Demo's from way back...

[Mr. Hyde]

I uploaded a song that I'm really proud of that my band did back in 89. It's taken from tape, an old tape, so the quality is what it is.
I've always felt that we had something special but it went nowhere. Why do I torture myself by listening back to old tapes of when I could actually play worth a shit? I don't know.

Anyway for your enjoyment, or torture, Spiral Staircase. Loosely based on the movie "Flowers in the Attic".

 

[Eddy]

Cool! I'm on my way to download it.

 

[jim]

Very cool!

I thought the quality was quite good, even coming from a tape..

All the instruments (and vocals) are quite impressive. Kinda makes you want to pick up the gear and play, doesn't it?

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Thanks for taking the time to give it a listen guys. Just Fyi, for those that downloaded it and thought it was the worst example of music they've ever heard and think that the band should have been flogged mercilessly, as anyone who has exposed their music to the public knows, not everyone will like it, so I expected that.
The opinions on our music were always extreme. People either thought it was excellent, or they thought it just sucked completely. One thing we didn't encounter was indifference. Our objective was always to try and do things in a way that hadn't been done. When you go about music that way, you violate a lot of "rules" and criticism is to be expected.

That's why I posted "for your enjoyment or torture".

Jim, I wish I could say that it makes me want to play again. What it really does is make me wonder where my talent went. That song was one of the easier ones to play that we had, and I listen to it now and know I couldn't play it very well now.
It's weird, I still know all of the practice techniques and things I used to practice to get good, but they don't seem to work for me anymore. I just end up with pain in both of my hands when I practice a lot now.

 

[Eddies cellmate]

If you're getting pain Mr.H, I wonder if maybe your problem isn't more physical than mental? You sure sound to me like you want to play, but it's just not working out the way you expect. Maybe seeing a docotr about that pain is an option? Or am I way off the mark here?

 

[Eddy]

I quite liked the song, Mr. Hyde. The singing is something that takes a while to get used to, but it isn't bad IMO.

Cool schtuff!

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Ec, I think the pain and my inability to play things properly are linked. I think a doctor would suggest that I rest first anyway, so from that point maybe taking time off is a good thing. (Yeah I know, stop diagnosing myself)
From the mental aspect, playing used to be a way for me to remove myself from the world, and there was a connection that I felt, like the instrument was a part of me. Almost like dreaming in a way, where my imagination was in control. (wait don't get me with the butterfly nets just yet LOL) That connection just isn't there for me right now. Maybe it will come back, but if it doesn't then...well...maybe the img could use a skin flute soloist?


Seriously though, you are right, I should have a doctor look at it, and mentally a big part of it is frustration over things beyond my control. I certainly don't have to tell you how it seems like the world loves to kick you when you're down. I'd be happier if the world would just get rid of those damned steel toed boots!!

 

[rabies]

The IMG has a ton of skin flute soloist. I put a poll up a while back for favorite instrument and the skin flute won (I think)...if It didn't win, it was a contender. Damn bunch of pervs we have on this board.

...besides...speaking solely for myself..I don't wanna hear any recording of you playing your skin flute. You can keep those for yourself.

 

[Eddy]

Originally posted by rabies
The IMG has a ton of skin flute soloist. I put a poll up a while back for favorite instrument and the skin flute won (I think)...if It didn't win, it was a contender. Damn bunch of pervs we have on this board.

...besides...speaking solely for myself..I don't wanna hear any recording of you playing your skin flute. You can keep those for yourself.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Hey, new for 2002, the IMG skinflute orchestras performance of Bon Jovi's masterpiece "Slippery When Wet". Maybe we could get Angelina Jolie to conduct? But, damn, who has a bass skinflute...without it, our production would sound kinda *small*




Oh, help me someone!!

 

[Eddies cellmate]

I was going to type out a somewhat serious reply to Mr.H, but I think I'd better wait until I stop hysterically laughing!

Skin fulte soloist!??! Why do you think I started this whole IMG thing?


