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Keywords:
so selfish (2), acoustic (460), piano (602), minigurl (10), kevmikwa (4)
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Description:
After listening to all the very wonderful and constructive comments that you all left for So Selfish, kevmikwa was kind enough to volunteer some real drums (and some tamborine and a bass track as well!), so here is a new version of this song. I've added some piano here and there as well.
It is becoming quite clear that I'm rather useless in the mixing department, so please, if anyone has any mixing suggestions, feel free to post them!
Big thanks to Mike (kevmikwa) for his help!!!
As always, comments are greatly appreciated !
Lyrics:
(C) 2006 Jennifer Budd
I know that you're lost, between love and hate run at any cost
You're heart's full of fear, you're inside yourself, you've got no more tears
Can I be so selfish, to want you for my own, for my own
Can you be so selfish to want me for your own, for your own
You're living your life, through uncertanties, but you've gotta fight
She's taken your soul, even who you are does she really know
Can I be so selfish to want you for my own, for my own
Can you be so selfish to want me for your own, for your own
So selfish
Remember this point in time, will be swept away by fifty more in line
Let your fate guide you through, yeah it's destiny between me and you
Can I be so selfish to want you for my own, for my own
Can you be so selfish to want me for your own, for your own
So selfish
So Selfish
Hardware:
Oscar Schmidt Acoustic Guitar
Wensen Hollow Body Electric Guitar
M-Audio preUSB
M-Audio Keystation 61es
Software:
GarageBand
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Made me listen up to the end &mdash 12/27/06 - 01:56:25 PM
The song sounds great and really has a romantic sentimental atmosphere to it... i love it.. The voice is great... except that it has that pin-hole mic quality recording and i'm not sure if it's the quality of your mic or the flange effects you put on it. I prefer a less processed voice, especially with a voice as good as yours; it doesn't need a lot of overlay effects. I do love the song and overall, the composition and production is high quality. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Leon ! &mdash 12/27/06 - 01:59:10 PM
Thanks very much for the listen and comment. I agree on the vocals, I'm either going to muck around with the effects, or simply re-record them. Thanks for the insight!
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oh yes... &mdash 12/27/06 - 02:42:06 PM
This was a pleasure to my ears. Of course I agree with Leon about the vocal recording quality and/or effect. But then again, it does not disturb me in a way that it distracts from the core quality of the song.
Bloody good songwriting, lady. No big quibble about anything in fact. And I'm so glad to notice your voice has evolved greatly as well. You have the talent you have an open mind for criticism. Aaaah, great thing to come from you...
- Walter [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Walter !!! &mdash 12/27/06 - 03:06:47 PM
Thanks very much Walter! I'm honoured that you didn't have any crit this time around, that means that I'm making progress! I'd have to say that I'm very happy with the "final" (is anything in GB ever final?) cut of this song. Aside from a few vocal changes here and there (and likely a little mixing) I'm pretty well done with this one. Thanks for the listen and comment!
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Gurl's got skillz &mdash 12/27/06 - 04:33:14 PM
Ever since minigurl posted that she was looking for some drums and strings for this track (a forum post referenced the original track at http://www.macjams.com/song/25975), I've been excited to hear this one come together. Many thanks to you, JK, for allowing me to "sit in" digitally, as it were. It really is a moving tune, well-sung and well-strummed.
When I was cutting my tracks, I was playing against your original - with just the simple guitar and vocals (and a reference drum loop that was low in the mix). I'd never heard the piano and guitar lead parts.
While I like some parts of the version you've posted here, I must say that the rhythm has gotten a bit murky with the addition of the piano (when compared to the simple mix I have sitting at home). Maybe it's just the natural effect of the song changing as it gets more and more dense (I'm used to it being more stripped down), but the downbeats aren't as strong as the ones in my home mix. I guess it's just some timing issues, primarily.
I also think I might have played a different (less busy) part on drums had I known you were going to put the guitar lead lick where you ended up putting one (before the long "so selfish"es).
I also would like to let my fellow MacJammers know that I made the bass part for giggles (and tried to label it so). I urged minigurl to hit up jiguma or another fine MacJams bass player for a real part before posting. I guess I should be thankful that the bass is not too big in the mix.
Anyway - these are all complete nit-picks, the song is still great, and being able to lend my sticks (and tambourine) to it was a privilege that I am thankful for.
kevmikwa [ Reply to This ]
You're GREAT... &mdash 12/27/06 - 04:57:43 PM
kevmikwa ! Thanks so much again for the drum tracks. And yes, the bass is there, and it's great as well. The piano just sort of got thrown in this morning. I was playing with my new toy, and wanted something to play along with. After a couple more listens, I think that I may lessen the piano a little so that the drum track can come through a little more, and may take out the lead line when you're going to town on the drums. Let your talent show through.
