Post-Punk Progression; work in progress.

[Bubba]

Hey Rebels

A few months ago I bought a new amp, the Roland JC-120 which is about as far away from a Marshall valve head as it's possible to get, I suppose. The amp inspired me to write the chord progression which is the basis of this song and I debuted a sample of the guitar part fairly soon after the purchase.

I've finally got around to working on it properly and this is the result of my labours so far - it's mostly taken me this long to learn the progression and play it cleanly!

There are still some vocals and a melody guitar or synth part to add (as a bare minimum) but all comments and suggestions gratefully received.

PostPunkWIP - fixed chord and new melody.mp3

PostPunkWIP - mix 4.mp3

[rayc]

I was amazed how quickly and how music opened up after the Pistols collapsed. It had contracted to a few narrowly defined tribes and then POW Lydon, Levene & wobble shot out of the starting blocks and everyone else who'd had a hidden thought pattern, afraid to express it due to the orthodoxy, felt free to do so.
An excellent example of post punk and new wave before it became just another marketing name for slightly edgy pop. It's a clean, sparkling guitar tone that reminds me of heavy lifters of the era and parts of the bass line remind me of a period star as well.
Thus far it's excellent - a progression that isn't 100% genre based/cliche ridden or tired. Frank's drumming, I assume, is spot on for the tune. I also like the way the bass tone seems to vary with the line.

[JD01]

This is much better than the earlier versions I've heard, mate.
The bass sounds great now and the guitars sound much better.
I think the overdriven rhythm guitar on the right is a bit dry - sticking in my ear a bit - its a good sound though.
Guitar solo sounds cracking, totally serves the song and isn't a wank-fest.

The JC sounds really good, but when you hit the top notes on those arpeggios it jumps out a bit in a slightly uncomfortable way - have a listen to just the first few bars on cans - that high note at the top of the arpeggio gets you in the left ear pretty harshly. Maybe you can compress the track a little or EQ a touch of the top of it? Or maybe a combination of both.

The drums sound really good, snare has a really good sound - it totally apparent in the mix without having to be too loud.
Kick is nowhere though - bring it up!

You've gotta be proud of this - just a few little nits to tidy it up and you're there!

[Bubba]

I was amazed how quickly and how music opened up after the Pistols collapsed. It had contracted to a few narrowly defined tribes and then POW Lydon, Levene & wobble shot out of the starting blocks and everyone else who'd had a hidden thought pattern, afraid to express it due to the orthodoxy, felt free to do so.
An excellent example of post punk and new wave before it became just another marketing name for slightly edgy pop. It's a clean, sparkling guitar tone that reminds me of heavy lifters of the era and parts of the bass line remind me of a period star as well.
Thus far it's excellent - a progression that isn't 100% genre based/cliche ridden or tired. Frank's drumming, I assume, is spot on for the tune. I also like the way the bass tone seems to vary with the line.

Thanks Ray. Yes, post-punk was a welcome escape route from punk, which became hackneyed and old in a very short time, in my opinion. It served its function of blowing the bloody doors off, but post-punk is the meat that I got into.

I'm glad you think it sits well with the genre, as I'm so close to it I'm not all that sure where it fits, if at all!

This is much better than the earlier versions I've heard, mate.
The bass sounds great now and the guitars sound much better.
I think the overdriven rhythm guitar on the right is a bit dry - sticking in my ear a bit - its a good sound though.
Guitar solo sounds cracking, totally serves the song and isn't a wank-fest.

The JC sounds really good, but when you hit the top notes on those arpeggios it jumps out a bit in a slightly uncomfortable way - have a listen to just the first few bars on cans - that high note at the top of the arpeggio gets you in the left ear pretty harshly. Maybe you can compress the track a little or EQ a touch of the top of it? Or maybe a combination of both.

The drums sound really good, snare has a really good sound - it totally apparent in the mix without having to be too loud.
Kick is nowhere though - bring it up!

You've gotta be proud of this - just a few little nits to tidy it up and you're there!

