My album, on iTunes now!

jdurand · 27th July 2010, 08:36

Hey all, please ,please, please check out my album,

"into the great wide open". ( search " James Durand".

It's available to download now, at iTunes , amazon and rhapsody.

9 instrumental tracks, mostly bass driven, written , performed, and recorded by myself.

If you liked my track for the Statii album, I think (hope)! You will like this.

There are a few of my old statii on here, plus an alembic and my GB's.

Let me know what you think, as I'm always looking to improve, my writing and production skills,

Many thanks,

James.

jdurand · 2nd August 2010, 22:54

no one?

Funkythumbs · 5th August 2010, 09:52

hey james I will check it out tonight when i get home, havent been on the digest for a while!!

kp · 5th August 2010, 11:12

Hi James,

Is the lack of response maybe down to you asking quite a lot of folks in order to make any sort of appraisal? I mean, there's no direct link to where the tracks can be previewed just instruction to goto iTunes and find it.

Which I have now.

So there are 9 songs there with 30 sec preview clips available. Folks on here have been shot down for making judgments about songs based on such short clips...

I also tracked down your personal website which has a few (longer) clips of your songs and a myspace site that has none on it. Perhaps you could have used these opportunities better to showcase your stuff? Personally I'd be reluctant to buy the tunes just so I could listen to them in full for the feedback you want, especially as I've never heard your stuff previously, it would be some leap of faith.

So, the following comments need to be taken with the above proviso, only based on the clips and not full tracks.

I should start off by saying well done for actually getting off your butt and doing something creative, there are plenty of people who talk about it but don't actually do it. So congrats.

Bass sound: I think it's clear that you have played Mark King's lines before, the bass sound is almost identical and comes through on the majority of the tracks. From a personal perspective, I don't like the 'rattly-ness' of the strings, the tone is too bright. The exceptions to this are to be found on "Starsky and Butch" and "The Return" where the bass sound is more mellow and warmer which, for me is much more preferable.

I've not much to say on the album as a whole as it doesn't grab me as something wildly different or novel. They are 'nice' instrumental tracks, clearly influenced by Mark King's style of play (and perhaps some close representations of some of his licks??) but a little 'safe'. The beginning of the track "End Transmission" reminded me of the group 'The Egg' who I think are/were quite innovative and funky.

I don't know what it was you were aiming for in these compositions, maybe you could expand on what the tracks represent to you, what you are trying to get out there? I dunno how else to express it really...

kp

oxymoron · 6th August 2010, 10:09

James,

The snippet from Miss opportunity has no vocals; is it a instrumental version ?
If yes, what happend to the vocal version then ?

cheers willem

27th July 2010, 08:36	#1
jdurand Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: southampton Posts: 204	My album, on iTunes now! Hey all, please ,please, please check out my album, "into the great wide open". ( search " James Durand". It's available to download now, at iTunes , amazon and rhapsody. 9 instrumental tracks, mostly bass driven, written , performed, and recorded by myself. If you liked my track for the Statii album, I think (hope)! You will like this. There are a few of my old statii on here, plus an alembic and my GB's. Let me know what you think, as I'm always looking to improve, my writing and production skills, Many thanks, James.

5th August 2010, 09:52	#3
Funkythumbs Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Sunderland Posts: 694	hey james I will check it out tonight when i get home, havent been on the digest for a while!! __________________

5th August 2010, 11:12	#4
kp Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bristol Posts: 1,587	Hi James, Is the lack of response maybe down to you asking quite a lot of folks in order to make any sort of appraisal? I mean, there's no direct link to where the tracks can be previewed just instruction to goto iTunes and find it. Which I have now. So there are 9 songs there with 30 sec preview clips available. Folks on here have been shot down for making judgments about songs based on such short clips... I also tracked down your personal website which has a few (longer) clips of your songs and a myspace site that has none on it. Perhaps you could have used these opportunities better to showcase your stuff? Personally I'd be reluctant to buy the tunes just so I could listen to them in full for the feedback you want, especially as I've never heard your stuff previously, it would be some leap of faith. So, the following comments need to be taken with the above proviso, only based on the clips and not full tracks. I should start off by saying well done for actually getting off your butt and doing something creative, there are plenty of people who talk about it but don't actually do it. So congrats. Bass sound: I think it's clear that you have played Mark King's lines before, the bass sound is almost identical and comes through on the majority of the tracks. From a personal perspective, I don't like the 'rattly-ness' of the strings, the tone is too bright. The exceptions to this are to be found on "Starsky and Butch" and "The Return" where the bass sound is more mellow and warmer which, for me is much more preferable. I've not much to say on the album as a whole as it doesn't grab me as something wildly different or novel. They are 'nice' instrumental tracks, clearly influenced by Mark King's style of play (and perhaps some close representations of some of his licks??) but a little 'safe'. The beginning of the track "End Transmission" reminded me of the group 'The Egg' who I think are/were quite innovative and funky. I don't know what it was you were aiming for in these compositions, maybe you could expand on what the tracks represent to you, what you are trying to get out there? I dunno how else to express it really... kp __________________ *"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all."* - Noam Chomsky *"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."* - Voltaire Last edited by kp : 5th August 2010 at 11:17.

6th August 2010, 10:09	#5
oxymoron Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Den Helder, The Netherlands Posts: 694	James, The snippet from Miss opportunity has no vocals; is it a instrumental version ? If yes, what happend to the vocal version then ? cheers willem __________________

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2nd August 2010, 22:54	#2
jdurand Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: southampton Posts: 204	no one?

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