Heh, but I do understand where you're coming from Mr.H. As far as the physical side goes, I can relate because the bass is a very demanding instrument to play. If you don't "man-handle" it (no skin flute pun intended ), it'll "man-handle" you. Not a whole lot of subtelty to the bass usually. It can be hard for me sometimes, and frustrating because I do work with my hands and they get tired and sore, making it next to impossible to play well. Like tonight for instance, I worked 4pm-11pm pressure washing one of our loading docks where I work. After holding onto the wand all night and squeezing the trigger (again, no pun intended ) my hands and wrists are tired, sore and numb from the vibration of the machine. I don't think I could play very well at all right now. If I could, it would take me an hour or so of hard playing just to loosen and warm up my hands, and in any event I certainly would be uncomfortable and would have to force myself through it. From a physical standpoint, that makes it hard sometimes.

As for the mental, well, I think each player has thier own way of dealing with the inevitable burn-out. I think it's wise of you to just set aside time for a break and thik about it later. That works for me usually. If I try to force my brain and heart back into it, it just doesn't happen.

But I will say again that if you're having trouble physically like I sometimes do, I can assure you that nothing other than getting your hands and wrists back to 100% will do. It's nearly impossible to struggle with both physical and mental problems at the same time. At least that's how it is for me.

Good Luck!
Cheers!

 

[rabies]

Originally posted by Mr. Hyde


Hey, new for 2002, the IMG skinflute orchestras performance of Bon Jovi's masterpiece "Slippery When Wet". Maybe we could get Angelina Jolie to conduct? But, damn, who has a bass skinflute...without it, our production would sound kinda *small*

Oh, help me someone!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(In Ren Hoek voice) You...sick little monkey!


...what constitutes a 'bass' skin flute? I think I might have one.

 

[rabies]

Well..I finally got a chance to download and listen to it (not the skin flute tune).

Wow. The instruments sound great. You playing guitar or bass or both on this? The drumming is especially impressive I thought. This reminds me a lot of Dream Theater's work. Where did you guys record this?

..but man..the singing just doesn't do it for me. Sorry if you are the singer on this..but the vocals just rub me the wrong way. I guess I just prefer more operatic-type singing..like Bruce...or James Labrie from Dream Theater.

I would be proud if I were you to....unless you only did the singing.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

I played guitar and bass. Actually the singer wrote most of the song, and also played guitar and the main solo on this song. He's not happy with the way his voice sounds either. We simply didn't know what we were doing when we produced it. The vocal sounds really thin, as if he were barely singing, but he actually sang really loud and powerful on it. (It's the same singer who did it's a long way to the top that I uploaded a while back).
He can actually sing, but you are right, he doesn't have an operatic voice. He has more of a Steven tyler, Bono, style naturally. We were trying to create our own thing there, and one of the most common criticism's were the vox. You know how it is, if you sing in the classic operatic style, people say you're ripping off Bruce or Tate, and if you sing low and aggressive people say you are trying to sound like James Hetfield.

Or, at least back then they did.

 

[rabies]

Sorry to bust on him. The fact is he can obviously sing...and even has his own style. But lets face it..opinions on vocals range. Vocals more than anything else in the band is a personal taste type of thing.

I listened to it a couple more times..on my better headphones. Whole song sounds much better. The first couple times, I played on my crap work system speakers..and the vocals did sound very 'thin'....which is what turned me off the most.

..sounds like you guys had a good band going. I've never been lucky enough to hook up with other talented musicians with similar tates. The IMG is as close as I have come.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Yeah, that's one of the biggest challenges in music. How do you do something original sounding, and yet still keep it close enough to what people are familiar with to keep them from being totally put off.

You, know one of the weirdest comments anyone ever made to us was....(speaking about the same song) "Hey you know, that song is cool and all but... um....don't you think you should have put an alternative part in there somewhere?" That about killed me!

That makes me wonder if the guys in Maiden were ever told that they'd have more fans if they would just insert a couple of Pearl Jam style riffs into Hallowed!!

 

[Eddy]

Just listened to the song again, and a thought popped into my mind when I looked at my Winamp playlist. What was the band's name Mr. Hyde?

I'm asking because I'm curious to know, and for the fact that I hate to have MP3s with incomplete information!

 

[Mr. Hyde]

No, Eddy...I just used my screen name here for the mp3. I didn't post the band name because the name we had at the time ended up being used by another band. I don't know what happened to the band with the same name as we had, but just in case they went ahead with that name I decided it was best to leave it out. I'll give you a hint though, ....No rest for
"The (not weary...think Ozzy)"

I don't know anything about the other band's music...they could've been religious for all I know.

 

[Eddy]

Ah, gotcha!
'Twas an easy one!