Here's my sucky one......

[joeym]

Definitely not my best one, but what the heck....might work as a filler on my next CD
And it was a good excuse to use my new LP Studio...
Would appreciate your comments on the mix.

It's called "When you Call"

http://www.box.net/shared/8ud3p02vm6

Cheers
Joey

[CIRO]

Hy, Joey!!

Good song
Joey, quality recording / mix is as good as if not better than the last I listened (..."face goodbye"...) .
One thing I think you could take a look (IMO)- bass guitar sounds a bit boomy near 120hz


Ciro

[Greg_L]

The overall mix sounds good, but I gotta tell ya, and you know I luv ya bro, but those intro drums sound like they came from Jordan's Casio.

Guitars and vocals sound great. Rhythms during the chorus could maybe be a hair louder. Bass fills the low end wonderfully. It's just the drums that don't sit well with me.

[joeym]

Originally Posted by Greg_L

The overall mix sounds good, but I gotta tell ya, and you know I luv ya bro, but those intro drums sound like they came from Jordan's Casio.

Guitars and vocals sound great. Rhythms during the chorus could maybe be a hair louder. Bass fills the low end wonderfully. It's just the drums that don't sit well with me.

AHHAAAHAAA
Jordan's genius shines on me, WOW....!
Nah, you're right, Greg, it's that rimshot, it sounds too plastic, I'll have to find me a better one. Actually I was thinking of recording it live with my son's snare, 'cos I haven't found one I like yet. This is the first mix so I'll be checking all the levels again. Thanx for the comments!

[joeym]

Originally Posted by CIRO

Hy, Joey!!

Good song
Joey, quality recording / mix is as good as if not better than the last I listened (..."face goodbye"...) .
One thing I think you could take a look (IMO)- bass guitar sounds a bit boomy near 120hz


Ciro

Hey Ciro!
I play a 5-string bass and the boominess could be the thick B-String, so I think I can fix that with EQ. Nice to hear you think I'm learning, it was a long and winding road...and the top of the hill is still some way off
Thanx for the comments!

[greyharmonix]

yea something about the snare rim click and the open high hat bugs me in the verses. maybe some reverb and lowering the level of the click would help, and closing the high hat for the verses then opening it up once the songs kicks in to gear would work better. it's distracting when i think the vocals should be the focus of attention. also the tom fills sound really flat. but everything else sounds great.

[Greg_L]

Originally Posted by joeym

AHHAAAHAAA
Jordan's genius shines on me, WOW....!
Nah, you're right, Greg, it's that rimshot, it sounds too plastic, I'll have to find me a better one. Actually I was thinking of recording it live with my son's snare, 'cos I haven't found one I like yet. This is the first mix so I'll be checking all the levels again. Thanx for the comments!

Yeah the kick aint so great neither. Too dry and just not very real sounding.

Definitely try recording a real snare if you can.

[ksounds]

Originally Posted by greyharmonix

yea something about the snare rim click and the open high hat bugs me in the verses. maybe some reverb and lowering the level of the click would help, and closing the high hat for the verses then opening it up once the songs kicks in to gear would work better. it's distracting when i think the vocals should be the focus of attention. also the tom fills sound really flat. but everything else sounds great.

Agreed with this. When the chorus hits, the whole song seems to really open up. The drums are the weak link in the song, and they don't sound too bad during the chorus at all, it's the verses where they seem to call attention to themselves. You put alot into the vocals, and they sound great. The balance of the mix sounds just about right to me though.

[RAMI]

I agree about the drums. Besides the sounds, it's just not how a drummer would play, with all those open hi-hats in the verses. But enough of that.

Besides that, there's nothing sucky about this (so stop stealing my thread titles!!! ). It's a good tune. I like the guitar parts, and I always love your vocals.

[joeym]

Originally Posted by RAMI

I agree about the drums. Besides the sounds, it's just not how a drummer would play, with all those open hi-hats in the verses. But enough of that.

Besides that, there's nothing sucky about this (so stop stealing my thread titles!!! ). It's a good tune. I like the guitar parts, and I always love your vocals.

Thanx RAMI!
I'm definitely gonna change the drums in the verse, that hihat sounds really sucky (put a copyright on your titles ). I'll try to go for something simple...
Appreciate your advice!

[joeym]

Originally Posted by ksounds

Agreed with this. When the chorus hits, the whole song seems to really open up. The drums are the weak link in the song, and they don't sound too bad during the chorus at all, it's the verses where they seem to call attention to themselves. You put alot into the vocals, and they sound great. The balance of the mix sounds just about right to me though.

Thanx , ksounds!
Gonna hit that verse again....

