Too Much - revisited

[bee3]

I'm working this one up for my next album. We've workshopped this one before, so from a songwriting perspective, I'm pretty happy where its at. What's different? Real drums. Re-did the vocals. Still need to replace the piano and organ with acoustic grand piano and real hammond, but that's it I think. I may have Avery add some slide to the outro as well.

 

Thoughts?

 

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12870641

 

Too much

I'm tired of doing too much

I want to lay down

And rest my head

Wake to my favorite season

Feel the swaying of the trees and

Let the breeze be the reason

I get up out of bed

 

Too much

I'm tired of doing too much

I want to wake up

And hear no sound

Except the movement of the ocean

The birds that sing with raw emotion

Freedoms such a simple notion

Tired of being burdened bound

 

 

[Oswlek]

Sweet! Love the vocals and the new vibe, seems more low key.

 

I'm not thrilled about the tom sounds. It might not bother me without the intro, but there is something wonky there to my ear, and it stands out being so present at the beginning. I'm also a little underwhelmed by the beginning of the solo. Feels like that could be more satisfying, if not in the guitar track, maybe some interaction with another instrument. Once the distorted slide comes in it is great (though I agree some slide licks in the ending seem warranted).

 

One last thing, try upping your vocals at the very end. I know you were going for a non-lead vocal feel there, but it comes across as too buried to me.

 

Super tune. Justin.

[rsadasiv]

The drums are Too Much. They're great, but they don't match the rest of the recording. Reserving judgement until after you re-record the keys. And I'm usually in favor of more Avery, but I agree with Oswlek about the solo beginning although that might be the mix being off instead of the part.

[stickboymusic]

I think this is sounding great

 

Sure the kick drum could come down a little and maybe experiment with some slightly bigger verbs than usual on the snare/toms and see how they sit

[bee3]

Sweet! Love the vocals and the new vibe, seems more low key.

 

I'm not thrilled about the tom sounds. It might not bother me without the intro, but there is something wonky there to my ear, and it stands out being so present at the beginning. I'm also a little underwhelmed by the beginning of the solo. Feels like that could be more satisfying, if not in the guitar track, maybe some interaction with another instrument. Once the distorted slide comes in it is great (though I agree some slide licks in the ending seem warranted).

 

One last thing, try upping your vocals at the very end. I know you were going for a non-lead vocal feel there, but it comes across as too buried to me.

 

Super tune. Justin.

 

Thanks Justin. i haven't spent a lot of time on 'mixing' yet... I just got the drum tracks and have started the process of re-building the tracks. Vocals definitely needed to be addressed as do the piano/organ. I think the guitar solo will work much better with the new keyboard tracks as i plan to dial them back a bit during that first solo part, then have them come crashing in on the slide section. I personally love what he did there...

 

I think the drums will sit better with proper mixing. There is no treatment on them at the moment other than what was done at the time of tracking.

[bee3]

The drums are Too Much. They're great' date=' but they don't match the rest of the recording. Reserving judgement until after you re-record the keys. And I'm usually in favor of more Avery, but I agree with Oswlek about the solo beginning although that might be the mix being off instead of the part.[/quote']

 

Pun aside, what do you mean they don't match? I suspect a proper mix will fix?

[bee3]

I think this is sounding great

 

Sure the kick drum could come down a little and maybe experiment with some slightly bigger verbs than usual on the snare/toms and see how they sit

 

Thank you sir!

[rsadasiv]

 

Pun aside, what do you mean they don't match? I suspect a proper mix will fix?

 

I wanted to reach for the fader on the drum submix and pull the whole thing down 3-6dbs. Then look at the fx chain and route the drums into the same reverb/compressor settings as the rest of the tracks and then fine tune the instrument balance. So yeah, a proper mix will fix.

[bee3]

Please be patient with me... tried tackling drums today and mixing them a bit. As I'm a complete noob at this kind of thing, please let me know your thoughts: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12873678

[Oswlek]

Much better. The first part of the solo feels better to me as well, though I'm not sure if anything actually changed.

 

The ending still feels like it needs something. The slid solo is so boss and so up front that when it goes away nothing takes its place. The vox and piano are tucked away in the back and the drums ride the groove more than taking center stage. Push the vocals way up and it'll sound better, IMO. I don't think there is any need to bury them so much.

[bee3]

I had the organ come in at the slide so the first part of the guitar solo stood out more and the slide part was heightened more. I'm still going to record real piano and organ and have Avery add more slide at the end... hopefully that takes care of some of it.

[bee3]

And I'm going to re- do the vox at the end. They kind of suck right now and are buried on purpose.

[rsadasiv]

And I'm going to re- do the vox at the end. They kind of suck right now and are buried on purpose.

