Abraham Man Instrumental Version

Hey folks-

The first thing I posted on this blog was a song called Abraham Man which has been sitting patiently waiting for me to get around to finishing it. Well, don't hold your breath little song... My progress is glacial, but I think for the most part I'm done tracking instruments. The song is, I fully admit, jam-packed with lots of notes. To hear everything better I got rid of my crappy scratch vocal. (If you don't know "scratch" means that's it's a place holder that should get rerecorded before anyone, god forbid, hears it -- a rule I've been breaking liberally in this blog.) The result is kind of interesting so I thought I'd post it and get some feedback before trying to do the final vocals and mix it.

It's kind of the opposite of a successful pop song, which tends to be very simple instrumentation with a strong melody and rhythm with, these days, layered percussion tracks to provide rhythmic interest. I have only two percussion tracks, with neither defining a simple beat. The melody is kind of anemic (especially in this version, which doesn't have it at all) and the harmonies and countermelodies are all working very hard to fight with one another and take over the song. I think it's interesting but it's quite possibly something that no one else wants to hear. I've even thinned this one out already a little bit, cutting some viola and accordion and it's still mayhem.

I do love mayhem...

If you have time, give it a few listens. I'm interested in hearing how people hear it on first listen and if that changes as you listen to it more. Let me know what your ear gravitates to and if those focus points change in subsequent listens. Please be unforgiving and passionate in your criticism and suggestions. Or at least helpful.

dave

p.s. yeah, I know there's a few sour notes in the strings. I have to make my way through the takes to see if I can pull in a couple notes from elsewhere but for the most part these takes were pretty good. The song's in D#m (6 sharps!), a key in which I gather from Maria (who played both parts on this one) violins and violas do not feel at home.