Anyday, Anyway, Anytime!

[Mr Clean]

Lately, I've been going through some old cassettes of recordings of songs from when I was first learning guitar and writing songs back in the 90s. I always quite liked this one as it was one of the first real songs I wrote that wasn't too soppy. The existing recording on the tape was shockingly bad. I couldn't sing or play very well. I still can't sing great but I can play much better so I thought I'd give this one a new update for old times sake.

I was 15 years old when I wrote this and the lyrics kind of speak for them selves. I'm 45 now and I know how life turned out. Pretty damn good!

Not quite there yet with it to my ear but it's getting there. How's it sounding? (and yes, it is in Mono)

Anyday Anyway Anytime (New Mix).mp3

LYRICS (For those that like to sing along)

Wading through the waters of the river running wild around my life
It's an uphill struggle but I'm trying hard to keep myself alive
I don't kow where I'm going, I've no idea where I've been
Life is so confusing, you won't believe the things I've seen
You wouldn't believe.

A stranger on the street is asking me what I will be when I grow old
The question I can't answer is the key to let my destiny unfold
Well I'll just have to wait and see what life hands out to me
I could be successful or a failure on my knees
Like you I'll wait and see

I won't go where the wind won't blow, where the beach doesn't kiss the sea
I don't want to spend my life oh hanging on the side of a dream
Anyday, anyway, anytime I find a chance to leave
I'll get away, away, away from here

I've seen a lot of people going nowhere day by day, they're just like me
Everyone's got problems but to solve them you must face them cautiously
Well I just want to get away if only for a break
I very rarely get the chance but I'd like the chance to take
And be free

I won't go where the wind won't blow, where the beach doesn't kiss the sea
I don't want to spend my life oh hanging on the side of a dream
Anyday, anyway, anytime I find a chance to leave
I'll get away, away, away from here

[vomitHatSteve]

Seems pretty good.

I'm sure I could find some nits about the balance of instruments on repeated listens, but nothing is occurring to me on the first pass.

[rayc]

Cool song - what struck me - except for the outro is that where there's no vocal the things sounds a little empty...the synth part is there but doesn't fill the space.
Perhaps a slight change in bass part or something?

[Mr Clean]

Seems pretty good.

I'm sure I could find some nits about the balance of instruments on repeated listens, but nothing is occurring to me on the first pass.

Cheers Steve. I could probably find some too but overall I'm happy with the balance, so far.

Cool song - what struck me - except for the outro is that where there's no vocal the things sounds a little empty...the synth part is there but doesn't fill the space.
Perhaps a slight change in bass part or something?

Cheers Ray.

I know what you mean about the empty spaces. I haven't worked out the fill yet. The bass is just route notes mimicking what I played on the piano all those years ago. I should really give it a proper bass line rather than trying to stay faithful to the crappy recording from way back. I am still playing with it though, it's getting there but not quite there, you know.

[Armistice]

Sorry, missed this Mr C. In my defence I was on death's door...

Good song. Like the others I think there's something missing in the non-wordy bit between verse 1 and 2 in particular . You have the main riff going on but it's almost like it needs some more obvious second melodic instrument playing some countermelody - there's probably already something there with the guitar, so maybe bring it a bit forward?

Other than that, all good.

"you won't believe the things I've seen" - you must have been leading an interesting life at 15.

[CrowsofFritz]

I really like this. How much does this recording resemble your original? I was writing garbage at 15.

[Mr Clean]

Sorry, missed this Mr C. In my defence I was on death's door...

Good song. Like the others I think there's something missing in the non-wordy bit between verse 1 and 2 in particular . You have the main riff going on but it's almost like it needs some more obvious second melodic instrument playing some countermelody - there's probably already something there with the guitar, so maybe bring it a bit forward?

Other than that, all good.

Cheers Armi. Yeah, I completely agree with everyone, it needs a little work. I will get back to it shortly, just been a bit busy with other things that I'm working on.

"you won't believe the things I've seen" - you must have been leading an interesting life at 15.

Oh yeah! and you really wouldn't believe!

[Mr Clean]

I really like this. How much does this recording resemble your original? I was writing garbage at 15.

Cheers Crow.

The original was recorded on an old Korg D8 Digital Multitrack thing that me and a friend shared back then, around 97/98. The drums were just a crappy beat inside the Korg. The keyboard was a Yamaha thing and an I used am old Electro-Acoustic through a shitty Fender practise amp for the rhythm. The microphone was a Shure something or other. The reverb either came via the Korg itself, a video/audio mixing thing that I inherited from my Uncle that we used to use or a pedal that my friend bought, but I think the pedal came a bit later. It was all very much use whatever we had to make music in those days. The first multitracking we did was with 2 cassette decks, a DJ mixer and a microphone before we had a Tascam 4 Track and then the Korg.

I tried to stay true to the original as much as I could. I did do another recording of this around 2003 when I first started a computer to record which is where the guitar/synth riff idea came from but I cannot find a copy of that anywhere, I just remembered it and used it. I will have it on a CD or Hard Drive somewhere in the back of beyond stored away. I'll have to dig that out sometime, see if it is as bad as I remember!

As embarrassing as it is, it sounds like this.

Anyday, Anyway, Anytime.mp3

[rayc]

That original is charming...the lean to the right even seems to suit.
The melody sits on top of a slightly swirling backing .

[Lt. Bob]

when I see 97/98 referred to as so long ago ( and it is ) I realize just how old I am.
My early recordings are from '68 ... lol.

Nice toon ...... unlike everyone else, I'm not so sure it needs more in those 'empty' spots.
there is that jangly theme being repeated there ..... I might would double that theme with a 12 string or another synth ..... something to bring it more to the front.

[CrowsofFritz]

I really like this. How much does this recording resemble your original? I was writing garbage at 15.

Cheers Crow.

The original was recorded on an old Korg D8 Digital Multitrack thing that me and a friend shared back then, around 97/98. The drums were just a crappy beat inside the Korg. The keyboard was a Yamaha thing and an I used am old Electro-Acoustic through a shitty Fender practise amp for the rhythm. The microphone was a Shure something or other. The reverb either came via the Korg itself, a video/audio mixing thing that I inherited from my Uncle that we used to use or a pedal that my friend bought, but I think the pedal came a bit later. It was all very much use whatever we had to make music in those days. The first multitracking we did was with 2 cassette decks, a DJ mixer and a microphone before we had a Tascam 4 Track and then the Korg.

I tried to stay true to the original as much as I could. I did do another recording of this around 2003 when I first started a computer to record which is where the guitar/synth riff idea came from but I cannot find a copy of that anywhere, I just remembered it and used it. I will have it on a CD or Hard Drive somewhere in the back of beyond stored away. I'll have to dig that out sometime, see if it is as bad as I remember!

As embarrassing as it is, it sounds like this.


Anyday, Anyway, Anytime.mp3

Still way better than anything I was doing at 15. Granted…my friend and I were probably recording way earlier than we should have been…like at the same time as we started playing—right from the get go. As our ability to play got better, so did our ability to capture that sound.

[TheTestingYak]

good choon brav