Members Anderton Posted April 20, 2014 Members Share Posted April 20, 2014 And here's the final mix. This replaces the original draft video I posted. [video=youtube_share;mkSe--EPSZg] As you'll hear, I took your advice to heart...the SSS Production Squad strikes again! BTW ...does anyone else think it's time for another Lee Knight song? I thought the last one was quite cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted April 20, 2014 Author Members Share Posted April 20, 2014 Ooooops...let's try "unlisted" instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted April 21, 2014 Members Share Posted April 21, 2014 That is great! Great lyrics, sung with conviction, hot freakin guitar going on in the background. It's a hit!There is a couple of spots where the snare sounds kind of weak for the rest of the tune...But that's not a crippler..Kudos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted April 21, 2014 Members Share Posted April 21, 2014 I think you speak for a goodly amount of your countrymen, Craig, especially some of my American Facebook friends... I like the way the song begins fairly innocuously and then bludgeons one to death in the chorus. As AlamoJoe says, there's conviction in your voice and, if I may say so, a certain amount of bile. Phew! *Note to self - NEVER upset Craig Anderton* A great song. I'll let others make suggestions as to the mix etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted April 21, 2014 Members Share Posted April 21, 2014 Very good one, Craig, no question. Makes a difference when it's from the heart like this. The chorus is where it really rocks - I'm guessing that will be the consensus. The only thing I'd suggest for the chorus would be this: at 2:57 on the line "they live on bribes..etc" you add a vocal harmony line above the main vox that is just perfect. That's the only chorus line I think where you add that upper harmony - I suggest you add it in the same spot during the first chorus go-round - maybe even in more places in that, too. It just sounds way too good to use only once. The verse groove is nicely Rolling-Stone-ish. The snare, however, is a really clean pop, very little rattle. I'd like to hear it roughed up a bit, a la Street Fightin' Man (which is the great archetype for this particular tune of yours, no?) In vaguer terms, more Stones in that verse groove, however accomplished. This tune, you show us what your vocals can do, for sure. One giant thumbs-up on that count. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mor54bs Posted April 21, 2014 Members Share Posted April 21, 2014 Dwight was a truly great leader. Maybe the last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted April 21, 2014 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2014 at 2:57 on the line "they live on bribes..etc" you add a vocal harmony line above the main vox that is just perfect. That's the only chorus line I think where you add that upper harmony - I suggest you add it in the same spot during the first chorus go-round - maybe even in more places in that, too. It just sounds way too good to use only once. Hmmm...thought I used it on all the lines in the second chorus, they may be mixed down too far. I'll check when I get back to the studio. The verse groove is nicely Rolling-Stone-ish. The snare, however, is a really clean pop, very little rattle. I'd like to hear it roughed up a bit, a la Street Fightin' Man (which is the great archetype for this particular tune of yours, no?) In vaguer terms, more Stones in that verse groove, however accomplished. Two people have mentioned the snare, so I'll check that as well. However, as Mark noted "I like the way the song begins fairly innocuously and then bludgeons one to death in the chorus." I didn't want the verse to be too rough so it could kind of draw people in and set them up for the chorus. Maybe a bigger issue is that it's a hip-hop snare in a rock song. I'll see if I have a snare that would be suitable for replacement and see what it sounds like. Tech tidbit: The verses seemed to drag when I did the mix, so I used a Sonar varispeed trick that kicked the tempo and pitch up a little under 2%. But I didn't make that change to the choruses. If you listen to the song, I think it's pretty much impossible to tell that the choruses are at a slower tempo and lower pitch...but that might add to the "gravitas" of the chorus and the innocuous feel of the verses. Thanks for the comments!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted April 22, 2014 Moderators Share Posted April 22, 2014 Great lyric!!! Only suggestion I have is the acoustics need more balls. I like the eq though perhaps a tad thin, I believe the answer is a tape bump and mild saturation effect. Massey TapeHead or the like. You don't need whispy there, you need some acoustic aggression! And... I'd love to hear your vocal duplicated, saturated, and mixed dry up the middle to fill that whole. I love the song! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted April 22, 2014 Members Share Posted April 22, 2014 Nice! Kinda Alice Cooper-ish... philthumb I love those trippy effects, and can't imagine how you created them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Folder Posted April 24, 2014 Members Share Posted April 24, 2014 Great tune Craig. I agree with several other posters I think the acoustic guitar is a bit too thin sounding. Also the heavy lead guitars in the background could be louder and the snare could have more rattle.The main thing I would change though is to ditch the electronic hand clap sound. I hear this song as a power pop rock song and for me the hand claps are cheesy sounding. But overall I like it a lot. Especially the echoing stuff at 1:35 and that noisy stuff at about 3:00 and all the little sound effect stuff throughout is pretty tasty.You're a really good rock lead guitar player Craig and I'd like to hear more lead guitar in your songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alynaloosy345 