Virtual Open Mic - The VOM Archives

Father and Son - Cat Stevens cover

Credit to:	Don Henley cover
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVwBB8P6xMY

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Comments

This song was co-written by Don Henley along with J.D. Souther (a long-time collaborator from Henley's days with the Eagles) and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. It originally appeared as the last and ultimate track on Henley's 1989 solo album 'The End of the Innocence' and IMO closes it nicely.

I chose this song for no other reason than I really like it and it speaks to me. It may not be the best choice for Valentine's Day, being that to me it's basically about moving on after breaking up but I like the bittersweet lyrics and the underlying message of healing behind them.

Posted: 01-10-2010, 01:04 AM

kwakatak

Credit to:	Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUt_l_3K5wg

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Comments

It's been snowing for a week and the weatherman says it'll snow for another week so this holdover from the holidays seemed appropriate.

Posted: 12-21-2009, 12:11 AM

kwakatak

Credit to:	Chris Rice
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7HwwzL5Ppo

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Comments

My submission this month is a cover of contemporary praise song by Chris Rice entitled 'Go Light Your World.' It may not seem very holiday-oriented, but my church's praise band (of which I am a member) has played this the past few years during the annual Advent concert in early December.

Posted: 11-08-2009, 06:59 PM

kwakatak

Credit to:	Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKzR0ayYCQU

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Comments

OK, I've been busy and otherwise distracted but I'm in. FOr our upcoming gig we were supposed to do Rattlin' Bones by Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson but it got scrapped. It's a fun tune to play and appropriate for Halloween maybe but we've had a change in tune toward more Christmas holiday-oriented stuff.

Posted: 08-09-2009, 01:09 AM

kwakatak

Credit to:	Dan Fogelberg
URL is:	http://www.box.net/shared/rktm5evse3

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Comments

This song originally drew me in recently when a couple friends of mine lost their dads. I intended to do it as a tribute, but I ended up doing Cat Steven's 'Father and Son' instead which IMO seemed to fit better anyway. Then over the course of the past couple of months as I tried to learn it the lyrics sort of hit home to me. I was told that my own father (who I never got to know) had musical abilities as do various members of both sides of my family. Now as I see my younger son (who's age 2 as I write this) begin to experiment with my guitars and sing I wonder if there's any truth to music being in the blood or if we all just emulate our earliest inspirations?

I would have attempted this song back in June but it's not an easy one to play and sing at the same time. Even now I have trouble so this take is actually a compilation. The guitar track was recorded in one take and the vocals were overdubbed after their second take. I also recorded it late at night while trying not to wake everybody in the house up, so to me it could have come out better on the performance side. It ain't perfect but IMO it's close enough to the VOM1T principle to share here.

Posted: 06-14-2009, 01:10 AM

kwakatak

Credit to:	Cat Stevens
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwl_D3TCkOw

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Comments

In homage to father's day 2009 I decided to learn this beautiful song originally performed by Cat Stevens. It has particularly special meaning this year since two of my friends recently lost their fathers. This video is dedicated to them in their time of mourning.

Posted: 04-12-2009, 01:18 AM

kwakatak

Credit to:	Casting Crowns
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktMkb7k8fh0

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Comments

Being that it's Easter and fellow HCAG member Ohio Arrow is in the hospital I decided to share a cover song that I'm learning for church so that we can get some of the senior high students in the congregation more involved. They requested this song 'I Am Yours' by the group Casting Crowns and it's been growing on me.

Posted: 01-11-2009, 05:44 PM

Baking Cookies

#10

kwakatak

Credit to:	Original
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xemeTI3qu0

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Comments

Here's my submission for today. It's an original noodling on my '73 "lawsuit" Takamine F-360 which I opportunistically entitled "Baking Cookies" simply because my wife and older son were baking up some cookies off-camera in the kitchen. If you listen you can hear my wife (3rd generation amateur baker) talking my son through the process.

The guitar is tuned down a whole step because I have DR Rare mediums (.013-.056) on it, which I was advised against doing by the luthier who repaired it 5 years ago. It sounds soooo good to my ears though, and this recording doesn't do its tone justice IMO.

Posted: 12-14-2008, 01:37 AM

Sinner's Prayer

#11

kwakatak

My Love, My Better Half, My Friend

Credit to:	Original
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VlClHiDVyg

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Comments

I haven't kept within the letter of this month's holiday theme and have instead taken a more spiritual and reflective mood. I tend to get a bit melancholy during the winter months and this piece takes its cue from that along with religious undertones that have slowly been building within me over the past decade or so.

This piece is essentially an instrumental hymn inspired by (but does not measure up to) J.S. Bach's "Prelude No. 1 in C" (aka "Ave Maria") though its mood is intended to me more somber and melancholy. Since I haven't spent much time thinking it through and partly-improvised it here I consider it to be "unfinished" and will continue to refine it. For the time being, I feel that it's good enough to share in light on the holiday season.