Thanks again, it was wonderful to colab with you, and we'll need to do it again soon !
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I was so happy &mdash 12/27/06 - 05:00:11 PM
When the drums came in.... what a sweet voice... loved the lazy feel to the song and the chord progression is so spot on! Melody is just outstanding... What an improvement to an already solid song. Thanks for sharing... Nice job everyone.
John [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Texas ! &mdash 12/27/06 - 05:03:39 PM
I was an absolute joy working with kevmikwa and he certainly nailed the feel of the drums. I never would have thought to take it in the direction that he did. Thanks for the comment and listen.
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EVEN Like &mdash 12/27/06 - 05:25:21 PM
it bettermore now! t'was good the first time. Great track - Y'all 'one-upped' it here JK. great job on the collab. . - Harold [ Reply to This ]
Harold... &mdash 12/27/06 - 05:32:13 PM
Thank you so very much. Having some great drum tracks (can't thank kevmikwa enough) really changed the feel of this tune, and I'm so very pleased with how it came out. Thanks for the listen and comment, it's greatly appreciated as always.
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very very good &mdash 12/27/06 - 06:06:22 PM
YOu have a beautifull voice I think you realy exprerss the lyrics quite well
I realy enjoyed listening. The drums and bass rrealy fill it out. Its nice to collab and have something come out so good great job. [ Reply to This ]
much appreciated ego ! &mdash 12/27/06 - 06:44:46 PM
It took a while to come together, with family commitments, holidays, etc. But I'm so happy with the way that it turned out in the end. Thanks for the listen!
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NICE &mdash 12/27/06 - 08:28:28 PM
The doctor is in da house !!! &mdash 12/27/06 - 08:30:33 PM
Thanks man! What would YOU change with the guitar? Just wondering how to make it tighter? Thanks for the listen and comment.
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WELL &mdash 12/27/06 - 10:41:06 PM
Hmm like Mike said the down beats are a little off in places timing wise. Too far behind the beat. I would redo the solo guitar part too or even leave them out. If you can play good solos by all means do it but if you can't i would leave them out. They don't do much for the song. They sound a little plunky. Hope this helps?
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<b>http://www.myspace.com/doctorbizarre</b>
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OH YEAH &mdash 12/27/06 - 10:35:01 PM
Mike nice job on drums as usual! Mike has played on a few of my tracks as well. If you get a chance check them out. He's a very solid player! There's also another one of my songs almost completed with Mike on drums and I Spike and myself singing. Soon to be posted! Keep a lookout!
One Of A Kind
http://www.macjams.com/song/24698
Black and Blue
http://www.macjams.com/song/22943
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<b>http://www.myspace.com/doctorbizarre</b>
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Good, indeed &mdash 12/27/06 - 08:30:56 PM
Nice track you have here.
Nice performance, vocally and instrumentally, and pretty good production, too. I thought I heard a little flanging/phasing sort of effect on the vocals, which I thought was unneccessary (the effect, that is). But other than that - nicely done!
Oh, and kudos to Mike, as well, for very solid drumming!
-Einar S. [ Reply to This ]
Einar... Thanks! &mdash 12/27/06 - 09:04:25 PM
Thanks for taking a listen and taking the time to leave a comment, it is greatly appreciated!
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Still a great song... &mdash 12/27/06 - 08:36:23 PM
...and this is a much stronger presentation of that great song...
I can hear what kevmikwa is saying in terms of some looseness in the rhythm, but I have to say that I'm not disturbed by it... And there may be a time when you feel like tightening it up, working from the drums up... I do think that the piano suits the song wonderfully... The instrumentation here is well suited to the song...
I know it's unhip these days, but I suggest listening to some early Neil Young and even some early Elton John for some examples of acoustic guitar and piano driven songs...
When I was listening, what was bothering me in the slightest degree was the tonal quality on the acoustic guitar. Did you record from a pick-up, or with the pinhole mic? I didn't notice it much over speakers. Over headphones, I found that it bothered me. Coudn't quite pick up if I was hearing a smidge of distortion or what...Almost like a bit of the edge of the acoustic in the left ear was bouncing or echoing over into the right ear...
And again, I submit this as grist for your self-production mill. No quibbles get in the way of the quality of the songwriting. The question is, can you get this recorded in a way that maximizes the impact of the song? This is a great leap forward... And now resides in my iPod....
