Cover: Nothing You Can Do About it - Critiques and comments appreciated

[cmayo]

My buddy doing the vocal arrangements on this cut is a huge Phil Spector "wall of sound" fan, so over-saturation is kind of a given on this one.

I'd appreciate any suggestions or critiques on the mix & arrangement, especially any helpful comments or advice about intentionally over-producing something like this. With so many things going on, it's tough sometimes to keep things from turning into mush or to figure out how to get brass to cut through a guitar solo without obscuring it.

SoundClick artist: Chuck Mayo - page with MP3 music downloads

 

[Bubba po]

The whole thing is beautifully crisp, clear and polished. If I have one issue it's the little piano chord stabs on the left; they're not perfectly in time with the triplets feel of the track. perhaps a little "nudging" is in order?

 

[cmayo]

Wow, great ears! I'd never have heard it, but the first two stabs of each set were late by a sixteenth note (or an eighth, depending on how you count it) Thanks for that, and for your other comments! Those stabs still sound a bit random but at least now they're in the right place.

 

[NotThatBright]

I can't hear anything I'd change. If I were to nitpick I might say lower the keyboard just a bit during the guitar solo, but it's fine the way it is.

Sounds quite good.

 

[cmayo]

If I were to nitpick I might say lower the keyboard just a bit during the guitar solo

Thanks! I went ahead and backed off on the piano & synth 8th notes through the solo and the mix sounds clearer to my ears... good thought. Unless you think the brass patches are also a little hot?

 

[NotThatBright]

Thanks! I went ahead and backed off on the piano & synth 8th notes through the solo and the mix sounds clearer to my ears... good thought. Unless you think the brass patches are also a little hot?

Like the one starting at :45? Now that you mention it, it does kind of sound like it breaks up a little around :48. Would you look to turn down the brass entirely, or just reduce the treble a bit?

 

[dobro]

It's good. It's more about promotion than looking for mix comments.

 

[cmayo]

It's more about promotion than looking for mix comments.

Actually, the opposite is true. I've developed my production & mixing skills, such as they are, in a total vacuum, and am hoping that by exposing mixes to the more knowledgeable and experienced community here I can begin to identify and improve weaknesses in my product and/or help me trust my ears by confirming that what I think sounds good actually does sound good.

 

[cmayo]

Like the one starting at :45? Now that you mention it, it does kind of sound like it breaks up a little around :48. Would you look to turn down the brass entirely, or just reduce the treble a bit?

Yeah, I do have an unfortunate tendency to over-stress elements that I like, and those brass lines were a good example. Based on your suggestion, I pulled them way back and that seems to have really clarified the string and piano lines.