KVR Audio

mumpcake · Post by **mumpcake** » Wed May 11, 2022 2:52 am

Often coming from different musical backgrounds can cause bands to create things that have never been done before.

In other cases, not so much.

So what are the songs or artists that would drive you nuts that potential bandmates could be into?

For example, I don't like Lynyrd Skynyrd that much, but that might not be a deal breaker as long as we don't have to play any of their stuff. On the other hand, if I knew a potential band member was into Panic at the Disco! or Sublime I might pass.

Conversely, where have you had a good musical relationship with someone despite having some serious disagreements on musical tastes?

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Wed May 11, 2022 3:21 am

My bandmate and I have massive cross-over in our tastes but with different emphasis. There is a lot of stuff we both love but, equally, there is plenty of stuff one of us is really into that the other thinks is only OK. That's why we have our own side-projects. I don't think there is anyone else I could possibly work with, without feeling like I was making too many compromises. It's why I could never do music as a job.

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed May 11, 2022 4:43 am

When I was younger it definitely made a bigger difference, but not so much in my older days. I recently joined a band for the first time in years with several of my coworkers. The drummer and I are both Gen Xs who have been playing in bands since the 80s and we have pretty similar tastes in music, although his influences are more west coast and mine are more east coast and European. The guitarists and singer are all millennials and they choose the majority of the cover songs and write the originals. These days, I don’t have the time or energy to be the guy leading a band, so I’m happy to learn the songs and show up for practice and gigs to have a good time with good people. I haven’t turned on a radio station in 30 years so I’d never even heard most of the covers we’re doing, but it’s a cool mix of songs and so far I (and the drummer) have only had to veto one godawful song.

For my own original studio stuff, I work with a few different singer/songwriters, some of which have a little overlap in influences and styles, but overall, not really. We just make it work. For me, it’s far more important that I get along with the people I work with because it’s all just for fun AFAIC.

melomood · Post by **melomood** » Wed May 11, 2022 4:48 am

People have no problem with different tastes in movies,food etc

So why is different tastes in music such a hard pill to swallow? If you get along working with them it shouldn't matter what they like listening to

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Wed May 11, 2022 6:28 am

Yeah, but you're not going to invite three friends over and cook Indian for one, Italian for another and Mexican for the third. You have to all be willing to eat whatever the host serves up. And a lot of people who work in film tend to stick to a narrow range of genres. Could you imagine, for example, Will Ferrell starring in a serious action film? We are, after all, talking about making music, not listening to it.

mumpcake · Post by **mumpcake** » Wed May 11, 2022 3:12 pm

One of my favorite pickup jams was one where I was not even expecting to be playing with anyone that night. We ended up playing a lot of late 80s college rock tracks that I might have heard once or twice but not stuff I ever played before. But I usually pick up chords quickly enough and it turned out to be a good time.

On the other hand, I was at a party that one of my kids friends moms had, and she asked her guests to bring an instrument. At first it was classic rock/folk/pop/campfire songs but after a while it turned into bluegrass. After an hour or so I decided I don't need to play any more of that.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Fri May 13, 2022 9:26 am

Being asked to bring an instrument would raise all kinds of red flags with me.

harryupbabble · Post by **harryupbabble** » Sat May 14, 2022 3:56 pm

seems to me the steely dan way is the best way.
initially at least.
two guys write the songs.
after that, the two guys hire highly-skilled session players.
session players just play, they dont argue, lest they get fired?
but then the two guys drifted apart musically and bickered?
it's inevitable?

maybe the david bowie way is even better.
one guy,
hiring all sorts of talented players, like robert fripp.
okay maybe it's not just davd bowie that did that.
bob dylan did it that way too?
and frank zappa? and etc.

led zeppelin did it another way.
they all got along? no bickering?
no musical differences?
for ten years?

but i guess any way is okay. if it is works.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon May 16, 2022 2:45 am

Only in 2022 you can replace "hire highly skilled session players" with "load everything into a DAW". Mind you, even back when I first got up on stage in 1985, I had backing that was always in perfect time, so session musos have been pushing shit uphill for a long time now.

This is an interesting interview with Curt and Roland from Tears For Fears that kind of makes this point -

Interestingly, listening to it now, I realise that Roland talking about his inspiration for Mad World actually inspired the lyrics for one of the songs on our last album -

Standing at the window looking down at the street
People walking blindly to the city's beat
Oblivious, uncaring, afraid of the night
We stumble in darkness but we're drawn
Drawn to the light

eLawnMust · Post by **eLawnMust** » Fri Mar 03, 2023 3:03 pm

Kinda an old thread here but I'M KINDA OLD. Back in the day you had no choice who you played with & if you didn't much like what the others were doing then you went back to your bedroom to play with 33s & 45s again. Much more tolerant then vs now where you certainly don't have to tolerate a single note from anyone anymore with so much tech in your face & the friggin' internet.
My junior year in HS I was in a Jazz Band, Dixieland Band, Funk Band & a Rock Band all at the same time. This was 1978 right in LA at Culver City I was only one of two bassists in entire school so very busy. I filed all this as valuable experience & ear training plus camaraderie and exposure whether OR NOT I liked any of what I was playing.
One must learn to just be a player. Nowadays too many chiefs.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:06 pm

This is why I don't think of myself as a musician - as much as performance is the part of the process I enjoy, the songs are still about a million times more important to me than the playing. I remember when I first started working with my bandmate, we had this idea to do a cover of Send Me An Angel. We got the music sounding really good but neither of us could bring ourselves to sing those lyrics. Strangely, 20 years later, it is one of the covers I enjoy singing most. But I'd never even contemplate it as a NOVAkILL cover.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Sun Mar 12, 2023 6:18 am

can’t relate to it being a thing.
I’ve gone from being very tight with someone to a group I have no idea what they did otherwise, except the pedal steel player was getting China White in Oakland. Regular genuine Tennessee pedal steel guy.
Bass player joined Satriani in ‘10. The drummer, well his wife made a band Red Meat later. He stood up and played, knda more punk. Not sure he was really a drummer, but this was C&W and he kept good time.

As a youth, one person I travelled to see Julian Bream with was the keyboard player in my first real go at a band. He hated Britten Nocturnal and was impressed with the Giuliani, which is 3rd rate rehashed Mozart although, you know, virtuosic. Bream playing that Britten is next level. But the band was going nowhere, was already history. He also turned into a Libertarian, emulating his dad. sheesh

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Mar 13, 2023 2:21 am

Serious question, where does a band need to go? i.e. What/where did you expect to end up with it? I've never really thought about my musical endeavours in that way. I have never had any expectations beyond playing gigs whenever possible. So anything that gets us more gigs always feels like heading in the right direction. Sadly, these days it doesn't seem to matter what we do, gigs just aren't there any more. We've never had the chance to play our 20 best songs live, which is hugely frustrating. To me, though, it is a reason to redouble our efforts, not to move on.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:54 am

it’s a figure of speech. “This thread is going nowhere…”

I didn’t really think dude’s songs, even with my arrangements, were worth like that. We were children. When it was time to adult or pretend to, I woodshedded like mad to get myself into music school, otherwise meeting a dead end.

but, to the topic, that political difference will have meant it’s over, leave alone Kelly’s musical conservatism.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 2:01 am

In the context, it suggested you might have been chasing fame and fortune and didn't want to waste your time with noodlers. I've always found the notion of chasing fame and fortune repugnant. Good to know that wasn't you.

Musical Differences, or, Quit Playing That! You're out of the band!