Compilation Album

I just had the craziest idea, and I don't know how anyone could make it work.

My idea was that we get the musicians on the forums to make an album of their favorite songs. Anyone could be on it, and we could do any song.

For example: We could play Cygnus X-1 with a drummer on the forums playing the skins, a bassist playing the bass, and a guitarist playing guitar. Or for example Script for a Jester's Tear with a keyboardist, a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a vocalist.

How we could do this is each person records his/her part using computer recording programs, then we could have one person combine all the different parts into one mix that could be a song.

sounds good to me...though I think we'd do better with something original (imagine an album of ProgArchives member collaborations! At the very least, an awesome racket ). And not just because I probably can't play any of the parts of Cygnus X-1.

As long as we kept the results as audio/ MIDI files they could be used in any software. Uploads and downloads would be tricky, though, as audio tends to make pretty big files and not everyone has a dedicated broadband storage site.

Everyone participating could offer a basic track or phrase to build on, which the others could then add to or alter and see how far the idea goes.

Edited by James Lee

The Allan Holdsworth forum did the same thing, but they started with one member laying down a basic track and let each guy download it and solo over the base and returning it to the master. Trying to put together a scratch tune would be akin to a needle in a haystack.

Choose a tune and one guy would need to put together the basic track in a single key. Everyone would have to use similiar recording software, record their parts and forward it to the master.

Either Cert or James would be the logical choice. Due to my lack of talent, I could get my wife to lend her voice to verse and or chorus.

Start with something simple, eh?

If someone can provide an upload destination, I have dozens (maybe hundreds) of partial tracks to choose from. I'll never finish most of them...may as well give one up to the greater good!

I like your idea, but I think you should also leave it open to one person doing as much as they can (done well).  That way the track stays somewhat consistent with the use of same mics or recording techniques and tones etc. And then whatever turns out is just turned into the compilation.  I could certainly cover many various prog songs, the only problem is the drums would be sequenced unless there is a drummer on these forums that would be willing to play on some tracks and has great means of recording the drums.

Cygnus X-2 wrote: I just had the craziest idea, and I don't know how anyone could make it work. My idea was that we get the musicians on the forums to make an album of their favorite songs. Anyone could be on it, and we could do any song. For example: We could play Cygnus X-1 with a drummer on the forums playing the skins, a bassist playing the bass, and a guitarist playing guitar. Or for example Script for a Jester's Tear with a keyboardist, a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a vocalist. How we could do this is each person records his/her part using computer recording programs, then we could have one person combine all the different parts into one mix that could be a song.

There are better songs to play, with regards to how much effort it would take to carry out your plan. Let's do The Gates of Delirium!!

We should get started on something, meaning someone lays down the drums first, I can somewhat sing, play guitar well, lay down bass if needed and easy keyboards, mellotrons, moogs etc.

Soulman wrote: Here's a good idea, it goes off track about what we're talking about here. What if we had solo competitions? People could vote to see which is better...I dunno

What do you mean by solo? Do you mean that we each do solo tracks, or solos on the instrument we play?

I think an album full of our own songs would be cool though I think I'd scare the hell out of everyone (remember, my main influences are Patton,Beefheart, and Zappa) But I'd be all for it

Yes, a compilation of originals would be really awesome, Ive already got one song done that I think would go well on it possibly. Anyone have links to some originals they could post and we'll see if we can make this happen?!