Fans of Jethro Tull's 80s Work...

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Pibroch, May 20, 2012.

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  1. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    This is probably opening myself up to criticism, but I don't really care, as I got bored and knocked this off in a couple takes.

    I am a huge fan of the album "Under Wraps" from Jethro Tull. Not as big a fan of the terrible synth drums.

    So I did something about it.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11510888/99 Under Wraps #1 (Acoustic Drum Test).mp3

    I know it's an MP3, that I flubbed a couple of places, and that the drum track is probably a little louder than it needs to be.

    If there is a problem with linking the entire track, I can cut it down to a clip.
     
  2. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Well done sir!
    I always wanted to hear what it would sound like! :righton:

    You're right about the drums being too loud. They could also use a little EQ/compression.
    Just curious: how have you recorded yourself?


    Under Wraps is a great album once you can get past the dated sound of the synth drums.
     
  3. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    For this recording, I used one mic on the snare, one mic on the hihat fairly close, one mic on each tom, one on the kick, and a vocal mic high over the kit low in the mix. Unfortunately I didn't have access to a multitrack firewire box, so I had to mixdown to stereo, and I literally knocked this off in an hour along with one other track of my own I was recording. I only used Audacity and not my usual Audition to mix this, so I didn't use any real EQ/comp FX. That's my next step, this is just a rough mix. :)

    There was one place I had to splice two takes together. It worked out fairly well.

    Thanks for the kudos!!
     
  4. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Nice work! Really shows how that album would've sounded with an actual drummer. I agree that many of the songs are great-- "European Legacy" is the best Tull song of the 80s.
     
  5. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
  6. zen

    zen Senior Member

    Another oldies band that made great music in the 80's.

    Love: Crest Of A Knave and Rock Island.
     
  7. nbakid2000

    nbakid2000 On Indie's Cutting Edge

    Location:
    Springfield, MO
    The sound is actually a lot better than the actual recording, but I still don't think it can save this album.

    I do like what you did though. :)
     
  8. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    Thanks! I appreciate it!

    "European Legacy" is probably my second-favorite song on this album. "Radio Free Moscow" is my first. :)
     
  9. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    As far as I'm concerned, you can do the entire album like that and I would gladly listen to it! :)
     
  10. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    I did "Lap of Luxury" as well, but I haven't mixed it yet. I might do that in the next couple days.
     
  11. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    And please let us hear the result!
     
  12. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    Just one bump- I want to make sure the Tull fanatics can see this. :)
     
  13. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    There are some great songs, just not any great albums from this period of Tull.
     
  14. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Under Wraps is the only Tull album I can think of with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
     
  15. Dok

    Dok Senior Member

    Ian alluded to doing this at one point, if he had the time.
     
  16. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    Hell, he can send me the freaking multitracks and I'll do it myself!
     
  17. tedhead

    tedhead Forum Resident

    Location:
    Space City
    Under Wrapt 2 is a wonderful acoustic track. There is a reason it was the only track from that album was included on the 20 Years of Jethro Tull box set.
     
  18. cungar

    cungar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Torrance, CA
    Nice work but you can't put lipstick on a pig. Disco Jethro Tull at it's worst.
     
  19. PROGGER

    PROGGER Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Sounds a lot better. Show it to Ian lol. Moscow and Wraps 2 are my faves. Nobodys car and Paparazzi my next faves. The drums on these top songs sound reasonable if you turn the highest and lowest frequencies down to zero. As for Wraps 1 and Luxury, they needed a new drum track which you are doing quite well
     
  20. PROGGER

    PROGGER Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Looking forward to some other UW songs with your drumming. Can you do Beastie too? I hate the drums on that also lol
     
  21. No it's not disco because the melodies are elaborate instead of repetitive - not that this is bad, about disco or any other genre, but just to make the distinction here.

    I can't play the OP's clip at the moment, but I just wish to comment on the topic. "A" is one of my favorite Jethro Tull albums (encompassing the whole catalogue), and "Under Wrap" is also a great album, CD version even better! But the production gimmicks do seem harder and harder to swallow as time goes by...

    I don't think much of the rest of their 80s output. Though "Catfish Rising" has a nice root-y feel and sound to it.
     
  22. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    Exactly... I prefer those two albums to COAK.
     
  23. I like...

    Stormwatch
    Broadsword and the Beast
    Crest of a Knave
     
  24. tullist

    tullist Forum Resident

    Totally agree. I would mark it as one of Ian's finest acoustic tunes save for the fact that is an awfully crowded room. Love the Wordsworth and Tennyson references in Apogee, "Beware a host of unearthly daffodils drifting golden turned up loud". Agreed that generally I would mark it as the weakest of the band's output, but would never mark any construct of Ian Anderson as totally without merit. Always too much brain and musicality, even speaking with semi Ultravox voice here, for me to ever completely write him off. On the lyrics alone and their delivery Under Wraps bears investigation. Just after the other 37 or whatever it is.
    s
     
  25. Pibroch

    Pibroch Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    OK, so, here's "Lap of Luxury". I tried to do a little bit of EQ on the original track to remove a little high end, and thus, the synth snare. Added a light reverb to my stereo drum track, a little bit of high end, rolled those up a little, and I decided against any compression. The snare tended to disappear with too much compression, letting the original snare come through too much.

    This one was difficult to play against, especially never having done it before. The little rolls in the chorus I had to splice in a couple of places. I have these mics set up at my parents' house where my band practices. All my gear is monopolized for that, so my home kit gets no love. I got two takes on this one before I decided to just move on. :lol:

    Anyway, here she is. I'm starting to think this is too much effort for 80's Tull.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11510888/100 Lap of Luxury (Acoustic Drums Test).mp3
     
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