Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    
    Consumer warning:
    
    When you get to the fourth and fifth tracks on side one (right after
    the long piano piece) I suggest you either turn down the treble or
    switch to Dolby C.  I think my submission got decoded as B when it was
    C.  It's super bright and hissy.  Oops....
    
    							Brian

    re: -.1 (Brian Rost's submission)
    
    Oh boy, my first chance to apologize!  Yes, I siad I could accept
    submissions that take Dolby C and then ended up using a deck that
    didn't have it (due to problems with dropouts).  Unfortunately, I then 
    forgot to check Brian's submission for its Dolby type (I'm new to their
    being more than 1 type).  So, the accentuated hiss and brightness is my
    fault.  My apologies to Brian.
    
    - John -

    
    OK, I got it out of John's hands yesterday at about 2 PM, stuffed into
    the Rat Shack blastomatic in my Camaro and scooted down Donald Lynch
    Boulevard snatting my fingers and stomping on the old accelerator....
    
    I'm going to skip a obsessive play by play and just give general
    comments.
    
    First, I've had it with sampled sax sounds.  Only KM was able to come
    close to acceptable articulation.  When the imitation becomes obvious,
    what's the point.   
    
    Second, the lyrics on most of the tunes remind me of why I don't bother
    to write songs, I can never think of any decent lyrics.  db's blues
    tune stands out as the best lyric on the tape, it's funny, it's clever
    and it's as good as anything I hear on pop radio.  He should try to get
    the Fools to cover it.
    
    Third, I thought that KM's Mahavishnu cover was wonderful.  That's my
    favorite track from that album and that's one of my favorite albums of
    all time.  Ras Snowball gets a nod for some righteous riddim....where's
    me spliff, mon?
    
    Hope some of you enjoy hearing my stuff as much as I enjoyed hearing
    yours.  
    
    							Brian

Since I probably won't get to a complete review for a while yet (I'm still
working on my review of COMMUSIC VI!), I thought I'd enter my inital reactions 
to COMMUSIC VII after listening to it once through this morning.

My standout favorite is Dave Blickstein's "The Low Calorie Blues."  Man, that 
vocal track is great.  Dave:  in your liner notes you say, "..then she dumped 
me, probably for my MIDIholism."  Gee.  No chance of you staying friends so 
she could keep singing on your COMMUSIC submissions?  But then, I guess
dealing with old flames can be rather stressful...  I also liked your guitar
work--nice bluesy acoustic riffs.

I was also happy to hear the selections that followed Dave's. "New City" and 
"What's the problem" by Dave George fill a void I've noticed in 
past COMMUSIC tapes--not many hard-edged, aggressive songs.  We tend
to have a lot of New Age and classical influences on these tapes, as well
as the usual popular sounds.  It's nice to hear some rougher stuff mixed in
now and then.

I liked Mark Shmieder's first song as well--nice followup behind Dave
George's material.  

Other notables would include Karl Moeller.  Any tape with some more songs
by Karl is a welcome addition to my music collection.

In general, I'm really getting to like these tapes, not just because they 
represent the names in this conference, but also because it's such an unusual 
sampling of material!

Keep up the good work everybody! 

Peter
 

    I should clarify something: Peigi wrote the lyrics to "The Low Calorie
    Blues" entirely on her own.  She's incredible at writing those kinds
    of things and I agree wholeheartedly with everything folks have been
    saying here and elsewhere about the lyrics.  She really did an
    outstanding job.
    
    She also wrote the "melody" over a straight 12-bar blues progression
    over acoustic guitar.  My main input was spice up the acoustic part and
    then turn it into a "blues band" thing,  and put in some variations
    from straight 12-bar blues. And of course to arrange and record it.
    
    An updated version of the liner notes is in the works.
    
    Anybody know the address for Dr. Demento?
    
    	db

After reading the liner notes, I'm really looking forward to hearing this tape
(I've been too busy to get around to getting a copy yet).

John mentioned he ended up mastering from a deck that didn't have dolbyC.
Like Brian, I submitted a dolbyC mix-down.  If it sounds weird, make whatever
adjustments you made for his stuff when you get to my stuff.

I am very touched by the effort people put into making this a Dave Orrin
tribute.  I don't believe I ever met Dave, but he obviously had a big effect
on a lot of people in this conference and deserves this musical epitaph.


				Mark

    re: .-1
    
    Reminds me.  The disk that had the horn sample I used for my submission
    got trashed.  The store basically couldn't replace it for me unless I
    ordered the set of 10 disks it came with ($40).  Only other alternative
    seemed to be to contact Roland ('nuf said).  Tried other horns but I
    really liked that particular sample - it fit the tune the best.
    
    Dave O. came to the rescue.  In fact, he must've really gone out of
    his way cause it the next business day, a package from Dave O. showed
    up in my mailbox.  It had the disk I needed, plus he threw in some
    extremely useful software: I had bitched about not being to copy
    a whole "patch" from one disk to another - he gave me the SW to do
    that.
    
    So, I guess another person I should credit is Dave O for "coming to the
    rescue".
    
    	db

    I'm waiting impatiently for my Commusic VII.. I just spent some time
    reading some of the notes around the creation of Commusic I, and the
    confusion engendered by sending the one and only master around thru the
    mail, and eventually losing it.  Smiles.  Also the famous Janzen War
    period, which is still amusing, though Tom's replies are missing.
    
    Seems that we could do a bit better than burden the person that did the
    mastering with the duplication too.  - uh, does the previous sentence
    scan correctly ?
    
    karl, commusic historian, who would (and has) argued with a wall

    During dinner with the commusic gang wednesday, I said to Eirikur that
    it was just HARD, apparently, to dub cassettes period, to dub them on
    amatuer equipment, period, and to dub them with the wrong noise
    reduction, semicolon.  In fact, I am speculating without having heard
    the tape that going digital may have put the buzz Eirikur heard in the
    quiet part of my selection; but I havn't listened to my copy carefully
    to see if it's there; I have a lazy ear, I hear with my imagination
    what music SHOULD sound like.
    Let's face it, it's easy for someone who listens to rocque all the time,
    writes rok, and records rocc, to set levels for what sounds good in
    wrok.  It's hard for that same person to set a level for classical and
    /or experimental music.
    The original version my algorithmic composition s/w used dynamics with
    MIDI velocity
    levels all the way down to zero, one, two and up to whatever
    (128?).  I changed it go down to about 50 or something.  But how often
    do you people use levels like 1 or 2, and how would you set record levels
    for it?  You wouldn't.  You wouldn't use those levels, and you compress
    the begeebers out of everything to have a flat level.  In fact, I
    compressed (by velocity code choice) some automatic music I made for
    one of my videos, because I realized that wide levels and quiet levels
    don't do well off a 3" TV speaker in someone's noisy living room.
    
    I deleted all my old nasty replies.
    But of course I am grateful to the compilers of commusic tapes; I hope
    we appreciate how incredibly difficult it is to make a decent copy of a
    cassette.
    Tom

    
    I should warn you all that I am a CM3 groupee; although that is
    the only COMMUSIC tape I have, I love it!  And so, I was looking
    for lots of good things from this tape.  I was not disappointed.
    (Although it would have been nice to see more repeaters from CM3). 
    
    Before I start in on a cut by cut, some general comments are in
    order.  I still am overwhelmed at the talent that people in this
    company have.  The diversity and (in many cases) virtuosity of 
    contributors really floors me.  Yeah, I know.  Most of us could
    not quite afford to quit our day jobs, but many could if they 
    chose to do so, and it shows.   I also was humbled to think that
    these selections were by definition only a sampling of what folks
    are up to out there.  
    
    An earlier noter mentioned that he was a felt the lyrics were not
    the strongest suit of many submissions (if I understood you Brian).
    I would beg to differ.  IMHO, I thought the lyrics were very good,
    and will have more comments in the individual reviews.
             
    I listened to the tape right through with headphones the first night,
    then came back and played it on a decent stereo and finally my 
    audiophile-addict deluxe. (My name is Bill and I'm also...:]).
    
    So, here goes...

    
    			S I D E   O N E :
    
    Sherman : Brown Paper Sax
    
    I love the way this one starts and the smooth progression up to
    "MEGASOUND".  The cooldown at the end is also effective.  This one
    made me think about tempo.  I felt at first it was tooo slow, but
    later could see what might have been the trade-offs in clarity if
    the pace was faster.  Great title 8-).
    
    
    Janzen : Beethoven/Liszt
    
    After hearing your CM3 Beethoven, I wasn't sure what to expect here.
    I mean it was a little, shall we say different.  This cut was a
    pleasant surprise!  Not that everything has to be conventional.
    What I really liked here was taking a classical piece and then giving
    just a little "spin" to it.  I forgot I was supposed to be listening
    to a reduction and could enjoy the piece on its own terms.  BTW,
    did you enter this all in realtime from the keyboard?  (Awesome...)
    
    
    Rost : The Towers  [ PS Did you go to the U of Wisc @ Eau Claire,WI?)
    
