YouTube clip with part of studio version of "Circles"

[andrew]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34f6K3vLNIw

Lazy Divey posted it in the Amazon preorder thread, and I think I saw a link in the Art of Anarchy thread, but I figure it would get more attention & more discussion if it has its own thread.


Sounds a lot different than the live versions. The vocals area little bit over-processed, but I can definitely dig the tune. It's like the son of Crash & Sometimes Chicken Soup or something. Could definitely be a tune in a movie, glad Scott's going to be shopping it around at the Sundance Film Festival.

Not sure it's the single that's gonna bring solo Weiland to the top of the charts, but I think the general public will react mostly positive to this tune.

Edit: apologies for those of you who clicked the link and were greeted with a Lil Wayne song. Looks like I forgot to copy the Weiland clip before I pasted and the last thing I Ctrl+c'd was a Lil Wayne clip.... Hahaha fuck.

[drynaski]

I've posted this in the YouTube video comments, and in the Facebook comments, but I'll post it again here. The vocals don't sound a little over-processed, it sounds horribly over-processed. There's so much autotune on his voice he sounds like t-pain in certain spots. Do they not hear it? It sounds like a joke. It sounds like Scott went into the studio and did one take, did a shitty job, and the producer just added autotune to the track and instead of adjusting the level to something that helps the vocals but isn't too noticeable, they cranked it up to an 9 (one more higher would be t-pain level), and no one in the studio noticed for god knows why. He sang it well at the Troubadour, so clearly he can do it. Why not just ask him to do few takes and piece together the best takes?

Or, maybe they think it's trendy and they want it to sound that way... But it isn't some shiny synth-y pop song where audible autotune might make sense, its an acoustic/banjo stripped-down song from the heart by someone who's supposed to be one of the best rock singers.

I really hope that vocal track isn't what shows up on the real release... hopefully it's specific to that performance in the studio because other than that, this song seems like the closest song they have/had to a song that'd do well as a single on multiple charts, including rock, pop, and even possibly country.

I don't mean to be negative, I was just really looking forward to this song and the producer / recorders at the helm seemed to have dropped the ball on this one if the release sounds like what we hear in this clip.

[wickedgarden23]

Drynaski, unfortunately I agree with you 100%. I can't help but admit that I was instantly disappointed with the sound of Circles after seeing that video. The song sounded so good live and had so much promise...like you I REALLY hope that this isn't the final studio version. Sure the song doesn't sound awful, but any Scott Weiland fan can't deny that this song would be better off without all the unnecessary and unattractive production.

[STP92]

Firstly, the autotune is being used as an effect. I sincerely doubt it's being used to cover up out of key vocals. Second, it's not the engineer's/mixer's fault. At the end of the day, it's the artist's say. If Scott didn't want to use autotune for effect, he wouldn't use it.

All that said, I agree that it doesn't really fit the vibe of the song, but it's different. Something like James Blake would do. And it's still a great song.

[pjstp]

I don't really think it's fair to judge the song based on that short clip...I agree about the vocals in the verse (although it really doesn't sound that bad to me), but the vocals in the chorus and especially the guitar work sounds amazing. I'm very excited to hear the full song.

[JugeSTP]

Drynaski, unfortunately I agree with you 100%. I can't help but admit that I was instantly disappointed with the sound of Circles after seeing that video. The song sounded so good live and had so much promise...like you I REALLY hope that this isn't the final studio version. Sure the song doesn't sound awful, but any Scott Weiland fan can't deny that this song would be better off without all the unnecessary and unattractive production.

I'm with you guys, same here. The production of that clip is really disappointing and it makes the song sound contrived and artificial. It sounds like Scott did one take and did an awful take at that. Maybe this band this that's raw, real and cool. I really hope they re-do the vocals on this one. Scott can do much better.

[Slither]

Drynaski, unfortunately I agree with you 100%. I can't help but admit that I was instantly disappointed with the sound of Circles after seeing that video. The song sounded so good live and had so much promise...like you I REALLY hope that this isn't the final studio version. Sure the song doesn't sound awful, but any Scott Weiland fan can't deny that this song would be better off without all the unnecessary and unattractive production.

