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Christmas Album Reviews
What a great album!
Every song is unique and a new take on the Christmas theme.
Let's be honest, we all love Christmas but the songs can get tedious. Great job and a great idea!
I have to comment on the songs
1. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies
Great job! This is my daughters favorite and not an easy one for the CBG.
2. Angels We Have Heard on High
Perfect interpretation of this song. Captures both the spiritual aspect of Christmas and the CBG.
3. Little Drummer Boy/Lullaby
Man, what a great version of a Christmas standard. How did you come up with that idea? I wish I was that creative.
4. Bells and Seegars
This is our song. We are honored to be on this album.
5. Greensleeves
I really like the variety of instruments and sounds on this song. This song tends usually gets tedious when it is played but you kept it interesting and moving. Great job.
6. Go tell it on The Mountain
This was one song I considered doing for this album. I am glad I didn't. This version is way better.
7. The Holly Bop
Great tone! How did you get those grinding Les Paulish sounds? If you don't mind I would love to know what you used.
8. Christmas in jail
Man, I'm glad my song didn't come up after this one. What a pro job. I've got to get me a slide whistle now.
9. Twas the Night Before Christmas
Wow. Beautiful. What tuning did you use?
10. Steam Grate Holiday
Gosh. What to say about this. In my opinion the run away best song on this album. Vocals, Lyrics, Structure, Timing perfect. Is this an original? Wow.
11. On Christmas Day
Great musicianship! How many CBG's are in this? I love the harmonies.
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
I had to do a double take on this one. I don't know if this is what you were going for but I kept thinking of Metallica's "One". I've got to put this in the top 3. Please, what pickup is in your CBG? How did you get that tone?
13. Away in a Manger
Well done. This is the sound I love with the CBG.
14. Santa's Back in Town
I wish I could sing like that. Racy-est Christmas song on the album.
15. I wrecked my car at Christmas
Very haunting sound. Great vocals. Reminds me a lot of "The Doors"
16. The Christmas Song
Great arrangement! Any chance you would share it? I would love to be able to play this at our Christmas party.
17. Oh Tannenbaum
Probably the best example of "Primitive" on this album. If I could just sing ......
18. Where would I go/Do Lord
If there was a sound I had in my mind when I built my first CBG this is it. I still haven't got. Another of the top 3 for me. I know I'm asking a lot but what is your setup? I'm just a simple caveman.
19. Best Christmas.
Another top pick. Great vocals! Another of my top 3. How many is that? Four songs in my top 3? Sorry. This is CBG, not math!
20. Wassail Song
Great Harmonies. Very professional mix.
21. Silent Night
This was another song I considered for my contribution. Beautiful version. Would you consider sharing your arrangement? Best solo instrumental on this album.
22. Biker Santa on XMas Night
Another example of a Blues Tone I am trying to get. Whoah, the stereo panning and the rhythm are killer. Seriously, What do you use to mix this? I use Reaper. Can i do this in Reaper?
23. It's Christmas
Visions of Mark Knopfler dance in my head! Love it.
Great job everybody. I will probably bug many of you relentlessly until you tell me how you did it.
Col Neary of Ryjaknik Kayducon
Every song is unique and a new take on the Christmas theme.
Let's be honest, we all love Christmas but the songs can get tedious. Great job and a great idea!
I have to comment on the songs
1. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies
Great job! This is my daughters favorite and not an easy one for the CBG.
2. Angels We Have Heard on High
Perfect interpretation of this song. Captures both the spiritual aspect of Christmas and the CBG.
3. Little Drummer Boy/Lullaby
Man, what a great version of a Christmas standard. How did you come up with that idea? I wish I was that creative.
4. Bells and Seegars
This is our song. We are honored to be on this album.
5. Greensleeves
I really like the variety of instruments and sounds on this song. This song tends usually gets tedious when it is played but you kept it interesting and moving. Great job.
6. Go tell it on The Mountain
This was one song I considered doing for this album. I am glad I didn't. This version is way better.
7. The Holly Bop
Great tone! How did you get those grinding Les Paulish sounds? If you don't mind I would love to know what you used.
8. Christmas in jail
Man, I'm glad my song didn't come up after this one. What a pro job. I've got to get me a slide whistle now.
9. Twas the Night Before Christmas
Wow. Beautiful. What tuning did you use?
10. Steam Grate Holiday
Gosh. What to say about this. In my opinion the run away best song on this album. Vocals, Lyrics, Structure, Timing perfect. Is this an original? Wow.
11. On Christmas Day
Great musicianship! How many CBG's are in this? I love the harmonies.
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
I had to do a double take on this one. I don't know if this is what you were going for but I kept thinking of Metallica's "One". I've got to put this in the top 3. Please, what pickup is in your CBG? How did you get that tone?
13. Away in a Manger
Well done. This is the sound I love with the CBG.
14. Santa's Back in Town
I wish I could sing like that. Racy-est Christmas song on the album.
15. I wrecked my car at Christmas
Very haunting sound. Great vocals. Reminds me a lot of "The Doors"
16. The Christmas Song
Great arrangement! Any chance you would share it? I would love to be able to play this at our Christmas party.
17. Oh Tannenbaum
Probably the best example of "Primitive" on this album. If I could just sing ......
18. Where would I go/Do Lord
If there was a sound I had in my mind when I built my first CBG this is it. I still haven't got. Another of the top 3 for me. I know I'm asking a lot but what is your setup? I'm just a simple caveman.
