[VOTE] January 2022 Backing Track Challenge

V8

Note regarding voting:: seems like the polling software is still acting weird. Edit And I think I made a boo-boo this month, so we'll do without it.

If you could please just mention who you voted for in the replies that would be great - I can't seem to add a poll to this thread. My fault, I'm juggling w/a, forum, discord and fb posts for challenges and the process it is a little messy a.t.m - apologies!

Four takes on the backing track challenge this month. We gots slidey country, shreddy blues toanz, moar shreddy toanz and bagpipezzz ftw!

Please have a listen and reply below with your favourite - no prizes this month - but Bonus points for comments and feedback 👍️

Voting closes Monday, 21st February 2022 at 10am

Onto the entries!

Studmissile - Pedal Steel licks 2017

Backtrack by Mikael Strömqvist

In 2017 There was a competition I finished but never entered (too intimidated) . Fortunately I found my old original entry and feel it still deserves to be heard. Here is the great original backing track.

The rules were only steel licks with a Telecaster Style guitar were allowed and Important: You must not use a bender on your Telecaster. Only finger work.

Bluetone - January Challenge

Neighbours turned off their electric fence long enough for me to record some guitar! Found a backing track with drums, bass and some stabby Stratty guitar, and used my Les Paul to lay down the rest.

Blood_Bought - Chaos and Rest

Not sure if this counts, only used a drum track and recorded the lead and rhythm.

Meticus - 2022 Backing Track Challenge

Oh, that was close, I'm quite busy atm. However I managed to record something with my bagpipes last week, but somehow forgot to finish and enter the song 😅 I'm glad I didn't miss the deadline 😃

Of course it has to be bagpipes again! 😀 And a second rhythm guitar, I'm not skilled enough with the guitar yet for solos 🤣

The backing track is by Nick Neblo (I clipped it because it's very long)

And if you just wanna run through the entries without clicking here's a playlist:

Thank YOU for listening & Enjoy!

Bluetone

Thanks, V8. Nice collection of tracks here this month! I noticed everyone else disclosed their sources, so for the sake of completeness: https://www.mikerizk.com/2020/03/21/c-major-backing-track/ Good luck to all the entrants!

Also, I can't see the poll?

V8

Bluetone Also, I can't see the poll?

Yeah, totally my fault - sadly I've already published this links to this thread (can't delete and recreate), so we'll have to live with my mistake this month!

Thanks for the poke and I did update your entry with the backing track used. 👍️

Bluetone

Wow, tough one and I had to sleep on it. If I had two votes I'd split them between Studmissile and Meticus. I have one vote, so for the length of time in which he introduces coherent, sequenced and memorable melodic ideas (and nicely in time), I'm going to vote for Meticus. Great entries all round, guys.

V8

My Vote : Bluetone - though, to be fair, this was right up his alley. 😁 His lead melodies stuck around in my head after a few runs through the playlist - easy vote. +1 for the tapping shreaddage - questionable if it worked in the track, but I appreciated it!

Studmissile : Can't crit you on this track, just doing it with slide licks is a challenge on it's own. It was definitely worth a listen, you should have entered it!

Blood_Bought : I dug it, I'm indulging a metaly/shreddy nostalgic phase and this thrashyiness is my thing. I've a running joke w/Meticus that his bagpipes are a icepick he tortures me with... this month it was your lead tone - that was seriously treble-y. I found it so much so - it took away from being able to listen to it repeatedly at the same volume as the others. But I dug the playing!

Meticus : Setting a trend, you've improved significantly again! Those bagpipes are sounding - dare I say it - good! You were my 2nd vote this month, in terms of melodic ideas - just behind Bluetone and about equal on execution. You've got some nice control on the drones - just enough vibrato to sound interesting, but not too much that it's not to pitch. Well done!

blood_bought

V8 XD yeah man sorry about the lead tone, my hearing is damaged so I dont have all my frequencies intact anymore 😅

studmissile

+1 @Meticus

Everything seemed to gel melodically, Lead complimented the backtrack really well., That being said I've got to say the guitar playing by @Bluetone and @blood_bought was nothing short of awesome.

Tough vote guys, great tracks all round.

Meticus

I listend through the list several times now, sure a tough one again! All entries are very cool! It's a variety of different styles what makes it interesting, but also hard to compare and place a vote 😄

Now that I started playing the e-guitar myself and still fighting with the pick, I'm even more impressed by all of your lead parts 😀

I can't really decide on a favorite. As it caused me bobbing my head most during the first listen through (maybe because I'm some kind of metal head xD), I'd place my vote on @blood_bought . I couldn't hear the icepicky frequencies, guess my hearing is damaged as well already 🤣

Well played everyone!

blood_bought

Meticus haha yeah your hearing is damaged from your ice pick bagpipes lead tone XD, just kidding man! I have actually a sensitivity to high pitch tones, its called hyperacusis, but not all frequencies.
I also dont listen to music loudly or play with a loud amp, can be why the highs don't feel ear piercing to me.

blood_bought

Congrats Meticus 😃

V8

Aaaannndd the votes are in!

We had 4 votes cast on the forum and no votes cast on discord.

Meticus : 2

Bluetone : 1

blood_bought : 1

Studmissile : 0

We can blame me for screwing up the voting poll this month for the low voter turnout? Though from the SC play counts, the tracks did get a reasonable amount of listens - odd. I dug going through them!

Anyways, well done @Meticus! You have been around long enough to know what you won...the dubious distinction of deliberating the next challenge topic!

Meticus

Oh wow, did I really win this one? Great 😀

V8 You have been around long enough to know what you won...the dubious distinction of deliberating the next challenge topic!

Oh damn, almost forgot about this, can I retract my entry? 🤣
That's as difficult as placing the votes 😃 I also have been around long enough to know that many cool topics already were taken in the past challenges ^^ Guess I'll have to think about it. Any suggestions are welcome 😃

Have an nice weekend!

studmissile

Well done @Meticus nicely played.

V8

@Meticus Any thoughts on the next topic?

V8

Meticus Oh damn, almost forgot about this, can I retract my entry? 🤣

🤪 Bwahaha, funnnnnyyyyy!!! And no, you won - the glory is mandatory 🤣

I know there was muttering of 'create a backing track'

Maybe our next challenge is to create backing tracks sans rhythm/lead guitar?

Which would suit you with them bagpipes? Also the thinking was it would give us some tracks for future 'backing track' challenges. But, idea's, suggestions and everything inbetween are welcomed!

Meticus

Ok cool, I like the idea with the backing tracks!
Another idea which came to my mind was a collaboration challenge where at least 2 people are required for one entry, however there are often so few people taking part in the challenges, so that we could be happy to get more than one entry (would make the vote easy, though xD). Maybe in future challenges, for now let's keep to that backing track idea 👍️