 

Oswlek is right, it is much better, it does need something at the end, and if you are planning to redo the outro vox then that may be the trick.

 

Much better fit on the drums now. You might let the crack of the snare through a little bit more - make the attack on the snare compressor longer until you start to hear the snare transient pushing through the mix and then let the compressor pull down on the rest of the sustain.

[Lee Knight]

Nice. Is that that over the internet drummer? He's good. How much? I know you'll get the balances happening. I had a thought that May be worth considering. How about if that v1 piano takes a center stage role and instead of a wash of chords like you have now it becomes fairly sparse part with vocal piano drums and you begin layering other things to create that wash that so beautiful it takes over the mood and aura. To give that first verse some air might be a nice contrast where the song is headed. Just a thought as you're getting ready to lay down some real piano.

[bee3]

Hey Lee - I looked around the internet at various on-line drummers. Ended up using a friend of mine who is an excellent drummer and who also happens to be the head engineer at Forge Studios which is kind of near my house, but we still did it 'virtually'. I posted pics of the session in the Talk About Anything thread...

 

I'll have to give a good think about your suggestion. I'm on vacation starting tomorrow... and need to get my piano tuned, so I've got some time.

[Lee Knight]

My suggestion could very well hose up your awesome vibe too. Tread with caution. I'm just finding that peeling back deeper than at first seems prudent can yield great surprises. In sections... Still... I don't know how you do it and you do it so well. Just a thought.

[bee3]

My suggestion could very well hose up your awesome vibe too. Tread with caution. I'm just finding that peeling back deeper than at first seems prudent can yield great surprises. In sections... Still... I don't know how you do it and you do it so well. Just a thought.

Check your PMs Lee.

 

I'm listening back to these drums... I'm thinking their sounding a little thin. Or squashed. Or something...

[mbfrancis]

Hey Justin, this is awesome, what a nice groove. I love how it comes in with authority and just keeps grooving. Wow, just love where you come from with these. Some thoughts::

 

* Drum groove is just great. Nice dry sound.

* Love, just love all the vox.

* I think you may need to retrack your rhythm parts to lock better, or edit - it's a little sloppy.

* Snare feels a little too squashed, yees. Toms sound nice to me.

* Not a fan of the slide solo, it's uh, too much - unless that's the point. Feels like this should be sweet and tasty and groovy, man, all the way through. Maybe a clear guitar solo, jazzy? Or a rhodes?

* For the same reason I'm not crazy about the acoustic piano, not yacht rock, not chill enough, feels too Liberace, not tasty enough man. But you go someplace much bigger at the end and then it works. I just kind of wish it grooved all the way through.

* Love the leslie vox at the end.

* Kind of ends with a whimper.

 

Very very sweet tune, thanks for posting!

[bee3]

Aahhh noooooo.... I LOVE the slide part. So... it's likely to stay. But I am really curious about your piano comments... wasn't sure what you meant. Do you like where it goes at the end? The part right now, which is being replaced with real piano, only comes in right before the solo section (I think)... are you suggesting have it come in earlier and build towards a climactic end? Or nix the climactic end and just have it groove all the way through (bearing in mind the slide part is staying!)?

 

 

[Lee Knight]

Love the slide as well. It could use a little setting back though. Not in volume but in presence. If it were me, I'd put a 400ms delay on it, making the delay roll off at 4k, dark, and send that delay to a warm plate, compress the slide a bit more, then turn it down a tad. Then all the bloom fill the space. Spacey. But that's just me. Love the slide. I'd even create a new outro fade with the slide trading bits with the lead using existing parts... Fading into oblivion. If you ever want an experimental mix partner, like on this one! Let me know! I'm game. Just send printed tracks sans plugs... Or not. I love what you do

[oldgitplayer]

Not in volume but in presence. If it were me' date=' I'd put a 400ms delay on it, making the delay roll off at 4k, dark, and send that delay to a warm plate, compress the slide a bit more, then turn it down a tad. Then all the bloom fill the space. [/quote']

 

If I learn to record, will I end up talking crazy talk like this?……………..png.197c47f720636f02390cc2b0a33804da.png' alt='smiley-veryhappy'>

 

[mbfrancis]

Not sure how literal to take my comments, typed in a flurry of heated excitement. Your song came in with such authority and vibe that I was blown away and frankly kind of invested in it going in a particular, very groovy direction. When it didn't (slide, piano), I was a little bummed, even though they were totally artistically valid calls and it all ties up in the end. So take my notes with a grain of salt, although I still think the acoustic piano is kind of a vibe-killer....too busy, too pretty, too orchestral, not 70s at all. But again, you end up in this very different, big dramatic place where it works.

 

So basically don't listen to me.

[bee3]

Martin. I was considering Rhodes... Maybe I'll give that a whirl. Lee... I may take you up on that.