Posted: 11-10-2008, 12:23 AM

#12

kwakatak

Credit to:	Original
URL is:	http://media.putfile.com/MyLoveMyBetterHalfMyFriend

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Comments

I was unsure of what I was unsure of what I was going to submit so tonight once I tucked the family into bed I went and plugged my Larriv�e OM-03R into my PC and just started playing with the "tape" rolling. I got through a good 5 or 6 songs (though admittedly there were a few clams as well) before hitting into that zone where I start feeling like I'm really getting into playing and I get a little more self-assured. That's when I played this: (song)

It's a partly-improvised rendition of an original composition I call "My Love, My Better Half, My Friend." I've recorded it before but I was never satisfied with it so I decided to try it again. This piece is inspired by my wife and how much she's enriched my life since I met her 14 years ago. I shudder to think of where I'd have ended up without her and even though there have been hard times lately I cherish the moments with her and the family we've made together and look to the future with optimism.

Posted: 10-12-2008, 07:24 PM

Learning To Walk

#13

kwakatak

Than to Have Never Loved at All

Credit to:	Original
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N21fhSlUBWs

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Comments

My contribution this month is an original entitled "Learning to Walk" that I'm dedicating to both my sons who (though I'm too-easily frustrated) amaze me as they make their first steps in life.

recorded October 12th, 2008
Larriv�e OM-03R with K&K Pure Western Mini/Pure XLR Preamp directly to Dell Inspiron 6400 (notebook) sound card for audio portion; video portion recorded with a Canon Powershot A560 (digital camera)
Recorded and edited in Reaper and Microsoft Movie Maker.

Posted: 09-15-2008, 12:48 AM

#14

kwakatak

Credit to:	Original
URL is:	http://media.putfile.com/ThanToHaveNeverLovedAtAll-draft-09152008

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Comments

Here's my perpetual work in progress. Still haven't gotten lyrics written down that I like so I just noodled with it as an instrumental. I'm still working on it so it's not technically "finished" yet.

EDIT: BTW, this is an "original" kwakatak piece. Played on my miked-up Takamine. Reverb was added in Reaper. Sorry for it being so long and "quiet."

Posted: 08-10-2008, 02:39 AM

Cool Change

#15

kwakatak

Credit to:	Little River Band
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAk2SWqa_CE

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Comments

I know I said I wasn't gonna do one this time, but I couldn't help but reflect upon my recent travels and how uplifting it was and I wanted to do something that expressed the positive vibes I felt. So I hurried up with some chores while the wife was out with the boys and I sat on the front porch to do a quick and dirty VOM1T.

BTW, I mentioned in another thread that when I do a cover I gravitate toward one that has lyrics that strike me. In this case the first verse just seemed to fit how I felt about all the wonderful folks I've met online and sometimes later on in person. I truly feel blessed to have even met such people because my experience has unfortunately been mostly otherwise.

Posted: 07-13-2008, 01:40 AM

Green Eyed Monster

#16

kwakatak

Credit to:	Original
URL is:	http://media.putfile.com/GEM1

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Comments

It's not finished or polished but here it is. It's a work in progress I call "Green Eyed Monster" where I try to get a little jazzy. Unfortunately being a "jazz" piece it's not too structured - and I wish I could say that I did it deliberately.

BTW, the inspiration comes from my old friend Dirk who is a Philly-area jazz musician who just got signed. Kudos to him.

Posted: 06-08-2008, 09:03 AM

HCAG VOM1T #5

#17

kwakatak

Credit to:	Original (Work in progress)
URL is:	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogpjssTD3Pc

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Comments

Lots of good stuff all around; sorry no time to comment but the video should explain that as I sat down to noodle something out...

Posted: 04-14-2008, 12:21 AM

Falling Slowly

#18

kwakatak

Credit to:	Glen Hansard Cover "Once" Soundtrack
URL is:	http://media.putfile.com/MeowingSlowly

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Comments

Here's my pitiful cover of Glen Hasnard's "Falling Slowly" from the "Once" soundtrack. I loved the movie and I apologize if I ruin it for anybody else. The cat came downstairs and told me enough is enough.

Posted: 03-09-2008, 11:18 PM

Tears in Heaven

#19

kwakatak

Credit to:	Eric Clapton
URL is:	http://media.putfile.com/NK-TIH-2008-03-07

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Comments

Here's what I put in the can the other day. The recording's crap and down sampling it to a more manageable upload size didn't help the quality much, but here it is anyway courtesy of putfile.

Posted: 02-10-2008, 09:43 PM

The Heart of the Matter

#20

kwakatak