Honest opinion...

[Spursfan092120]

A buddy of mine and myself put together a band a while back called Texas Revolver and recorded 6 tracks...not too bad, if you like country/rock music. This was about 2 years ago or so. Well, we decided to release an EP, and I decided the cd cover..just wanted to get some opinions...it's not going into stores or anything..not going to be a major deal..just putting it into some slimlines and maybe even giving them away...

http://i54.tinypic.com/b6q6p1.jpg

[jack sommerset]

Too plain. Put the same gun in Lady Gagas mouth and you'll have a winner,

[Frenzy]

Opinions on the cover or the music?...I assume the cover cause I see no link to music. Unless it was a typo.
Honest...nothing special. Nothing wierd either. Pretty plain...its a gun.

[Spursfan092120]

Yeah..opinions on the cover...I don't want it too flashy...I want it plain..the music is mainly just scratch tracks.

[ALWAYS bet on BLACK]

Get rid of the white lettering that says texas revolver.
leave everything else the same.

[Spursfan092120]

Get rid of the white lettering that says texas revolver.
leave everything else the same.
Thanks..I appreciate the opinion...want to keep the lettering on there though, because it's the band name...

[Chachachango]

I actually like the white lettering on the gun. The background is to plain, maybe you can add a Texas flag or some kind of simple layout.

[Spursfan092120]

I actually like the white lettering on the gun. The background is to plain, maybe you can add a Texas flag or some kind of simple layout.
hmm..not too bad of an idea...maybe an outline of Texas with a Texas flag inside...

[ALWAYS bet on BLACK]

spelling out the name of the band is so fucking obvious.
you might as well just nix the gin and old english and just have a big fucking font that blasts the band name on a flashy background.

leave it cryptic.
the TR hidden on the handle of the gun is plenty enough to garner interest and having it plain and simple will show the band is more about their music and not shamelessly displaying and promoting their name and image.

[Spursfan092120]

spelling out the name of the band is so fucking obvious.
you might as well just nix the gin and old english and just have a big fucking font that blasts the band name on a flashy background.

leave it cryptic.
the TR hidden on the handle of the gun is plenty enough to garner interest and having it plain and simple will show the band is more about their music and not shamelessly displaying and promoting their name and image.
Hmm..that's pretty honest, too...I'll talk to my buddy about that..he really liked the text on the gun...

[DesignatedT]

plain could be good. I like it.

[Cleveland Steamer]

looks good bro. keep it simple and clean. now lets hear some of your music.

[marini martini]

I like it, but some Day of the Dead background would spiff it up IMO.

[Spursfan092120]

looks good bro. keep it simple and clean. now lets hear some of your music.
lol..normally I would, but in this forum, I've learned, anything personal...especially if it's country themed music(though some of it is rock infused), will be bashed beyond comparison..lol.

[redzero]

Turn the revolver 270 degrees, remove the text on the gun, make the font bigger and vertical.

[IronMexican]

It's missing some blingee.

[Spursfan092120]

It's missing some blingee.
lol..nah...I want it pretty plain..but nice looking.

[DesignatedT]

So its like Texas Country type of music? Who do you compare it to most? like ccr or something? Do you guys play any gigs around town?

I see it says Love and a .45 like Chris Knight

[Spursfan092120]

So its like Texas Country type of music? Who do you compare it to most? like ccr or something? Do you guys play any gigs around town?

I see it says Love and a .45 like Chris Knight
Yeah..some if it's Texas country...I really don't put a staple to it, to be honest, because when we write, we just write what we're feeling...it's a little of everything. Haven't played any gigs...our schedules are COMPLETELY different..really f-ed up...we might try soon though...I'm thinking about posting a track on here..just have to figure out how...anybody know?

[benefactor]

Yeah..some if it's Texas country...I really don't put a staple to it, to be honest, because when we write, we just write what we're feeling...it's a little of everything. Haven't played any gigs...our schedules are COMPLETELY different..really f-ed up...we might try soon though...I'm thinking about posting a track on here..just have to figure out how...anybody know?
If you want to go simple just upload a song to youtube with the album cover as the video.

