Drive Me Mad

[robgreen]

I'm only listening on small phones at work, hardly ideal conditions, so if no-one else has mentioned it, I could be imagining it!

I hear it too. It struck me the first time I listened, but then when I went back and listened closer it sounded more like the natural drop in the song before the climb started again rather than an automated one. It might benefit from a small boost just at that point to level out, but I don't think it's a biggie.

Agree with others that the overheads could come down a gnat's hair, but other than that all sounds good and done RAMI. You got some tight playing sir.

 

[jonny deep]

Rami! I think this is the best of yours I've heard. I listened to it on the crappy built in speakers on my laptop and it sounded great - I look forward to listening on something better later. Playing is really tight and the drums sound great - I don't hear any problem with the levels, but may do on other speakers, I guess. Awesome guitar work, love all the change ups. I wasn't mad about this when you posted it as an instrumental, but with the vocals this really works for me (I'm not a fan of instrumentals, though!).

 

[RAMI]

Very cool RAMI,
I was a little nervous about "drive me nervous" when I read it but it sings really well.
I'm in the more snap on snare camp I think.
The tempo is terrific and the rhythm section should be used to right the tower in Pizza.
Vocals are as near to perfect as can be had.

Thanx Ray. Agreed about the more snap on the snare. But I tried to get more and it's just not there. This is how the snare will have to sound for this tune. I'd like more "snare" on the snare, too, but I'll have to live with this. I think I can tolerate it.

I hear it too. It struck me the first time I listened, but then when I went back and listened closer it sounded more like the natural drop in the song before the climb started again rather than an automated one. It might benefit from a small boost just at that point to level out, but I don't think it's a biggie.

Agree with others that the overheads could come down a gnat's hair, but other than that all sounds good and done RAMI. You got some tight playing sir.

Thanx Rob. I'll take a closer listen when I re-visit this tune and really listen to see if I hear what you guys are talking about. Agreed about the overheads. I'll bring them down when I get around to this tune again. Thanx a lot.

Rami! I think this is the best of yours I've heard. I listened to it on the crappy built in speakers on my laptop and it sounded great - I look forward to listening on something better later. Playing is really tight and the drums sound great - I don't hear any problem with the levels, but may do on other speakers, I guess. Awesome guitar work, love all the change ups. I wasn't mad about this when you posted it as an instrumental, but with the vocals this really works for me (I'm not a fan of instrumentals, though!).

Thanx Johny. Yeah, it was never meant to be an instrumental, even when I posted just the instrumental of it. I hate instrumentals too.

 

[Jammeez]

Overwhelming consensus seems to be it's great! I'll add my voice to that cheer.

That said, I might've tweeked some of the phrasing of the lyrics. To be clear, that does not mean changing the words (which I love), but changing the timing of how they are spoken. A specific example is the "you know" at the end of the verse(s). It just doesn't quite feel like the right tone and timing.

I do like how you worked the rhyme throughout the song. And the theme is excellent.

 

[Rod Norman]

I'm not sure

Bullshit. BSBSBSBS...LOL

You say you don't know but your song and your attitude are positive and in your face. With a song like this why do you care about the small stuff? Although the song is about I Don't Know, none of the things you list that you don't know are important in life. A wise man knows that he doesn't know. This is a song about a young man discovering that he is wise but doesn't know it yet.

Now to the problem areas. Any little tweaks on the vocal will barely improve this song. You might look at a little more compression to hold the vocal through the up and down of volume changes if you think it needs it. It sound live; leave it. But in the arrangement your best line is "You know?". But it is out of place. It needs to come right on the heels of the whole line. Don't delay it and maybe even scream it. I love this song. Good luck and I hope to see you on the charts. This is a song even a girl could sing.
Rod Norman

Just finished the vocals on this. Here's the first mix, of what I'm sure will turn out to be many.

Since the last thing I spent time working on was the vocals, I'm really not sure of the levels. Sometimes they seem to loud, sometimes they seem to low. I'm also not crazy about my snare in this, but I don't think it's horrible.

Fire away....please.

