The perfect mixer (Just add 'Water')

[Spamlet]

Notes on Lauren's hybrid version of professor Rossi's Cold Water/SDW hypothesis:

Actually I really probably shouldn't have used 'simultaneously' because although that way sounds ok it's also just a teeny bit too crowded, imo. Also, I always try playing "CW" quite a bit quieter otherwise it's climax will tend to drown out the other song. Precision timing of it after any one of the following points will lead to several completely different, yet each remarkably tuneful, gorgeously blended, astonishingly powerful results:

You can play "CW" first and then try starting "SDW" right as either the last echo of that 4th or that 8th pounded piano chord of the intro begins dying away. This should cause Damo's first "Cold" to either sit right on top of his singing of "Face" or directly after his first "Sleep". Both are quite breathtakingly beautiful and soothing versions.

However, because it's about 25 seconds longer, I'll usually start "SDW" first. Important: "CW" actually doesn't start until after a second's pause so you have to anticipate by hitting play just slightly early so that the first piano chord is the start of it instead. It's essentially like a downbeat so if you time it correctly you should be hearing the piano chords of "CW" gently dropping in just as Damo finishes singing a word like "wet", for example.

OK, now then, let's try adding "CW" in right after Damo sings either: the first "weep" the first "sweet", the first "love", the first "wet" etc. or it can even be as late as the first "broke". The crucial aspect here to capture is that within the measure there are perfect little space/time gaps between the two vocally into which the other can then nest perfectly. Where you choose to start will alter greatly how the two songs *ahem* climax together.

Now we come to why I justified starting a whole other thread on this:

Inconceivable but true. I still don't have the actual CD of "9" because I'm broke (although my b-day's coming up: hint hint) so I still do all of this by using the "9 player" on the wb records site and when I went back to listen over and write down all the exact moments for you, my mouse accidentally clicked on "Animals" instead.

I couldn't believe how perfectly "Cold Water" accompanies it too! I decided to try it with "9 Crimes" thinking it'd have to be a mess of jumbled piano noise. It was absolutely magical. Surely, it couldn't work with "Elephant" though! Holy...! Whoa. "Rootless"!?! "Dogs"? "COCONUT SKINS" EVEN? Egads. "MMY&I", get outta here!!! I swear to God it provides for a truly lovely compliment to every single song on the record. Again, you'll probably just out feel where to throw 'CW" into it during the intro to each one.

I was so impressed by the effect of this that I'm thinking I should really do a multi-media education/artistic installation somewhere to demonstrate how a song can be an instrument of transformation both by and for its given environment.

[ste_swann]

I've tried several times with SDW and CW, (and I also made a mix between BD 1 and Elephant, you should try that too, for the first part of the 2 songs they are perfect together!), but hey I'm definitely going to try CW with all 9 songs then! Thanks for the tip and for taking your time to post it!

[Closing_Doors]

I remain entirely underwhelmed. Of course it doesn't help that several of the songs aren't in the same key.

[LaurenM]

The perfect mix just add water! classic spamlet hahaha

I just played Elephant and CW together, and I'm blown away. Seriously. They are absolutely brilliant together. I'm going to try playing Cold Water and Sleep Don't Weep at the precise times which you described, because I do agree, the one I recorded gets a tad messy!

[Bumpman]

Spamlet, you need to treat yourself to a brand spanking new copy of Zaireeka...

[Spamlet]

Originally Posted by Bumpman

Spamlet, you need to treat yourself to a brand spanking new copy of Zaireeka...

Sure thing. If anybody has one! Rare as hen's teeth.

[Nine]

Originally Posted by Spamlet

Sure thing. If anybody has one! Rare as hen's teeth.

I have a hen's tooth.

[joe563]

if anyone is good with tempo, Cold Water would sound really nice over "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots". Or if someone had a HQ of Yvienne's version that would sound so cool I'm sure!

[Spamlet]

Originally Posted by Nine

I have a hen's tooth.

Sorry I should've said if anybody has 4.

Actually, I guess it isn't as rare anymore as I thought. Several years ago when I worked in an indie record store, a co-worker there went so far as to make a sign and put it up asking if anybody had it money was no object. Either that dude was crazy (distinct possibility) or it's recently been re-issued because they've now got it on Amazon. Perhaps he was looking for it on vinyl.