    Dreamy.  At first I was looking for a more robust bassline (bass
    freak that I am) but after a couple listens I realized that the
    lack of a solid bottom is in part what gave the piece its dream-like
    quality.  I just learned something :-).
    
           Crazy Mama
    
    The "whish-a-wash-a-whish" sound got on my noives after a while
    (maybe this was aggravated by the Dolby mismatch).  It got in the
    way of me concentrating on the background guitar and vocals.  Nice
    tune, though.
    
    
    Moeller : 
    (I learn a lot from reading what you have to say in the notes and
    this holds for your music, Karl.)
    		
    		Jingle A
    
    YEAH!!! (So this is what my 1000PX is SUPPOSED to sound like 8-}.)
    This cut only sounded better with each subsequent listening.  There's
    a real 3D and open aspect to the music that I like.  (How do you
    do that?)
    
    		Jan Piano...
    
    I too am a fan of putting piano and drums together; it can make
    for a funkified jam.  BTW, "rubato" means with no set tempo, right?
    
    		Latin #89
    
    If the congas had not been "quantized to the max.", would this 
    have sounded better?  More natural?  I liked it anyway.  But then
    I love salsa. (ps How can I get the first 88? :] )
    
    		The Minefield
    
    This is one of the cuts which really made me think.  I am currently
    trying to write a choral piece for synth/tape and voices.  The use
    of instruments as percussion and minimalism are two techniques I
    believe will figure prominently in the piece, if I ever get it done.
    My only criticism was the lack of development in the piano interlude;
    I was hungry for more.  Perhaps you give more in the full work.
    (I wish I could play like that).
    
    		Lila's Dance
    
    Very well-crafted. I particularly liked the percussion, although
    the cymbals seemed a tad forward.  I like the overall balance in
    your stuff, Karl.  I see these selections as being studies I can
    learn from.
    
    
    Lynch/Orin : Maple Leaf Rag
    
    What can I say?  It was important to have this on the tape.
    
    
    
    			S I D E    T W O :
    
    Bill Allen : Right Time Blues
    
    On the headphones - Yech (too much bass distortion!); but it 
    seemed better on the bigger systems. (Did you all catch my cat Hektor's
    recording debut just after the flute comes in?)  I think I should
    have faded in and out the vocal channel to keep the noise down.
    (Oh, you think I should have just left the vocal fader off...OK...)
    
    		A Mentor's Toye
    
    Didn't come out too bad... I really like this piece.  It would be
    neat to see how other COMMUSICers would add to and improve it.
    (SET @SUGGESTIONS PLEASE=... :])
    
    		KHG-2
    
    I wish I had taken the time to add the reverb...
    
    
    LaQuerre : Enjoy your life
    
    WHOA!!??!! What's this??  Like listening to the latest album from
    your favorite group.  At first you're not quite sure you like it,
    but then the sound grows on you.  This is different from the next
    cut which is more reminiscent of CMIII.  Is the laid-back quality
    of the sound attributable to the X-15?  Even with no Dolby I could
    hardly hear the percussion or backup vocals.
    
    		Winnebago Free
    
    Very clever story line.  As usual, I get taken in by your lyrics,
    Peter.  I find them genuine and often endearing.  The overall effect
    reminds me of Harry Chapin, Jr. or Cat Stevens.  Real Nice Work.
    
    
    Blickstein : Low Calorie Blues
    
    When the organ growled in during the second verse, I knew I was
    hooked!  Much as I would like to be an iconoclast, this cut is my
    current favorite on the tape.  The music is superb, the vocal is
    *****, the playing is flawless IMHO.  (You played all that, right?)
    The recording balance is what I feebly try acheive.  Peigi's sense
    of timing and humor add a lot.  A definite showpiece.
    
    
    George : New City
    
    NEW WAVE !!#@(*^%!  Yeahhh!!!!  I like new wave and consider it
    very close in spirit to reggae: it makes a social statement in a
    musical way.  Though I dug the tunes on this one, I was not sure
    about the lyrics (If I understood what you were singing, my edi-
    torial comment would be, IMO some things aren't cool to joke about.)
    Anyway, this cut puts me in mind of David Sylvan and Japan (do you
    know them?).
    
    	What's the problem?
    
    Made me want to get out the Bowie album with "Shake It" on it. 8]
    I liked the drums on this one, but could they have been spread out
    more (across the soundstage)?  They seem to have just come from
    the left channel.
    
    
    Schmieder : Native...
    
    Mark, the first time through I heard your stuff after listening
    to the rest of tape and listener fatigue was setting in.  My first
    impression was that the vocals had to go.  (I know, people who live
    in glass houses 8-) and besides, none of us is quitting our day
    gigs anytime soon, right?)  Anyway, with each subsequent listening
    I have grown to like your pieces and this one in particular, more
    and more.  I think one of the things music has the power to do is
    make people think, and Native made me think of places like Ireland,
    the Middle East, and Central America.  I like this song and the
    lyrics a lot.  I hope that you do NOT stop thinking and writing
    in this style; getting it out in music is one of the ways I deal
    with these and other issues. Enough philosophy, right :-)...well,
    you get the picture.
                                                 
   		Morning Breeze
    
    Another good one.  This is another great example of why I liked
    the lyrics and the music on this tape.  I would like to hear the
    reggae version :}.  Incidentally, this cut was pretty quiet on my
    NAK using Dolby C.  I am not a guitarist but the instrument sounds
    very well played here to me. 
                        
    		One Less Ear
    
    Once again, interesting musical ideas coupled with clever lyrics.
    I really like this one.  Would you be willing to send me the words
    to these three? (MUSKIE::ALLEN)  The recordings are good, but there
    are still a couple words I can't make out.  Very enjoyable!!!
    
    
    Lynch/Orin : E-K-N
    
    As mentioned elsewhere in the notes, I am a big fan of sequencing
    classical music.  It's fun and you learn a lot, besides.  I once
    talked to Dave about this piece, particularly the strings and how
    I could get synth strings to sound more lifelike.  I never thought
    I would actually get to hear this.
    
    That we will never hear more new music from this man saddens me...
    That he touched so many of us in some way, gives me hope and joy.
    
    (And thanks for all of your work, Mike.)
    
    
    Conclusion:
    
    A great tape!!!  I had fun listening through it and suspect that
    it will give me hours of "listening pleasure" as they say.  It also
    makes me think I really should get the other COMMUSIC tapes.
    
    Kudos again to John Arnold for a yeoman's job putting this together.
    
    Clusters,
    Bill Allen
    
                      
                                
    
    

>                      <<< Note 2283.10 by MUSKIE::ALLEN >>>
>                   -< My Foist COMMUSIC Review! (Oh Boy!!!) >-
>    to a reduction and could enjoy the piece on its own terms.  BTW,
>    did you enter this all in realtime from the keyboard?  (Awesome...)
 
    No.  I entered the music onto the screen of a music-notation based
    sequencing program, using a mouse.
    I used to sight-read the beethoven symphonies when I had a piano, but I
    neer studied them (practice over and over) and never could play this
    movement really.  I don't even have a MIDI controller.
    The Liszt transcriptions of the symphoies are probably all on
    recordings now, including Glenn Gould's fifth, and are great fun.
    Tom   
    

    I've only had one full listen (on a borrowed el cheapo walkman witout
    any NR of any type) and I have to say there is good stuff here, though
    CM5 (my first CM tape) is still my favorite.  I'm going to listen some
    more before I say definites about the tape.  The lyrics on any of them
    really didn't thrill me but then there aren't many songs by anyone,
    including "pro" stuff by full-time groups that thrill me (lyrically).  
    To me, the voices are just another instrument...
    
    
    Anyway, dbs tune is well done, Karl's and Tom's were great, and Steve
    Sherman's tune had a good groove to it (like everything of his I've
    heard).  Hope he gets to finish the tune someday -- it needed a little
    refining.
    
    Everybody did a great job and thanks to John Arnold for making the
    comilation and to those who submitted.
    
    CHad
    who_thinks_maybe_he_should_stop_talking_about_others_music_when_he_can't_
    do_it_himself_and_get_something_for_CMVIII
    
    

DISCLAIMER:

         In the belief that anyone submitting an entry is doing so to get
         an idea of how well the public likes their work, I offer these
         *personal*, unqualified, inexpert opinions of the COMMUSIC VII. In
         some cases my opinions are just "gut" reactions with no basis in
         fact or reason. Please don't take offense if you don't like my review
         I'll try to get some of my work onto COMMUSIC VIII so that you can
         get even ;-}
          

Side One        Submitted by            Submission
========        =================       ==============================

                Michael Lynch           Ocean Time (excerpt)

         Very nice Mike. What do I have to do to get a copy of this disk????

*************
                Steve Sherman           Brown Paper Sax

         I like the arrangement. The beginning starts out so elegantly easy
         and simple. The "sax" isn't too believable as a sax, but it gets
         the job done. I really like the way this song builds up. Was that
         the same "sax" later in the song played in the lower octaves?
         Sounds better lower down. Hey, this is a fun song. Good to listen
         to!