I am curious... do you have or use a mic? If this is mostly pinhole stuff, then it might be time for that big move into using an actual microphone..
That you on the lead guitar? You have a good feel for just playing a few right notes...
Good of you not to go the ukulele route...
Continuing to enjoy listening to this evolve. It really is a very good song.
Ed [ Reply to This ]
Ed... &mdash 12/27/06 - 09:09:18 PM
As always, your comments are wonderful and greatly appreciated. In regards to the guitar, I can't remember if I went straight into my m-audio preusb unit, of if I mic'd the sound hole of the guitar. I do have a mic, and use it on a regular basis.
About the guitar bouncing, I actually doubled the track, and off-set one slightly so it was a touch delayed, that's likely what you are picking up in your ears.
This song has definitely started to progress, and I'm excited about the direction that it's taking. I will definitely take your advice and listen to some Young and John (yes, it's STILL cool these days to listen to, in my books anyway ;) and try and learn a little from them!
Thanks again for great advice!
JK
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Very fine &mdash 12/27/06 - 08:50:11 PM
Very fine track. You've received lots of constructive feedback already, and mine isn't anything new, but here it is anyway:
a) I'd agree with Leon--great voice, but it sounds processed (flanged, specifically), and I definitely would rather hear a good recording of your beautiful voice without any processing, save maybe a little reverb or eq.
b) It's got a slightly loose feel, rhythmically, and maybe it's the piano, as kevmikwa suggests, that's responsible for that. I'm not sure how much this song is benefited by having the piano in there. The way I hear it, the best aspects of this mix are the voice and the drums; everything else should support those two elements without getting in the way. I'd be tempted to experiment by stripping away everything but those two elements, and then perhaps asking one of MacJams' great bassists to provide a bass line, and then add whatever else you think it might need, but to do so sparingly, because it doesn't need much when you can sing like that. [ Reply to This ]
Composerclark... &mdash 12/27/06 - 09:12:52 PM
Thanks so very much for a great comment. One of the reasons that I love MacJams so much is because of people like you (and many others) who take the time to leave such great advice!
I'll definitely be taking the flanger off the vocals. To be honest, I can't for the life of my figure out how it got on there. I tend to muck around with things endlessly, and it must have popped up when I was changing presets.
I'll certainly consider stripping everything away and seeing what comes of it.
Thanks again for the great comment !
JK
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You got me right from the start &mdash 12/27/06 - 11:40:42 PM
I really like the intimacy and immediacy of the feel here. This is my kind of production - nithin too glossy - everything in a relaxed pocket. I have no problem with the mix - except maybe for the little bit of phasing on your voice - I think it would stand up great without it, you have a wonderful voice. Oh - and the lyrics and playing are killer.Great work to you both. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Bud! &mdash 12/28/06 - 09:10:14 AM
You seem to echo the general thought that the vocal effect needs to be taken off, so that will get done the first chance that I get. Thanks for taking a listen!
JK
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Unselfish &mdash 12/28/06 - 09:18:23 AM
Hi Mg
Well, i loved the original version of this, and this is a real improvement. Fantastic singing (yeah, bar the vocal fx - you don't need it) and playing (the acoustic and piano sound sweet), but the vocal melody really sells this.
Top class.
Steve [ Reply to This ]
Steve... &mdash 12/28/06 - 11:10:06 AM
Thanks for the comment as always!
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prettyful &mdash 12/28/06 - 11:08:14 AM
lol well in my opinion a good song doesnt need to be mixed anyways. i think it sounds good how it is, but then im not one to care about the quality so much as the soul behind it. i think it sounds beautiful. [ Reply to This ]
Thank you.. &mdash 12/28/06 - 11:12:00 AM
Thanks for the listen and comment screamalexz!
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yw &mdash 01/16/07 - 09:59:52 AM
no problem. would have replied sooner but with how much im working seems i rarely get on this site. take care.
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Robert Smith lied, boys do cry [ Reply to This ]
Creative song &mdash 12/28/06 - 09:09:51 PM
Thanks Tom &mdash 12/30/06 - 09:50:22 AM
This song has been evolving quite a bit lately. Thanks for taking a listen!
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Very nice &mdash 12/28/06 - 09:25:03 PM
I'm not one for blowing happy sunshine. If I feel there is a need to say something critical, I'll say it.
Having said that, ( :) ) This really is a beautiful piece. I liked it the first time I heard it. The drums and piano fill it out nicely. The only nits I have have already been mentioned. The effect on the vocal is too much. You have an extremely pleasant voice that doesn't need an effect (aside maybe for some SLIGHT reverb.) Some back ground harmonies on the chorus would be nice though.
