Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Talk about your favorite records, bands, shows and anything you can think of that is related to music

Moderators: greatmutah, GuitarBilly

Post Reply
User avatar
Dickarms
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 14084
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:19 pm
Location: Austin TX

Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Dickarms »

when you write songs (particularly you folks who sing and play and write both), you you constantly evolve them over the years? or once you track them are they solid and to be left alone, played in their original style and intent, regardless of future stylistic changes in you or your band.

getting ready to do some significant recording hopefully this spring. at least a strong EP.
been thinking about revamping some stuff, particularly lyrics, many of which were hastily written before practices/shows and which will be much more upfront on record.

what say you?
Beer==>SG==>Pedals==>Orange TV50
Telephant wrote:C'mon down to Marshall town sweet tits. We're all having a helluva time. :cop:

ovid9 wrote:But, having three cats, I don't want to hurt their ears.

sleewell wrote:goop forever, thug life till I die bitch.

Dave Lister wrote:Ya'll motherfuckers don't need any or more better gear, ya'll need better ideas.

Good Deals: TU BE, Steveijobzz, MikeO, Pamuk Party, Heath
User avatar
Telephant
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 15907
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:44 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Telephant »

Depends on the song. Some songs I'll go back and re-work. When we played the GAB show and I played some Son of Fire songs, the drummer and I re-worked them for the hell of it. Made one of them slightly mellower and extended some of the verses.

With lyrics I will finalize them in the studio. Sometimes certain words need to be replaced, or I wanna change the cadence on a particular line. If I'm in a new band and have an old song that will work, it will inevitably change because the rhythm section is different and I adjust it to their feel.
User avatar
EndTime
Hall of Fame Member
Posts: 7767
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:59 pm

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by EndTime »

I've written a lot of songs. Not all are great of course.. Some do have those parts that are better than the sum of the song.. So, of course, the idea to cherry pick ideas and rework them further is something i consider, but i almost never do that.. For me, writing a song was for a reason. Its cathartic for me.. To go back and try to recreate the place i was in when i originally wrote it, never seems to end up any better than before.. Plus, I'm always looking to move on and create something new and fresh...
Slobber Rod wrote: I got my hand stuck in my ass


Like vinyl? Wanna spend some money? Maybe buy this! viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38142
User avatar
Telephant
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 15907
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:44 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Telephant »

I once read an interview with Billy Howerdell where he said "Songs are never finished. You just stop working on them." I tend to agree with that.
User avatar
Dickarms
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 14084
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:19 pm
Location: Austin TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Dickarms »

Telephant wrote:Sometimes certain words need to be replaced, or I wanna change the cadence on a particular line.



this is what im looking at


i usually write out of catharsis and necessity combined (hey mike, we're fucking playing that song tonight, did you get lyrics? lol) , and then later take what that became and turn it into something that better fits the song as a whole.
Beer==>SG==>Pedals==>Orange TV50
Telephant wrote:C'mon down to Marshall town sweet tits. We're all having a helluva time. :cop:

ovid9 wrote:But, having three cats, I don't want to hurt their ears.

sleewell wrote:goop forever, thug life till I die bitch.

Dave Lister wrote:Ya'll motherfuckers don't need any or more better gear, ya'll need better ideas.

Good Deals: TU BE, Steveijobzz, MikeO, Pamuk Party, Heath
User avatar
Telephant
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 15907
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:44 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Telephant »

Y0UNGBL00D wrote:
Telephant wrote:Sometimes certain words need to be replaced, or I wanna change the cadence on a particular line.



this is what im looking at


i usually write out of catharsis and necessity combined (hey mike, we're fucking playing that song tonight, did you get lyrics? lol) , and then later take what that became and turn it into something that better fits the song as a whole.

I do that too. Hell a lot of times I just improv lyrics at practice and start piecing together from there. Usually I like to improv some lines, and then sort of pick the topic or theme I want to sing about and build from there.
User avatar
Dickarms
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 14084
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:19 pm
Location: Austin TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Dickarms »

me too. brothers i tell you. lol
Beer==>SG==>Pedals==>Orange TV50
Telephant wrote:C'mon down to Marshall town sweet tits. We're all having a helluva time. :cop:

ovid9 wrote:But, having three cats, I don't want to hurt their ears.

sleewell wrote:goop forever, thug life till I die bitch.

Dave Lister wrote:Ya'll motherfuckers don't need any or more better gear, ya'll need better ideas.