*************
                Tom Janzen              Molto Vivace from Symphony #9
                                        - Beethoven - trans. by Liszt

         Very nice dynamics. Worth many a listen.

*************
                Brian Rost              The Towers

         The opening creates a very nice soothing atmosphere that is
         maintained through the song. Nice background music, but it doesn't
         seem to go anywhere, doesn't seem to say anything musically. (These
         Towers weren't located at UMass by any chance, were they?)

                Brian Rost              Crazy Mama

         Nice vocals. Interesting mix of sounds. IMHO a slightly faster
         tempo would improve the interest of this song.

*************
                Karl Moeller            Jingle A

         Very uplifting music. Made me feel good. Nice combination of
         instruments. Good arrangement. Worth more listening. Can we hear a
         longer version???

                Karl Moeller            January Piano (excerpt)

         Shades of George Winston, but perhaps, a better sense of feel and
         touch. This is a good listen. I'd pay $$ to buy this.

                Karl Moeller            Latin #89 (excerpt)
         
         Sounds as good as anything I've heard off of a New Age label. Nice
         work Karl.

                Karl Moeller            The Minefield (excerpt)
         
         Uh, you *did* say intense. I like it. It is refreshingly intense.

                Karl Moeller            Lila's Dance

         Well, by now I've come to the conclusion that all of your
         submissions are of very high quality in arrangement, composition,
         sound, etc... (Do you do lyrics too? ;-) )

*************
                Michael Lynch           Maple Leaf Rag

         Brings back memories. I remember hearing Dave do this. Thanks for
         getting this submitted Mike.





Side Two        Submitted by            Submission
========        =================       ==============================

                Bill Allen              Right Time Blues

         This song started to get to me after a few listens. I found it
         running through my head, catchy tune. Great sound, I really like
         the atmosphere that you created. Nice blend of instruments. Real
         nice vocal sound. My only complaint was that it was too difficult
         to make out the lyrics.

                Bill Allen              A Mentor's Toye (for D.O.)

         This one is "nice" I guess. I'm not sure why it didn't grab me
         though. Maybe just a bit too smarmy.

                Bill Allen              KHG-2 (trans. of BWV651, Bach)

         I guess I just don't like the like tones of the Celesta. Exchange
         them with a nice harpsichord and I would really like this piece
         better.

*************
                Peter Laquerre          Enjoy Your Life
         
         Please! No more "Don't Worry Be Happy" type lyrics. (gag >-Q) I
         mean, I am tired of "feel good" pop psychology, OK? I mean maybe I
         don't wanna have a "nice" day. :-) :-) The instrumentals remind me
         vaguely of Fleetwood Mac, especially the lead lines and tones.
         Vocally I am reminded of Neil Young. Loose these lyrics and I
         really would like this one better.

                Peter Laquerre          Winnebago Free

         Now, these lyrics I really liked! Very imaginative. You painted
         some wonderful images. Made me want to hear more of your work. The
         music and arrangement all worked well with the story you tell.
         Great work! If only I could write lyrics like this...

*************          
                Dave Blickstein         The Low Calorie Blues

         Great lyrics, great vocals, great instruments and arrangement!
         I love the way the organ licks in now an then. The blend of the
         organ and horns in the lead break really makes this song great!

*************
                Dave George             New City

         Good song, but not amazing. Got my feel tapping. 

                Dave George             What's the Problem
         
         The chord progressions remind me a little of the "Doors" from back
         in the sixties. Again, good, but not great. 

*************
                Mark Schmieder          Native in a Foreign Land
                                        Morning Breeze
                                        One Less Ear

         Sorry Mark, I couldn't cope with your singing style. I mean, you
         have a good voice and all, but you seem to sing with your throat
         all closed up, as if Hulk Hogan had you by the Adams apple and was
         forcing you to sing while squeezing it. It made my fillings hurt
         to listen. Can you try singing with a more relaxed throat next
         time????

*************
                Michael Lynch           Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
         
         Nice! Yes Mike, the strings do work well on this piece.

                                        Ocean Time (excerpt)




PS Thanks to Dave Blickstein for his efforts in putting together this tape!

The tape was mostly a success, in that there are no fast-forwards.  The
styles are quite disparate, and I was pleased to see the classical covers.
I find I miss Dave Bottom, PeeKay from the UK, Edd Cote, et.al.  It's in
    the car full-time.  Made a cassette from my PCM mahster... except that
    the PCM video tape had everyone's music on it but mine !  Yes, it lost
    PCM sync when John digitally bounced my pieces back.  The cutting edge
    is also the bleeding edge...

Well, on with the review...  karl
    
Lynch/Orin - Ocean Time
    	See end of review.
    
Steve Sherman, Brown Paper Sax
	Suitably bluesy melody and arrangement.  I like the bass and drum
	timbres.  Unfolds nicely, as does the growl sax line at first.
	Seems to run out of melodic inspiration in the bridge, but comes
	back with the closing verse.  Sax sounds not really convincing.

Tom Janzen - Beethoven's 9th
	A stunningly accurate transcription of a favorite.  The MKS-20's
	sometimes harsh timbre works well here.  Good use of dynamics,
	appropriate reverb.  I forgot what a wide dynamic range the MKS-20
	will put out.  A beautiful job.

Brian Rost - The Towers
	3 guitars.  Naive folk-rock progression with simple melody.  Didn't
	really work for me.

Brian Rost - Crazy Mama
	In spite of, or maybe because of, the simple arrangement, this worked
	fine. Twirly phaser in background really took me back. Beat-box-blues.

Karl Moeller - Jingle 'A'
	Was condensed from a longer piece, and it shows.  Needs punchy
	guitar or horns.  

Karl Moeller - January Piano (excerpt)
	This fragment is unsatisfying.  It fades just as the piece warms up.

Karl Moeller - Latin #89 (excerpt)
	Needs some rhythmic chording to help move it along.  Nice, intricate
	vibe lines, played real time, thank you.  Lightweight somehow.

Karl Moeller - The Minefield (excerpt)
	This fragment loses the contrast between the intense and tranquil
	portions.  Weird piece, but I like it.

Karl Moeller - Lila's Dance by John McLaughlin
	Mostly successful.  I wanted a band sound.  I'd like to clean up the
	drums a bit and replace the piano in the final verse.

Mike Lynch - Maple Leaf Rag
	A too-fast, but accurate reading.  Joplin should be played at a 
	relaxed tempo.  The piano doesn't HAVE to be out-of-tune-honkytonk.

Bill Allen - Right Time Blues
	Reggae/dub.  Good, convincing vocals.  The production is too clean,
	and the first piano chords sound downright confused.  Just ends.
	That's what fadeout endings are for !

Bill Allen - A Mentor's Toye
	Sort of naive jazz.  A few of the horn lines work well but overall 
	feels aimless.  Just ends..  Doesn't work for me.

Bill Allen - Bach KHG-2
	Good timbre choices, solid transcription.  The bass voice, because
	of MIDI layering, tends to dominate when present, leaving a hole
	when it isn't.  Seems a bit long - perhaps varying the timbre
	assignments would help.

Peter LaQuerre - Enjoy Your Life
	Hot rhythm programming.  Always like his voice.  Good stereo spread
	on the instruments, but the instrument mix is quite dull compared to
	the vocals - I smell track bouncing here.  Boosting the treble on
	the about-to-be-bounced trax would keep them crisp on the final mix.
	Lyrics are kinda Pollyanna, but Pete's voice keeps me from minding.
	
Peter LaQuerre - Winnebago Free
	Light, deft arrangement.  Guitar works well as background and lead.
	I like it.

Dave Blickstein/Peigi ?? - Low Calorie Blues
	Convincing acoustic blues segues smoothly into convincing band feel.
	Hot organ lines, solid horn punches.  Raw electric lead guitar is
	totally unexpected.  Fun lyrics, well sung.  A favorite on the tape.

Dave George - New City
	"I'm not hip enough!"  Fun garage band trio rock.  Short, as is
	appropriate.  Recording quality matches material (i.e. not too
	clean).  Well done.

Dave George - What's the Problem
	Ominous beginning.  Vocal pulls it together.  Satisfying chord
	progression reminds me of early Floyd.

Mark Schmeider - Native in a Foreign Land
	Wins the pretentious lyric award.  Not sure of this one's vocal line-
	the vocal notes sustain too long for the the underlying music.  the
	percussion is buried, and the guitar and bass have good tone.  Didn't
	work for me.

Mark Schmeider - Morning Breeze
	12 string with chorus.  When the vocal comes in, sounds like
	Elizabethan folk-rock.  Harmonies work fine.

Mark Schmeider - One Less Ear
	Buried percussion again.  Semi-clever lyrics.  Seems to be a vocal
	echo experiment that mostly works.

Mike Lynch/Dave Orin - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
	Totally convincing transcription.  Good use of dynamics, very 
	enjoyable.  Even the double-bowed sections work.  

Mike Lynch/Dave Orin - Ocean Time
	I like it.  I have an extra-long version on my PCM dub from John.

