Hi gang

Here's a song I produced that my young'un wrote and played guitars and sang on. I'm always wondering how much my proximity to the stuff I do colours my judgement.

http://soundcloud.com/talltwat

I think it's a great song,what do you think?

Stratt

p.s. We refuse to use pitch correction ever!

Edited by Stratt (16/03/12 03:27 PM)

It's not my normal cuppa tea but I liked it a lot. Some great and clever BVs going on there ... well, not so much 'BVs' but actual choral arrangements.

Well done.

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Website / Music Lab Machines / Blog

I think it's a great song too - and she doesn't need pitch correction!

Reminds me of Renaissance.

Be nice to hear an instrumental break or two in there, but the vocal parts are sublime.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

It's a cute little ditty! Like it, well done

Wow, thanks guys. It's good to know my judgement is not too addled by the 9 to 5 stresses.

I shall have to work on my instrumental breaks. I might have to learn to play an instrument. Damn!

Stratt

I can't make out the words, and I can hear fingers sliding on guitar strings
I think your song might well be good, but I would need a little less up front backing and a little more up front vocals
But then ... what do I know
P.S. it's a lot better than I am producing though

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Sam

I agree with Elf, it does need an instrumental break, and maybe be a bit shorter. And it also reminds me of 70' folk rock, the arrangements and chord changes are really really nice - sonething you dont hear in a lot of todays music - and it sounds natural as well, no sense of forced cleverness.

If you listen to a band like Renaisance, or any prog/folk band you can hear how they have a lot of different instrumental colours that can provide a nice contrast when giving the voice a rest. Some tastefull 'chamber' embelishments would really lift this track, or even a little bit of keyboard / synth. I think the backing vocals over stay thier welcome occasionally, one of the tracks has a lot of vibrato that grates after a while.

Anyhow this is all about making the track more compact and captivating. This would be icing on an already fantastic cake.

Thanks for sharing this.

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Nice review Chaconne. I'll take on board what you've said.

Thanks

Stratt

Nice song and great singing. And its good to have an effective but relatively simple backing.
The openning is pretty much The Sundays without being as off the wall and quirky and original. Obviously the BVs take it in a different direction. For me the lack of dynamic range compared with music from that period shows and makes it more fatiguing to listen to. I'm not saying that the openning is terrible for today's market, but it is flat and plummy rather than open and dynamic. And then by the end of the track there is nowhere left for it to go for the climax. I would also like more difference between the tone of the main and backing vocals.

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Daniel Davis
Edinburgh Recording Studio Windmill Sound

I'm along way from being an expert - just an interested listener, but I would tend to agree that an instrumental break or two would make a great difference. I also agree that the dynamic range would benefit from being wider, and that the lead vocal should be a bit more in front of the rest.

Having said that it's a very clean mix and a nice stereo spread (without being extreme) and far better than anything I could produce.

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It wasn't me!
(Well, actually, it probably was)

Good song. The BVs make me think a lot of Joni Mitchell and the lead vocal is well performed and nicely captured.

If it was up to me I would get the synth line at the beginning played on another (acoustic) instrument. For me The synth sound puts the song in a different era to the vocals.

Nice work.

Alec

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'These are my principles and if you don't like them...well, I have others' (Groucho Marx) www.ownlittleworld.net/tunes.html

Quote Pangloss:

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If it was up to me I would get the synth line at the beginning played on another (acoustic) instrument.

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You're right. We've got a really nice Martin 12 string that would work really well.

Thanks

Stratt

For me the song gets up to speed pretty quickly and says at the same level. In the words of Len Goodman, I would like to see some rise and fall. To add some tension / create interest with the song building to towards the end.

But I enjoyed it, just think the arrangement needs some work, and perhaps consider that sometimes less is more.

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Madman_Greg

Quote Stratt:

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Quote Pangloss:

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If it was up to me I would get the synth line at the beginning played on another (acoustic) instrument.

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You're right. We've got a really nice Martin 12 string that would work really well.

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But don't lose the synths. I'd love to hear some retro-Moog licks in there.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Sounds great to me. It could do with a break / tempo swing though.

Reminds me of Julianne Regan (All About Eve). That's good, BTW...

Hi, its fine but really , it's too fast and sounds rushed to my ears. I think you could knock 5 bpm off it and it would flow better. Otherwise , just ensure that the arrangement takes you on a journey and doesn't lull..a good voice and melody can only take you so far! Dave

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My head hurts!

Liked it.

I agree with most of the comments already made. The BV's are nice but are overused imo, and I'd like to set a bit more ambition in the arrangement. It's a bit "one level". Give some light and shade in the dynamics and pallette, some stops and starts, then kick back in - take me somewhere. She's got it in her in the vocals.

