Goodbye Mr Pills*

Armistice

Son of Yoda
*This was the title of a Cave thread started by (guessing) TAE?? which was the story of the death of a relative of his. I've nicked the phrase because I thought it was an awesome song title, however the song is completely unrelated.

A million miles from my previous band, The Jongleurs, if you've wandered in expecting an acoustic pop tune. Sorry...:eek: No acoustic guitars on this one.


Goodbye Mr Pills

First mix up. Let me know your mix thoughts peeps...

Cheers :thumbs up:

Lyrics (if you're into that):

He was always a man looking to push the envelope
He said I never met a drug I didn't like so don’t talk about a slippery slope
He was always a man who knew exactly what he wanted to do
Started most his evenings with a choice of pink, white or blue

Goodbye Mr Pills, Mr Pills
We miss you already
Goodbye Mr Pills, what a thrill

He was on a first name basis, with some of the local ambulance crew
And he dated women he met in rehab or NA and whose names he barely knew
There was a story on his arms that'd take a lifetime to tell
He was always on the edge of the periphery, I guess we didn't know him all that well

CHORUS

Some people just make different choices
And live their lives guided by different voices
We didn't ask too many questions
He didn't listen to many suggestions
He wasn't overly concerned with making a good impression

And then there was this night, where he pushed it all a bit too hard
He went all in, put his chips on the table and turned his final card
I heard the story from some guy I know, but maybe it was lies
Said you could see completion in his face and acceptance in his eyes

Goodbye Mr Pills, Mr Pills
We miss you already
Goodbye Mr Pills, Mr Pills
We miss you already
Goodbye Mr Pills, Mr Pills
We miss you already
Goodbye Mr Pills, what a thrill
 
I think that the vocals and guitars are too upfront and they are hiding the drums.

If this was intentional, then its okay...I'm a fan of drums really present in the mix, in any way possible.

But the recordings sound great, so you should have no problem with doing any adjustments.

Great tune.
 
I think that the vocals and guitars are too upfront and they are hiding the drums.

If this was intentional, then its okay...I'm a fan of drums really present in the mix, in any way possible.

But the recordings sound great, so you should have no problem with doing any adjustments.

Great tune.

Thanks dude. I've done a little tweaking having heard it on a few different systems, including the iPod on the way to work. Pulled the vox in a touch and uncompressed the snare a little... as well as a bit of L/R rebalancing.

Thanks for the listen.
 
I like it.

Thanks Lou... you're not going to tell me this sounds like Jethro Tull are you? I'll have to get a codpiece and a flute. And a beard...

Not hearing it myself, but glad you liked it! :D

I would have said it was the bastard child of Television and The Hold Steady, but I do have a soft spot for J Tull esq... :thumbs up:
 
The intro is quite TV - angular and crisp.
The chorus is really rich and smooth in comparison.
It actually sounds like a bit of WPA with TV - (one of the partially spoken tracks on their big LP - it's the Infanticide track.)
The voice goes from quite upfront to slightly buried in the spot around 2.20.
I like this David,
Cool stuff - yes, different but cool.
 
In a few spots in the verses, the vocals get buried by the riff where it is hard to hear the words.

On a production note, (just an opinion) when that riff is playing, seems like some sort of light delay or effect (just in the back and real slight) would give that part a little more personality.

You can tell you know your stuff. Overall real nice mix, and production.
 
Vocals are slightly buried by the riff in the verse. There's a drop in something when the chorus comes in - not sure if it's because the riff stops and it was so present previously. That might be it. I wonder if you eq'd the vocals so they covered that area in the chorus? Not sure though.
Yes sounds "like" JT but still original/unique. Great writing and performance - this is a "choice" piece!
 
Sounds pretty good to me. So some people have said the vox are too up front; others that they're buried. I can sort of hear both at points. Might be time for some automation!
 
Excellent song. Love the crisp guitar tone. Some Leslie'd B3 in spots would sound awesome, but might throw it too 70s. Good playing all the way through. I like the way the vocal is sung, but like so many others are saying, buried in spots...to forward in others. I like the drums where they are. Fits the groove of the song.
Thanks for sharing this song!
 
The intro is quite TV - angular and crisp.
The chorus is really rich and smooth in comparison.
It actually sounds like a bit of WPA with TV - (one of the partially spoken tracks on their big LP - it's the Infanticide track.)
The voice goes from quite upfront to slightly buried in the spot around 2.20.
I like this David,
Cool stuff - yes, different but cool.

The Infanticide of Marie Farrar? I'll have to dig it out and have a listen. I think it was someone else's poem... Thanks for the listen, ray.

In a few spots in the verses, the vocals get buried by the riff where it is hard to hear the words.

On a production note, (just an opinion) when that riff is playing, seems like some sort of light delay or effect (just in the back and real slight) would give that part a little more personality.

You can tell you know your stuff. Overall real nice mix, and production.

Thanks DM - will check out the vocals - I sort of hadn't sung much for a while and my technique wasn't so good - there's automation all over that track already but sounds like it needs more - trouble with vocals is that your brain "hears" them and tends to compensate. Will do some more work on the weekend on the levels.


Vocals are slightly buried by the riff in the verse. There's a drop in something when the chorus comes in - not sure if it's because the riff stops and it was so present previously. That might be it. I wonder if you eq'd the vocals so they covered that area in the chorus? Not sure though.
Yes sounds "like" JT but still original/unique. Great writing and performance - this is a "choice" piece!