DRIVE ME MAD

Drive Me Mad (words and music by RAMI)


Running from the Boogy man
Hollow as a hologram
Critically tranquilized
Television overdose
Waiting until your head explodes
Mentally terrorized
I don't know what you're saying and I know
I don't even know what I don't know, you know?

Chorus:
All I know is you drive me nervous
All I know is you drag me down
All I know is it drives me mad

Sick of Democrats again
Tired of the Republicans
Sick and tired is all we got
I know what they're trying to sell
I know that it's lame as hell
Nothing's ever what it's not
I don't know what you're saying and I know
I don't even know what I don't know, you know?

Chorus:
All I know is you drive me nervous
All I know is you drag me down
All I know is it drives me mad

I don't know what I know but I do know
I don't know what I don't know, you know?

Chorus:
All I know is you drive me nervous
All I know is you drag me down
All I know is you drive me nervous
All I know is you drag me down
All I know is it drives me mad

 

[RAMI]

Overwhelming consensus seems to be it's great! I'll add my voice to that cheer.

That said, I might've tweeked some of the phrasing of the lyrics. To be clear, that does not mean changing the words (which I love), but changing the timing of how they are spoken. A specific example is the "you know" at the end of the verse(s). It just doesn't quite feel like the right tone and timing.

I do like how you worked the rhyme throughout the song. And the theme is excellent.

Bullshit. BSBSBSBS...LOL

You say you don't know but your song and your attitude are positive and in your face. With a song like this why do you care about the small stuff? Although the song is about I Don't Know, none of the things you list that you don't know are important in life. A wise man knows that he doesn't know. This is a song about a young man discovering that he is wise but doesn't know it yet.

Now to the problem areas. Any little tweaks on the vocal will barely improve this song. You might look at a little more compression to hold the vocal through the up and down of volume changes if you think it needs it. It sound live; leave it. But in the arrangement your best line is "You know?". But it is out of place. It needs to come right on the heels of the whole line. Don't delay it and maybe even scream it. I love this song. Good luck and I hope to see you on the charts. This is a song even a girl could sing.
Rod Norman

Jammeez and Rod.

Much appreciated advice. You both mentioned the "you know", and thing is, it's the one line I had trouble placing and "feeling" where it should be placed in that line. I think I delayed a bit because I didn't want it to say "...what I don't know you know", which is different than "...what I don't know....you know?". But it never felt right listening back, and I just thought it's me. I'm really glad you both mentioned it. I'll definitely look into working that one in batter.

This is what the forums is all about. You guys are awesome!

 

[foxje79]

Everything sounds pretty good, drum-wise. I agree, maybe more snares and reverb are needed. One thing I have started doing to add a natural room ambiance is use a room mic that I place about 12-15 ft, from the kit.
I think the rhythm guitar tracks could use some more fatness. I think the drum track is probably the second loudest instrument in the mix, behind the vocals, so also maybe revisit the mix after not listening to it for a couple of days and try to bring everything into the same plain. Its seems to me, the chorus hook is the best part, vocally, of this song. I would try to get that same punch and ferocity in the verses as you have in the choruses. Good work, though.

 

[foxje79]

Also, I think when you say "explode" that particular word lacks intensity. Perhaps sing that in a higher octave and belt it, or scream it, and continue to really belt "Mentally terrorized!"
As Rod and Jameez stated about "You Know?" Perhaps you could also place a little emphasis on it as if you were speaking it, you know?

 

[ibleedburgundy]

Love your bass drum sound on here. Love the synced drums and guitar fills - takes a lot of skill. Who plays each instrument? Do you record 4 drum tracks by choice or preference? If you could mic each of your toms independently would you?

Anyway, I don't have much in the way of a critique because you're way fucking better at this than I am. Nicely done.

 

[RAMI]

Also, I think when you say "explode" that particular word lacks intensity. Perhaps sing that in a higher octave and belt it, or scream it, and continue to really belt "Mentally terrorized!"
As Rod and Jameez stated about "You Know?" Perhaps you could also place a little emphasis on it as if you were speaking it, you know?