I have listened to the tape a few times and like a lot of what I hear. I
don't have time at the moment to comment on most, but I should point out
that Dave Blickstein's cut _really_ works for me.  I can hear it over and
over and not get tired of it. 

Bill Allen's Right Time Blues is positively haunting.  I cannot get this
out of my head.  "Worse," it keeps reminding me that there is a Roland in 
my future.  Really exploits some of what I love about the Roland sound...
Can you publish the lyrics somewhere--I wish you had been just a bit
clearer in your singing.  

Tom Janzen's Beethoven works very well.  The piano sound is a tiny bit,
shall I say "rattly"--not quite what I hear in a good upright or grand.
But it comes off well anyway.

I'll comment on more when I have a chance.

Alex

    Well reviewers say nice things about the dynamics on my Beethoven
    slection, so John must have done a nice job of gain control for that
    peic.e.  Thanks a lot John!
    Tpom

    Seems like we puttin' the replies to the reviews right here, so why
    not.
    
    re .10, Bill Allen's comment on my Jingle 'A', how do I get that '3D'
    sound... I listened to it with headphones trying to see what you meant.
    What I did, since this was a fairly complex piece, was put lots of the
    sounds on 8-track rather than banging it all straight from MIDI to PCM.
    And in doing that I had much more latitude about pan positions and
    effect volume/placement for each and every instrument.  For example,
    the acoustic guitar, only heard for 2 bars at the beginning, has a
    separate echo/reverb track of its own, panned opposite the dry signal.
    Plus at the same time the piano program in the Kurzweil is stereo, but
    switches to mono (grand piano 1) for the punchy sections.  Also the
    EMAX bassline was mixed totally dry and upfront, while the drums and 
    especially the tom rolls sound like they're coming from the back of a
    stage, due to the relative volume and addition of reverb - plus the
    toms are spread across the left-right spectrum.  Just a lot of
    attention to instrument placement and effects.
    
    re .13, Mark Hastings on a longer Jingle 'A' - there's probably the
    long sequence version on some disk or another, but I concentrated
    completely on the 60-second version, so it's incomplete.
    
    karl

    
    Since everyone has been asking me about this, for the record, I went to
    the University of Connecticut.
    
    							Brian

    What happened to the COMMUSIC VII liner notes?  I can't find the topic
    anywhere.
    
    len.
    

    re .19
    
    Len, I'll only give you this information if you promise not to 
    criticize my rhythm programming (and I use that term very loosely).
    
          8^)   .......................  They're in 11.12
    
    
    Clusters,
    Bill Allen
    
    
    
    
    
    

    re. 15
        
    Alex:
    
    Thanks for the comments on RTB.  I wish I had been clearer on the
    vocals, too.  There are three things going on here.
    
    One, is that I don't have a compressor/limiter device.  This forces
    me to try to juggle enough vocal volume to get above the noise floor
    and the background music while at the same time not overloading
    the tape.  Two, I still am EXTREMELY embarrased about my squeaker,
    and tend to hide it behind whatever I perceive sounds better.
    Three, I forget that most people are not familiar with Jamaican
    dialect.  Although reggae is sung in English, it is filled with
    many Jamaican idioms which are quite meaningless to the "untrained
    ear".                            
    
    One other point I should mention, is that part of reggae's charm
    is that you really can't make out half of what they are saying.
    As one noter perceptively pointed out, RTB is really too "clean"
    and a bit sanitized to be authentic.  My parents are Jamaican and
    I am very familiar with the accent, but I still have a helluva time
    understanding what many lyrics are.  This is particularly true of
    the kind of reggae known as "dub" music.
    
    Anyway, for the record, here are the lyrics for RTB, along with
    a translation for folks not familiar with Reggae Culture:
                                                             
    
    	"Marcus Garvey prophesy 'im sey: 
           'Woy, when de right time come'
         Man a-go fin' 'imself agens' de wall one day,
    	   'Woy, when de right time come'
    
    	 Some a-go charge fe treason,
           when the right time come.
    	 some a-go charge fe murder.
           when the right time come.  
    
    	"People will run and de children will cry,
           'Woy...
         Idren must free, de wicked must die,
           'Woy...    
    	          
    	 Some a-go charge fe arson, 
           when de right time come.
         Come mek we bring de Parson
           fe quote de Scripture.
                                   
    	[It a-go dred so...]
        [An' we stepit ona Babylon, as I would sey]
        [I tel you!]
    
    
    Loosely translated this means:
    
    	Marcus Garvey prophesied that if things didn't change, (O Lord, 
    when the great change comes) the world would find itself in deep 
    trouble one of these days.
    	Anarchy would rule the day, with people routinely being charged
    with murder and treason (ie righteous rebellion).
    
     	People will try to escape this calamity and there will be a
    lot of weeping and wailing.  But the oppressed people must be free
    and the oppressors vanquished.        
    
    	The cities will burn and there will be lots of looting. "Hey,
    you and I had better go get a preacher to try to calm things down".
    
    	[It is going to be so dreadful!]
    
    	[And we'll be taking over, if I have anything to say about it]
                                  
    	[Listen to this]
    	
    	Marcus Garvey...  The establishment is going to have to come
    to terms with reality, when the right time come.
    	                    
                        
    *Incidentally, "When the right time comes" is not too different 
    from the phrase "When the revolution comes", from our own history 
    in this country (circa late 1960's).
    
    
    Hope this helps,
    Bill Allen                    :-]
    
    
    

    Keep those cards and letters comin' kids

    I gave it an 8.  It had a good beat, and if I danced, I probably could
    to it.
    
    len.
    

>Side One        Submitted by            Submission
>========        =================       ==============================
>
>                Michael Lynch           Ocean Time (excerpt)

This was pretty neat.  Good randomization of the gull calls to add realism.
Maybe a little heavy on the surf sounds, but could be just the recording.

>                Steve Sherman           Brown Paper Sax

Gack!  Believe me, it sounds worse to my ears than to yours.  As mentioned,
I was in the middle of working on this when I had to liquidate my gear.
Sax articulation is the next thing I was planning to develop along with more
orchestration of the last section.  Dave heard this the day he took most of my 
equipment.  On my copy part of the intro was hacked.  Would rather the end had 
gotten hacked, but there's so much I'd rather have worked on.  Quality of the 
recording is pretty good.

>                Tom Janzen              Molto Vivace from Symphony #9
>                                        - Beethoven - trans. by Liszt

This was pleasant to listen to whilst careening down 495.  Minor nits which may
have been intended.  There were a few places where the triplets were all of the
same velocity.  This piece seems to have lots of emphasis on the down beat,
so I would expect a "real" performer to have emphasized the triplets on the
down beat at times.  Also, the chords on the lower octaves seemed to chorus
a lot.  Were I doing the arrangement I might have done some chord inversions 
to spread the notes apart some at risk of losing some of the faithfulness of
transcription.  But, overall the sounds are nice.  These nits have more to do 
with interpretation of the piece and may well have been intended, so don't 
take it as criticism.  If it were desired, a little "humanism" might have gone 
a long way.  That is, maybe a little more delay or variance in tempo or
velocity (aside from the excellent crescendos/decrescendos).  Enjoyed 
the wide dynamic range and stops.  I know a lot of that is "built in" to the 
score.  I figure the sequencing is where creativity can take/has taken place, 
allowing for interpretation of the score, much as physical (as opposed to
virtual) musicians would.  This was good, Tom!  Enjoyed it much!

>                Brian Rost              The Towers

This was okay as background music.  You know where the "warts" are.  Some of 
it seemed a bit muddy.  But, this was not bad, really.  Did seem to lack a
bit in melody, but that's not necessarily a flaw.

>                                        Crazy Mama
>
>                Karl Moeller            Jingle A
>                                        January Piano (excerpt)
>                                        Latin #89 (excerpt)
>                                        The Minefield (excerpt)
>                                        Lila's Dance

I liked these.  As other noters have mentioned, would have liked to have heard
the full cuts.  That's a compliment.

>                Michael Lynch           Maple Leaf Rag

What can I say?  Delightful.

    Thanks very much steve for listening to the tape and posting a review.
    You made good comments.
    
>>Steve Sherman
    >
>>                Tom Janzen              Molto Vivace from Symphony #9
>>                                        - Beethoven - trans. by Liszt
>same velocity.  This piece seems to have lots of emphasis on the down beat,
>so I would expect a "real" performer to have emphasized the triplets on the
>down beat at times.  
    Well, the triplets are just quarters in 3/4, but anyway, I tried to use
    one dynamic step up for down beats much of the time, but perhaps too
    subtle.  perhaps another step.  i tried to really emphasize notes with
    emphasis markings.  Perhaps should have upped the ante on all
    downbeats.
    >Also, the chords on the lower octaves seemed to chorus
>a lot.  
    Real pianos chorus without any electronics.  Anyway, although I respect
    Liszt (I'm sure he's grateful!) it's still only a transcription on a
    piano that existed 120 years ago, so I could fix a little here and
    there to be suitable for a modern electronic instrument, 
    but didn't have the same inclination to do so you did.  
>If it were desired, a little "humanism" might have gone 
>a long way.  That is, maybe a little more delay or variance in tempo or
>velocity (aside from the excellent crescendos/decrescendos).  Enjoyed 
    yes I think so, but I am lazy, the software, score-oriented, could do
    tempo changes per bar (per beat if I split the bar into beats),
    somewhat tediously, but on
    a moto perpetuo like this quantization is less 
    apparent than it would have been on one
    of the other movements.
    
