Dave comes clean (long)

  • Thread starter Thread starter davelivinstone
  • Start date Start date
D

davelivinstone

New member
Hi all,
I've been lurking on this board since May. I've been reluctant to post any opinions on the songs posted because I felt it would be a bit presumptious of me to critique when I have posted nothing ---sorta like "what does he know, what can he do" ---if that makes sense. Well, Barometer told me I should post opinions even if I have no songs posted. I've got a song, "DontWant" at

www.nowhereradio.com/davetestarea/singles

If you only listen to one of my songs don't listen to anything posted yet---I hope to have a better one posted after I get back from vacation. And this one's not that good with too much vocal compression not being the least problem. However, if you have a high speed connection, please listen and critique me.

Anyway, back to Barometers advice: Well, I have listened to about 95 works, and I can't pretend to critique them all here, but will do better from now on. ( I am not very good at saying what is technically wrong anyway). I offer a few here not only as proof that I listened but on the off chance that one of you guys critiqued might actually read it. I know, I know, this thread will totally lack continuity, err-- a subject,---maybe even a point. This could be my life.

charger - listened to "Bats". Good performance. Good recording. OK song. The song lacks universiality. It seems too tuned to your reality.

chris_harris - "Right Now". Good performance and recording. The drums sounded canned. I assume you wrote the song. I LOVE your lyrics. Country is not really my thing except when it is done well ala Lyle Lovette. And your song reminds me a lot of him.

Chris Shaeffer - "The Mouse and The Eagle". Nice guitar sound. Good performance. Are the esses completely "de-essed" away? The lyrics tell a story, but I don't feel it. I get the idea you were after something similar to "Mouse Police" by Jethro Tull, but it's not quite there.

WATYF - "Cover Me" "Tell Her This" and others. What can I say? I AM SOOOO JEALOUS of your talent. You have a terrific voice and play everything so well. All of your songs seem to be in the same genre ---which isn't really a problem. I would like to hear you tackle some other styles. I have a feeling you would do them well too.

Rearranging the Furniture - "black bag", "simple thing", "together once again" et. al. Great vocal harmonies. --Such a sense of humanity in your writing. Some songs were a tad trite. I'd like to hear you explore a wider range of sounds

Guernica - "Miracles" "Unconditional". WOW! such complex arrangements, obviously well thought out, but not overproduced. I actively like "Miracles". I can appreciate "Unconditional", but "Miracles"---WOW! just Wow!

SLuiCe - "Chrysalis". Not really my style. How very talented you are! Something's a bit boomy on my system, but the recording is an order of magnitude better than most posters. And your playing is dead-on even on the very complex passages you have. "Townie" - still a bit boomy --sounds like something you'd hear in a movie.
 
davelivinstone said:
WATYF - "Cover Me" "Tell Her This" and others. What can I say? I AM SOOOO JEALOUS of your talent. You have a terrific voice and play everything so well. All of your songs seem to be in the same genre ---which isn't really a problem. I would like to hear you tackle some other styles. I have a feeling you would do them well too.
Click to expand...
Uh.....

did my mp3's somehow get crossed up with Erland's or something? :confused:



I'm on lunch man,.. I'll listen to your song when I get home from work.

WATYF

(P.S. I'm quite genre-locked. If I try to play anything other than mainstream cheese I turn into a frog. :p )
 
WATYF - did I not credit you with the proper song? I guess that's what I get for not responding when I first listen. When I pull up the mp3s "Tell her This" and "Cover me"(saved on my hard drive), both list you in the author slot. Is that not right? I was confused when I first listened to them coz they do sound a lot like the singer of "fromaboytoagirl" which I believe is Erland. Please straighten me out if I'm all wrong. Did you do "Every day" and "true"? If so, I am still jealous. OK? If not, I don't know who you are. I hope your stuff is good. (Dave opens mouth and inserts foot)
 
LOL... no, no.. don't worry,... those are my songs...

I was just saying that if you went to NWR and clicked on my songs... and then after listening to em, you're all, like, "wow.. he's sooo talented". well,.. then the only explanation I can think of is that you musta got linked to somebody else's songs... :p

(it was a feeble attempt at self-deprecating humor... pay me no mind) :( :p

Although.. you do got me stumped on "true"... that one's not mine.


so anyway,... on to your song.

It's a pretty decent recording. The vocal is nice and clear, the guitars sit in the mix ok. There's a guitar swell that happens in the song (3:18) and it's a little over bearing... There's a couple places where the elec. just kinda jumps out a bit that I thought sounded more like "accidents" than intentional volume changes. The bass is a little thin.. (ok.. very thin) and I wasn't too fond of the bass "sound" that you had goin' on. (but I think that's more "taste") The drums are a little "distant". They sound like they were being played in another room. (well... sort of... you get the point :p) And I could swear I heard the drummer knock his sticks together accidentally during one of the rolls.. :D (yup... I heard it... at 1:21... I hate it when that happens... :p ) The ride was a little loud when it came in.. just a tiny bit. The drums are pretty good, though. I'd rather hear some decent real drums any day over nicely arranged, but cheesy sounding, samples. :cool:

I'll have to say I wasn't too hip on the song itself.. it's just not my style. But for a first recording, I'd say this is pretty darn good. I don't see any glaring "faux pas" that you just need to run out and change "or else". Recording-wise, it was fairly solid.

WATYF
 
Thanks for the feedback, WATYF. Yes the drummer, my brother, did hit his sticks together. We debated whether we should fix this, but as you have already pointed out this song is only mediocre anyway. So why waste effort? The bass was a Rogue from Musician's Friend; I agree something has to be done about it tonally. I don't think our playing is going to get much tighter since we only play together about once every 2 months. C'est la vie.
 
davelivinstone said:
chris_harris - "Right Now". TOTALLY SUCKED. I don't think you've ever done anything as well as Lyle Lovette, but your ugly face reminds me a lot of him.
Click to expand...
Wow man, that really hurts...But I'm gonna' give your tune a totally unbiased listen anyway as soon as I can get near some speakers.

I hope it sucks :D :D
:D
-The misquoter

(now see WATYF, THAT'S how you do the self-deprecation thing).
 
Re: Re: Dave comes clean (long)

chrisharris said:

Wow man, that really hurts...But I'm gonna' give your tune a totally unbiased listen anyway as soon as I can get near some speakers.

I hope it sucks :D :D
:D
-The misquoter

(now see WATYF, THAT'S how you do the self-deprecation thing).
Click to expand...

jedi lawyer trick:rolleyes: ;)
 
Well I'm honored that something I said meant something to somebody. :p And sorry that I missed this up 'til now.

I like the drums, cool rhythm for this and they sound pretty good. I noticed the stick hit too, no biggie. He's a pretty decent drummer. Cool writing, I'm diggin' the spooky feel this has. I have to say that the bass sounds distant, no punch, though I think it should remain somewhat subdued. Otherwise it's pretty good. No need to be self conscious or anything. Good stuff :cool: :D
 
Thanks for the feedback, Barometer. I'll watch for those jedi lawyers, jr#97 :) ---now I've got to go experience my favorite brand on unreality for a week! DisneyWorld :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top