Posted April 24, 2014 Members Share Posted April 24, 2014 this great tune guiter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted April 24, 2014 Author Members Share Posted April 24, 2014 Okay, I think I have enough here to get started...acoustic guitar will be the first priority as that's been mentioned the most. The claps are part of a loop, and will be hard to extract...I'll try layering a fat snare on top to see if that does the job. As to the snare, there are three different snares so I'm not sure which one is being referenced (or all). I don't want to change the one behind the choruses, but I think people are probably referencing the one in the hip-hop loop that has the claps. There's also the one with the really dry, hard "kkrack!" but I'm kinda partial to that one. "I'd love to hear your vocal duplicated, saturated, and mixed dry up the middle to fill that hole" is probably not going to happen, but I'll give it a try. It was hard enough to do the first round!! Doing another set of vocals is going to be tough but I think I hear what you're hearing, and can see how that would add. Bringing up the leads: Yes, another dB or two would add some intensity. These are all good suggestions, now it just remains to be seen if I can pull them off so that they make the song better. Thanks everybody!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted April 24, 2014 Author Members Share Posted April 24, 2014 You're a really good rock lead guitar player Craig and I'd like to hear more lead guitar in your songs. Thanks, but my lead playing sounds most impressive in small doses . The solos in "Little Pieces" and "When the Grid Goes Down" on my channel are about as long as I'll go. I'd much rather have people ask for more than ask "Will you EVER shut up?!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted April 24, 2014 Members Share Posted April 24, 2014 Just to add to other comments, I like the dynamics at the end of the song where suddenly the eyeball comes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted April 24, 2014 Author Members Share Posted April 24, 2014 "Eyeball Dynamics" sounds kind of Zappa-esque... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted April 25, 2014 Members Share Posted April 25, 2014 It does! But things should happen when a big eyeball appears. i don't know why. It just should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted April 25, 2014 Moderators Share Posted April 25, 2014 "I'd love to hear your vocal duplicated, saturated, and mixed dry up the middle to fill that hole" is probably not going to happen, but I'll give it a try. It was hard enough to do the first round!! Doing another set of vocals is going to be tough but I think I hear what you're hearing, and can see how that would add.! I was thinking taking your existing track naked and dry and saturating that then mixing IT back in to fill the hole... A duplicate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted April 25, 2014 Author Members Share Posted April 25, 2014 I was thinking taking your existing track naked and dry and saturating that then mixing IT back in to fill the hole... A duplicate. I ended up adding a tape saturation effect to the existing dry voice and it actually sounds pretty good, yet maintains the directness of not being layered. Also tried your suggestion re: tape saturation/low end bump on the acoustics, which definitely works. As to the hip-hop drum loop, I re-created it using a fat snare and real hi-hat/kick instead of synth and deleted the loop. Makes a big difference. Also bumped up the lead a bit...will probably finish a new mix over the weekend. Once again...the SSS Production Squad comes through!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted April 29, 2014 Members Share Posted April 29, 2014 Thanks, but my lead playing sounds most impressive in small doses . The solos in "Little Pieces" and "When the Grid Goes Down" on my channel are about as long as I'll go. I'd much rather have people ask for more than ask "Will you EVER shut up?!" Ah the whole "Less is more" thing...I know from whence you come from. I'll never forget the Late and Great Frank Zappa's quote about seeing Buddy Guy live.."He played a solo that was just one note, but I had the feeling that he really meant it." Then again I may be just remembering it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted April 30, 2014 Moderators Share Posted April 30, 2014 I love it, Craig. Sounds great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted April 30, 2014 Members Share Posted April 30, 2014 Impressive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Folder Posted May 1, 2014 Members Share Posted May 1, 2014 Great job Craig and quite an improvement !I think this version sounds much fatter. I wouldn't mind hearing another Lee Knight song alsoI'm still listening to Guilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted May 2, 2014 Author Members Share Posted May 2, 2014 Thanks for the feedbsck! I sgree the suggested improvements really helped. That's why I keep coming back to the Squad. By the way, if you like the songs, don't forget to click "Like"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted May 3, 2014 Members Share Posted May 3, 2014 The final mix is freakin' AWESOME!!! This is a great song Craig...Great playing, production, lyrics, the whole package. And you got rid of the cheesy snare that was in there! The guitar is Nasty cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted May 3, 2014 Author Members Share Posted May 3, 2014 The final mix is freakin' AWESOME!!! This is a great song Craig...Great playing, production, lyrics, the whole package. And you got rid of the cheesy snare that was in there! The guitar is Nasty cool! Well, I pay attention to what you guys say, and the music is all the better for it. Gonna toss you a curve on the next one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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