>the wide dynamic range and stops.  I know a lot of that is "built in" to the 
>score.  
    That's Liszt for you.  I worked hard to get the flaky dynamic control
    (which, on a score-oriented editor, looks like crescendo symbols) as
    effective as possible. Thanks.
    >I figure the sequencing is where creativity can take/has taken place, 
>allowing for interpretation of the score, much as physical (as opposed to
>virtual) musicians would. 
    I'm not a fan of interpreatation anyway.  Stravinksy wasn't either.  
    For example, most play the center, the trio, much too slow.  I used
    Beethvoen's markings.  If you play the wrong tempo, why not play the
    wrong notes?
    > This was good, Tom!  Enjoyed it much!
    Thanks.
    Tom
    >
    I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Commusic participants shouldn't expect others to review the tape until 
they do themselves.  However, I should caution everyone I historically
have disliked popular music of all kinds.  Jazz is not popular, and I 
like it.  However, I am exposed to pop music on Sat Nite Live and 
late night (when I don't fast-forward the tape through the song), so
I'm not totally devoid of aculturation to pop.

Ocean Time - I enjoy ocean.  I made some electronic ocean for the
performance piece with electronics, "Slowasleep."  I think I used an Fm
radio between stations and good stereo effect, but I neglected animal
sounds, which made this recording richer to listen to.

Brown Paper Sax - nice build and let up at the end.  Convincing 
bas line and control of the build.  I enjoyed it.

Beethoven 9th molto vivace; I don't like this on this tape as much I
enjoyed listening to it after sequencing it.  I guess I bore fast.
The dotted rhythms needed emphasis; they were flat; maybe that's what
Steve meant about flat triplets.  I agree.  I think I could have skipped 
some of the repeats; maybe Ed wouldn't have skipped the end while
listening to it ;-) .

Brian Rost
	The Towers
		Pretty credible.  If you were playing, I guess you
		have guitar chops.  I wish some of you had had a chance 
		to hear my real piano chops on read jazz or something
		(not a good jazz improvisor), but none of you has.
		I don't understand why the acoustic started centered 
		and went to the right.  Nice though.  Nice gimmickless
		feeling until the pitch slide at the end.
	Crazy Mama
		A blues changes chords some times, but you know that.
		Lower production values than the first.  I feel like
		vocal solos should really be mixed forward, shouldn't
		they?  I know how hard it is; I've covered laurie
		anderson at home for myself (until I sold the vocoder).
		Anyway, presence is important.  Presence comes from
		loudness, brightness, and little reverb, because in an 
		acoustic situation, players who are farther away from
		the audience pick up more room, sound duller, and sound
		quieter because they are farther away.  So with 
		accompaniments with electronic instruments that have
		bright loud presets, we need to learn to dull them up,
		turn down their volume, and give them some room 
		(short delay reverb) and let the vocal come forward with
		brightness, louderness, and tiny delayless reverb.
Karl Moeller
	Jingle A
		Son-of-a-gun, sounds like a jingle.
	January Piano
		I see where the 1000 piano sound beats the MKS. I almost
		bought yours but bought our lost friend Dave's instead.
		You have a good ear for what other people have done.  I
		have a good eye for what other people have done.  While I
		wrote music, I wrote a few original things, but much of
		the time just rewrote what I had studied scores of.
		If I had had your ear AND my eyes, I would be John
		Adams right now, because that's what he has.
		Corporate policy prohibits me from adding what Adams
		doesn't have.
	Latin #89
		My Dad used to listen to this piece in the early 60's
		a lot by a speaker he had up on the garage in the back
		yard.  So I stayed inside and practiced a lot.  ;-)
		Who was that vibes man Steve Allen had on his
		show?  Terry Gibbs?  Time and time again you demonstrate
		an ability to absorb popular instrumental solo styles.
	The Minfield
		OK Dokey.  To write music or make any art, it is better
		to come down from above than approach from below.
		In other words, to write a modernish movie scorish
		thing, you want to know the scores of Messiean, Stravinsky,
		Hindemith, Prokofiev, Bartok, and even Cage, Stockhausen,
		by eye AND ear, not to have to reach for it.  In
		one of his books, Oscar Levant said that as a movie
		underscorer in the 30's, he and the other guys would
		site around lunchtime and look at the latest score by
		Shostavich or Bartok and look for things to steal.
		They didn't copy other movie any more than necessary
		(due to writing so fast and being told to copy stuff).
		So the ideas flowed from the best composers down to
		movie composers, not from movie composers to more
		movie composers.  That's what bothers me about rock;
		rock composers copy rock composers.  The things they 
		admire came from above, like the beatles copying indian
		classical music and so on.
	Lila's Dance
		My Dad used to like this, too.  ;-) time-warp time.
	Maple Leaf Rag
		Very enjoyable.  When I was 19, some guys at college
		dumped a pianist who was good but too busy to rehearse,
		for their red-back book concert.  So he recruited me.
		I had never seen Joplin's music (or much heard it), and 
		the double octaves were not impossible but were hard.
		I sucked.  They found a young slip of a girl who had
		played the pieces for 10 years and had me replaced 
		in 6 hours.
Bill Allen
	Right Time Blues
		Convincing.  The sax is personal, but the chromatic
		runs give it away, probably because the slur-playing
		make the notes overlap and a real sax can only play
		one-note at a time (except for specialized multiphonic
		sounds).  Once again,the voice has more reverb, dullness
		and less volume than the accompaniment. Gotta dullen
		up, reverb (with delay), and quiet down the accompaniments,
		people; bring the voice forward.  Has a rich and
		textured sound compared to some easy MIDI, quantized
		layered arrangements
	A Mentor's Toye 
		like this one.  Trills are too good, but the sax is as
		good as on right time blues.  I think the trombonist
		cut a lip on those high notes ;-) .  The flanged
		fill became kind of prominent.
	KHG-2
		I'm into it.  What it is.  Bass a tad
		prominent perhaps for such light treble lines.  Butcha
		know, even Bach's harpsichords could change registration.
Peter Laquerre
	Enjoy Your Life
		Hurray.  The vocal is up front.  Straight-ahead, as
		Marian McPartland says.  This showed an effective use of
		the resources.  Is there supposed to be a sting
		or a drum cadence after a guitar break?  There was an
		opportunity there to cut guitar breaks that are the same,
		or to make them different.  
	Winnebago Free
		I was going to do a Performance piece based on an
		Indian legend, so I went into an art book store and
		asked for a book on Winnebago art, and the clerk says,
		"why don't you try a trailor park."  I worked for
		Good neighbour sam for 2 days, they forward mail to
		camper travelers.  I swore when a desk fell on my finger
		so they let me go because they didn't allow swearing.
		Oh, the use of materials is very good.  In the song, I
		mean.  Hey, it's getting late, OK?
Dave Blickstein
	The Low Calorie Blues
		Needed sweetnlow.  I'm amazed at how good your pitch
		shifter is to raise your voice like that, Dave.  Is
		is Eventide?  There are lots of funny singers in clubs
		around here.  Have you played there?  This is suitable
		for broadcast.  The voice is front and center.  Very good.
Dave George
	new City
		uh, did I say I didn't like rock?  Sounds credible,
		but I don't really like rock, so I won't say anything.
		The vocal reminds me a little of Rock Follies, a 
		British tv show about a women's rock vocal trio.  I
		saw the whole series.  It followed their whole career
		right through to when the most talented one went off
		by herself.  Many of the people from hitchhiker's guide
		were in it.  Oola lenska was one of the singers.  One
		other actress played a great American producer in Britain
		who really helped the group get somewhere; she was a
		caricature but very funny.  You should have seen it,
		would have enjoyed it.  I know I did.  It was great.
	What's the Problem
		ditto
Mark Schmieder
	native in a foreign Land
		yeah right, rock again.  Welcome back, Mark.  Front and
		Center again.  Effective arrangement.  Ending was long.
	Morning breeze
		Ole'.  What?  a little sea? longs to be freeeeeeeeeeee.
		Tune up, gents, this'll be the last take.  It's hard
		to sing in tune when the instruments are out, isn't it?
		Have you ever noticed that?  I did in choirs.  It was
		murder.  Another way the vocal comes forward is being
		a TINY bit sharp and the vibrato.
	one less ear
		john cage tells a story that he sat as close as he
		could to a speaker with some loud music.  His ears rang
		for 3 days; he says he can still hear.  But he didn't
		do objective auditory evaluations before and after.
Eine Kleine nachtmusic
	This is why I did the Beethoven, because Dave did, and well, so
	I tried to do it well too.  
Ocean Time
Good luck on your careers everybody.  Don't quit your day jobs, I know
I won't.

