Critique my Chick Singer - Torch Ballad

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lumpy
  • Start date Start date
Lumpy

Lumpy

Currently Naked
Mildly rearranged versions of the two "Time After Time"s



One mic, one archtop guitar through DI. No compression, no EQ,
just a little reverb. Vox is 20% Left, guitar is 20% Right.

The guitar DI is actually a non-bypass MXR Super-Comp,
NOT engaged, just used for the impedance change.

Recorded in a converted 10x11 ft bedroom, facing
each other about 36 inches apart so that the mic
picks up a little bit of the guitar ambience.

Mic is a Behringer B2 LDC.
Preamp is a Rolls MP13.
Recording deck is a Korg D-888.
The preamp pots on the Korg deck are pretty crappy,
that's why we used the Rolls box for preamp/phantom.

Lumpy
 
That is one pristine sounding recording. Helps to have a great singer, too. Great stuff.
 
fantastic, she's awesome! Nice playing in the git as well..

JasonBird
 
that even made my pc speakers sound crisp and nice?? wow...

great timing isn't it

10 rating...
 
Sounds like she doesn't need any expensive gear or anything to sound good. I remember this song. I like the original better to be honest. The vocal melody seems too broken/choppy or something for my tastes. Her voice is better though. Kind of a jazzy sounding version.

10/10 for sound quality.
 
Critique

Very, very well done. Heather has a wonderful voice, and your playing is super. Her voice reminds me of a famous singer, but I can't quite place her. I like the melding of the two songs. I was hoping that you would bring the older version back in the middle as more of a contrast.

But, I found myself turning the volume down during Heather's chorus. There is an edginess to her voice around 1:09, 1:47, 2:19, and especially at 2:30 on the word "find."

I'm not sure that I'm qualified to recommend what to do about it, though.

Otherwise, a very crisp, clear recording. Very refreshing to hear a nice, mellow tune here!
 
The singer puts Carly Simon to shame when she tried to cover the same tune on her "My Romance" album.

Very enjoyable listen! :)

Cheers! :)
 
danny.guitar said:
Sounds like she doesn't need any expensive gear or anything to sound good. I remember this song. I like the original better to be honest. The vocal melody seems too broken/choppy or something for my tastes. Her voice is better though. Kind of a jazzy sounding version.

10/10 for sound quality.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments. When you say "the original" do you
mean the Cyndi Lauper thing or the standard by Sammy Cahn
that most would think of Sinatra singing? The recording is a
medly of the two songs with the same title. And in performance,
we sometimes weave, get this "Stairway to Heaven" instrumentally
through it. ie, I play STH, while she sings Time After Time.

Thanks again - everyone, for the comments -

Lumpy

In Your Ears for 40 Years
www.LumpyMusic.com
 
Lumpy said:
Thanks for the comments. When you say "the original" do you
mean the Cyndi Lauper thing or the standard by Sammy Cahn
that most would think of Sinatra singing? The recording is a
medly of the two songs with the same title. And in performance,
we sometimes weave, get this "Stairway to Heaven" instrumentally
through it. ie, I play STH, while she sings Time After Time.

Thanks again - everyone, for the comments -

Lumpy

In Your Ears for 40 Years
www.LumpyMusic.com
Click to expand...

Sorry, after a little research trying to remember who I heard sing it, I found that a whole bunch of people have covered it. And I never knew Sammy Cahn came up with it. :o

The one I heard was by INOJ.
 
Great recording, excellent voice, terrific playing.
But, as a matter of taste, I can't cope with "The cabaret jazz medley stylings of...". It sounds too cocktail/supper party for me.
The voice sounds like it's desperate for a nice biting celtic ballad.
BUT...What you do, you do so well! Congrats.
 
Excellent

This just proves why I need so much gear, effects, and plug ins for my own music. I need to cover up the suck.
 
As Mr Burns would say - Excellent! Really enjoyed this take on a classic. Nice phrasing and tone on the vocals. Super tasty backing on the guitar.

:):D:):D
 
Wow, for the past 25 years I thought this was a Cyndi Lauper original.:o:D

Great track, nice to hear something different around this dump.:D I think there may be a tad of distortion on a few of her notes, like the high one at 2:30. Nice singing and playing.:)
 
pretty cool actually... though i admit i wanted to hear the standard not the lauper... only minor complaint is dont like her phrasing... too choppy for torche singing...
 
My, it's so much easier to make cheap gear sound good when you don't suck. That said, the guitar is clean. Her pitch and timing are impeccable, but I agree with others that the arrangement is a little too stacato for my taste. It forces the singer to cram too many syllables into too little time. She's good enough to pull it off, but it makes her sound like she's being pulled to the guitarist's tempo against her will. I would back off just a tick on the fx on her voice. She doesn't need that much reverb/delay/whatever. Send more anytime. Very few homerec'ers have good sources to record. Critique her? She can come by anytime.-Richie
 
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