Closing,
Minor detail really, since it mostly ends up having the same effect as harmonization. The fancy name for it is Bi or Polytonality

[cille]

Originally Posted by Nine

I have a hen's tooth.

That gotta look funny on you

[Closing_Doors]

Originally Posted by Spamlet

Closing,
Minor detail really, since it mostly ends up having the same effect as harmonization. The fancy name for it is Bi or Polytonality

I'm familiar with polytonality but it takes a little more effort than randomly playing songs together to make it sound anything other than sh*t. Sorry, but I really don't see what you're getting at with playing CW with everything.

[Spamlet]

Originally Posted by Closing_Doors

I'm familiar with polytonality but it takes a little more effort than randomly playing songs together to make it sound anything other than sh*t. Sorry, but I really don't see what you're getting at with playing CW with everything.

Well as I said it was unintentional that I played it with "Animals". Personally I thought it sounded pretty cool and then I got curious to see how it would sound with a different one...

As for why I played it with "Sleep, Don't Weep" that was because everybody was complaining how they were both basically the same song. I didn't think so and wanted to compare them to see just how true that was.

Now while we're on the subject of songs where the artist seemingly plagiarizes themselves (like every single thing Everclear put out following their stellar breakthrough "Sparkle and Fade") I'm APPALLED that Ray(subject of much interest here lately) LaMontagne would actually put "Hold You in My Arms" not only on the same album as "Trouble" but separated by only one song!!! Did he really think no one would notice?

[Nine]

Originally Posted by Spamlet

Well as I said it was unintentional that I played it with "Animals". Personally I thought it sounded pretty cool and then I got curious to see how it would sound with a different one...

As for why I played it with "Sleep, Don't Weep" that was because everybody was complaining how they were both basically the same song. I didn't think so and wanted to compare them to see just how true that was.

Now while we're on the subject of songs where the artist seemingly plagiarizes themselves (like every single thing Everclear put out following their stellar breakthrough "Sparkle and Fade") I'm APPALLED that Ray(subject of much interest here lately) LaMontagne would actually put "Hold You in My Arms" not only on the same album as "Trouble" but separated by only one song!!! Did he really think no one would notice?

I noticed that too - I expect most poeple did, but to be honest I don't see a problem with artists re-using their own creations and putting a different melody/backing etc - changing it in some way - after all, they belong to them so as far as I'm concerned I don't see why they shouldn't. So many of Damien's songs use identical chord progressions, for example try singing the verses of cannonball over the verses or choruses of 9 crimes... because it's such a typical progression. Aminors, F's, C's and G's (or the equivilent in different keys,) are what make up the majority of his, and many many other artist's songs.
There's more Damien Rice songs that you can do that with that there are one's you can't, but I really couldn't give a monkeys

[Spamlet]

Originally Posted by Nine

I noticed that too - I expect most poeple did, but to be honest I don't see a problem with artists re-using their own creations and putting a different melody/backing etc - changing it in some way - after all, they belong to them so as far as I'm concerned I don't see why they shouldn't. So many of Damien's songs use identical chord progressions, for example try singing the verses of cannonball over the verses or choruses of 9 crimes... because it's such a typical progression. Aminors, F's, C's and G's (or the equivilent in different keys,) are what make up the majority of his, and many many other artist's songs.
There's more Damien Rice songs that you can do that with that there are one's you can't, but I really couldn't give a monkeys

Using the same chord progressions doesn't bother me at all (hundreds of thousands of songs use the G-C-D progression but hopefully they're different enough for itnot to stand out to layman ears)and yes most songwriters are going to write in the key which best suits their voice which is bound to only have so many chords within that key. That doesn't constitute self plagiarism to me at all.

What does is when almost every single thing about the music is the same: time/tempo, strum/arpeggio pattern, the changes in the same exact spot, presentation etc. so that it's so incredibly blatent that you can't help noticing. In other words, if the dude didn't sing over it you wouldn't really know which song it was.

[Nine]

Originally Posted by cille

That gotta look funny on you

Actually, I feel it to be rather endearing.