Tom Janzen
Persons interested in my computer music should contact me.  It is very
restful, good for vegetating.

    I know it's Mozart.
    Tom

    
    
       RE .26
      
              Review or autobiography?. You decide.   *^}
    
       I was going to do a review, but since I've never contributed, and
    this is the first Commusic tape I've ever seen/heard, I thought it
    unjustifiable.
    
         Anyone volunteer to host Commusic VIII yet?. I have some FUN
        stuff all ready to be mailed. Music with synthesizers in it!.
        Then I can get trashed with the best of them......
    
    
    Rich
    

    Re: .26
    
    Since people have made a lot of comments about "Crazy Mama", I just
    thought I'd mention that this is a *cover*, not an original composition,
    which I did mention in the liner notes.  
    
    After going back to listen to the original record (always sobering
    after doing a song for a couple of years) I was surprised that Cale's
    version *was* a bit faster.  The lack of chord changes just happen to be
    the way the song goes, after all, there are some blues with just one
    chord.
    
    The buried vocal was in imitation of Cale's, eh, "laid back" vocal
    style.
    
    Funny you mentioned lower production values, because other than the
    mono mix, it was actually much more complex a production then "The
    Towers". Guess I was able to disguise the fact well  8^)  8^) 
    
    						Brian

    re .26
    
    Thanks, Tom, for a great review of the tape.  I appreciate your
    comments on my stuff, particularly.  It echoes much that has been
    said before, and I am almost believing that I don't really need
    to hide my voice :-).  One little thing; did you really mean to
    say "saxophone" with reference to the solo in RTB?  (I don't remember
    there being a saxophone in that piece).
    
    
    re. 28
    
    Go ahead, Rich; I for one would be interested in what ANY listener
    had to say.  I am only sorry now that I didn't ever give my impres-
    sions of CMIII, my first COMMUSIC tape.  If the idea of these things
    is to have fun and learn, I'd encourage you to speak your mind AND
    contribute to future tapes :^).
    
    Clusters,
    
    Bill (who's considering doing a 12 min. acappella chorale for CMVIII)
    

...it's time to admit publicly what I'm sure you folks have known for years.
I'm a cantankerous sommanabitch with definite likes and dislikes. Try as I
might to be open-minded, everything gets judged by *my* standards.

The problem I run into with reviewing COMMUSIC submissions is that I genuinely
like you folks, and that makes it hard to dislike the tunes. (The other problem
is I haven't submitted anything since C-II, making it difficult to put my 
money where my mouth is.)

The lack of rock music on the tape is surprising, if refreshing.

I congratulate each and every one of the submittors. You're all a step ahead
of me. Maybe a few steps ahead...

Edd



Side One        Submitted by            Submission
========        =================       ==============================

                Michael Lynch           Ocean Time (excerpt)
        
Nice sample. I'm glad this is here.
  
            
*************
                Steve Sherman           Brown Paper Sax
    
The drums on this one bother me. They sound very 'deliberate', and seem to lack 
a good groove. The reverb on the bass gives it a decided "live" sound that I 
would have tried to back away from, although if that's the sound you were 
looking for, you nailed it. Sax sounds so much better in the lower registers. 
Belongs in a movie soundtrack. This was pretty good.


*************
                Tom Janzen             

Did you know I broke my teeth out with a ski-pole? 

If I had done this I'd be wetting my pants with joy. Nice job, Tom. Your
reverb is a bit big, but that's so minor as to be laughable. It shows a
good appreciation for the piece. There's a couple places where some high
velocity low notes really bother me, but that's likely an artifact of the
MKS-20 and no fault of Tom's. I FF'd this on first listen only because I was
anxious to hear something else.

At one point it seems like the piano moved further away. The eq seems a bit
bright, possibly another MKS-20 artifact? 

I have to wonder what Tom could accomplish if he went mainstream. He's
certainly got the chops and the education.
 
*************
                Brian Rost              The Towers

The sampled tape hiss gives this a real "down home" flavor. I can't think 
of much more to say about it.

                Brian Rost              Crazy Mama
          
What in the world are you using for percussion? Reminds me of a hot summer
day, flies buzzing around my head, too hot to go for a beer. I love my
dog.
    
*************
                Karl Moeller            Jingle A

I see the credits rolling by. Brought to you by Proctor and Gamble.
Karl has stated he doesn't use a click on all his productions. Could this
be one of them? It seems like it has a couple timimg burps. Nice job.

Mike Post best look out...

(24 hours later). I'm listening to the tape again, and this song jumped out
at me. Nice job.

                Karl Moeller            January Piano (excerpt)

Nice ride cymbal sample, get a couple more and it'll be convincing. Karl's
piano playing is above any critique I could validly enter.

                Karl Moeller            Latin #89 (excerpt)
          
I like this type of thing. Send a disc to WGBH, they'll play it on "Say
Brother".

                Karl Moeller            The Minefield (excerpt)
         
Too short to make a call.
         
                Karl Moeller            Lila's Dance

I can see the mail coming now. ;^) After listening to Karl for awhile I always
feel kind of tense, like "Can we get this show on the road????" Great chops,
tons of ideas. So why do I feel like it doesn't go anywhere?

Karl's production is above reproach, and his musicianship leaves me green with
envy. He apparently seeks something I'm not familiar with. I think he should
get an award. I believe they're called Cleo's...;^)
      
*************
                Michael Lynch           Maple Leaf Rag
        
Nice job. I couldn't think of a better voice for this piece. Get that guy with
the visor and sleeve garters to get me another shot of Ol' Red Eye, wouldja?

Only making the piano outta tune could have made it more real.

What in hell was the clunk at the end?


Side Two        Submitted by            Submission
========        =================       ==============================

                Bill Allen              Right Time Blues
         
Yeah, I kinda like this. The vocal mix seems a bit distant and I can't make
up my mind if that's bad or if it enhances the laid back atmosphere.

The organ seems like an over-dub in a different room.

...kinda abrupt ending, no? I though my tape broke.

                Bill Allen              A Mentor's Toye (for D.O.)
       
A trill on the sax-o-voice here impresses me no end. Plenty of air between
the notes. Real nice. Wonchu be my neighbor? Wait, I think you are...

                Bill Allen              KHG-2 (trans. of BWV651, Bach)

Well, kinda staccato for my tastes. Seems real synthy and sequenced.
Kinda makes me wonder why Bach lives on. I'm listening to it as I type.
C'mon end, will ya?

Bill's production is real nice, makes me forget I'm listening to home-spun
productions.

*************
                Peter Laquerre          Enjoy Your Life
                   
The mix seems a bit muffled. (Sounds like mine.) I've got tons of records
by obscure bands from the 60's. This sounds like a generic take on any one of a 
number of them.
  
Is the crash cymbal clamped shut somehow? If so, nice job. If not, bad sample.
 
                Peter Laquerre          Winnebago Free

Ha! Winnebago with a satellite dish! Funny. Guitar should be further up in the
mix. Actually kinda nice. I like it.

*************          
                Dave Blickstein         The Low Calorie Blues

I first heard this about a year ago. It made me laugh then, and it still does.
Dave could get his 15 minutes of fame with this. Piegi's lyrics couldn't be
wittier. My fave on the tape.

*************
                Dave George             New City

Bar band lives. This reminds me of early "punk", a genre I profess no intimacy
with, so the call may be off. Nonetheless, it's not quite my cuppa tea. Be that
as it may, I'll bet it hits whatever mark it was shooting for.

                Dave George             What's the Problem

Better. I like whatever that voice is. What are you using for a drum machine?
         

*************
                Mark Schmieder          Native in a Foreign Land

The problem with doing a review is you have to be honest, and honestly, I
don't like any of Mark's submissions. Particularly the vocals. In a positive
vein, the guitar playing is good. Clear and exact.

                                        Morning Breeze

The bass on this seems like an afterthought. "Here's a track, play bass to
it." Since Mark's submissions are distinctive, there's little doubt in my mind
that he has something in particular he's pursuing musically, and it appears
he's well on his way towards achieving it.

                                        One Less Ear
                
Was this included on your tape you submitted for COMMUSIC II? It sounds familiar.
The echo is distracting as all hell. Again the guitar work seems quite capable,
but I can't deal with the vocals.

Sorry Mark, but I gotta be honest.

*************
                Michael Lynch           Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
         
Gorgeous. Another pair of wet undies had I done this myself. Hard to believe 
this was done on synths. Someone more familiar with classical music may be able
to find fault with this, but not me.
                                                     

    Hi, Edd!
    
    Thanks for the review!  That "live" bass sound was reverb and
    chorusing.  That is, on one side it's a couple of semitones sharp and
    on the other it's a couple of semitones flat.  The observations about
    the drums are correct.  That is, I think what whould have helped might
    have been a slight delay to some of the beats, "humanization" if you
    will.  
    
