Ah, what the hell...

[magicchord]

I've been working on my solo album for the last 3 years, mostly by myself because I'm a cheap, lazy bastard.
But I got some help from my former CaPE-mates tarmadilo (12-string, bass) and drummertom (drums) on this one.

I'm mainly looking for mix opinions here.

And would anyone like to better my suck-ass guitar riff while they're at it??? Here y' go:

Home With You (http://www.magicchord.com/Audionica/PB_home2_061029aM.mp3)

[Mixerpuppet]

Cool... a happy mix, maybe pull the vox back a tad with just a little more verb/delay. Also had some/more delay to the little guitar licks in the right channel. Oh... and the BGV's need to be a little louder to help blend the main vox.... nothing like micromanaging a mix.

I like the guitar fills BTW....


[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are baseless and do not constitute talent of any kind on the part of the opinionater]

Good Work magicchord...

[Scratchy Potts]

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are baseless and do not constitute talent of any kind on the part of the opinionater]
Wot the mix puppet said!!
also like that tinge of Warron Zevon to....:Coolio:

[Fulcrum]

I'm with MP, I like the guitar poking its head up every so often in comment on the lead vocal. And the song itself is cool, too, and I like the sentiment it expresses.

The lead vocal seems just a little, um, studied, though-- maybe in the effort to get the notes right (which they are) the phrasing fell by the wayside. Now that you and the singer (is it you MC?) have been living with this take for a while, I wonder if maybe he/you couldn't inhabit it a little better with another take-- maybe even lubricated with a shot of sumfin sumfin.

And having been working on my own record for a while now, I know exactly where you're coming from about the time and effort.....

[magicchord]

So far, I agree with everything that's been said, so keep it comin'.

[volthause]

I don't really have anything else to offer in the way of a critique, since MP and Fulcrum covered the bases thus far. I thought it was a cool song though.

As a funny aside, your tune about driving a bus and driving home to the one you love was followed in my Itunes player by 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.

What are the odds on that? Both have buses and love in them. Although one is going toward the love and the other away. :lol:

Thought I'd share that.

Uh. anyhow. Great song!

[magicchord]

Hop on the bus, Gus!

I'm hoping to have time this weekend to work on this thing some more, so stay tuned for updates.

[bunnerabb]

I'd peel a bit of 1k back off the vocal, pull it back in the mix a bit, copy and pan the BGV with a little verb, widen up that acoustic (mando?) break at 2:00 up a little wider and phatter, put some 315on the vocal, put more of a swing feel on it. Longer fade out.

my 2¢

[Aardvark]

Two main concerns.


One.

You are too close to this to correctly mix the existing parts. This is a normal situation...you know...you don't have total confidence in something you sang or played so you duck it in the mix...somebody else hands you the exact same track and you feature it in the mix!!!


Two.


This one is trickier. The arrangement is a 'tweener' as far as production goes. There is the strong feel of a fence post beneath your tush when it comes to deciding if this should be a 'period nod' or a contemporary approach.


Grab your Best of Nick Lowe record/disc and listen to "Cruel To Be Kind" as well as a few choice others....the light will catch your eye like it was bouncing off a mileage fence post as you race across the Kansas plains on way to the next show!



Cheers,
Aardvark

[Carlo]

. Now that you and the singer (is it you MC?) have been living with this take for a while, I wonder if maybe he/you couldn't inhabit it a little better with another take-- maybe even lubricated with a shot of sumfin sumfin.

effort.....

when the goin' gets tough...

[Carlo]

Grab your Best of Nick Lowe record/disc and listen to "Cruel To Be Kind" as well as a few choice others....the light will catch your eye like it was bouncing off a mileage fence post as you race across the Kansas plains on way to the next show!



Cheers,
Aardvark

the tough get goin'!

[magicchord]

Aardy, you are so right about all of this.

And Nick Lowe is... a god to me; and Dave Edmunds too.

Lessee what I can do with this.

[magicchord]

Well, I took another stab at it... (http://www.magicchord.com/Audionica/PB_home2_061119aM.mp3)

[Aardvark]

Okay...the mix part is smoother...not quite there but a clear step up...good on ya!


Production wise we need some single and double time tambo, loads of subtle shakers and a feature of the wood block when the 'band' drops out.

Key vocals require some bgv punch-ups and don't be afraid to Dave Edmunds up the fx on the el guitar lines...you know you want to so do it! (Dave Alvin's tone comes to mind as well)

Suggestion...get some buds over and knock out some bgv's live. Swap mic spots (if you are in stereo) and double them...don't cut and paste the same one...do a good one each time throughx2...trust me on this.


Last thing is the pub rock cheese cutter organ that the track is begging for...chorus for sure. Keep it simple like early Elvis Costello, Graham Parker etc...I'll be here waiting.



Cheers,
Aardvark:Thumbsup:

[magicchord]

No cowbell?!

[drummertom]

Hey I remember this song! I wish I could find the cowbell part I did for it!

Nice work, Magic. The mix is coming together nicely. When do we do the next song?

[magicchord]

Oh, yeah, you played on this, di'ntcha? :D
I knew it couldn'ta been the Drum Fairy.

We did this right after CaPE 2, and I'm still not done with it, heh heh...

[magicchord]

Okay try this. I decided against more percussion. Also, I didn't try to "master" this one, so there's no 2-bus smashing. Turn it up. (http://www.magicchord.com/Audionica/PB_home2_061126taN.mp3)

[Aardvark]

El Gtr back 2db or so...BGV's are now better placed...more energy to this mix...remember not to let a solo instrument make the lead vocal look small.



Cheers,
Aardvark

[Tim Armstrong]

Wow, I almost forgot this. Damn, is my bass part too bouncy?

I like what you've done with it!

Cheers, Tim

[Mixerpuppet]

I did a casual listen...


and I like it...


Sometimes its nice to sit back and enjoy without a critical ear :)

[magicchord]

Yeah, Thanks all, I think I'm gonna put this one aside for now and come back to it later.