Thanks ido... moreJT?? - has to be the tenor of the voice - I'm just not hearing any comparison at all and while I do play acoustic like Ian Anderson with the pick / strum thing, but no acoustics in here... will have a listen at the weekend on the points you've mentioned. Thanks for the compliment... :thumbs up:

Sounds pretty good to me. So some people have said the vox are too up front; others that they're buried. I can sort of hear both at points. Might be time for some automation!

Thanks for the comments VHS - As I said above, it's already automated to shit, so I think I'll get some other ears to have a listen while I'm at the desk and tell me what's not audible as it's foxing me....

Excellent song. Love the crisp guitar tone. Some Leslie'd B3 in spots would sound awesome, but might throw it too 70s. Good playing all the way through. I like the way the vocal is sung, but like so many others are saying, buried in spots...to forward in others. I like the drums where they are. Fits the groove of the song.
Thanks for sharing this song!

Thanks for the listen BrokenH - there's a bit of MIDI'd organ in the chorus, but I'm not planning on any more noise in the verse. As I've said above, I'll relisten for the vocals and attack the automation with fresh ears on the weekend. I've heard it too many times now... I think the drums are about right too since I adjusted the snare a little, I'm not one for putting them up too high.
 
Just listened again. The Tull comments are driven by the vocal stylings. Got Ian Anderson written all over ya', pal. "The story on his a-aaa-a-arms..." At least three syllables in a four letter word. That's an Anderson trademark. Nobody else sings like that. Except you - here. The instrumentation shows some Tull influence as well IMO but to a much lesser extent.

This is just what I hear. I am neither an expert nor a professional critic trying to influence the listening, and record-buying, public. I like the tune. I like Tull. No surprise.
 
Just listened again. The Tull comments are driven by the vocal stylings. Got Ian Anderson written all over ya', pal. "The story on his a-aaa-a-arms..." At least three syllables in a four letter word. That's an Anderson trademark. Nobody else sings like that. Except you - here. The instrumentation shows some Tull influence as well IMO but to a much lesser extent.

This is just what I hear. I am neither an expert nor a professional critic trying to influence the listening, and record-buying, public. I like the tune. I like Tull. No surprise.

Interesting... never thought of it before or particularly analysed IA's vocal stylings... although I've listened to a lot of Tull over the years, including, weirdly, immediately AFTER I'd finished tracking the vocals on this - just came up on the car one day and I dialled in about 6 albums in a row and had a binge. Having a lower range voice, I could usually sing Tull songs where I couldn't reach "normal" rock, so maybe I picked it up from doing that? I'm still not getting a codpiece... :laughings:
 
The moment the guitars come in, the whole mix becomes very busy with all the highs. I'm missing a lot of low in this mix. I can hear the bass, but it's hard to find once all the instruments chime in. It sounds like a guitar, to be honest. I would make the guitars a lot less bright.

The vocals are also a tad loud. When the backing vocals kick in, it's added to the volume of the lead vocals, making it all very loud.
 
I got a whiff of Tull as well.

I'll join the school who say guitars could be quieter. I'd like to hear vocals and kit more clearly. But, a great song . . . interesting and engaging.
 
The moment the guitars come in, the whole mix becomes very busy with all the highs. I'm missing a lot of low in this mix. I can hear the bass, but it's hard to find once all the instruments chime in. It sounds like a guitar, to be honest. I would make the guitars a lot less bright.

The vocals are also a tad loud. When the backing vocals kick in, it's added to the volume of the lead vocals, making it all very loud.

Thanks for the listen. I continue to tinker and thought the highs on the guitars a bit too bright myself when I was listening before so I've done a bit of taming.

I got a whiff of Tull as well.

I'll join the school who say guitars could be quieter. I'd like to hear vocals and kit more clearly. But, a great song . . . interesting and engaging.

Thanks geck - I'll have another listen in the morning re. the guitars, but I've just now mellowed the brightness a little which was bugging me and the previous guy mentioned, so we'll see how I feel about it after a relaxing night and a good red.:D
 
Good Job Arm!

Yep it was my brother in law...and though you didn't know him you nailed him in certain parts... he was smarter than that and least he thought he was.
Man he dodged the bullet so many times but definitely got caught in the crossfire more than once...

Did 2 three year stints in State prison mostly working at firecamp both times...He was so close this time to getting clean...had over 60 days at Christmas and then his last binge..damn knucklehead...he was a PITA but he is missed and left a lot of people that loved him brokenhearted. :(

Baby T on the left in back and his 18 year old son who is a junkie heading down a very short road...

Clipboard04.jpg

Always lived on the edge...


Good the bad and the ugly.jpg
 
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Listening to the tune and looking at T with the gun sure made the tune have a cowboy western feel...kind of Alice Coopers desperado..

Cool tune and tasty use of the organ
 
Very cool tune, man! The guitar lines are awesome and sound great. I'd like to hear more presence from the drums --- a little more "thwack" in the snare --- but that's just personal preference. The vocals definitely reminded me of Tull before I even read people mentioning that. Your style and tone is very reminiscent of him. It doesn't sound derivative, but it's very similar. The vocals also sound a little dark to me --- especially in the chorus. I think they could do with a bit more air or presence maybe.

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing!
 
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