*NO* Mega Man 3 'Rock 'n' Roll Recycling Center'

Remixer name: Mutherpluckin' B

Real name: Henrik Lidbjörk

Mail:

Website: http://mutherpluckin-b.com

OCR forum user ID: 10308

Game arranged: Mega Man 3

Name: Rock 'n' Roll Recycling Center

Songs arranged: Spark Man theme, including a part of Title Screen

URL to mp3: (Also attached to this mail)

Comments:

A Deep Purple-inspired heavy '70s rock arrangement of the Spark Man song from Mega Man 3. This song is available on the new Mutherpluckin' B album "The Mushroom Variety Show", out in November 2013. All instruments except the drums are real live instruments.

Thanks in advance!

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I've wanted a Mutherpluckin' B arrangement posted on OCR for the longest time, but I don't think this is the one. The soundscape sounded pretty muddy and distant to start, and the panning's pretty hard as well. Definitely not sure if this approach works.

I heard what sounded like a ton of fuzz or light, crackling distortion throughout the track from :54-1:26 & 2:07-2:51, maybe from the shaker sound. It shouldn't be creating that effect. What was going on?

So there's certainly some personalizing of the "Spark Man" theme going on with some new part-writing underneath the lead, but the treatment of the theme itself wasn't interpretive or varied enough, IMO. The title theme usage from 1:52-2:21 was solidly performed, but also low on interpretation. Whether it was :23, :53, or 2:37, the "Spark Man" arrangement felt too straightforward, and the overall arrangement plodded.

I'm not saying there wasn't thought or effort behind those original sections from 1:23-1:52 & 2:21-2:36, but I wasn't feeling much flow or synergy with how they pieced together with the source usage. Combined with the very cover-ish approach to the arrangement and me not feeling the personalization of this approach was enough, I just can't get behind this one as a cohesive enough, substantial enough interpretation. If it took some more interpretive or dynamic turns with the source tunes somewhere, I'd be there, but not with this as is.

If another J could better articulate what my perceived issues are and either confirm or deny what I felt for themselves, I'd certainly be interested in their opinions. I definitely don't mean to grandpa this track, but the sum total isn't clicking with the level of interpretation and development we usually pass, IMO. Definitely submit some more mixes; like I said, I've been waiting to have something of yours posted as a single mix for a long time, and it's certainly not a lack of skill.

NO (resubmit)

I think Larry's on the money. Maybe I'm being a grandpa too but the Spark Man sections just felt way too straightforward in their approach. Would have loved a lot more creative sections and more interpretation. Started getting some of that around the end, but it felt like too little too late. Aforementioned crackling was also pretty noticeable.

The piece came alive during the more interpretive sections, but for most of it it felt like it was going through the motions; maybe just a touch too slow which ended up making the piece feel like there was a lack of energy.

Needs more.

NO, resub

I think "going through the motions" describes my feelings about this track. The ideas are solid, the genre change is cool, Deep Purple for sure with that organ... but something's just... missing. If you're going to play it this close to the source material, the presentation really has to shine. This mix totally lacks energy which is a shame. The drums are soft and all center-panned, toms and crashes are all center panned, if just those crashes were widened, that would add a ton of energy right there. The panning that I do hear is a little extreme and sounds a bit odd. That organ which is so cool is just sitting dead center until 0:39 at which point suddenly it is very widely panned opposite the lead guitar, and at 0:54 it is back to the center, until the next chorus, etc. Not working for me.

The crackling could be that shaker, maybe it isn't the best shaker sample or just needs its highs tamed. I'm not sure... I'm not hearing the crackling as strongly as the other two judges are.

So yeah, a couple of extra interpretations, a more original section somewhere (how about a really wild organ or guitar solo?), and maybe a few more exciting sounds, some more stereo-wide-ish sounds (but without the extreme and changing panning), possibly a slight tempo increase, and this would turn some heads.

NO (resubmit)