Let's Get Homogenized

Thanks again for all the recent listens and helpful advice! Read a post that reminded me of this ditty about the joys of being unexciting, so did a remix using the feedback from this forum. Hope the song isn't as boring as the narrator...Ha!

Key=E , Tempo 120, Length (m:s)=2:52
Style is _HSGRAD.STY (High School Graduation Rock)
RealTracks in style: 2939:Bass, Fretless Electric Rock8thsRene Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1265:Synth Pad, PopShiningSoft Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 697:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockDirty Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 694:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockArp Ev 120
RealDrums in style:Rock90s^01-a:Closed Hat, Snare , b:Open Hat, Snare

Lyrics: R.W. Davis
Vocals: D.A. Hughes
Leftovers: me

I’m dressed in my preppie sweater
And my socks are made of silk
I never won no high school letter
But I drank a lot of milk

Let’s get homogenized
Purified and pasteurized
Let’s stay clean-cut and under control
But, most of all, let’s stay dull

I iron my corduroy pants
And drink water with a straw
I don’t believe in the art of dance
It should be against the law

Let’s get homogenized
Purified and pasteurized
Let’s stay clean-cut and under control
But, most of all, let’s stay dull

I wanna be plain
I wanna be restrained
I wanna be simple
Just incidental
Not really consequential
I don’t wanna be a major component
Yeah, I don’t think I could even condone it

Let’s get homogenized
Purified and pasteurized
Let’s stay clean-cut and under control
But, most of all, let’s stay dull

La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la

Let's get homogenized...

Ron,

This should be an instant classic! Love it! Great vocal and production.

"I iron my corduroy pants
And drink water with a straw"

LOL! That's awesome!

Bob

Bob, yeah, he's a modern day poet. He's also my brother, though I didn't inherit the poet gene. I'm ok being the "music guy". Ha! THANKS for the listen!!

Not boring at all!
An extremely clever song.
Super vocal and lyrics blended perfectly with the band.
Outstanding song!

Mario, THANK YOU, so glad you liked it. There's no doubt a catalog of song types (love songs, protest songs, praise songs, etc) but I honestly don't know what type of song this is. Navel gazing? Hmmm...Turns out that's a type of song after all. Huh! Thanks for the listen!!

Hi Ron,

Your vocalist is so danged good on these pop and older-times songs. Some of those really cool lines have already been pointed out - I fully agree with what the previous commenters said.

I might be a bit (or a lot) off base here, but it reminded me of an early 60s group - Gary Lewis And The Playboys. It kind of has that "This Diamond Ring" they did in '62 or '63, but with much better production. I guess I should clarify what I just wrote. What I meant was- if Gary Lewis And the Playboys had been an '80s group, I could hear them doing this. Did I clear that up, or just make it murkier?

Again, the vocal was so good - and he had great material to work with. Really nice anyway you look at it! I always enjoy your music!

Take care,

Alan

How can you not click on this with a title like that? Very unique lyrics, great vocals and a good arrangement make this very entertaining and listenable. Good one, Tom

Well, that was fun!

Good song, great job on the mix and vocal.

Nice solo too, short, but what the song needed. You did that pan trick at the end again too, very effective, I might steal that one of these days

Enjoyed!

Thanks, Alan! That's quite a compliment! We should all have a brief time in the sun like they did.


Tom, so glad you liked it! Yeah, that's a pretty intriguing title for sure. More madness from my lyricist's mind.


Dave, thanks for the listen and the feedback on the guitar stuff! Fills and short solos are usually as much as I'll do for these lyric-based songs. Am sure I stole the panning gimmick, so...all's fair. Ha!

A funny, clever write. And intelligent (which is sometimes lacking when people do "funny" or "clever").

I LOVE what you are doing with BIAB. Fresh and Clean, pure Pop.
Well mixed.
Super vocals.

FUN Music.
GOOD Fun Music.

fj

Hi DC Ron,

I have listened to this multiple times - my thoughts are below. I recognise the time, effort and talent all the contributors have put into this. Sorry if you feel any of the negative comments are harsh or unjustified. Thanks a lot for posting the song.

Date: 13/12/2023
System: good PC speakers (with sub)
--------------------------------------------------
Overall impression
I like a bit of what they used to call ‘power pop’ (Cars etc) so first impressions were favourable. After 5 full listens, still quite like the song.
Song (structure, message, lyrics …)
Don’t really get the message of the song I’m afraid – perhaps because I’m from the UK where no one above the age of 5 drinks milk!
To my ear, the lyrics is also hampered by some unconvincing rhymes (control / dull ?). In fact some parts of the lyrics are pretty much incomprehensible, notably the Component / Condone it couplet.
In terms of the composition, I like both the ‘A’ and the ‘B’ sections. The bridge section starts well enough but seems to tail off.
Don’t much like either the solo after the ‘la la la la’ section or the outro lick.
Instrumentation
The guitars all sound good and sit together well.
The drum track sounds a little busy to me.
Vocals
Really liked the lead vox and the effects on them. The harms are well selected and not overused.
What I really liked
Nice groove – musically the song is pleasant to listen to.
The playing and the mix are both excellent.
What could be improved
Lyrics and message are a bit lost on me I’m afraid.
Tweaks could be made to optimise the structure of the song

Ron,

Funny. And Clever. AND Intelligent. (that doesn't always accompany "funny" and/or "clever")

I Love what you are doing with BIAB. Fresh. Clean. Pure Pop.
Your vocalist always delivers.

