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Post by SilverHamer on Aug 5, 2008 23:46:18 GMT
Holy Moly!!! I finished the audio production for EMP's version of Thick As A Brick a couple of weeks ago, but I just finished the last video segment yesterday. What a MONSTER it has been...or beastie for my UK cousins...hehe. The video is divided into 3 segments in order to be uploaded on myspace/youtube and not exceed the max file size limit. I have had segments 1 and 2 posted on youtube for a few weeks, but I've uploaded segment 3 last night. I have to say that I am really disappointed with how the youtube video format messes up the files I make. This one is the alltime worse as it not only made the video more grainy, but the audio is a complete wreck at the end of segment 3. Sooooo...instead of posting youtube links on this thread, I am posting myspace links because the video and audio quality is soooo much better on myspace. So if you don't have anything to do for about the next 18 minutes (total running time of the three videos is about 17:52 or so) please check out the links below. We focused on side 1 of the LP (or part 1 of the CD...your choice...LOL). myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=38894609myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=38896995myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=40062697The unique thing about EMP is that we live all over the world and have never played in the same room together. Our collaborations take place via the internet...email, and online hostings, etc. The drummer has met two of our members in person on different occasions but has never played with them. EMP is: David Presley - keyboards (Florida...but not featured on TAAB) Graham Seaman - Guitars/Vocals (Liverpool, UK...also not featured on TAAB) Mark Estes - Bass (Wilkes Barre, PA) Mark DeGregory - Drums & Percussion (West Trenton, NJ) Jakob Wimmler - Flute (Austria) Larry Curtis - Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals (Houston, TX) Hope you enjoy this little venture that seemed like took me forever to compile...LOL. LC
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Post by admin on Aug 7, 2008 9:25:16 GMT
Wow! What a masterpiece Larry. You must be extremely proud of it. I have no Tull connections myself but I've sent it on to Dave Rees at A New Day to see if he will pass it on to Ian Anderson for inspection ;D
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Post by TM on Aug 7, 2008 18:08:34 GMT
I think Larry deserves a guest spot on the 40th tour! Good job!
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quizzkid
Master Craftsman
Spin me back down the years...
Posts: 297
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Post by quizzkid on Aug 7, 2008 18:41:12 GMT
Larry, Mark, Mark and Jakob,
Congratulations on spinning me back down the years, I enjoyed every minute of each part. Great stuff. Thanks.
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Post by SilverHamer on Aug 8, 2008 5:15:24 GMT
Wow! What a masterpiece Larry. You must be extremely proud of it. I have no Tull connections myself but I've sent it on to Dave Rees at A New Day to see if he will pass it on to Ian Anderson for inspection ;D Thanks for the kudos, Col. I do have a great sense of accomplishment, but I am amazed more than I am proud. The guys in EMP who helped me out on this project are awesome individuals, as well as great musicians. MarkD (drummer) had never played this song before a couple of months ago, so he had to spend a little time listening to the original and digesting it before he made any attempts at playing it. He said it had been several years since he'd even listened to it...HAHA. So the job MarkD did is especially remarkable to me because he really captured the spirit of Barriemore Barlow on this one...he even plays the trans-blue Ludwigs like Barrie did. And of course those flute chops that Jak delivers are absolutely perfect! Jak is an amazing young man, and very talented musically. He's 20 years old and plays Tull music which is older than he is with great precision and respect. He blew me away with his flute on TAAB, but even more when he sent me a track he made about 9 months ago of Nothing Is Easy. Jak played all of the instruments, except the drums which he programed with some computer software. He asked me to do the vocal track for him, which I was very happy to do. But that track was just splendid and gave me goose pimples. I have a video posted of it on youtube, but it's not a real video in the truest sense...it's a slideshow of Jak and I, but the track is so good that you should go have a listen when you get the chance...it's just brilliant! www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbJMhFD69tYMarkE is absolutely EXCELLENT on the bass (and even makes a very short cameo appearance on his Roland keyboard in one spot), and is very cerebral when it comes to the technical side of things and was a huge help for me on this production. This was my first production for EMP and so the pressure was really on because MarkE, and our friend from Liverpool Graham Seaman, have set the bar very high for quality EMP audio. MarkE was a real gem and gave me some assistance here and there, PLUS we sort of put our heads together on a couple of key parts of TAAB to add a little twist to it here and there...most notably the instrumentation for "you curl your toes in fun as you smile at everyone"...and the musical breaks with the bass fillers for "you put your bet on number one and it comes up every time." It was like we were both having the very same thoughts and hearing the same things in our heads...everything meshed just perfectly. So basically, the pride I feel over this is from working with such a great lineup of other musicians without whom I would have never been able to deliver the goods on this song. I have loved this song from the moment I first heard it...Denver, Colorado 1972, my very first Tull concert. Tull has left an indelible mark in my musical soul. I have played and recorded this song several times over the years, experimenting with it and trying to learn how to play it better, but never could get the overall sound of it just right...and in some opinions may not have arrived on that one even with EMP...but what the heck. We had a real blast doing this in spite of the beast it turned out to be.
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Post by SilverHamer on Aug 8, 2008 5:29:34 GMT
I think Larry deserves a guest spot on the 40th tour! Good job! You know, when I first read this post I had a momentary surge of excitement at the mere suggestion. But ultimately, the idea of it scares the pants off of me. LOL. I know that Tull fans are very discriminating with their expectations because I am one of them Therefor I know that people who go to a Tull concert aren't there to see ME, and would probably be well within their rights to throw rotten vegetables and fruits at me...HAHAHA. Seriously, though, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the invitation. To date, Paul Forrest is the only non-former-member that I've heard of that has been invited to have a few minutes in the Tull spotlight...and Paul did a wonderful job of it. As I watched the video of that performance I couldn't help thinking that he must have gotten a great rush when he went into his Ian Anderson-ish flute-air-guitar routine and looked over and saw Martin instead of the Dayglo Pirates guitar player. That would have just been too cool for me. And my own view is that I have NOTHING on Paul Forrest...HAHAHA. BUT, if the telephone DID happen to ring, I would probably die, or piss myself and THEN die...and I would have to give it some serious consideration. Basically I would be very content just to be able to jam along at their sound check or something like that...but if IA wished for me to play/sing/dance/whatever, I'd certainly have to consider it. At the very least I could sing Fat Man with them and give that song a funny ironic twist...eh? Thank you for such a great response to our TAAB production.
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Post by SilverHamer on Aug 8, 2008 5:42:35 GMT
Larry, Mark, Mark and Jakob, Congratulations on spinning me back down the years, I enjoyed every minute of each part. Great stuff. Thanks. Thanks quizz! THIS is very gratifying because that was what this production is all about...spinning us back down the years, all 40 of them...HAHAHA...well at least back as far as 1972 at any rate. I still have a very difficult time realizing that it has really been 40 years already. Ok...now where did I leave my walker...
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Post by SilverHamer on Aug 9, 2008 23:06:13 GMT
In case anyone may be interested, MarkE has posted a page on the Hawk Studio website dedicated to this project. In addition to the video clips, he's posted band member comments from everyone involved. You may find it interesting and I just wanted to pass this link along: www.thehawkstudio.com/thick-as-a-brick.htmCheers, LC
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