What I heard on the acoustic guitar sounded to me like you double tracked it. Then, advanced one of the tracks in the time line and panned for a stereo effect. Except maybe you advanced one of those tracks a little too much. I could be way off in my assumption. But that's what I hear and what I think might be throwing the timing off.
Other than those slight production quips, this is really, really nice. Thanks for sharing. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Bud... &mdash 12/30/06 - 09:52:01 AM
For the very constructive comments. I've got an extra couple days off this weekend, so I'll be tweaking this song a touch here and there. I'm definitely taking off the flanger on the vocals, and I'll look at that guitar track as well. Thanks as always for the listen.
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I can't add anything that hasn't already been said ... &mdash 12/29/06 - 10:50:53 PM
... but to echo the flange on the vocals thingey ... at first listen it reminded me a little of the Sinead O'Connor Sound ... perhaps where the flange throws a very slight echo effect on the vocals ... which might be better replaced with a light reverb (yeah I know what they are saying ... trust Alannah to suggest Reverb!!! hahaha) .... but the song is great and the vocals are wonderful ... just need to be un-flanged! [ Reply to This ]
Alannah... &mdash 12/30/06 - 09:54:16 AM
Thanks for the vocal effect advice. I'll certainly check that out, and perhaps add a little delay as you've suggested. Thanks very much for the listen!
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Very nice &mdash 12/30/06 - 12:40:45 PM
I love the feel of this and the lyrics are great, especially the chorus. The "loose" feel of the song really works for me. And I love the vocals. Very fitting for the style and subject matter. It's a style I'm very fond of. Ed's right on target when he says go back and listen to some Neil Young for ideas. Steal them shamelessly. :)
My only technical suggestions are to maybe switch the guitar solos to piano (I do that a lot) and, if you decided to redo this at some point, maybe experiment with speeding the tempo up just a hair and see if you like the results.
I really enjoyed this and am going back to check out your other stuff. [ Reply to This ]
jgurner... &mdash 12/30/06 - 12:46:06 PM
Thanks so very much for such a great comment. I'll definitely take your advice (and Ed's) and listen to some Neil Young for some ideas.
I hadn't thought of changing the guitar solo to piano, and now that you mention it, I'm definitely going to give it a shot. The piano part of the song was really just me goofing around, and I kept it because I liked the way that it sounds. Now I just need to remember which notes I was playing on the guitar.
Thanks for a great suggestion!
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Very lovely... &mdash 12/30/06 - 09:23:47 PM
...tuneage minigurl. I'm impressed! I like your vox a lot and the piano arrangement is wonderful. Those restrained moody lead riffs are icing on the cake. A fine effort. MORE PLEASE!
Be well! [ Reply to This ]
Amagi... &mdash 12/31/06 - 10:19:53 AM
Thanks very much for the comment. I'm very happy that you enjoyed the piano! I've recently been given an up-right baby grand and I've been re-teaching myself how to play. The piano in this tune was done through my new toy, a Keystation 61es, which I'm having too much fun playing with! Thanks for the listen and comment!
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nothing &mdash 12/30/06 - 11:53:14 PM
like a love song from the mind and heart...timeless........enjoyed it much...... [ Reply to This ]
Thanks McBoy... &mdash 12/31/06 - 10:22:25 AM
For taking sometime to take a listen and leave a comment. Happy New Year!
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Yes &mdash 12/31/06 - 10:34:24 AM
What a great tune. When 'the band' enters and the drums roll in it lifts the song to a new dimension. Great build up.
I like your voice. Suits this kind of song very well.
And I think your mix and production is good. [ Reply to This ]
thoddi... &mdash 12/31/06 - 11:25:44 AM
Thanks very much! I've really been trying to "learn" how to mix things properly, and finally I think that I'm starting to figure it out (at least a little here and there). Thanks for the listen and comment, it's greatly appreciated !
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Very good &mdash 12/31/06 - 02:08:13 PM
Very well written and arranged and performed. Like pointed out, the recording could be better, but I can quite often oversee this if the quality of the song and its content speaks to me. It does! I am definatley going to check out your music from now on. Thanks/Mikki [ Reply to This ]
mikkinylund... &mdash 12/31/06 - 08:29:13 PM
Thanks very much for the comment. I'm still new to this whole recording thing (the most I had recorded on my own before was through my computer mic on a very old lap-top), so having GB at my fingertips is great. Thanks for the listen and comment!