Many thanks James. I knew it would all start to make sense once I got the proper bass recorded. The melodic part of the bassline from earlier versions that goes over the first section of the progression will come back on a different instrument. It was just too indistinct and grungy for the bass guitar to do it all. That's why I've divvied up the jobs on the crunch guitar too. I've noticed that rogue note on the clean guitar myself. - it pokes a little more now I have the other instruments under control. I think eq will be the solution in this case because compression can impart an unwelcome "pinginess" to that sound. I'll look again at the kick drum as well!

Comments very appreciated lads.

[vomitHatSteve]

Sounds pretty good.

The big nit that's sticking out is that I can hear almost no kick.

Looking forward to a final product!

[JD01]

The big nit that's sticking out is that I can hear almost no kick.

That's good news - I was worried I might be going deaf.

[Bubba]

This is mad. I had no idea that the kick was so low. I've just put it up by about 4dB.

[Armistice]

Coming along nicely! I may be tempted to turn the chukka chukka guitar down a touch - but I'm only listening on laptop so not sure how it's sounding on a proper system.

[vomitHatSteve]

This is mad. I had no idea that the kick was so low. I've just put it up by about 4dB.

Yeah! There you go.

[JD01]

I think this sounds really good now, Bubba.

[Bubba]

I think this sounds really good now, Bubba.

Thanks JD .

I'm not out of the woods yet; Our Frank has made the observation that the second of the chukka chukka chords (© Armistice) is a bit dissonant and I agree with him.

I'm going to sort that out tonight by hook or by crook and I want to add the other melody part if possible, leaving me to concentrate on the vocal.

[TripleM]

I thought it sounded very good.

I like the definition on the bass.

The clean guitar on the left had a little too much bite for me. Love the tone of the guitar on the right.

Drums sounded good.

[Bubba]

I thought it sounded very good.

I like the definition on the bass.

The clean guitar on the left had a little too much bite for me. Love the tone of the guitar on the right.

Drums sounded good.

Thanks, Trip. Good to see you over here.


There's a new version in the OP with the chord corrected from A# to C7, and a new melody line on the guitar.

[JD01]

Just listened to the New Melody version and I really like it. First listen I can't hear a single thing "wrong" with it. Really like it and looking forward to hearing the vocal version. This is the sort of song that will end up just in my music collection and I'll listen to a lot... provided the lyrics aren't about your laminated pictures of Margaret Thatcher.

Just listened to the older version too... don't mind the dissonant chord at all!

[Bubba]

Just listened to the New Melody version and I really like it. First listen I can't hear a single thing "wrong" with it. Really like it and looking forward to hearing the vocal version. This is the sort of song that will end up just in my music collection and I'll listen to a lot... provided the lyrics aren't about your laminated pictures of Margaret Thatcher.

Just listened to the older version too... don't mind the dissonant chord at all!

Ha ha! well you know they need to be wipe-clean, don't you?

I haven't done anything about the pokey notes on the clean guitar yet and I think the new guitar can come up a fraction, but on the whole I agree - it's just about there.

Tell you what the new guitar addition reminds me of - the little refrain on "Life's what you make it" by Talk Talk. It's nowhere near the same, it just gives me a similar feeling.

[JD01]

"Life's what you make it" by Talk Talk.

Don't know it!

[Armistice]

Thatcherite.... I'll just leave that here for you. Politics. Geology. Magic...

[Armistice]

No, I won't.

"Angular Iron Lady puts us to her ferrous grinding wheel. She's steal. Nothing's harder than Thatcherite."

There you go... angle grinders, Ferris wheels, a play on "steel", a fake mineral and political commentary all in one short lyric. I bet it fits too...

taps ray for verse 2

Now that that's out of my head I'll be able to sleep. Mevening.

[Armistice]

... double...

[SweetDan]

The solo sounds Just Right(TM). And the drums sound really, really good.

I'm glad all you 'round here are raising the bar so high; gives me something to aspire to (with the added twist of knowing it's actually possible outside the confines of pro studios).