Good Deals: TU BE, Steveijobzz, MikeO, Pamuk Party, Heath
User avatar
Ostinato Rubato
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 35812
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:14 pm
Location: Fruitville, TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Ostinato Rubato »

I think periodically revisiting your works is just a healthy song writing exercise. Even if you have "finalized" versions that you've played in your band or at gigs.
EBMM Stingray Tobacco and Tort
Marshall 2555X Jubilee
Marshall 2536 2x12
CS Deja Vibe mkii > SupaTrem Jr. > Xotic Wah > OCD v2.0 > Fulldrive 2 mkii > TB Jailed Pitchblack > (Alter Ego x4)
User avatar
Dickarms
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 14084
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:19 pm
Location: Austin TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Dickarms »

what do yall think about major bands that completely revamp arrangements of classics live?
Beer==>SG==>Pedals==>Orange TV50
Telephant wrote:C'mon down to Marshall town sweet tits. We're all having a helluva time. :cop:

ovid9 wrote:But, having three cats, I don't want to hurt their ears.

sleewell wrote:goop forever, thug life till I die bitch.

Dave Lister wrote:Ya'll motherfuckers don't need any or more better gear, ya'll need better ideas.

Good Deals: TU BE, Steveijobzz, MikeO, Pamuk Party, Heath
User avatar
Telephant
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 15907
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:44 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Telephant »

You ever hear Tool play 46&2 live? They added another part where one of the choruses should be and its pretty cool. Hendrix once said something like, "If you want to hear it exactly like the album then put on the album."
User avatar
Physical Riffiti
Hall of Fame Member
Posts: 241
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:26 pm

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Physical Riffiti »

Once the song is recorded, that's pretty much it for me.

What I do like is the opportunity to play a song live a few times before recording it. Had more than a few good "accidents" as result.
User avatar
K-Bizzle
Hall of Fame Member
Posts: 5561
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:23 am
Location: Austin, TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by K-Bizzle »

To me songs are available for change until they're recorded, after that I don't really mess with them.
Change what needs it, leave it alone if its fine. Tinkering too much can be a very bad idea IMO.
Guitars:
ESP Eclipse, JR Tele, Gibson LP Tribute, Gibson Government Explorer S I/II, Yamaha FGX830C, Balaguer Goliath, Squire Jazz Bass
Maps:
Egnater Armageddon, 5153 50W Stealth, Quilter, Ashdown RM500
Cabs:
Bogner 4x12, Bogner OS 2x12, Randall MTS 2x12, Eden D410XLT


Listen my bands album: https://www.guitargearforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=49490
User avatar
Dickarms
Crystal Lettucer
Posts: 14084
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:19 pm
Location: Austin TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Dickarms »

Telephant wrote:You ever hear Tool play 46&2 live? They added another part where one of the choruses should be and its pretty cool. Hendrix once said something like, "If you want to hear it exactly like the album then put on the album."



couple times, actually :love:
Beer==>SG==>Pedals==>Orange TV50
Telephant wrote:C'mon down to Marshall town sweet tits. We're all having a helluva time. :cop:

ovid9 wrote:But, having three cats, I don't want to hurt their ears.

sleewell wrote:goop forever, thug life till I die bitch.

Dave Lister wrote:Ya'll motherfuckers don't need any or more better gear, ya'll need better ideas.

Good Deals: TU BE, Steveijobzz, MikeO, Pamuk Party, Heath
User avatar
idoasido
Registered Member
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Nov 26, 2013 7:54 pm

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by idoasido »

my "songs" are riffs repeated ad infinitum. sometimes i make mistakes
User avatar
benjamin801
Hall of Fame Member
Posts: 5056
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:29 pm
Location: Houston, TX

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by benjamin801 »

Live, I change the vocal delivery on my songs depending on the moment and the mood. And the leads are always a work in progress - they evolve far more than the rest of the song.

But once they're recorded, I stay probably 90% true to them from then on.
"If there was only a way that I couldn't even any less than I already can't then I'd gladly not, but I think I've entered some quantum paradox, dark matter levels of can't evening where the total absolute value of not evenness exceeds all ability to explain the can'ting." - MR RUBATO
User avatar
Sizzler
Hall of Fame Member
Posts: 9227
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 9:23 am

Re: Your songs: evolve or let them be?

Post by Sizzler »

For my metal stuff the songs pretty much lock in once recorded. The grunge/punk/modern rock originals changed constantly even after demos. When I played as a studio bass player for hip hop stuff that was locked down solid before I even picked up the instrument.
Post Reply