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I think .. &mdash 12/31/06 - 02:33:16 PM
.. you've got a great ballad here, really nice song beautifully sung. The balance of the mix seems fine to
my ears - the drums are just right as is the amount of
laid back bass. I'd like the piano to twinkle just a little more and of course to get rid of the flange? effect (is it that Pop vocal preset?) on the voice. There's the odd 'peak' breathy 'F' in 'For your own' which may suggest no pop-shield- cheap and useful addition. Did you put the master track through any presets? you might want to try just a touch of compression, track echo/reverb and then leave more oomph coming to the vocals via the master track and a touch of ducking. I suggest these things not as any expert but as I have been working on these types of things recently myself, trying to improve my vocal recording in particular with new mic etc. Try even dabbling with some of the AU Matrix Reverb (some sound a bit OTT at first but just adjust the dry/wet mix) and try and get a basic preset you like with your voice- less is more when you have a fine voice like you do.
Look forward to your posts in 2007! Happy New Year. [ Reply to This ]
apb... &mdash 12/31/06 - 08:31:02 PM
Wow, thanks for the great advice! I haven't actually ever played around with the master track before (learning curve) but will certainly give it a go, especially after reading your tips there. Thanks so much for the listen!
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up 3 more notches... &mdash 01/05/07 - 03:46:08 PM
This is getting better each time around, which shows that you have a great song, a good strong singing voice, improving ideas on mixing, and a really good dose of drums and bass from Mike... the initial strums of guitar and piano chords seemed a little mis-timed, but things aligned after the song started. Also, your vox on this were clearer is nome ways, but then muddied by what sounded like a phaser/flanger effect that made you drift in and out. This song definitely wants you singing un-affected right into our brains. The guitar bit was good, but I would have built it up later in the song, not quite so early... it feels like there needs to be a whole inserted chorus that is just instrumental here, with soaring violins and piano, then back to the final "Remember this point...", but that's just me. After that, you'll need to think of a nice solid way to end this great song, it needs a catchy longing ending. And no fades! Fades are for sissies! :-)
ttfn,
Drakonis [ Reply to This ]
lay off the dragon sauce! &mdash 01/05/07 - 03:50:23 PM
Uh, the English dys-translation for my above sentence: "your vox on this were clearer is nome ways" would be "your vox on this were clearer in some ways"... Sorry, that was the sudafed talking up there.
ttfn,
Drakonis
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Deja vu - It's the next best thing to being there<br>
### Today's song:<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/25837">MusiMorphosis</a> [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Drak! &mdash 01/10/07 - 03:45:21 PM
As always, your comment was wonderful! I can say that I've already adjusted the vocals on this track, so the flange type thing is gone. I'll be bringing Mike's drums up to the front as well (such drums deserve to be better heard!). As far as the piano/guitar timing at the beginning. I actually wanted it to be a little off to start with, but tighten up as the song went along.
I was re-listening and I hear what you are saying with the instrumental bridge, certainly something to take into consideration. Thanks again for the listen and comment!
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So Selfish &mdash 01/08/07 - 07:15:42 PM
Great song, sounds great with the guitar and piano, would sound great with backing vocals. Actually all your songs are coming along great...addtional vocals are the only request. [ Reply to This ]
so selfish &mdash 01/08/07 - 07:42:05 PM
okay, now after reading everyone else's comments after making my original, I see how lame and boring my remarks are. I have to agree with bud and the others, you have a haunting sadness to your vocals which fits perfectly with the soul and feeling behind the lyrics i wonder if adding an orchestra in the distance would add to it or do you keep it simple...either way I love the song. What do you think? [ Reply to This ]
niquers... &mdash 01/08/07 - 07:58:20 PM
Thank you for the great comments! I will take what you've suggested and put it to good use! Thanks for the listen and comment!
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Loses something... &mdash 01/16/07 - 12:46:00 AM
I like the vocal delivery and the acoustic guitar sound on the original version better. However, I applaud the effort to fill this song out more--as I said on the previous version, I think it deserves a fuller treatment. It comes alive with more than just the drum loop. The vocal just doesn't come across as heartfelt somehow to me.... [ Reply to This ]
Mmmm &mdash 01/20/07 - 10:30:03 PM
I just love this song so much. Bass was nice and piano was pretty too. Probably one of my fav MJ songs to date. [ Reply to This ]
Lovely &mdash 01/22/07 - 08:12:10 PM
I'm a sucker for acoustic guitar rock I must admit and this is great. I like the turnaround in the chorus - i.e. "Can I be" and "Can you be". Clever lyrics. [ Reply to This ]
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