Is this the writing music section ?

Maxi

Not sure where to post this .
I love writing but more recently have found my self in a bit of a mid life phase where the influences have tailed off and nothing new has caught my attention , I probably should not be thinking about influence I know but how would you go about being different if you felt at odds with new stuff but also felt old stuff (your roots) needed a fucking rocket up its arse ?
I like most forms of metal pre 90's (even the extreme stuff), I grew up in the 70's so like led Zepplin , Motor Head , Sabbath etc but I just get the impression that these things have no future , i just want to rock out with out sounding dated .
I think the last band that really caught my attention was Type O Negative . Oh and White Zombie and Zodiac Mindwarp. Not really into the Stoner scene tho .

spark240

so...what was the question exactly?

Rox

Maxi said:

I grew up in the 70's so like led Zepplin , Motor Head , Sabbath etc but I just get the impression that these things have no future , i just want to rock out with out sounding dated .

I think sometimes that's the mistake people make.  I remember when my brother got into Metallica, and I wasn't keen.  I put on a Motorhead album pretty loud so he could hear it, and he was hooked; he didn't know it was 20 years older.

Look at a lot of modern bands, and they're influenced by older bands.  There's nothing wrong with being inspired by bands of any other era; you'll put your own twist on things, and you should write because you enjoy it.  Over-analysing it will make it worse.  Have a good thrash in styles you love, and see what sticks. 

benmurray85

are you in a band or are you just trying to write in isolation? i find if i sit and hope and "woodshed" i don't get anything decent or just rewrite my CD collection.

if i get in a room with other players i find i play things i never would have at home. just a thought.......

octatonic

http://i1.kwejk.pl/site_media/obrazki/22909-19a5dde1266902bd0a12840539cb7bb9..jpg

Maxi

Ha ha!
Yeah a bit of a mid lifer me but I fear thats how I'll end up looking before I get back on the rails .
I was just wondering peoples philosiphical views about how old school can still sound fresh or be reinvented .
I quite like what Halford was doing with his solo stuff , I thought that sounded pretty fresh at the time but obviously thats still some time ago now .

Rox

I sort of look at it a different way.  If a band like Thin Lizzy went into the studio for the first time today, would they sound fresh?

Of course they would.    I don't think it's inherently about the style (unless you try a disco/funk/rock cross) 

I'd just play around with sounds and see what jumps out at you.  I think you have to embrace the style, but not be shackled to the 'sound'.  Which for some guitarists who are obsessed by tone, can be a challenge.

I think I'm lucky in that respect as I started with keyboard - where you can use whatever sound you like - so I approach the guitar in the same way.  I don't chase a signature 'tone', I look for the sound I want for a specific song I'm writing.  I don't really get wrapped up in it, so a decent modelling amp with some nice sounding presets works exactly like a keyboard does for me; I select a sound, play with it, see if it fits and play.

And a guitar tone in isolation may not work with the rest of the song when complete, so it always seems like a waste of time to get locked on a 'tone' first.

No idea if any of that helps, and I imagine I'll get stoned for being on a guitar forum and not being a slave to tone. 

Maxi

Well ive taken the Thin Lizzy comment on board I still have some of his stuff on vinyl and your probably right about it still sounding fresh .
I always enjoyed a new angle on things in the past and most of my fav music was ridiculed upon its inception but later became recognised as classic for that period . Pie in the sky stuff .
When it comes to trying new ideas I really admire the gamblers and risk takers I think thats because they dont pop up all the time.

Rox

I suppose you have to think 'how would those songs sound, produced today?'  The mix would be different, the drums would be mixed differently, but the energy - and what makes them great songs - would still be there...

viz

spark240 said:

so...what was the question exactly?

Whether this is the writing music section.

EricTheWeary

There was a longish discussion on here about Jake Bugg.He has top selling albums, a song used on an expensive tv ad, appears at festivals, etc, and musically he is basically in the 1950's. He hasn't, however, gone for retro lyrics or production (or a mid Atlantic accent) so it is seen as pretty contemporary. Second guessing what is current, trying only to use current sounds,etc, is the short route to sounding dated IMHO.
I would think use your influences just don't be a revivalist.