Richie Kotzen: How to Know if a Song You Wrote Is Any Good?

V8

"My songs can usually be boiled down to just one acoustic guitar. I think that needs to be true for any song, not just my music.

"People are very accustomed to hearing pieces that are really produced, especially in modern popular music. You get all these weird sounds and trends with some guy yelling in the background randomly but kind of in time. They do all kinds of shit on these pop records.

"To me, it sounds distracting but I guess someone must like it. The reality is, if you strip away all of that stuff, what do you have?

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/richie_kotzen_how_to_know_if_a_song_you_wrote_is_any_good.html

NorioDS

Really love this piece of advice. I'm not an acoustic guy but I can see the brilliance in that.

For me, I want it to be something you can reduce to a 4-piece band. A lot of Linkin Park's stuff after Hybrid Theory just had "too much" in it for my tastes. But you see them live and it's a lot more "real" and "raw".

I saw Mean Mr Mustard live once (at Lusito Land, YONKS ago) and they were amazing too. I never listened to them much on the radio or on record but in a live performance, they know how to rock out.

The over-production of music, for me, is killing music. I NEVER listen to the radio anymore. Seems pointless. But, those same songs, sung by a single person with an acoustic guitar... I'd probably enjoy that.

The kids can keep today's pop music. I'll stick with the pop music from the 80s and older. (Yes 80s pop is cheesy but I grew up on it so I love it ?)

V8

NorioDS (Yes 80s pop is cheesy but I grew up on it so I love it ?)

Bring back INXS! Stadium pop at it's finest ? But you can keep Aha! and Jason Donovan...:p

NorioDS The over-production of music, for me, is killing music.

If I hear another thing with a that vocoder pitch correction vocal style that's taken over pop, it'll be war. Soooo tired of that lazy and unmusical 'production' style.

wern101

Music is over produced. And the world is buying....

NorioDS But, those same songs, sung by a single person with an acoustic guitar... I'd probably enjoy that.

A friend of mine watched Bryan Adams' show when he was in SA a few years back. Apparently his Encore was a 45 minute acoustic set. Just him and the guitar. She said it was THE BEST show she had ever seen and it shows that he is a true musician.

I agree with the Acoustic thing. For me, most songs start out like that as well and then gradually evolve into a full song. Remove all the bling and you still have a song.

V8 Soooo tired of that lazy and unmusical 'production' style

Right! Gimme a real band anytime over some kid with a mic and a multitude of effects that make em sound good.

V8

wern101 Right! Gimme a real band anytime over some kid with a mic and a multitude of effects that make em sound good.

Auto-tune is the abomination I was thinking of - it's pop if you slap it onto everything these days. As much as I enjoyed the World Cup soccer this year (much to my surprise), every time I heard the theme tune, a little piece of me died.

Jazzman105

My benchmark is that any tune I work on should sound good with four tracks (Drums, bass, chords /rhythm, lead/melody.) If it doesn't work like that, it doesn't work.

NorioDS

Jazzman105 totally agree. All the better if you can use even less tracks but it should sound complete at 4.

NorioDS

NorioDS having said that, I love what Queen did. So I suppose we have to look at a deeper philosophy: serve the song.

Think of Enya or orchestral music. Beautiful and probably impossible to do with four tracks.

Jazzman105

NorioDS Stripped down to four tracks, the song may not offer that same vibe - but it should still be recognisable and enjoyable.

warrenpridgeon

When it comes to music, I personally admire a band who can reproduce the album sound live... I.e. they have one vocalist live and the recording has one vocal track instead of multiple layers of the lead singer doing multiple takes to harmonise with him/herself.

I am not a fan of "backtracks" but I do know that there are single artist guys out there that need them for the music they are doing... But I'm talking band context... I don't really enjoy a band that has a song with a piano backtrack but there's nobody on stage playing piano... I've even seen bands where there is one guitarist on stage yet there are two guitar parts being played (no... not a looper :-P )

Minimal post production is my preference...

V8

Same song - one fully produced, one stripped down - what do they have in common?

For me - There's a melody (vocal) and a harmony (guitar). One without the other just wouldn't interest me as much. I think he's means, he is a fan of stirpping it down - as a singer/songwriter - ala Jack Johnson. If it doesn't work in that form, then dressing it up in all the production finery in the world won't help. Unless you are Brittney Spears. Then you'll sell millions. :triplefacepalm:

Doc

I tend to agree with what Richie Kotzen says. I started playing acoustic in the late 60's then quickly switched over to electric which I played for many years. Made a lot of money but also lost out on that aesthetic quality of what a good acoustic sounds like. I recently bought a Faith acoustic and play it every day. I feel I'm learning all over again.
I haven't touched my Strat (Purchased early 80's) this year and am savouring the sound from every note and chord that I play on this acoustic.