Fun Music.
GOOD Fun Music.

fj

Hey, Marc! Really appreciate the many listens, and the detailed notes. Don't worry about hurting my feelings...the whole point of my posting here is to get diverse feedback I don't get any in my basement. I don't doubt that the lyrics hit some cultural walls. I was more worried about "high school letter", a reference to American sports awards, than the milk metaphor. Here's my take on the lyrics, which I have to interpret for myself: The lyrics refer to an over the top desire to be unnoticed and live a dull lifestyle. The imagery is deliberately absurd. The "component/condone it" couplet is a variation of the American historical quote "if nominated I will not run, if elected I will not serve". See? There's another cultural obstacle. The solo and outro attempted to be deliberately "dull" but a little fun. Those could be fails. Similarly, the chord structure is a bit dull (ie, repetitive), but hopefully a little more fun.

Anyway, any aspect that requires explanation after five(!) listens probably means I missed the mark with you. I can live with that.

FWIW, my spouse is a Brit, and she would move to France tomorrow if she could pry me out of this basement.

Ha!

THANKS AGAIN!!

Floyd, so glad you liked it! I'll give all the credit to the lyricist for anything "clever" or "intelligent". I'm just trying to channel his ideas. Dusty (the vocalist) is a reliable 10/10 for sure. Have learned more in the last two months of posting on this forum than I had in many, many years. Really appreciate the investment of you and others in this community. THANKS!!

Boring?
Quite the opposite.
Very entertaining and a really clever set of lyrics.
The vocals and production are nothing to sneeze at either!

This is a pretty cool song, Ron

B.D., THANKS for the listen. Glad you like it and didn't fall asleep while listening. Ha! Yeah, the lyricist is more clever than he knows, so let's not tell him.

Great sounding track!!! Drums jump out at ya, and the vocal is excellent!!! Like the message of the lyric!!! Well done!!! Take care. Greg

Ha!

As others have said, fun pop. As vacuous a write as possible, intentionally so.

There's a bit of cognitive dissonance in listening to the lyrics. I know the character is supposed to believe each and every word he's singing, but as listeners we're in on the joke you don't believe it at all.

I like it a lot!

Greg, thanks for the listen! Glad it worked for you.


David, that's a funny and true take on the lyrics. My lyricist thinks I salvaged his bad lyrics, I think I framed some really good lyrics in a supporting style. So there's more dissonance behind the scenes. Anyway, thanks for the listen, glad you enjoyed it!

Love it, Ron!! Great lyrics, and your melody is perfect --because you leave enough spaces for laughter... almost. Excellent vocals and I dig the subytle harmony. There are so many quotable lyrics in there. Great band and production too. High School Graduation Rock was the obvious choice, right? Well done. Much enjoyed.

Ha! Thanks, Marty!

DC:

I’m really liking what I’m hearing from you these days . . . just a clear, crisp rock/alt sound . . . with some original and fresh lyrics. Mix is great; like the vocal sitting just where it is. Good stuff!!

Deej

P.S.: I meant to respond on your comment on my last song post regarding the Mill Valley In and Out. I actually live just behind the Strawberry Village Shopping Center where it’s located . . . I’m just a minute or two down the road. That said, 23 years in Marin, and I think I went there once. Wasn’t all that impressed . . . though I know it has a following.

Deej, THANKS for the listen and the positive comments! Yeah, that In-N-Out has been JAMMED every time I've been. Not for everyone, but a good antidote after a few days of California vegan/organic cuisine. Ha!

Good rock band - the right guitar is a tad loud but that's only if you're a symmetry obsessive.
Cool vocals too.
The lyrics are clever but they don't really seem to land for me personally...it takes all kinds after all.
Good one D.C.

rayc, THANKS for the listen and the input. Yeah, I probably should have spent more time balancing the guitars. I'm symmetry obsessive, too! I did spend a lot of time on it, but different listening environments gave me different spatial perspectives, and I finally just settled for the best of the "bad" mixes. Looking back, I had nine of them. Sheesh.

On those lyrics...I realized up front, but even more now, that there are many Americanism's in the lyrics that wouldn't (and shouldn't) ring true for others. At the same time, the lyrics are intentionally absurd, which is another potential barrier for listeners. So yes, it takes all kinds. Glad you liked it after all though!

Ha! I love this song. Fountains of Wayne influence? This is hit material for back in the day. Clever lyrics.

I like it. That crunchy and crispy rhythm guitar tone is nice.

Well, I do seem to be stuck back in some other day. Ha! Fountains of Wayne (RIP Adam Schlesinger) is one of my lyricist's favorites, and I discovered them more recently through him. Not a conscious lift, but I can see it now. THANKS for the listen and the kind remarks!


Thanks, Herb! I like this RT guitar pair, though they were tricky mixing for me. But when in doubt, just turn up the guitars. Ha!

Very cool groove in this tune. Excellent vocal and lyric. Perfect mix. Well done

"I wanna be plain
I wanna be restrained
I wanna be simple
Just incidental
Not really consequential
I don’t wanna be a major component
Yeah, I don’t think I could even condone it"

Love it.

Witty lyric, excellent vocals, great write and a fine mix.
The entire package is cookin' ... BTW those drums have an excellent snare pop.

Enjoyed it!

J&B