[Spursfan092120]

If you want to go simple just upload a song to youtube with the album cover as the video.
good idea..I'll give that a shot..thanks.

[Spursfan092120]

If you guys want to listen to one of the tracks...here it is..keep in mind, it's only a scratch track. Not professionally done or anything..just two guys, a guitar, and a mic. No cuts..just one straight through shot.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/-4snwZiW/Never_Know.html

[Stringer_Bell]

Try enlarging the title's font in the spot its in, I'd say double it. Lower the revolver image until the bottom handle is nearly flush with the bottom of the cover. See how that looks.

Taking the white text off the gun makes the "TR" on the handle look cooler, but if it's what you want then it's not too bad just kinda blah or bland :P

[DesignatedT]

If you guys want to listen to one of the tracks...here it is..keep in mind, it's only a scratch track. Not professionally done or anything..just two guys, a guitar, and a mic. No cuts..just one straight through shot.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/-4snwZiW/Never_Know.html

Nice. Gotta little Pearl Jam/Incubus feel to it.

[admiralsnackbar]

I gotta say it's weird looking at a cover with what looks like a .44 revolver on it called Love and a .45, but maybe the joke is going over my head... the design looks good, otherwise.

In the end it's all about the tunes anyway, so eff it -- hope you get some positive feedback on 'em.

[ALVAREZ6]

Unoriginal, the name of the band and the cover, but that's my honest opinion. There's already one or two more famous bands named "_______ Revolver" and while I do like simple album covers, this one like I said is just not that creative.

[Sense]

It's a gun with Texas Revolver on it... ugh, nope.. even if plain it doesn't even look like you tried.

[JudynTX]

A buddy of mine and myself put together a band a while back called Texas Revolver and recorded 6 tracks...not too bad, if you like country/rock music. This was about 2 years ago or so. Well, we decided to release an EP, and I decided the cd cover..just wanted to get some opinions...it's not going into stores or anything..not going to be a major deal..just putting it into some slimlines and maybe even giving them away...

http://i54.tinypic.com/b6q6p1.jpg

Country rock music? Never heard of it.

[Opinionater]

IMHO, the white lettering does seem a little off and doesn't quite fit the rest of the cover. Perhaps making a bit smaller and changing the font? Otherwise I think it is a fine cover.

[marini martini]

I gotta say it's weird looking at a cover with what looks like a .44 revolver on it called Love and a .45, but maybe the joke is going over my head... the design looks good, otherwise.

In the end it's all about the tunes anyway, so eff it -- hope you get some positive feedback on 'em.


Oh snap!
:toast

[Bender]

.45 Long Colt was a common revolver caliber. but yeah, when someone says "a .45" most people think of...

http://gunsofold.com/images/M1911_colt45_blank_th.jpg

as for the cover, I like it fine. OP said he wanted something simple. I'm not crazy about the white lettering on the barrel though. The group name in black somewhere down below the barrel might be better...

[silverblk mystix]

I can give an opinion, since you asked, but only on the music.

The good;

Interesting guitar picking, vocal a little uneven but the voice has a good tone to it so with some stronger melodies it could be an asset.

The not so good;

Songwriting is unfocused and the lyrics are weak. If you would like to be better it just takes a lot of work. Songwriting is just hard work. Whenever you write a decent line or two and then just throw in whatever comes to your mind-just to complete a verse,for example..then it is lazy songwriting.

Writing every line word for word and then re-writing it and re-writing it over and over is work--but in the end you WILL become better.

Song structure is something you can decide once you come up with a melody or a couple of lines.

Do you want to capture someone's ear? Of course...so the structure has to be disciplined...

To simplify;

Let's say the verse = A

pre - chorus = B

Chorus = C


Bridge = D

etc....


So once you get a melody---a STRONG MELODY...

See where it goes...

that is what they mean when they say...AAB.....OR ..... ABAB....ABC....etc

that is the song structure

A-B-C (verse-prechorus-chorus)

then practice it over and over and pretty soon you will begin to be conscious of the proper structure and then your EAR will catch up and you will begin creating complete and interesting songs....

only then


would I worry about artwork and album/cd covers...


