Plug yer ears. It’s another Alan cover song. And its pretty horrible.
This one has been in my mind a while. First, I really really like Cracker’s song Teen Angst, it’s a rocker and a half (and the video even has a dalmatian running around in it)
with that lyric
What the world needs now, what the world needs now
is another folk singer.
Like I need a hole in my head
I sometimes play it more like a slow blues song, but that’s not the topic here. And it’s just D - G - C - G - D all the way through
It crops up every time I read something about some being excited about another MOOC platform. What the world needs now…
It got in my head last night to see if I could re-write the lyrics, and I managed to play it okay with the acoustic (which you can hear in the background of the original, thats a good sign to me).
I tipped my hat a little to David Kernohan
@cogdog happy to record some of that if you want to collaborate 🙂
— David Kernohan (@dkernohan) August 30, 2015
And really it would be wonderful to do a joint recording with Sir David. And it sure would sound better. Maybe I should try that SoundTrap thing with him.
But I also am trying to expand my skills, likely as my own Learning Project. I wanted to see if I could combine an electric guitar track.
So consider this a demo tape, David. Let’s get to work on a MOOC Mocking album?
These are the pieces used today:
First I recorded the vocals and the acoustic guitar in one take in Audacity on my laptop; I use the Samson Meteor mic for input. I left room for the nitro and the bridge where the electric guitar lead come in.
Then I practiced some the intro lead riff on the electric. It was not rough enough, so I used the Bacon and Eggs effect pedal David sent me (I keep forgetting to turn it off and burning out the 9V battery, sigh) to get a more grrrrrr sound.
I was wondering how to record the electric guitar, not feeling confident I could match the timing. So here was my brilliant idea. I moved my mic to my second laptop with Audacity also on it, and used the first laptop to play the track back in my headphones, so I could try and line up the lead and the chord riffs. I only did about half the song, since I could just copy paste the opening lead riff into the bridge, and then I added some goofing free form solos to layer in the end of the song. I was able to copy paste the electric chords to fill out the middle track.
Okay enough blah blah blog. Here’s the song:
Okay the lead is a bit off, and some things do not line up. And I muffled a few words (that was a one take recording). But it was damn fun to do.
Here’s my Edu Angst lyrics since you probably cannot make out what I am grunting.
I don't know what education is But I'm sure as hell I gotta it a fix. And that's a wisdom, I've laughed at. I don't know what the learners want But a good stiff MOOC it surely don't So I think I'll go and build myself a new one. 'Cause, what education needs now Is a new kind of disruption. 'Cause the old way of learning bores me to death. 'Cause, what education needs now Is another MOOC platform, Like I need a hole in my head. I don't know what education needs IPO funding is a good start for me. Think I'll fly to San Jose, to get us money. I don't know what the learners want But selling them training could profit us. And they love that it comes from a place with ivy. 'Cause, what education needs now Are some true words of wisdom, Like MOOC MOOC MOOC MOOC MOOC MOOC MOOC. 'Cause, what education needs now Is another MOOC platform, Like I need a hole in my head. I don't know what education may need. Real learning's full of complexities That's just so hard to get with some metrics. I don't know what the learners want Investors want those news headlines, And some sound bites might raise their spirits. 'Cause, what education needs now Is a new Daphne Koller Or an Andrew Ng instead. 'Cause, what education needs now Is another MOOC platform Like I need a hole in my head. What education now needs now What education now needs now Is another MOOC platform Like I need a hole in my head. What education now needs now What education now needs now Is a new Daphne Koller Or an Andrew Ng instead. What education now needs now What education now needs now Is another MOOC platform Like I need a hole in my head. What education now needs now What education now needs now Is another MOOC platform Like I need a hole in my head.
BOOM! This is my Sunday fun day.
Top / Featured Image Credits: My own re-creation completely from scratch of Cracker’s album cover. I love how there is a tiny 200px square copy of the original cover in Wikipedia (the only graphic google showed me, way to go record company lawyers) with this ridiculous usage statement “Derived from a scan of the album cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the record company or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless.” That is maybe the most humorous rationale I’ve seen in Wikimedia. I claim the same. Like what the hell.
#/media/File:CrackerAlbum.jpg){kind=link}
You are an epic. I ain’t sure what kind. But it is epic, whatever it is.
Tell the Macarthur folks I am genius.
This is beautiful, I cried. What a productive Sunday afternoon Alan!
It ended too soon! And we’re loving the twin guitar attack, adds so much depth. Solid work.
Click track to keep time. Can even loop banging on the acoustic in audacity. Good work!
Awesome! The hits keep coming.