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New Album - Smoke


Mark L

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A fine album. Really. Love the way passion and emotion which comes through as well as the variety in your arrangements. Songs like Life on Your Own, I Wish I Was Back On The Dole, Taking The Tablets, Result Of Chance are "wonderful" biting social commentary.......

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I've copied and pasted the following two replies because I don't want to hijack Craig's thread

 

"But isn't that in the eye of the beholder? smile.png

 

There are many songs, some big hits that IMHO were not recorded professionally and still managed to have an impact.

 

To me it's about capturing your state of mind and what you are at the moment. The greatest musical ideas are never recorded "professionally" because most great ideas don't come when you are sitting in front of a Console with top engineers standing by. They simply happen.

 

 

I have decided that what's professional is the intent and the effort not so much the product.

 

For example:

 

"While Marl L was stranded on an airplane, he wrote and recorded a song on his Phone about the his experience"

 

Vs.

 

"While Marl L was in the studio he decided to quickly put some beats together to catch the Christmas sale."

 

If there is honesty and hard work, professionalism don't matter because as a Listener, I am trying to connect, I want to feel what you are feeling and get inside of your head.

 

It does not matter what and how you recorded your material at such point.

 

I which I had some of your talent." (Posted by audioicon)

 

 

"The $$$$ you are thinking about spending on that lovely guitar could probably get you to Phil's and back. He was willing to record you for points iirc. The pressure would be on a bit - but I get the feeling you don't need many takes, for the vocals anyway. I also think that your music would benefit from some players being involved, that's a fair bit more to get rolling with though.

 

But maybe the next time your creative juices aren't flowing it might be worthwhile to get a few of your best and do them up right. Regardless of what you may or may not have in mind for them, they'll have the professional touch. And if it seems like too much trouble...

 

...I knew a violinist once who went into his violin lesson and before he could play a thing he'd prepared his teacher plopped some music he'd never heard or seen on the stand in front of him and said, "Play some of this for me." And he did. It was Schubert btw. After a phrase of 16 bars the teacher stopped him and said, "You have something that very few people have. You know how music should go."

 

I share that with you because I think it's true of you, Mark. You are 'musical', and in a world full of home spun music-ish finger paintings and wall paper you and your music actually have the right to be in a recording studio. I don't know that it will get you into a new tax bracket, but it might increase your chances - not to mention the the size of your audience." (Posted by RockViolin)

 

 

 

Thanks, guys. You're very kind. And thanks for making me think :)

 

 

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Love you new stuff Mark, there is some real stand out material on your album.

lyrics are always strong, insightful, tinged with just a tad of irony and your British melancholy.

 

Your voice is sounding better than ever.

 

Your heart is in every tune.

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Thanks, Craig :)

 

Yeah, the drums have always been an issue. For this album I used loops that came bundled with the PreSonus DAW that I use and loops I created myself using Impact. In addition I used percussion loops to further thicken the rhythm backing

 

With regard to the vocals, I had some help from my new friend, Mr. Mel O'Dyne...

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You're a genuine original Mark. I'd put these songs up against all comers. You're a genuine talent in a world awash with the mediocre and downright crappy tunes passing as music. A Mozart in a world of posers.

 

Great album, all the way through.

 

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You're a genuine original Mark. I'd put these songs up against all comers. You're a genuine talent in a world awash with the mediocre and downright crappy tunes passing as music. A Mozart in a world of posers.

 

Great album, all the way through.

 

Thanks. I'm flattered :)

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Hey Mark - my first impression is that the overall production is kicked up a good notch. The mix is clear and serves the music well. And it sounds like an album rather than a misc collection of tunes.

 

The Dole song is my fav so far. But I'll give it a bunch more listens.

 

You're getting better all the time...that's the important thing. In some ways the only thing.

 

I agree with Craig about the drums. A real drummer or a programmer with the chops to make virtual sound real. This is where I stand as regards virtual drums, drums machines, vs. real drums and drummers. It's that the vibe needs to be basically and convincingly one or the other. Either go for an obvious, true-blue drum machine vibe, or what can pass for real drums played by someone with real chops (even if it's not actually real.) Stuff that's in-between - almost real, or drum machine-ish...generally doesn't cut it. Close but no cigar. It's not that the drums are "bad" - it's that "not one or the other" feeling that is just distracting I think is the root problem. I "notice' the drums too much, that they are "off" in some way or another. It might be a totally unfair judgement, but it's one people are gonna make....

 

Drum loops are typically way overprocessed, too. Makes it really, really hard to drop them into a tune and not have them sound plastered over instead of an integral part.

 

nat

 

 

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Thanks for listening to the album and for your comments, Nat :)

 

I hear what you're saying regarding the drums. Drums have always been an issue with my recordings. Not entirely sure what to do about it, though. I'll have a think

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I'm with Nat' date=' either make it sound real or make it electronic. For my "real" drums (which are on both Neo- and Simplicity), I used the Discrete Drums by Chris McHugh. Not only is his playing great and there's a broad selection, they're not at all overprocessed...[b']so I can overprocess them myself[/b] :)

 

 

:thu:

 

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