The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Your Tunes: Wenzel punks out San Jose, CA!!!

Wenzel punks out San Jose, CA!!!

« » Page 1 2

- Rated: 115 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 4:30 p.m. wenzel:

I was really bored and inspired all at the same time after completing my homework today and indulged myself in a song I'd never played before. A typical wenzelism is to punk out songs, meaning to make them punkish or more punk than they were before. I think this song is as far away from punk as can be, but I like the song and decided to try it out. I didn't spend a whole lot of time mixing it yet, but it's a decent rough mix so far. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it or at least don't make fun of me. I think it's a crazy song to do like this and therfore I did it!!! The guitars were all done using my country club and fender blues deluxe re-issue. The distortion was the Proco Deucetone rat. I played the bass and drums myself, so excuse the drumming mistakes...

Enjoy and thanks for listening!

Chris

http://www.thewenzels.com/the_wenzels_san_jose.mp3
- Rated: 52 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 4:37 p.m. Bear:

You know the old "3 Stooges" bit, Niagara Falls? Well certain songs do that to me and "Do You Know The Way To San Jose" is one of them along with "Wind Beneath My Wings", "Achey, Breaky Heart", "Feelings" and "You Light Up My Life".

I tried to listen to your version but all I heard was... Niagara Falls... Slowly I turned... Step by step, inch by inch...
- Rated: 45 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 4:59 p.m. Richard Hudson:

Hey, that's some good production Chris. Mighty good man. Big guitar sounds. I like it. Cool ending.
- Rated: 115 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 5:40 p.m. wenzel:

Bear, I don't understand anything you're talking about, other than you thought it was crapola... Thanks for your time, even though you thought it sucked, that's ok.

Richard, thanks for checking it out. I was just messing around and trying to have some fun with it! My mom used to listen to this song when I was a kid growing up in Souther California, so it has a weird personal connection for me.
- Rated: 43 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 6:07 p.m. Ric12string:

The Three Stooges' Niagara Falls Routine
- Rated: 43 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 6:09 p.m. Ric12string:

Wenzel, I think that Bear was not commenting on your recording. I think that he was merely saying that he gets a reflexive response to Do You Know The Way To San Jose, along with the others, that makes it unlistenable to him. I don't think that he listened long enough to be able to comment on your recording.
- Rated: 115 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 6:23 p.m. wenzel:

It's all good, thanks for explaining it and the link too!!!
- Rated: 43 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 6:35 p.m. Ric12string:

That routine is a classic. I am not sure who it was that first did it, but so many comedians through the years performed it.
- Rated: 52 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 6:57 p.m. Bear:

Wenzel, I think that Bear was not commenting on your recording. I think that he was merely saying that he gets a reflexive response to Do You Know The Way To San Jose, along with the others, that makes it unlistenable to him. I don't think that he listened long enough to be able to comment on your recording.

Wenzel,

Ric12string is exactly right in his quote. I meant you no disrespect in any way and if you got that from my posting I sincerely apologize. I always like your music and listen to everything you post. You have a unique perspective to your music that is "your sound".

Ric12, thank you for your defense and intuitiveness on the subject.

What I was trying to say in a humorous way (and I failed completely there) is we all have certain songs that we just can't stand and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" is one of them for me.

I would never insult a man's music in a text format for all the world to read. If I like it, I may write something complimentary, but if I don't, I remain silent.

Please accept my apology.

Bear
- Rated: 24 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 7:01 p.m. Calacas:

Wenzel!! I love it!! No really man I absolutely dig the heck out of it. That tune or anything by B. Bacharach I absolutely love! It reminds me of Fastball's version of "This Guy's in Love.

I have one suggestion...change the key so that your voice pushes a little more on the verses and tighten it up. Dude...I wanna cover your version of this tune as a surf instrumental for my band.

Great job!
- Rated: 115 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 7:13 p.m. wenzel:

Bear, I got it bro! No hard feelings here...

Calacas, I'll try it in a different key to see how it sounds. Thanks for the kind words!!!
- Rated: 52 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 7:18 p.m. Bear:

Thanks Wenz, I really feel badly about this. I'll stick with music in the future, humor is obviously not one of my strong suits.
- Rated: 115 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 7:21 p.m. wenzel:

No, I was actually shocked that you were being so mean/rude, but now I think I misread what you said and over-reacted. I apologize for making it seem like you were being a jerk, it's my fault, so let's just move on. I know you better than to take you that way. I've been stuck in the books all day and was not all there. Sorry.
- Rated: 52 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 7:29 p.m. Bear:

Cool!
- Rated: 35 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 8:58 p.m. crowbone:

Bear:

Thanks Wenz, I really feel badly about this. I'll stick with music in the future, humor is obviously not one of my strong suits.

Oh, I don't know Bear. I laughed at that pic of you with the pink guitar.

Or were you being serious?
- Rated: 52 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 9:03 p.m. Bear:

How can a big old tattooed ex-biker playing a pink guitar not be taken seriously???
- Rated: 35 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 9:04 p.m. crowbone:

Hosting "Masterpiece Theater"?
- Rated: 52 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 9:07 p.m. Bear:
- Rated: 28 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 10:13 p.m. greg:

When does the punk part start?You sound like Lou Reed doing a lounge voice!
- Rated: 28 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 10:47 p.m. cyclopssam:

i've been trying to remember witch cali punk band who did that cover....................damn it! i want to say stev-o era vandals,but you know 80's are all a blur-
- Rated: 115 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 11:15 p.m. wenzel:

Greg, you know what, I've never listenened to Lou Reed in my entire life and you're not the first person to say I sound like him. Who is this Lou Reed you speak of??? Seriously though, I've never listened to his stuff, except what's been on the radio a time or two.
- Rated: 40 ↑
Aug 31, 2008 5:44 a.m. Pseudo Man:

That was killer wenz. I love the way you just sang it like a real song, while still making the arrangement solid rocking. I get so sick of that awful fat mike of nofx/gimme gimmes punk whinge people feel is required to cover a song.
- Rated: 34 ↑
Aug 31, 2008 9:52 a.m. Bernw:

Wenzel - excellent. You just have a great way of doing things.

Yes - I would agree there is a slight similarity between your voice and Lou Reed's - but I can honestly say your singing and your voice tone is a fair bit better than his!
- Rated: 14 ↑
Sep 1, 2008 11:06 a.m. MarkW:

Another great Wenzel production and it was punk'd.

Lou Reed...Hmmm...Yeh I could hear you giving it the Wenzel touch!

Lou Reed
- Rated: 18 ↑
Sep 1, 2008 12:13 p.m. TwangOmatic:

It always liked wenzels singing and i never thought of lou reed but there is a bit of similarity. I hear i bit of dexter romweber a touch of lou reed and a tiny bit of ian curtis here and there but mostly just alot of wenzel.