I can expand more if you like ----

or you can tell me to fuck off---no problem.

[PM5K]

That totally sucks about as bad as it can suck.

First of all it looks like the entire handle and entire tip aren't even in the image. You also have a shitty boring white font with no drop shadows or anything, and it doesn't appear to be in a good spot in relation to the barrel. Love and a 45 is fucking impossible to read. The font is too small and again no effects applied to it either.

[Bender]

PM5K never pulls any punches... :lol

[mrsmaalox]

I agree that the title is near impossible to read. I get the hard revolver representation, but I'm a girl and would like to see the love represented too. Like carve a heart in the handle somewhere or lay it on a bed of roses or something. It's too cold and steely.

[admiralsnackbar]

I can give an opinion, since you asked, but only on the music.

The good;

Interesting guitar picking, vocal a little uneven but the voice has a good tone to it so with some stronger melodies it could be an asset.

The not so good;

Songwriting is unfocused and the lyrics are weak. If you would like to be better it just takes a lot of work. Songwriting is just hard work. Whenever you write a decent line or two and then just throw in whatever comes to your mind-just to complete a verse,for example..then it is lazy songwriting.

Writing every line word for word and then re-writing it and re-writing it over and over is work--but in the end you WILL become better.

Song structure is something you can decide once you come up with a melody or a couple of lines.

Do you want to capture someone's ear? Of course...so the structure has to be disciplined...

To simplify;

Let's say the verse = A

pre - chorus = B

Chorus = C


Bridge = D

etc....


So once you get a melody---a STRONG MELODY...

See where it goes...

that is what they mean when they say...AAB.....OR ..... ABAB....ABC....etc

that is the song structure

A-B-C (verse-prechorus-chorus)

then practice it over and over and pretty soon you will begin to be conscious of the proper structure and then your EAR will catch up and you will begin creating complete and interesting songs....

only then


would I worry about artwork and album/cd covers...


I can expand more if you like ----

or you can tell me to fuck off---no problem.

I haven't heard the OP's tunes, but that's good advice to anyone who's into songwriting.

And holy shit are you right about how hard songwriting is. My band broke up in '05 and I hadn't really felt compelled to do any writing since because my job kept me moving. Anyway, I found a box of unfinished acoustic demos on Minidisc ('member those? :lol) earlier this summer and they sounded good enough to motivate me to try and finally write them lyrics.

Short story long, I'd forgotten what a bitch it is to develop a good concept, then stay with it (and stay, and stay, and fucking stay) until you have something halfway satisfying. So far I have a whopping 2 songs to show for 3 months of work ...and they're pretty mediocre, truth be told.

So to accompany your correct assertion that writing gets easier and better the more you do it, I'd add a little object lesson: don't let your writing chops atrophy unless you're prepared to start over from the beginning and hate your life.

[MannyIsGod]

Honestly just start from scratch (not that you'd be throwing away much - you typed a title and you put up a picture of a gun)

Its so non symmetrical and empty that all I see is white space. The title is so small and out of the way its like its thrown in as an after thought and it would be better not to even include it but then you'd have a picture of a gun. You need to do a better job of utilizing the space on the cover and give it some type of symmetry or actually use most of the space because right now its just a non centered gun and some shit I can barely read (terrible font as well - and using more than one font like that is bad, IMO).

[silverblk mystix]

I haven't heard the OP's tunes, but that's good advice to anyone who's into songwriting.

And holy shit are you right about how hard songwriting is. My band broke up in '05 and I hadn't really felt compelled to do any writing since because my job kept me moving. Anyway, I found a box of unfinished acoustic demos on Minidisc ('member those? :lol) earlier this summer and they sounded good enough to motivate me to try and finally write them lyrics.

Short story long, I'd forgotten what a bitch it is to develop a good concept, then stay with it (and stay, and stay, and fucking stay) until you have something halfway satisfying. So far I have a whopping 2 songs to show for 3 months of work ...and they're pretty mediocre, truth be told.

