Update 9/6/17: Since the .mp3 file was removed a while back I thought I'd post it again on Soundcloud. I did work a little more on it with minimal post processing
This is my attempt to recreate the track Firth of Firth by Genesis (1973) minus vocals.
This track mesmerized me since I first heard it many hears ago. It has a very strong sonic signature unlike anything else I have ever heard. It just transports me to magical places. So, I thought to give it a try on Caustic.
Because of the different time signatures and tempo changes, it has been quite challenging to represent it properly. Thankfully with the new tempo change feature introduced in Caustic 3.2 I was able to follow those tempo changes. So, here it is in all its glory, with big Mellotrons, earth shuttering bass pedals, organ and the synth solo that I got from tweaking a Modular preset with that little portamento touch!! I used mostly MIDI files I found on the internet with a lot of tweaking, the most challenging part being the soaring solo guitar with all those note pitch bend swells and of course the approximation of the drum sounds from that era. Enjoy!
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Really nice
Very cool!
Great rendition of a fantastic song, I love Selling England By The Pound, and you have certainly re-created the complexities of this particular track, well done...
https://soundcloud.com/wellsley-1
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjL6zQnBNTJT_oUg3jqfuew
wellsley.bandcamp.com
I don't know the original track (the only PG-era Genesis I'm familiar with is Nursery Cryme) but this is great stuff. Is every instrument programmed, or did you use any real guitars?
Thank you guys! Glad there are fellow musicians in here who appreciate this genre, especially early Genesis.
@ Wellsley : Selling England by the Pound is my favorite album from 1970-75 Genesis, Firth of Fifth, Dancing with the Moonlit Knight and Cinema Show, along with many tracks from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway!!
@StePH: I always liked Nursery Cryme, but my first listen was Selling England by the Pound, an album where Genesis showed a more complete and cohesive side of their art and sonic abilities. I used mostly samples for the Piano, Flute, Mellotron, Bass, Drums, 12-String, and Bass Pedals, the Modular for the synth solo, and Organ. The guitar solo (Gibson LP sfz) was done in mono mode with a lot of pitch bending and some doubling at the end...Even though I play guitar and have nailed the solo in the past, I decided to try and challenge myself with emulating everything in Caustic.
Cheers!!!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
I was blown away by the guitar work on this track. So far, I haven't felt like I can produce anything close to realistic guitar. Can you tell me first where you got that LP sound font. Secondly, how did you handle your bends? They were so smooth and natural.
JHS
JHS
https://soundcloud.com/jhsound-2
Thank you JHS! I can't quite remember where I got this soundfont, it's been a long time, I have used it on many different projects in the past. I posted the sound on PCMsynth presets section for you (and anyone interested). It's called "GibsonLP Hackett". The bends was quite a challenge. Every bent note had an "in between" note starting towards the end and leading to the next. The amount of time that the "in between" note happened, controlled the time of the bend. Let's say the first note was a C and the ending note an E (2 notes higher). I would put a note on D connecting those two. The length, start and ending points depend on how long and where you want the bend to be. I know it sounds tricky but I hope it helps!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Thanks, Spyroks! That's what I thought you meant but it is certainly a lot of pattern-work to get those blends in there on a solo like that. I assume you were gliding at least the second two notes? Hat's off to you. Thanks, too, for that LP preset.
JHS
JHS
https://soundcloud.com/jhsound-2
Excellent piece of music!;)
♬ Lu!G
"The sands of time were eroded by, the river of constant change".. How I love this song.. and your own version is terribly convincing.. minus the lyrics.. ;)
Fabulous sounds.. Maybe the flute, you could have found a better one ? It's already good anyway..
Your guitar.. Not only the soundfont, but the way you use it.. 100% convincing..
Even on the synth solos, your (artificial bends) are excellent !!! Months of work, I guess..
You made my day, with this version.. Everything is here.. The rising and lowerings of the tension..
Minus the lyrics ;)
I would like to download it... For my own use..
(I did not read the posts.. Ah ? What I considered as bends, on the synth solo, are in fact portamento glide ? Yes.. Of course.. A good portamento then..)
https://soundcloud.com/opus-quatre/thp-seye-sevol-eurt
This is for spyroks.. You never heard it this way, right ?
Opus bumped this back up to the present so I got to listen to this track again. There is a lot of good music posted here but this is in my Top Ten. To think that this was produced entirely in Caustic is mind blowing. It is a credit to the software and its creator, and he should consider it a great demonstration of the quality of the program.
However, this ultimately is about the musician who uses the tools. You've done an amazingly good job, musically, with this piece.
JHS
https://soundcloud.com/jhsound-2
I've surprised people with my cover of "Penguin in Bondage" telling them the whole thing is all synthesizers and sequencers.