All great advice in both posts. The best piece of advice was to let it sit for a few days and listen to again for the first time. I'm sure many things will jump out at me.

Thanx a lot.

 

[RAMI]

Love your bass drum sound on here. Love the synced drums and guitar fills - takes a lot of skill. Who plays each instrument? Do you record 4 drum tracks by choice or preference? If you could mic each of your toms independently would you?

Anyway, I don't have much in the way of a critique because you're way fucking better at this than I am. Nicely done.

Thanx a lot Bleed. I'm doing everything on my tunes.

I mic with only 4 mics out of choice. I just can't get around to placing all those stands and mics. But I sort of "cheat" a tom track onto my tunes lately. I copy the overhead track, and then cut everything out of it but the tom hits, so I sort of "mic" my toms.

 

[Illsidgus]

I have listened to this about eight times in a row and am not getting tired of it yet. Good stuff. I read all these comments about fixing this and fixing that, but when I first started playing in bands in the mid 60s, we didn't have any FX, just the guitars, key board, bass, drums and two amps to play everything through including the vocals. I guess what I am saying, is what ever you do it sounds great. I think we have gotten to high tech and forgotten the joys of play loud and proud. I think I just went off on a tangent, well, I, like someone mentioned earlier, am medicated. Love the song.

 

[Bulls Hit]

Haven't been around here in a while but I dunno seems this like is way better quality than previous tunes of yours which are already right up there. You write a good song, your playing and recording is outstanding, and everything is well mixed. What else is there? I can't offer any critique. Just keep doing what you're doing because it's totally working.

 

[ibleedburgundy]

Thanx a lot Bleed. I'm doing everything on my tunes.

I mic with only 4 mics out of choice. I just can't get around to placing all those stands and mics. But I sort of "cheat" a tom track onto my tunes lately. I copy the overhead track, and then cut everything out of it but the tom hits, so I sort of "mic" my toms.

Yeah that's the only thing I could think of that could be improved: If you close mic'd each tom you could probably inject a bit more bassy tones - more body in their sound.

 

[RAMI]

I have listened to this about eight times in a row and am not getting tired of it yet. Good stuff. I read all these comments about fixing this and fixing that, but when I first started playing in bands in the mid 60s, we didn't have any FX, just the guitars, key board, bass, drums and two amps to play everything through including the vocals. I guess what I am saying, is what ever you do it sounds great. I think we have gotten to high tech and forgotten the joys of play loud and proud. I think I just went off on a tangent, well, I, like someone mentioned earlier, am medicated. Love the song.

Thanx a lot. I agree that it's the song that matters more than the production. I think we forget that sometimes.

Haven't been around here in a while but I dunno seems this like is way better quality than previous tunes of yours which are already right up there. You write a good song, your playing and recording is outstanding, and everything is well mixed. What else is there? I can't offer any critique. Just keep doing what you're doing because it's totally working.

Thanx a lot Bull. Nice to see you around again. I'm going to check out the tune you posted later, I always like your stuff.

Yeah that's the only thing I could think of that could be improved: If you close mic'd each tom you could probably inject a bit more bassy tones - more body in their sound.

You might be right. But I think 4 mics should give me all I want. If the toms lack something, it's probably more about them lacking it to begin with. I can also EQ more low end in if needed.

Thanx a lot for the comments and help y'all.

 

[DogmaticVox]

More guitar distortion, louder, and meaner.

Great song. Vocal harmonies are spot on and locked in tight - that always makes such a huge difference in quality imo.

 

[RAMI]

More guitar distortion, louder, and meaner

OK!!!!!

I can definitely do louder, and that might help bring the drums down.

Haven't even listened to this in a about a week. Eventually I'll go back and make all the adjustments that have been discussed.

Thanx a lot.

 

[trimonious]

Very tight, good separation

Very tight playing, good separation in the mix. Nice work.

 

[RAMI]

Very tight playing, good separation in the mix. Nice work.

Thanx a lot. I appreciate it.

I still got to go back and make those adjustments. I have trouble getting myself to go back and listen to my stuff after a week or so. Just can't get myself to do it. But I will eventually.