So to accompany your correct assertion that writing gets easier and better the more you do it, I'd add a little object lesson: don't let your writing chops atrophy unless you're prepared to start over from the beginning and hate your life.

Great info :toast

I'll add one more thing to your last comment.

In my experience keeping up your writing chops will help you become and maintain your level of songwriting , so to speak, but the real challenge lies when you DO maintain that level and get really good-but success still eludes you.
This is when you hopefully are in love with songwriting and music in general, because it will be easy to get discouraged- if you have convinced yourself that success will come $$ someday.

To be in love with the work,the art, the process of songwriting and music will be its' own reward and it can get you through some dark times. It is a lonely road when you feel that you are as good or better at songwriting/musicianship than the people you see who are praised for their work-and you are still unknown and working a regular job.

So, to sum it up;

Be in love with the art and learn to ONLY worry about the art-and leave destiny,rewards,success, dreaming to take care of itself.It will keep you sane if riches are not your destiny.

Finally, those days when something is working its way through you and it is like having childbirth, painful but wondrous-and it finally comes out from somewhere and you see and hear the finished product-it is like a gift from the universe. Those days -those moments-those songs- are what I live for.Nothing with the possible exception of sex with the woman I love, has ever been any more fulfilling to me personally.

Those are the moments that make it all worthwhile.

Cheers :toast

[Spursfan092120]

Thanks for all your opinions on the artwork and the music...even PM5K's..lol...like I said..I wanted honest opinions.

[Spursfan092120]

I can give an opinion, since you asked, but only on the music.

The good;

Interesting guitar picking, vocal a little uneven but the voice has a good tone to it so with some stronger melodies it could be an asset.

The not so good;

Songwriting is unfocused and the lyrics are weak. If you would like to be better it just takes a lot of work. Songwriting is just hard work. Whenever you write a decent line or two and then just throw in whatever comes to your mind-just to complete a verse,for example..then it is lazy songwriting.

Writing every line word for word and then re-writing it and re-writing it over and over is work--but in the end you WILL become better.

Song structure is something you can decide once you come up with a melody or a couple of lines.

Do you want to capture someone's ear? Of course...so the structure has to be disciplined...

To simplify;

Let's say the verse = A

pre - chorus = B

Chorus = C


Bridge = D

etc....


So once you get a melody---a STRONG MELODY...

See where it goes...

that is what they mean when they say...AAB.....OR ..... ABAB....ABC....etc

that is the song structure

A-B-C (verse-prechorus-chorus)

then practice it over and over and pretty soon you will begin to be conscious of the proper structure and then your EAR will catch up and you will begin creating complete and interesting songs....

only then


would I worry about artwork and album/cd covers...


I can expand more if you like ----

or you can tell me to fuck off---no problem.
Very good insight..I really appreciate it. Yeah...my focused songwriting is better...kinda wrote this one a little drunk..lol. But I know exactly what you mean. I have a couple of songs from my album from 2007 that are played in South Carolina and Alabama...a couple of stations picked it up off Internet radio. That was before Texas Revolver. We kinda just put that project together because it was something fun for us. This is just a labor of love for music..that's why we're not charging for the EPs.

[silverblk mystix]

Very good insight..I really appreciate it. Yeah...my focused songwriting is better...kinda wrote this one a little drunk..lol. But I know exactly what you mean. I have a couple of songs from my album from 2007 that are played in South Carolina and Alabama...a couple of stations picked it up off Internet radio. That was before Texas Revolver. We kinda just put that project together because it was something fun for us. This is just a labor of love for music..that's why we're not charging for the EPs.


Completely understand, my band was on a pretty good roll, had great material, a top frontman, momentum, a decent following,etc

Our frontman and his girl had a baby and things were never the same...long story short-he quit and just joined a cover band to get some easy money...plus our drummer got sent to Afghanistan...pretty cruel luck-all at once...

I'm not blaming/hating on the frontman--cause everyone has got to put food on the table... but we had a decent shot had we kept it together...

oh well....