at 9:48 PM on January 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I really love this. One of my favorite TMBG songs. I love all the various warm electronic sounds, love the vocal harmonies, the clapping parts make me smile for some reason. Thanks so much for contributing it!
posted by straight at 11:17 PM on December 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by straight at 11:17 PM on December 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by Brodyaga at 7:26 AM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]