I'm with you guys, same here. The production of that clip is really disappointing and it makes the song sound contrived and artificial. It sounds like Scott did one take and did an awful take at that. Maybe this band this that's raw, real and cool. I really hope they re-do the vocals on this one. Scott can do much better.

I wouldn't call it auto-tune, but the production is remarkably different from everything else we've heard on the album, and it's particularly apparent in this clip where it's juxtaposed with White Lightning. I too really liked the live version of the song where the guitar was higher in the mix and Scott's voice was a bit raspier. I almost feel like Jeremy played it a bit differently too. The way it sounds now with the lighter, less busy guitar and softer vocals gives it more of an indie flavor. It's still good, just not as good.

Also, no one should be holding breath, this is for sure the album version. No way is Scott re-recording it because of a few disappointed people on a website.

[drynaski]

The blips you hear in the vocal track are due to a tune-correcting effect, whether its autotune, melodyne, or apple's or another vendor's.

Firstly, the autotune is being used as an effect. I sincerely doubt it's being used to cover up out of key vocals. Second, it's not the engineer's/mixer's fault. At the end of the day, it's the artist's say. If Scott didn't want to use autotune for effect, he wouldn't use it.

All that said, I agree that it doesn't really fit the vibe of the song, but it's different. Something like James Blake would do. And it's still a great song.

After listening to it in that frame of mind, it doesn't bother *as* much.

My wife listens to Michael Buble all the time and he, who's a very capable singer, uses autotune in this way all the time.

I still think it'd be a more powerful song if the vocals sounded natural.

[lovemachine97]

I don't know. After Contraband came out, I wrote to Doug Grean on MySpace about all the vocal layering, and he wrote back saying he was just talking about that with another singer and how much he hates it. He said it's easy to layer a bunch of average takes on top of each other. It's hard work to do one great take, and Scott can be lazy.

Within that context, I don't think it's a coincidence that the best Scott has sounded in 10 years was on Libertad. I mean he sounds great the whole record, but Gravedancer and Messages, especially, he sounds as good as he ever has.

I think that is the value of having someone who can constructively push you. I think that's why the band didn't like Rick Rubin for that record. From what I understand, he comes in every so often, listens, tells you what he likes, but on the ones he does like, he tells you the take isn't there yet, and he leaves.

O'Brien is a musician himself, he comes up with song ideas, and I think someone like Scott has an easier time taking criticism from someone of Brendan's stature.

What I am saying is, I don't think this was used purposely as an effect like say, we all first heard it when Cher used it in that believe song. I think it's being used to make sure he is in tune. I think he did a run through that was good enough to perfect with autotune. Problem is, the more off pitch you are, the less human it sounds, which is why we can hear it.

It just doesn't make sense that it is used as an effect, at least to me.

EDIT: On a hunch I went back to some live versions. Live, he plays this in F. The studio version here is in G, a whole note, or two-half steps higher. He isn't that great live in F in the versions I hear. Yet another reason to use auto tune if he is having problems a whole note lower.

[Stop That Pigeon]

I don't know. After Contraband came out, I wrote to Doug Grean on MySpace about all the vocal layering, and he wrote back saying he was just talking about that with another singer and how much he hates it. He said it's easy to layer a bunch of average takes on top of each other. It's hard work to do one great take, and Scott can be lazy.

Within that context, I don't think it's a coincidence that the best Scott has sounded in 10 years was on Libertad. I mean he sounds great the whole record, but Gravedancer and Messages, especially, he sounds as good as he ever has.

I think that is the value of having someone who can constructively push you. I think that's why the band didn't like Rick Rubin for that record. From what I understand, he comes in every so often, listens, tells you what he likes, but on the ones he does like, he tells you the take isn't there yet, and he leaves.

O'Brien is a musician himself, he comes up with song ideas, and I think someone like Scott has an easier time taking criticism from someone of Brendan's stature.

I remember you posting about that, how Doug said Scott would always want to be lazy and layer the vocals but Brendan wouldn't let him.

In fairness, though, I'm liking the vocals on the new tracks. There are some slightly new wrinkles in the sounds and there's none of the Bowie stuff that tends to annoy me. I did like the slightly grittier Circles but a softer comedown to close the album makes sense. We'll need to hear the whole thing of course.