But spyroks' guitar solo in this track made me believe he dubbed in an actual analog guitar. My guitar solo in "Penguin" will have you under no such illusions.
You know how sometimes comments can leave you speechless? I am with you when it comes to appreciating good music! I thank you for the love!
@ opus.quatre: feel free to download
. Glad you are here! Peter reversed! Love it!
@ JHSound: You are very kind - much appreciated!
@StePH: nice quirky track!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
intelligent people listen to prog.
Can't say anything new... great guitar work.
Genesis at it's best.
♬ Aliens approaching...
And apart of that beautiful genesis cover, what is your music like..
You don't mention any soundcloud account.. So where can we hear your works, if ever you share it ??
do you also like Neal Morse? i think that would be a fun artist to cover.
I didn't know this Neal until you mentioned him.. Now I do.. Reminds me of the English 1970s band "Greenslade" which I liked a lot.. And some times it sounds more Heavy Metal..
I liked Neal Morse before he lost his shit and quit Spock's Beard to make Christian prog.
There's a reason record stores (remember record stores?) had a separate section for Christian music. It was so that people with good taste would know to stay the hell away from there.
Wow! This is a brilliant instrumental - down to the smallest detail!
https://soundcloud.com/squirrelonmars
https://www.youtube.com/c/squirreIs
https://www.facebook.com/squirrelonmars
i agree steph. i loved spocks beard.
About..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JHJgG2p9jU
Just thought I would share it..
Also, because of the beautiful view of the girls hand on the keyboard..
stePH, do you remember the two-disc album "SNOW" from Spock's Beard? I started joking to myself a long ways back that Neal lost his marbles and became the character from that story. I am still expecting him to shave his head and grab a tape deck.
Great work Spyrocks! truly amazing and brilliant demonstration of what Caustic can produce when in good hands.
Hello there..
@Spyroks.. How did you manage the different time signatures on this song ?? Did you have patterns with a different signatures each one ?? Or did you use the piano roll in the sequencer ??
Thanx for your help..
Thierry
6:20 and up is so beautiful. Actually the whole track is
Complex Ez
Latest trackhttps://m.soundcloud.com/ezell-matthewson/inflexible-spirit
Thank you opus.quatre for bumping this post, I missed it the first time around.
This is wonderful spyrok. Really well done! you inspired me to note that it is Time to listen to some vintage Genesis!
Thanks to all I haven't thanked yet, you made my day!!! I love all your positive comments, I am so glad you like! Highly appreciated!
@opus.quatre: Dear Thierry, the track was done on the piano roll in the sequencer. It was the most efficient way to tinker with every different part and tempo changes. I looped each section and worked that way. Cheers!
-Spyro
@wardini: I would listen to Selling England by the Pound, or The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway anytime. At the end usually I feel like I traveled to a strange land and came back in a more creative state! Thanks again for your comment!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Yes.. That's what Steph had told me.. Ok.. Thanx for your answer anyway..
Does your nickname have something to do with a charming little dragon called Spyro, on PlayStation ??
Have a good evening.. Or day..
Thierry
That's my actual name - and yes, I was surprised when I first saw Spyro the Dragon - little cute creature
Btw, it's afternoon here in NYC. Have a good evening!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
@opus.quatre
I just listened to Steve Hackett - Shadow of the Hierophant (Fleesh Version) from the link you posted above. Very nice indeed! That led me to find out about a recent performance of Hackett, with Todmobile and SinfoniaNord Orchestra which proves once again that Prog is alive and well in 2016! Check out two of the outstanding performances here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPwOSRuLVZo Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR948ak4VjM&t=0s Supper's Ready
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Hello Spyro and others..
Totally not convinced..
Dancing out with the Moonlit Knight sounds like a TV-PROM-calibrated version, made in order to have a high score on the audience-meter.. Shame, cause I love this song..
ANd Supper's Ready confirms my first opinion.. But who is that guy allowed to use the microphone ? The son, the brother, the neighbour or boy-friend or someone famous ? He has a name, and will attract pigeons and moths like a fake lantern ??
Sorry, but I will still prefer this one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSG1m1qCy2c
But what about your own music, Spyro ? How can we have a listen to YOUR own works ?? Any youcloud or soundtube ?
Have a nice weekend..
Thierry
Ahh Suppers Ready, now that is another of my favs, it was my meat and drink when i was about 15/16...nice version this...
https://soundcloud.com/wellsley-1
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjL6zQnBNTJT_oUg3jqfuew
wellsley.bandcamp.com
Of course the original versions of anything will always be the first ones, the ones that moved us and made us love them. I find it extremely interesting that today, many artists (including myself) go back to that time and try to interpret that music, their way. Thierry, I was very lucky to see Steve Hackett here in New York on December 2015 and it was a wonderful experience. The version you posted is the closest to the original it will ever get! I love it! Wellsley, I know the lyrics to Supper's Ready from beginning to end, and I was too a teenager getting lost in it, and because English was not my first language, it made me want to understand every single thing in it which of course is not possible..