    A couple of comments have been made about the sax samples.  The high
    and low samples were of tenor and alto saxes, as I recall.  I think
    they are good samples but that a lot more work was needed to make them
    more realistic.  I think that's fundamental to most sax samples.  If I
    get another shot someday, I'll probably start using a breath controller
    to help along with lots of macro-level tweeking of the performance. 
    What I really liked about doing this was that doing ad lib with a sax
    sample is lots of fun.
    
    
    Steve

    > ...a couple semitones sharp....a couple semitones flat...
    
    Steve, I know *you* wrote and recorded the piece, but if the above 
    statement is true I'll eat both my TX81Zs...
    
    Maybe a couple *cents* sharp/flat???
    
    Edd

    >>>            Michael Lynch           Maple Leaf Rag 
    >>> ... 
    >>> ...
    >>>      What in hell was the clunk at the end?
    
    Edd:  I'm pretty sure the clunk at the end was a mistake on my part
    during mastering.  I'm pretty sure it was a "clunk" put on the master
    during the transfer from Mike's tape to mine.  (One of the tape decks
    getting shut off too early.
    
    - John -

>                Brian Rost              Crazy Mama
>          
>What in the world are you using for percussion? Reminds me of a hot summer
>day, flies buzzing around my head, too hot to go for a beer. I love my
>dog.
    
    I love your dog, too.
    
    Casio CZ-5000 with onboard chorus for that seasick effect.
    
    							Brian

              <<< Note 2283.33 by DCSVAX::COTE "Bain Dramaged" >>>
>                Karl Moeller            Lila's Dance
>I can see the mail coming now. ;^) After listening to Karl for awhile I always
>feel kind of tense, like "Can we get this show on the road????" Great chops,
>tons of ideas. So why do I feel like it doesn't go anywhere?
    
    Hate to disappoint you.  Uh, where would you like it to 'go' ? 
    
    I've heard this comment about my stuff before.. as if music is'supposed'
    to have a geography, or a plot, or a shape on an intensity or
    emotionality graph..  Some of my pieces DO do this.  That's great.  And
    some don't.  The ones that don't, I'm supposed to pummel until they do?
    When the music coming out is mostly improv, I take what my subconscious
    gives me, and I thank it very much, and try not to be impatient when
    it's resting.
    
    Otherwise a fine, incisive, penetrating review. ;-)  karl
    

    re: semitones
    
    Gee.  Dunno if it's really semitones or cents.  It was on my beloved TZ
    sold more than a year ago ...
    
    Steve

    ...had to be cents. Semitones woulda been *clashing*, like Gb and
    G played at the same time.
    
    Edd

Various comments on whatever struck me about the selections.
All comments are meant to be constructive.

===== Michael Lynch	Ocean Time

The sounds are realistic enough, but waves come in too fast, every 4 seconds or
so. I just came back from a vacation on the beach and the waves were typically
farther apart, more like 12 seconds.  I suppose this depends on the
configuration of the beach.

===== Steve Sherman	Brown Paper Sax

Doesn't really sound much like a saxophone - sometimes more like a trumpet.
But the big giveaway is that it is being played like a keyboard instrument.  I
didn't hear any aftertouch at all.  The rather twangy bass is a bit forward in
places.  Not enough variety in the arrangement for a piece as long as this.
If it was tightened up a bit I think I'd like it more.

===== Tom Janzen	Beethoven sym-9 molto vivace

Excellently done.  The MKS only lets you down in the loud passages in the
middle and lower registers.  The concert-hall reverb is just right most of the
time.  On some of the loud crashes (like at the beginning) you get a double-hit
effect that muddies things.

I've never heard this played by a human pianist, so I don't know if it is
typically taken at this tempo.  There are some very fast places where it
reminded me of Conlan Nancarrow (the MKS sound helped with this illusion).

Tom wins the "too many notes" award for step-entry beyond the call of duty.

===== Brian Rost	The towers

The phasey effect is much like an autoharp.  Nice combination of acoustic and
electronic sounds.

=====	 		Crazy Mama

Very unconvincing drum sounds.  Didn't do much for me.

===== Karl Moeller	Jingle A

Very realistic sax.  Good articulation.  (Speaking as an ex-saxophone player.)
It does sound kind of cut down from something longer.  Are those rim-shots at
the beginning for cueing purposes?  This could be the music for a credit card
commercial, or some other life-style product.  I'd like to hear a full-length
version of whatever is going on here.

=====			January Piano

Rather pleasant.  Good piano stuff.

=====			Latin #89

Karl captures the instrumental idioms again, both vibes and flute.  The vibe
patch doesn't hold out well at the high end though.  I like the way the two
parts intertwine around each other.  Did you do the vibes first and then
improvise the flute against it?

=====			The Minefield

Reeaally hard edged.  Steam-powered percussion.  Could be used in a documentary
film about the industrial revolution.  That thing at the beginning sounds kind
of like a sampled diving board.  What *is* that?

The addition of the percussion sounds gives greater contrast than the all-piano
version on CM-V.

=====			Lila'a Dance

I'm not familiar with the original of this.

===== Michael Lynch	Maple Leaf Rag

Quite an impressive bit of playing, but it sounds a bit rushed.  Joplin always
hated for his stuff to be played too fast.

===== Bill Allen	Right Time Blues

I don't know anything about reggae, so I won't comment on that.  The vocal is
kind of distant, like it was being recorded in a club from the opposite side of
the room.

=====			A Mentor's Toye

Another try at saxophones.  Sounds muffled, as though there was a blanket over
it.  Later it sounds like a trumpet, but maybe that is a different instrument.

=====			KHG-2

Meets its goal of bringing out the different parts.  For me it is a little hard
to listen to because the very penetrating celeste part reminds me of a
xylophone and the way they are played in drum and bugle corps arrangements.  I
*can't stand* drum and bugle corps music.

A useful technique for a music appreciation class, though.

===== Peter Laquerre	Enjoy Your Life

Everything is slightly muffled, perhaps due to limitations in your deck.
To me the music is more interesting than the lyrics.

=====			Winnebago Free

Clever lyrics.  Works well.  Again a slightly muffled sound.  Your stuff is
good enough that it justifies more hi-fi.

===== Dave Blickstein	The Low Calorie Blues

I won't repeat the praise from others.  There are just one or two places where
the balance is such that the "band" covers up the lyrics.

===== Dave George	New City

The two vocal parts sometimes do not synchronize.  Song idea is good.  It took
me several listenings to be able to make out all the words, partly due to the,
uh, "sneer" in the voice.

=====			What's the Problem

This one stuck with me.  Form is good.  Quite memorable, although I think this
is the kind of thing that the PMRC would object to.  Needs a better ending.

===== Mark Schmieder	Native in a foreign land

Voice sounds a little strained, like maybe you are singing above your range.
I can't tell if there are drums in there or not; I hear some kind of tapping
going on.  Might be fret-board noise.  I liked the duet effect toward the end.

=====			Morning Breeze

More of the nice duet.  Elizabethan.

=====			One less ear

The vocal is hard to follow due to the processing on it.  Clever idea though.
I couldn't figure out why "because I'm homeward bound" fit in, other than
because it rhymes.

===== Michael Lynch	Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

The strings sounds like strings, but I would argue a little bit with the way
they are being played.  I little less legato I think.  Articulate more.
I think there are some places where the tempo should slow down at the end of
sections, almost to a fermata.  Here it barges right on through like a, um,
machine.

    This is a nice tape!  I enjoyed all the submissions.  On later hearings
    I tended to skip over the classical selections.  They were very
    interesting to hear the first time, especially Tom's great work on
    Beethoven/Liszt.  But for repeated listening I'm more interested in 
    the original compositions, and that's the music I'll comment on in the
    rest of this review.

    I've found before on Commusic tapes that many selections have gone on
    too long for my taste.  This still happened to me on a couple of 
    tunes - Brown Paper Sax and The Towers - but they would only need a
    little tightening up for my taste.  I enjoyed both of them, but my
    attention wandered in the middle each time.

    Of course sometimes folks will tighten things up a bit too much.  I
    think I suggested that an earlier version of The Minefield was too long
    on a previous Commusic tape, but Karl's excerpt here is much too short!
    I'd be interested to hear complete versions of all of Karl's excerpts.
    I enjoyed all of his pieces, though Jingle A seemed a bit disjointed
    compared to the rest.

    A Mentor's Toye has a pretty tune, but too many "out" notes that sound
    like the player missing the chord progression, rather than an
    intentional "out" effect (e.g., the melody line in the second half of
    the 8th bar).  I've heard that often enough in tapes of my own
    improvising :-).

    I'll have to disagree partially with other noters about The Low Calorie
    Blues.  I found the lyrics, melody, and vocal phrasing to be very
    similar to Patti Larkin's song, Caffeine, and I like Caffeine better
    (the joke's funnier the first time you hear it).  But this arrangement
    is a knockout!  As a former trumpeter I really enjoyed the horn
    section, especially the articulation.  This is some of the best synth
    horn section I've ever heard - very musical, very tasty.  Folks who like
    this selection might want to check out Michelle Shocked's latest album,
    Captain Swing.  It has similar arrangements of bluesy material, also
    with a sense of humor, though of course it has a different personality
    to it.

