True, at the finale we all sort of did our own thing and nothing came together with any sense of tight completion... either that, or I screwed it up with too much pickin'

I haven't seen it yet, but I can safely say that my contribution to the ending more or less ensured that it'd disappoint.

It's actually difficult to coordinate something like that silently with several players around the world. Do we go for a big finish? A melodic finish? A gradual stripping-back of the song's components so that we end where we began? It's easy (comparatively) to play off of each other during a song, but without a sense of how to close it, we were more or less doomed to end on a wet fart.

Yeah, add to that the fact that I had a brief but passionate obsession with the sound of the banjo during my turn, and I didn't want to re-record once completed.

A lot of my own videos tend to be a bit rough around the edges here and there, because once I come up with something I like during a take, if I try to duplicate it later in order to tighten it up, it just doesn't sound spontaneous anymore -- it's too obvious to me that I'm aping a previous take.

You had a great keyboard break in the middle of the piece, Chicken!

Ha, thanks. It was all downhill from there.

If you guys would be up for another experiment, I'd happily give it another go.

Yes, and we can keep changing up the order -- it's a unique experience for each person depending on the placement of their turn. If at the end, as I was, the song's contours are already pretty well set, but you do have the luxury of producing the finished product (as well as making the album cover, which is very important!). If going near the beginning, you get to be completely surprised by how the other players used your initial part in the final mix. Good times.

I'll go first this time, then send it on to Wario (to shuffle the order a bit). Would everyone be cool with a percussion-less song? I mean, you COULD always add some later, but it's much harder once other tracks have been laid down. I was thinking of starting us off with some bass that would anchor the song and let you guys work around it...

...unless you have objections, in which case I'll have to embarrass myself by sending someone a track of just my awful drumming.

I say start with whatever you'd like -- starting with bass is often a very good idea when I'm playing alone.

Also, I just realized that everyone else uses Miis that, I assume, pretty well resemble their real selves, whilst I used Mongo the monkey.

Don't expect that to change

My family made one of me when I visited over Christmas that does indeed closely resemble my actual countenance, but it's so boringly close to the standard male Mii you start with in the editor, and besides, it doesn't have my horribly dated sideburns, so I'll stick with the alter-egos dubbed 'creepy' by Mr. Brutus.

Either that, or I'm lying to hide the horrible truth that I actually look like Mongo.

I'm cool with anything myself. No percussion works for me, though as indicated that and bass really need to get the ball rolling. Being drums I figured a break in the middle was warranted so the melody and harmony could do their thang (a helpful suggestion in one of the Jam Mastery lessons!); I thought that turned out pretty well.

@Sean

That was a nice decision, giving some space for Chicken's piano to eventually have its moment, especially crucial since the sound of that electric piano can't really come to the front of the mix over other louder instruments, so it needs a break. I thought your drumming on this one worked out very nicely across all the sections.

Yeah Sean, your drumming was pretty solid. Great job leaving space for others!

Regarding the new song: feel free to add drums, anyone, if you so wish. The drumless music appeals to me (in some small way) due to my love for the Yonder Mountain String Band, and Bela Fleck's Acoustic Planet Vol 2 album (among others) so I'd be curious to see how it turns out here, but, please, by all means, do what you will. I'll try to give you the best bassline I can...from there it's up to you folks.

PS--Warioswoods, if you haven't heard Yonder Mountain String Band do Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky," you ain't lived.

Ooh, being covertly a huge Roger Waters fan, I will have to check that out.

FIXED THAT FOR YOU

Also, I used to have a killer 10 minute or so version of YMSB doing Girlfriend is Better by Talking Heads. Need to find it again. One of the BEST covers I've ever heard, of anything.

@Chicken B
Gonna add your console code today. Mine's in sig. AnneMarie toldme you were getting The Conduit and WiiSpeak soon... Plus I'll be able to blue-light you for MarioKart matches. I've told NL peeps your skill at that game and they are all itching to race you!

Nice, I'll add you this weekend, Chatham. My plan is to get the Conduit and Wii Speak together, UNLESS Conduit gets awful, awful reviews. (Which I doubt.) I'm kind of tight on money this month, though, it may turn out to be July before I can get it.

Once I do, though, I look forward to headshotting all of you til you can't take no more. (Or being headshotted by you. Til I can't take no more. Which, if TF2 is any indication, is exactly what's going to happen.)

We're gonna make "The NintendoLife Conduit Clan", you'll never have to be headshotted again.... Yay! Hoping you get them sooner rather than later... Just try not to make me ROFL too hard in-game. Lol.

BTW: Leaked reviews are saying around an 8ish, mostly becuase it has "an epic story" and "nice weapon variety", but online felt like a "basic FPS". I basically look at The Conduit as HVS's "Unreal Tournament", it's a game to test what is possible with their new FPS (Quantum3) engine. The Grinder will only improve upon that.

Sent the track to you, Wario. Let me know if you didn't get it. My Wii froze up soon afterward so it may or may not have gone through.

Got it -- twice, actually, but that's alright, I'll let you spam me this once.

!! I only sent it once, I swear! But my Wii did freeze (went to black, actually...the green light was still on my console, but no matter what I did with the remote, nothing would come back on the screen).

Trust me, when I spam you, it's going to involve very good deals on Viagra.

Then that wouldn't be spam, but helpful info on a legal party-drug.