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Thierry, I apologize I didn't respond to your request for including a link to my music. I usually am very private but I will listen to you this time, so here's a link to music I made 3-4 years ago on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Is the original version, always, the one we care for, more than any others ??
I listen to jazz, more than once.. And in that case, where everybody or so, plays standards, you hear the same tune in so many totally different versions, it's not true that the first one you've ever heard will always be your reference and your model, to compare to..
Same with classical music..even if the versions you can hear of a same composition, will not be so different..
But even with popular music.. The 1st version I ever heard of the Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" was by Steve Harley.. And I heard the original version later, and truly didn't like it as much.. And more recently, Angela McCluskey offered a truly interesting version of her own.. I like it a lot..
And for "Smells Like Teen Spirit', even if I already was seduced by the original, Tori Amos totally conquered me with her own.. Just like se seduced me with her "Enjoy the Silence", when Depeche Mode had just left me cold..
So yes, in a way, the first version we ever heard, of a tune (and most of the time, this means the original version) will be our reference, when we discover a new version.. But that doesn't mean it will always be our favorite..
I smiled when I read "I know the lyrics to Supper's Ready from beginning to end, and I was too a teenager getting lost in it, and because English was not my first language, it made me want to understand every single thing in it which of course is not possible." cause that's exactly what I felt yesterday evening, while listening to the covers.. I was singing along throughout the whole thing, and once or twice, it happened that I had forgotten one line of lyrics.. Except that I was 20 when I discovered that loooooong song..
And btw, even if the first version I knew was the live one with Phil Collins singing, I largely prefer the studio one with Peter Gabriel..
Thanx Spyro for sharing your soundcloud.. I had a quick listen.. Nothing really prog, but nice works.. Mel has a good voice.. I will have a more attentive listen later..
Any Caustic in those songs ??
I get your point Thierry. I guess it's all about how an artist makes a song his/hers. I have heard covers that sometimes are better that the originals. As for my Soundcloud music, back then I was working with a few singers singing in different styles/genres, so I put the tracks up for people to hear. Since then Caustic allowed me to experiment even more, so I did Firth of Fifth where I challenged myself and the program and I have to say that I am very happy with doing so. I have put together a few different styles, like more conventional pop/rock with more organic sounds, even soundtrack music. At some point I will upload my own Prog track and maybe some other electronic concoctions So, no other tracks of mine online made with Caustic, but soon, I hope...And when it comes to originality, PG rules!!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Sure.. But what or who, is PG ??
That's Peter Gabriel
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Oh.. It has nothing to do with Grafenberg, then.. Eh eh..
Anyway, I had almost guessed.. But what about YES ??
Snow was the beginning of the end. You could already see the direction Morse was going in with the messianic story told across that record.
And when I was listening to it in the car and "Looking for Answers" was playing, my wife said "what is this, Christian rock?"
The last good record out of that outfit was V. I don't care much for Morse's C-Prog nor for the Neal-less Nick's Beard. I listened to Feel Euphoria, and I'm done.
Good.. Nice to meet you back Spyrocks..
Hi Thierry!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Hello Spy..
And hello everyone..
I thought you would be please to hear the missing part of the song..
https://youtu.be/NFmsdWqYQYY
Have a nice day.. or night.. or whatever..
Thierry
Somehow overlooked this until now - a towering achievement!
https://soundcloud.com/james-muir
https://www.facebook.com/james.muir.77
Hi Thierry, what a nice surprise! Peter's double tracked vocals are indeed the missing part from what I made, thanks for sharing (btw, they sound really good as an acapella and the guitar solo too!).. A while back I came across this myself, and thought to mix them with my version but then I thought about copyright issues so I abandoned the idea. Also, what really surprised me is that this post has been viewed over 10.000 times, that's quite a lot, it makes me very happy!
James. thank you for your comment, it means a lot to me!
Lastly, I hope you both and everyone in here are keeping safe and healthy and as much as possible unaffected by this crisis. It's not easy, but music can be the catalyst, elevate people at a better place. Peace!
https://soundcloud.com/spyro-karagiannis
Epic, i'm blown away, you are using Caustic at it's full potential i believe, even more. I just joined the forum and i am simply blown away by what other ppl have been doing with it but you are on the next lvl for sure. Epic...
Music is Life Music is Lole and Techno the Soul.