[joeym]

Originally Posted by Greg_L

Yeah the kick aint so great neither. Too dry and just not very real sounding.

Definitely try recording a real snare if you can.

ah.....the joys of drum sampling!

[rayc]

The snare doesn't bother me much - but I use a Roland TR505 so I can't claim any taste!
The hi hat does though.
I really like the toppy end of the bass - well defined & yet with a BIG BOTTOM!
My missus bought me a five string - it's been months & I still can't get used to the extra string.
Good performances all around bar the skins & tin things.
Nice LP flashing.

[joeym]

Glad you like it Ray!
I honestly don't think much of the song (can't win 'em all, can you...). I like the way the bass came out though. My 5-string has 1 single Humbucker so it's more of a metal bass. I guess it all depends on the style of the song. I absolutely love my Cort bass though. Those guys build pretty good guitars. What's your one?
Thanx for listening!

[JordanD]

i like this! very pretty and mystical! but the bass is messing up everything!

*edit* i listened to it again imaging the bass a heavy rain cloud over the whole song which is a desert and now i really like it!

[JordanD]

i like the line

"when youre cold, i'll be feeling my blood all dried away, a sun inside will shine and carry me away" and then the solo comes burstin in!

[queepy]

Kinda agree with previous post about the drums....really nice tone/phrasing on the guitar in the intro and thru-out the song. I like your vocals...great job! Mix has a nice wide sound to my ears which I like...I think it's a great song man, you guys that put these "sucky" songs up here are really setting the bar low (joking )

[joeym]

Originally Posted by JordanD

i like the line

"when youre cold, i'll be feeling my blood all dried away, a sun inside will shine and carry me away" and then the solo comes burstin in!

Thank you Jordan. Yes, the verse I guess sounds pretty mystical. Actually the chord progression and the melody line there originate from Maltese traditional folk music. You were almost on the spot with the lyrics, but the sense of what you understood is actually close. Here are the words:

When you call

Always knew
Your restless soul would move you on
This empty home
Is haunted by the ghost of you

Hope only fades
Like the leaves in the fall
When the winter fades
Clock ticks away
While the demon inside you leads you astray

I can’t hide the rain
I can’t still the seven seas
And I can’t try at all
But I’ll lay here when you call
I’ll lay when you call
When you call

I pretend
Going round in circles in need of a friend
I lay me down
Space above me it don’t seem to end

Dust settles down
To bury your face
In a cold grey haze
House is a grave
Silence surrounds me
Deafening space

When you call
I’ll be feeling the blood all drain away
A sunken sway
Will carry me when all else has failed

[joeym]

Originally Posted by queepy

Kinda agree with previous post about the drums....really nice tone/phrasing on the guitar in the intro and thru-out the song. I like your vocals...great job! Mix has a nice wide sound to my ears which I like...I think it's a great song man, you guys that put these "sucky" songs up here are really setting the bar low (joking )

Thanx Queep!
I probably listened to it too many times and that's why I think it's sucky....
Thanx to you guys I'm appreciating it a bit more....
Gonna have a new mix up soon.

[joeym]

Ok guys, here's my second try. Tried to tackle the issues you mentioned with the drums. I went for a more metallic sounding snare, a new rimshot and simplified the hihat line in the verse. Hope it's better.

http://www.box.net/shared/8ud3p02vm6

Cheers

[JordanD]

whoa, sounds much better! what a difference! if these were the grunge times, you wouldve had a hit! you sound like a wild cave dog wearing a pelt and howling for your love in the night! actually the song reminds me of a hit song i heard on the radio a few months ago! it was about taking with a wounded hand because it likes to heal.

[heatmiser]

Nice job Joey!

Does have a bit of STP to it I guess...the guitars and vocals sound really good. Overall very well-balanced and a really nice stereo spread. Seems maybe a little more sparse than some of your arrangements (at least the verses), which is kind of a cool change. Also a little more modern sounding stylistically.

Maybe it is because so much has already been written on the drums, but I still wonder about the sound of them during the verses especially. The kick in particular seems a little odd sounding to me..?

Really well done overall !

[joeym]

Thanx Heat!
The kick sample is actually pretty dry, I just EQ'd it a little in the high mids around 3000Khz. I was going for a thumping metal kind of kick. I also wanted to keep the arrangement in the verses simple to enhance the dynamics of the chorus. Lately I'm using my SM58 on the vocals and I quite like it. Appreciate your comments!

[joeym]

anyone else....?

[Marcadiablo]

Joey, my man! I haven't been around here much lately, but what can I way. I love your songs. If you need any drums, just say the words, bro. I will gladly do them for you. You are such an accomplished singer and musician. Great work.