19. Best Christmas.
Another top pick. Great vocals! Another of my top 3. How many is that? Four songs in my top 3? Sorry. This is CBG, not math!
20. Wassail Song
Great Harmonies. Very professional mix.
21. Silent Night
This was another song I considered for my contribution. Beautiful version. Would you consider sharing your arrangement? Best solo instrumental on this album.
22. Biker Santa on XMas Night
Another example of a Blues Tone I am trying to get. Whoah, the stereo panning and the rhythm are killer. Seriously, What do you use to mix this? I use Reaper. Can i do this in Reaper?
23. It's Christmas
Visions of Mark Knopfler dance in my head! Love it.
Great job everybody. I will probably bug many of you relentlessly until you tell me how you did it.
Col Neary of Ryjaknik Kayducon
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Knotlenny on -
Love em all. But there's really something extra magical about track 1 - Kirk Withrow's take on 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies'. Wow!
I wanted to congratulate him on this, but can't find him here on the nation.
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Permalink Reply by Shane on -
Steam Grate Holiday is a Gerry Thompson original. It is a couple years old and appears on his album, The Mojo Whisperer.
Gerry is my favorite songwriter of all time...and a close friend. I'm currently producing his upcoming album (hopefully ready by January). He sings and plays his 4-string CBG and I'm adding cigar box bass, CBG, drums and backing vocals. It'll be sold thru the Nation.
BTW, here's Gerry's profile. Go tell him how awesome he is. He won't listen to me...
shane
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Permalink Reply by Graham on -
Knotlenny - try http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/thelostmonk - i think thats kirk's profile
Knotlenny said:Love em all. But there's really something extra magical about track 1 - Kirk Withrow's take on 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies'. Wow!
I wanted to congratulate him on this, but can't find him here on the nation.
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Permalink Reply by Knotlenny on
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Got it. Thanks, Tiki!
TikiGraham said:Knotlenny - try http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/thelostmonk - i think thats kirk's profile
Knotlenny said:Love em all. But there's really something extra magical about track 1 - Kirk Withrow's take on 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies'. Wow!
I wanted to congratulate him on this, but can't find him here on the nation.
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Permalink Reply by daddystovepipe on
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Thanks for the kind words about (my) track #18
This is how I did it....
I use a cbg with a piezo pickup - the guitar was made by Fuzzy (check him out at "fuzzysCBG" on YouTube).
The guitar is hooked up to a small straight-out-of-the-box "Vox DA5" amplifier. It has several style settings and if I remember well it was on "crunch2" + "chorus/reverb"....that's all, no pedals or other devices.
Recording was done with a ZoomH4 digital recorder set on mp3 (so I didn't have to do anything else but send it to Shane - no mastering from my end)
Hope this helps,
best,
Carl/daddystovepipe
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Permalink Reply by Brendan deVallance on -
I love home made Christmas music, been collecting it for years, but this collection really is the tops. So many great tunes.
My band Dead Gwynne records a new Christmas song every year: http://www.sledbag.com/dg_holiday/index.html . But I Did "Best Christmas Ever" by myself on the CBG. I recorded it in Garageband on my mac. Made the electronic drum beat loop and just played away. I Did the music all in one take, but i have to work on my solo skills. Then I overdubbed the vocals. I used a Shure SM-58 mic to record the guitar in acoustic mode. That's all the notes I have for my tune, thanks for all the kind words.
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Permalink Reply by Shane on
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Instruments I used on Little Drummer Boy/Lullaby:
1. My beat up old Macanudo cbg
2. Cigar Box Slim 3-string electric CBG
3. Wichita Sam 3-string cigar box bass
4. foot stomper
5. Shady Grove mandolin dulcimer
-Shane Speal
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Permalink Reply by CanJoe*John on -
The multiple instruments on track 5, "Greensleeves", are done by two musicians, myself and Tom Conrad, with the lead track being the one-stringed canjoe instrument plugged through a foot switched sound processor and the canjoe instrument harmony track (picked in the "candolin" style) and overdubbed into the mix. Tom played all other sounds on this tune using the electric keyboard with electric sound effects and he's playing the electric bass guitar and electric guitar rhythm back up tracks. Tom also was the producer of this tune and the others that are currently on the "Uncanny Christmas" CD published on the SVM Music Group record label.
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Permalink Reply by Nathan King on -
First, let me second the incredible work that everyone put into the making of this album. I don't typically listen to holiday music, but this album is really enjoyable.
Second, when I recorded God Rest... (track 12), I used two CBGs, and a Line 6 POD.
I had to look up the chord changes to the song (which is in E minor), then figured out a 3-string version of each chord. I'm tuned to open D, using The Cohiba Zeeba (which is fretted and has a piezo) for the rhythm.
For the clean "melody" lead and the distorted "solo" lead, I used my 2-string fretless CBG I call The Bitchin' Birch. It's got a magnetic pickup (one of Ted Crocker's Stonehenges) in it... I tuned that one to D, one string an octave higher than the other. I've got pics of both of 'em in my profile, if you're interested to see 'em.
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Permalink Reply by Bluesboy Jag on -
I recorded the Wassail Song on my iPhone then overdubbed the harmony track. the iPhone app is called 4 Track and it's really nifty. This was a fun project.
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Permalink Reply by Knotlenny on
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Wow. Ever the innovator - Jag comes through with the worlds first iphone recorded Christmas Carol.
Bluesboy Jag said:I recorded the Wassail Song on my iPhone then overdubbed the harmony track. the iPhone app is called 4 Track and it's really nifty. This was a fun project.
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