    Winnebago Free conjured up memories of Albert Brooks' movie "Lost in
    America", where a yuppie couple ditches their jobs and buys a Winnebago
    to head cross country (no dish, though).  The association isn't just in 
    the topic, but in the cinematic/snapshot quality of the lyrics.  And I 
    like Peter's song better than Brooks' movie!

    I very much liked Dave George's and Mark Schmieder's songs.  Good to
    catch up with you guys since Summerjam a few years ago!

    Thanks very much to everyone involved in this tape for sharing this
    music with us.  Sometime I must reciprocate.  The first step might be
    to find someone in the Boston-to-Nashua area with a reel-to-reel tape
    player that can handle real tiny 3" reels without munging them.  I
    finally found the tapes of my PDP-11 commusic from MIT days, but I
    don't have the equipment to play them.

    
    
    For those of us who are not on the other side of the brook. I  now have
    a copy of VII available for European Distribution. Thanks to Monsieur
    Arnold who send the tape over "AT HIS OWN EXPENSE" a brotherly and
    welcomed gesture. 
    If anybody wants a copy please mail me or phone DTN 845 2162
    
    				Paul.

One of the refreshing things about COMMUSIC VII is that we've all matured a
lot, musically and personally, since COMMUSIC I.  We all know better than
to take things personally, and everyone has enough self-esteem and
self-confidence to just have a good time.

I found this a very enjoyable tape, with nothing that required skipping over.
I listened to it right before going on vacation two weeks ago, so will only
give a cursory review for now.

The opening and closing were perfect, and sounded authentic.  Hard to believe
those sea sounds came from a synthesiser!

Karl Moeller's works stuck out as the most professional sounding on the tape,
and the excerpts were in each case a bit too short I felt.  I would classify
much of this as jazz fusion, as there was too much rhythmic vitality and
forward momentum to put it in the "New Age" category.  I should mention
honestly that I detested Karl's contributions to the first two COMMUSIC tapes
(I haven't heard III through VI) and didn't feel they displayed an awful lot
of originality.  His compositions this time around strike me as representing
a clear musical direction and focused style.  I see no reason why these
recordings couldn't be played on radio or transferred to CD format for
public consumption.

The classical pieces were well-played but wouldn't interest me much past a
first listen as I am more of an exploratory listener.  Good work, though.

Brian Rost's entries surprised me since he's always so humble and putting
himself down as mediocre.  I thought the playing and rhythm was extremely
clean on both numbers, and I enjoyed the dry humour.

Dave George's entries were a mixed bag.  For some reason, I didn't care for
the first one all that much, but the second one totally blew me away;
particularly in the vocal department!  There's some Buzzcocks and Joy Division
influence, but it has a unique identity.  The vocals are just fab, even
without considering the excellent choice of signal processing.  This song
should be submitted for play on college underground radio!

I get a kick out of some of the diametrically opposed comments on my own
submissions.  I will probably never know my true potential until I find a
good singer to work with, but I refuse to write to my own voice or use signal
processing to disguise my inadequacies (except for effect on "One Less Ear").
The bass on "Morning Breeze" was added several years later to give more
"bottom", in place of too much vocal harmony and an annoying drum machine.
There is a bodhr�n on "Native...", which is like a bass tambourine.  The
phrase, "because I'm homeward bound" on "One Less Ear" is the one weakness
in the lyrics, which I changed a few years later to "because I'm gagged and
bound" as a way of including hardcore punk in my satire.  I wasn't happy with
adding a risqu� element so never rerecorded it.  My only real regret is that I
gave preference to my "rock" contributions once the time limit came down a bit
after some additional submissions.  My celtic fusion numbers might have blended
better with this mostly-instrumental tape.

I can tell this was a lot of work on the part of the submitters (except for
me, since I rarely spend much time on the recording aspect of songwriting), as
well as on the part of the compilers and mixers.  It's obvious that we have a
lot to look forward to in future COMMUSIC tapes.


				Mark

    
      Here it is Sept. and I find myself asking:
    
         Can I still get a copy of Commusic VII?
    
    
    Steve S.

    >>>     Can I still get a copy of Commusic VII?
    
    I replied to Steve via mail.  Others interested can still get
    details of the best way to get COMMUSIC VII by sending me some Email
    (XERO::Arnold).
    
    - John -

Is is just me or does anyone else hear Pat Benatar's new hit: "Paying the Cost 
of being the Boss" and wish it was (or segued into) Low-Calorie Blues?

Every time I hear this song on the radio, I think of DB et al's COMMUSIC VII 
submission.  I think this shows the following (for my preferences anyway):

    - Low-Calorie Blues is a good song, worthy of radio play
    - The performance, sequencing, etc. on LCB (COMMUSIC VII) were really
	really good.  (It's not easy putting a sequenced piece up against
	a band like Roomful of Blues.)

Just a reminder of good most of the work discussed in here is.

Thanks for the enjoyment, Dave.  (Now if only you could get in touch with the
management for whoever will try to follow it up with another standard blues
type song...

- John -

Agreed. I too think db should push that sucker- hilarious! The faithfulness to
the genre is also impeccable. It's a shame (hear me, db?) that it doesn't get
national airplay somehow. (Haven't heard the Benatar piece, though.)

"Anyone got a piece of gum?"

Bob

    Thanks guys.
    
    If you know someone who can do something with that song, please let
    me know.
    
    I just really don't know how to go about it.  I tried to get Dr.
    Demento's address but I can't even find anyone who knows what (Boston
    area) station he plays on!
    
    	db

How about Richard Simmons (sp?), the exercise idiot? I bet he'd *kill* to have
that song on one of his tapes! Can you imagine the temptation to bitch while
you stretch?

If you want a more "serious" outlet, I wouldn't be too surprised if Bonnie
Raitt (my personal favorite blueslady) would be interested. As to how to get
the ear of an agent, I'm in the dark.

Bob

re: db

> I tried to get Dr. Demento's address but I can't even find anyone who knows 
> what (Boston area) station he plays on!

Last I knew, he was on WCGY on Sunday nights. But I think they may have 
discontinued it a couple months ago, though I'm not sure.

If you really want to get in touch with him, call Rhino Records. He has 
released a couple collections on Rhino, and they probably have some sort of
address for him. (Or maybe go to a local store and check out the back of
the CD - that also might have a contact.)

alan

    db,
    
    You DO know about Songwriter's Market, don't you?  Comes out every
    year.  (Or, at least it did.  It's been a while.)  There might be a
    copy in your local library.  Lists lots of publishers and indicates
    whether they do or do not accept demo tapes.  Basically, what you do is
    find what labels play music similar to what you do, look them up and
    send them tapes.  I did this years ago.  (My stuff is MUCH better now
    than back then, BTW.)  I got lots of rejections.  But, sometimes there
    were words of encouragement to try again, and they weren't all form
    letters.  My understanding is that independent publishers are pretty
    good to deal with.  Shoot, Karl "chops" Moeller did a few notes about
    that as I recall.  The song is GOOD!  It NEEDS to be heard!
    
    Steve

    >My understanding is that independent publishers are pretty
    >good to deal with.  Shoot, Karl "chops" Moeller did a few notes about
    >that as I recall.  
    
    Uh, thanks.  I believe I stated that it's (relatively) easy to cut
    deals with independent DISTRIBUTORS.  For them to sell your product.
    Product as in, a finished CD/tape/record.
    
    karl

	I have had this experience.  In 1982 december I finished a piece
	ten minutes, piano solo, called Lucy's Dance.  Pentatonic, 2.5 octave
	range, very mellow, kotolike,.  Premiered it mid-March 83 at a college
	for a couple hundred people.  Later that evening, Paul Dresher
	plays a new tape of his string quartet from December 82 on
	Carl Stones' imaginary landscapes on KPFK.  Dresher's piece and
	mine had the same surface, the same kind of tone, the same kind of
	overall sense, probably the same notes.  Same ebb and flow.
	We were writing the same piece at the same time, and I had never
	heard this sort of texture quite before anywhere.  
	This has happened other
	times as well.
	I had a couple reactions:
	1.  Other people get famous for doing work that I do as well.
		(bitterness bummer)
	2.  I am doing work as good as anyone famous (self-reassurance)
	3.  Fame and talent are orthogonal circumstances.  Untalented
	people get famous with promotion; talented people remain
	obscure without promotion.  The best composers have never been
	heard becuase they wrote for themselves and their families (morons)
	burned the scores when they died.  Look how close we came to
	Ives being that way.  If Mendelssohn hadn't pushed Bach, Bach'd
	still be in encyclopedias of organ music as a great improvisor.
	
	So push it.  Anywhere, anytime for anyone.
	Tom

    
    
    
    
    
    
    The good Dr. works out of KLSX in LA.  I'll see if I can't get his
    address for you...right after I get Rodney Bingenheimer's address at
    KROQ for Daren Seymout...