Another From the Muse

I've completed another tune.

It's another bit of experimenting and just plain fun. This time I wanted to try creating different parts of the tune in different places (i.e. on different computers at different times) and piecing it all together later. SynthFont and the various soundfonts I got off the internet (mainly from the Hammersound soundfont library but also from elsewhere) were definitely MVPs, as were Sibelius and Finale PrintMusic, for setting down the basics of this tune plus that fun "evolving break" in the middle. I then put it all together with Sonar and recorded the guitar, incidental keyboard, and vocal parts. If nothing else, it was a lot of fun to do.

I couldn't help noticing that it came out very 80s-ish. That wasn't intentional. I guess my upbringing can't help breaking through from time to time. As for the lyrics, the title and theme of the song came about because of the "evolving" instrumental break, but I thought it was good food for sarcastic thought.

(WARNING: Technical BS beyond this point.)

As always, the details of this song are on my Minstrel's Muse site, but in anticipation of comments I might get from certain people, I'll detail the guitar parts I used here.

Guitar Part I (rhythmic riffs, power chords, panned slightly left) - SG (bridge pickup, open D tuning). Hiwatt DR-101 amp model with preamp set low and mids slightly scooped. ZOOM 5000 Distortion and 5050 Choir pedals using a sound I used a lot back in the 90s...and still love!
Guitar Part II (clean strums, noisy phase power chords, panned slightly right) - Telecaster (neck pickup, standard tuning). '50s vintage Fender Deluxe amp model set at a modest volume with tone leaning toward treble. BOSS Super Phaser and Compressor/Sustainer used throughout, Metal Zone (British metalesque tone combination) added during intense parts.
Guitar Part III (ghostly wail) - Strat Special HSS (bridge pickup, standard tuning). Marshall JCM-800 model with the preamp throttled back, tone slightly middy. Marshall GV-2 Guv'nor Plus pedal (tone combination a sort of hybrid of grunge and progressive rock) and RF-1 Reflector pedal (reverse reverb, level set 100% wet).
Guitar Solo - Strat Special HSS (neck pickup, standard tuning). Amp and pedals as above except that I set the Guv'nor to a more classic rock tone and use the Reflector's spring reverb. I also added a bit of delay later using Sonar.

No MIDI was used in the final mastering at all. The drum and synth parts are a combination of downloaded soundfonts as well as my Roland Sonic Cell and XP-60 keyboard synth. The vocal parts were recorded using my Audio-Technica powered condensor mike with reverb (and, on one track at least, chorus) added later using Sonar. The vocals were done using My Larynx (ML-1).

(End technical BS. Okay, carry on...)

Here is the song: "Intelligent Evolution". Please give it a listen and give me your comments.