I’ve got a challenge for any professional musician who wants to take it.  No, there’s no monetary incentive by me for this challenge, or it wouldn’t be a fair challenge.  Before I get to the challenge though, I want to talk for a moment about the use of autotune and editing.

I’m not going to dispute that autotune is a great invention.  Yes it can help people who can’t carry a tune record something that can be almost considered music.  Yes it can be used very well for splicing together pieces of tracks to correct slight pitch problems.  It can even be used for some interesting effects.  HOWEVER, these days, it’s used way too much.  All these pop singers nowadays assume you’re going to run them through the box and fix their voices.  The end result, is a lot of these “divas” now sound alike.  Also, it’s masking the real voices of some of these singers, so there’s no soul to their sound.   Even country singers are using these boxes.  There are a handful that still refuse to use it, which I’m glad of.

I remember a time when musicians sat in a booth and recorded everything in a few takes, with no editing, no voice or sound corrections, just pure real music.

So, here is my challenge.  I dare….no, I TRIPLE DOG DARE, any musician who thinks they’re so good, to cut a new album, following some criteria:

  1. Everything must be done in one take.  No do-overs, no mulligans.  What is recorded the first time is what goes into the album. If someone messes up, it goes into the album.
  2. Everyone does their parts on their microphones together in one room, all at the same time.
  3. No editing.  No splicing together of parts, samples, etc.
  4. IN FACT, NO SAMPLING!  Everything must be recorded live.  Nothing can be pre-recorded, period.  ALL music must be done with live instruments.  And I mean, REAL instruments.  Guitars, strings, woodwinds, brass, drums, pianos.  No drumkits, no synthesizers, nothing electronic.  Electric guitars are ok, as long as they’re plugged into straight amps, nothing that synthesizes.
  5. No special effects, no voice changers, no autotune.  Nothing is to be corrected.
  6. The album must be recorded from start to finish in one hour.  12 songs at 4 – 5 minutes per equals 48 – 60 minutes.  you can do it.  one hour.  Cut the recording up for the individual songs after everything’s finished.
  7. EDIT:  you can cut any song you want, even if it’s a cover of your favorite song that you already did, or someone else’s even.  I dont’ care. as long as it’s music

So, is anyone up to the challenge?

I will make you this promise too.  If you cut such an album, I will BUY a copy and listen to it.  I will put it in my ipod permanently.  Even if I don’t like your style of music, I will listen to it.