I emailed you yesterday, but don't know if you ever received it, since
your email has been wonky. My comments are the same on this mix as
they were on yesterday's, so I'll cut and paste here, in case you didn't
get the chance to read it.

A quick note, as I'm rushing around, but I LOVE the song. It's
gorgeous and I can hear a big improvement in sound. Beautiful
melody,nice transitions, GREAT lyrics, nice harmonies. This is the
whole package (I love the xylophone or marimba). The EQ on the
instruments sounds really clean.

The vocal has way, way too much reverb on it. You have a great voice
and it doesn't need it. There's so much reverb that it's hard to
understand the lyrics. I'd take it down by a third, at least. It may be
over-compressed, as well, but I can't tell through the reverb.

"When you crash the car," the way you sing that is gorgeous. I swear,
if you ever do an album (don't say never) I'd buy it in a second. I
love your voice.


[ Reply to This ]

Hey lisa - thanks for the feedback. I didn't check my e-mail in the evening,
and I get confused about the time difference ... I'll have to go and turn the old
steam driven Vaio on and have a look.

I'll take your word about the sound, 'cause if it is better, then i have you to
thank. The parametric is certianly easier to use. As for the reverb, I think
that's probably a bit of a crutch for me - we used to say that if something
didn't sound good, put s**t loads of reverb on it and stick it in the
background - I think that idea has filtered into my vocal mixing.

Glad you liked the lyrics - I've had this about 2 years, and the vocal line, and
it's taken me this long to figure out the chords! I like the lyric because it
reads like a kind of love song, but isn't about that at all.

I'm currently remixing Summertime - I promise to lay off the reverb!

Cheers

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

Steve, after the first two lines, I already knew this was going to be a
favorite. I love the melodies, and your choices of instruments. I totally
dig the marimba and the understated strings in the background. You
have a gift for lyrics, simple but never plain! An addition to my
shortlist of downloads this week.

Your voice is a pleasure to listen to. I read the other comments by
Lisa. I'm not significantly bothered by the reverb. I guess it's
noticeable, but for me does not get in the way of your vocal rendition.
Now if you say you're using it to hide your vocal imperfection, I will
question the need for it. Your voice sounds just great to me, with or
without reverb. I guess there are songs where reverb enhances the
performance. I guess in this song, you probably don't need it that
much.

[ Reply to This ]

Hey Leon, nice to hear from you.

The lyrics to this were written about 2 years ago, before GB and before i started writing music - in those days I just used to write lyrics for it's own sake. I spend less time on them now 'cause of the time spent writing and recording the music. I really like the second line, beacuse it's very accusative (if that's a word) and sets a tone for the song - I also like 'When you touch yourself', because it's very voyeristic, which when i think about it, is exactly what the theme of the song is.

I quite like some of the vocal on this, other bits i don't. I can sing I guess, but i don't have the sort of voice you have, which I think of as 'real' singing, so i appreciate the compliment.

I think they stuff in the break is marimba or glock (something from the orchestral Jam pack, any way) - originally, the song tailed out with this section. Having finished the song, it seemed a bit anti-climactic, hence the chorus was cut n paste, and some strings added to build the ending up.

[ Reply to This ]

I really like the way the simple, pretty melody makes it sound like a love song. And then on closer listen, the lyrics are dark and "spooky." Makes the piece rather subversive.

Nicely put together. My vote is for less reverb on the vocals. You sing very well. Singing is not only about the power in the voice or the range. It's also about intonation (the tone of the vowel sounds produced), the pitch, and very importantly, the phrasing. And in tone, pitch and phrasing, your singing is solid. That's not to say you don't have power or range - they just aren't being showcased in this particular song. There is an honest emotional expression in your performance. As creepy as it is. :)

Like this a lot. Cheers.

[ Reply to This ]

Hey Charlie - thanks for your comments, very thoughtful. I appreciate this, as I think your voice is very unique. I don't sing 'classically' well, and am coming to grips with this not being a bad thing.

Creepy is exactly what I was going for here, so thanks.

SteveC

[ Reply to This ]

fantstic lyrics, romantic...and sound impressive!


-------------

im not musician�

[ Reply to This ]

Hi Schello - ta, lyrics inspired by Phillip K Dick .... romantic in a paranoid way!

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

Man, your stuff is excellent. Very nice vocal style that pulls in the listener.
The song writing is right on. This one reminds me of a fifties rock ballad (hope those aren't dirty words to you.) Production is top notch.

Regards

P.S. I don't know why I havn't heard your stuff before, I guess the talent is deep and wide here, or maybe I've been stuck in a rut.

[ Reply to This ]

wow, i take that as a big compliment - usually everyone says it sounds very 80's. Glad you liked this - i am sooo late picking this comment up - apologies !

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

this is a wonderful piece. truly a solid, consistent vibe the whole listen.
i like the dreamy piano backdrop. it really pulls the listener in, and your smooth voice carries away.
perhaps put the vocals a tad higher in the mix. i struggle to hear in parts. but that's minor, cuz this is a work of art!

[ Reply to This ]

thanks Jason - i think this was the first quiet/ ballad type track i tried to write. This was an early one done in GB - i hadn't much of a clue about mixing, and you're very right about the vocals, they don't come through enough. Some day i'll go back and fix these in logic ... so many songs, so little time.

Thanks for checking me out

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

Cool tune man.
I really dig the lyric. The delivery is very well done. The pop sound is well thought out and comes off perfect.
I was just kind of hunting for some new music and really found a gem.
cool...

[ Reply to This ]

Hey Tim - this was the first kind of slow ballady thing I wrote, which seemed a big step at the time - production sounds a bit muddy and primative to me now, but i gotta say, i really like the lyric - Scanner darkly is one of my favourite books, but i like the fact this can be (mis) interpreted as a love song.

Thanks for digging into my dirty past

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

With hints of an Ashes to Ashes chord sequence.

Great playing, singing and production

[ Reply to This ]

Ashes to Ashes is my favourite track of all time - the day i write something as good as that, I can stop.

but I'm nowhere near yet!

Thanks for checking out my relics!

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

I was just reading some stories on www.jonesreport.com and it had an add for "A Scanner Darkly" on it, so I checked it out. I have never seen it, but it sounds like something I will have to see, or read, as Amazon gives it a mixed review. They say the book is much better.

The song is good. The lyric reminds of "Every Breath You Take" which was also meant to be a dark lyric but was taken as a romantic one. Synchronicity??


[ Reply to This ]

yeah, this track is very much in the style of 'Every Breath you Take'.

I read 'Scanner' in my teens, and didn't get it at all - the book is great, and i think the movie is the best adaptation of a Dick book... but it's not for everyone.

Flow My Tears the Policeman said is probably my fav Dick book, like a more trippy North by Northwest.

This song sounds quite basic now ... one of these days i'll give it a facelift!

Thanks for checking this out, Tim.

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

man, I miss this place. My boss has blocked it at work, and I can't get broadband yet out in the sticks where I am, so I'm stuck with dial-up. So I can't listen and/or comment or really upload anything new until such time as my part of the county moves into the 21st century!



[ Reply to This ]