Corny love song crap for you to help with

B

bobbo

New member
This is kind of easy listening stuff, but I'd like some help with making them sound a little better. The song "A simple thing" I recorded in 1999 then I had a 2 1/2 year dry spell, and finally just recorded another one called, "Together once again". So, its kind of a before and after. Same equipment except a better computer this time.
One thing I notice when I hear other peoples stuff, is that when I play mine, it sound a lot more quieter, which makes me believe that I shouldn't have sold my rnc compressor just because I didn't understand how to use it. Anyway, let me know what you think.
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=1636&alid=-1
 
reminded me of music from 'the Graduate.' :)

nice tune.. others here will help with the sound, I'm just letting you know I listened to it and nothing jumped out at me as being bad.. maybe the vocals sounded like they were clipping a bit at times, but that may be my monitors.. it's maybe a little light in the bass range too, but not too bad.

nice mellow tune..

sam
 
Well, let me see...

A SIMPLE THING
---------------------
Nice acoustic & clean guitar there. I like the way the bass follows the vocals. Maybe the vocals are too reverbish, or too loud, or something. Sounds like the vocals aren't quite in the center, which isn't all that bad, but kinda distracting. The harmony parts sound sometimes weird, when all the vocals don't sing exactly the same parts, but start and stop at different places. It sounds too loose. The distorted guitar is as loud as I'd keep it. I'm not sure if it fits here, but it certainly don't work if it gets louder. I can tolerate it at the current level. The song composition is ok.

TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN
---------------------------
I'd use more reverb for those drums, since this is a slow mellow song with room for it. I like the acoustic guitar in the left occasionally. I wish there was more of it, and louder. The song itself is pretty standard sounding ballad / lullaby thingy. Not bad, but not thrilling either. Maybe I'm not in a right mood.
 
Together once again
The strumming guitar all thru the song gets repetitious. It's nice when the acoustic comes in on the left occasionally, but like Cranky I think there needs to be more of it and louder.
Also, bring the bass in a lot sooner than the bridge.
I like the harmonies and the electric solo at the end of the song.

A simple thing
Nice, clean intro - maybe a little long.
Bass is a little rumbly on the sustain notes (thru headphones). I don't know that the voice harmony fits with the bass and git at 2:00 - 2:10, but then it resolves nicely at 2:15, so if that's what you wanted...
Same at 3:00, and the distortion git there doesn't (for me) fit with the tone and instrumentation of the rest of the song. Sounded like noise to me at first (static). I'd put in an acoustic or smooth synth solo.
Re-reading Cranky's post, it looks like he mentioned almost the same things. :)

All in all, nice easy listening songs.
 
simple again suffered with the attacks on the vocals not being together, and just average sounds from the instruments. Nice song, however.

the other tune was cleaner, and seemed like you've learned from your past recordings. ..the singing is tighter, etc. the gtr sounds are kinda bland, especially the lead.

it seems you rely heavily on the stacked vocals...which is ok, but having that be your strong point of the recording is not best....which in my opinion, it is.

again..another nice laid back tune. Some polish on the recording would help these tunes...like a great ac. sound, good fuzz gtr..etc.
 
Thanks a lot for the replies. Its nice to get someone elses thoughts on them. I'll be able to go back and do some more work on them and try some of your guys ideas.
 
Nice stuff bobbo!

Together once again was very nice & open. I really like the CSN style vocals a lot! The rythm guitar (Pod?) was a little harsh and loud perhaps...and drown out the solo guitar in places. Perhaps you were doing that because it's the main driver...but it could have maybe been back a bit.

All in all I enjoyed it! It fit the season.

I also listened to A Simple thing....

WOW, when those vocals come in with the bass it's very powerful! Yeah it could've been done "better" but you know, I think you did a really nice job with it...it's effective! I also like the panning...very old school.

Good songwriting!

Slackmaster 2000
 
Thanks Slack,
Its been awhile, but I'm just glad to have done something. I've always had a tough time finding a good electric guitar sound. I've just never spent the money on a decent guitar yet, or practiced enough, or both. Also, since I quit smoking the singing is easier this time around and more enjoyable, especially doing all those takes:p
I think I'll have fun working on the two songs and using the info I get from here, so thanks to you all. My favorite part of the process is working with the wav files in ntrack.
 
Together Once Again. Man this sounds like Bad Finger a lot (one of my all time favorite bands). I'd have played the bass a little less busy (more on the down beat and fundamentals). Great vocals on this one.
Simple things. No detractors on this one for me. Very, very smooth sounding. Great job.
 
I listened to Together Again and I thought the tune was very cool. I wasn't nuts about the electric rhythm. I thought that either a piano or an acoustic would sound more gentle, which would mesh with the soft vocal sound. I think the voices sell the song and should be the main focus--everything else is just to support the vocal melodies. Thats my only concern.

It did have a "Graduate' vibe to it. I dig Paul Simon. Good company to be with.
 
Thanks fella's,
Its interesting because I first started out with an acoustic rhythm track, but I only have a nylon string guitar and thought I would be better off with the electric. I might try it with the acoustic again to see how it goes again. I really should just buy a steel string one though to go along with the nylon one.
Thanks a lot for the listens. I can't wait to have some time to work on them again, so busy right now.
 
Hey bobbo,

I felt it my provincial duty to chime in;)

Glad I listened.

Very nice layering of the vox tracks. Tight , textured and full.


I agree that a steel string acoustic would help. I'd put one track of steel string on each side (seperate takes to provice a little natural chorus) and use that nylon closer to the middle. Layer and unify the gits in a theoreticaly simular way that you did the vox. Hold off on the electric rhythm until the second verse (or let it drone in a mono note fashion) and create some space in the arrangment for a bigger bridge/solo section.

Oh My,

I didn't mean to step on the songs toes so much, I was just giving opinions and ideas fresh from my listening of the "very good!" tune.

Nice song, Toy with it some more and you will make this solid core a full on hit!!

But, what do I know....

Theron.
 
Thanks for the suggestions and comments Theron. I really like hearing everyones thoughts on the songs, it helps me to hear what other folks would do with it. It can be so hard to be objective when its your own song that you've heard 100 times, its almost like its not fresh anymore.
I appreciate the comments of others who are somewhat like me, because I can get pretty lazy and not do things in a correct way, just to get a song done. You guys give me a kick in the ass to help me do a little more work on it. So, thank you. Plus, I get to go steel string acoustic shopping, hehehehe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top