But very nice job, there's lots of good stuff in there, and I really like her voice.

hi
overall production is good but IMHO ,i have 2 points to say
-the songwriting may need a little redo,the verse melody is as high the same as chorus so there's no difference between verse-chorus,if the verse opens with chestvoice,the chorus will be memorable.
-hook, if you wanna compete in the genre of sixpence none the rich,you need more memorable hook.
Hope this is not offending,you got almost all of good elements for a great song.
K

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My facebook
My soundcloud

I am usually ruthless in my reviewing, and I can only make musical comments as opposed ot engineering/mixing, just the way I am, and I'll apply usual dose of candour here too - it is brill!

Sounds like laura Marling, and nothing wrong with that, in fact sometimes I think LM's voice can sound a bit whiny/nasal, whereas the lead vocals on this song have a softer texture.

Another poster says lose 5bpm, I say add 10bpm and you'd have something that really steams along! so there you go, it's subjective of course.

I would have made the intro 2 times round instead of 4, and yes include an instrumental break, only needs a little motif of about 8/12/16 bars, possibly leading to a modulation for a bit then dropping back to a rumbustious chorussy lead out.

Well done, you're through to the next round!

I like the song although I have to agree with some of the other comments above re. bpm (I would have also preferred it a tad slower) and a bit more song dynamics but this is more of a personal preference than anything I think.

Only gripe with me is the sound, the final mix sounds way too over compressed to my ears which make it sound unnatural especially on the louder vocal passages.

Stratt, I have gone completely off this tune - and that is due to your offensive soundcloudID, could you tell me why you have such a potty mouth, what does it prove? are you 'hard' and adding to your street cred. It's naff

Quote OneWorld:

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Stratt, I have gone completely off this tune - and that is due to your offensive soundcloudID, could you tell me why you have such a potty mouth, what does it prove? are you 'hard' and adding to your street cred. It's naff

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Blimey, that's quite a weird post.

I'd assumed that your having taken offense at my Soundcloud ID - tallt$#t (I've censored myself there so your head doesn't explode with rage!), and your use of the term potty mouth indicated that you must be American. However, your BT email address would seem to indicate that you are at least British based, so I'm surprised it caused offense to the extent that you would post about it.

Anyway, my Soundcloud ID is not about street cred or an attempt to make me appear hard. When I set up my ID a few years ago I used what I thought (hoped) to be a slightly amusing nickname because;

1. I am a bit tall (just over 6 feet so just over average)

2. I do consider myself a bit of a twat sometimes (not literally, I use the British colloquialism meaining a foolish or despicable person. See foolish Soundcloud ID!)

As a 47 year old IT Manager I am incapable of having street cred, even with an awesome Soundcloud ID. In fact just the idea that it made you think it might bestow some street cred upon me has filled me with hubris. Who wants some!!? On second thoughts I can't fight so perhaps not.

Changing your opinion of a song due to having taken offense at something as inconsequential as a naff ID (and I completely agree it is naff) is asinine, but I apologise for having offended your delicate sensibilities and I will delete it forthwith.

I will still choose to accept your initial response though, as it was thoughful and measured and I will take on board what you said, especially regarding the instrumental break requirement.

Stratt

Quote Stratt:

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Hi gang

Here's a song I produced that my young'un wrote and played guitars and sang on. I'm always wondering how much my proximity to the stuff I do colours my judgement.

http://soundcloud.com/strattosphere

I think it's a great song,what do you think?

Stratt

p.s. We refuse to use pitch correction ever!

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In case anyone wants to hear this song I've changed the Soundcloud ID due to the offense caused by my original shocking ID.

Stratt

p.s. More Corinne Lucy stuff here - www.soundcloud.com/corinne-lucy


Edited by Stratt (17/03/12 03:32 PM)

Quote The Elf:

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Quote Stratt:

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Quote Pangloss:

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If it was up to me I would get the synth line at the beginning played on another (acoustic) instrument.

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You're right. We've got a really nice Martin 12 string that would work really well.

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But don't lose the synths. I'd love to hear some retro-Moog licks in there.

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Ha ha. Now that's why I love music. There are quite a few different ways to skin any cat.

Please bear in mind I only make criticism under duress, usually if I feel that I need to be more constructive.

Alec (5' 11 15/16" but still a @#$%)

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'These are my principles and if you don't like them...well, I have others' (Groucho Marx) www.ownlittleworld.net/tunes.html

Edited by Pangloss (17/03/12 10:38 PM)