It Ain't Easy Bein' Me

  • Thread starter Thread starter chrisharris
  • Start date Start date
that is one wicked cool opening line.... :D

Nice mix man... Really... Good mix.

and the drums don't suck too much either... :p little too heavy on the crash cymbal at times.. and the hi-hat is compressed to death.. (come to think of it, the whole thing is compressed to death.. :p ) but the cymbals are the most "squashed" part of the mix. The crashes have no resonation.. they just "fizzle" for a split second and then they're gone... two crashes even get cut off before the "crash" is even over (2:43 and 2:52) Need to do some work there...

but a good mix over-all.

WATYF
 
well maybe it's not ........ but your music's easy to listen to ! ;)

Your obviously a seasoned songwriter. I like the song .. although perhaps the subject is a little too honest ? Like 'old yeller' I'm confused as to what your trying to say ? never mind... I'm just a simle creature obsessed with the message of songs.

Musically it's great. I esp like the intro and outro. Harmonies are excellent

constructive critisisms:
there's a little electronic type blip at 0:08 ... sound like a watch .. is that spose to be there ?
The rhythm guitars that start at 0:14 sound sharp compared to the first guitar (esp high one). A little bit of out -of -tuneness is cool ... but this I think is a bit too much.
The snare at 0:53 sounds really harsh. The snare tone in general is good... just a bit too much at this point.
Crash cymbals maybe a little too loud all the way through ? Infact the more I listen I think the drums in general are too forward... it distracts from the excellent vocals and gits.

Take these comments with a grain of salt... I'm listening on little phones at work. Overall a top song .... I'd love you to produce a few songs for me ... I don't have much talent for that (arrangement and stuff)

Cheers
dres
 
when did "have you ever seen the rain" go up...?? Is that a new one?


WATYF


(and what happened to that newbie that I was harassing earlier today?? :D )
 
This is a GOOD tune Chris.You definetly have the Austin thing going on.I love this kind of stuff.We USED to get Austin City Limits on PBS but they cut it out of their line-up last year(dumb bastards) and I used to tape a lot of the singer songwriter shows.You have the same quality as a lot of those guys.Are you into Joe Ely or James McMurtry?Thats some good shit.A guitar player by the name of David Grissom played with both of them and he's just freakin awsome.Anyways your music got me off on that trip.LOL.Good tune man.Nice CCR cover too.

Later,Kramer
 
Dres...thanks, man. I'm no producer... (unless producing "woofy" sounding harshness counts), but I really appreciate the compliment. ANYtime you wanna' work together, I'm there.

WATYF - Yeah, I'm doing some stuff for the band. I didn't post the CCR tune, b/c...well; it's a cover song, and I already bombard this place enough with my own tunes, right? LOL.

Actually, this one's a cover also, (Chris Knight), but I figure few here have heard of him...and I'm his biggest fan (out of the 12 of us)... I'm trying to reach a little further into the instrument and mix bag; Chris Knight writes nothing but cold, honest truth, which is kinda' refresing around the most material of all holidays... (I love Christmas, btw).

Okay, so there's an organ, and an accordian (sp?), and a Martin on the right, and a Larrivee on the left, and a Gibson SG near the end, and a fake mandolin, and then a real mandolin...and some other crap...but still, it's the drums that suck. LOL... BAHAHahahahahaha.

I'll be back in a little bit
 
Last edited:
Kramer said:
This is a GOOD tune Chris.
Click to expand...
Missed you there... The song is truly great; no doubt. As you can see, I didn't write it, but I'm VERY flattered that you think I COULD have. This is the stuff I love...I'm just kind of experimenting with some sounds, and I really appreciate the feedback.

Now I wanna' write this song...damn.
 
dres said:

there's a little electronic type blip at 0:08 ... sound like a watch .. is that spose to be there ?

The rhythm guitars that start at 0:14 sound sharp compared to the first guitar (esp high one)
Click to expand...
Okay...first off...the blip at :08 in is DEFINITELY supposed to be there, and certainly NOT a by-product of my 5 year-old's new McDonald's Happy Noise Maker thingy... :D (very good ears).

As far as the pitch difference on the gits... I'm ashamed to say that I can't hear it. I was using 2 different guitars, but that shouldn't matter...I mean, if they're out, they're out. Can you tell me if youre talking about the rhythm gits, or any of the fills, or both, b/c that's something I'd like to fix. Thanks again.
 
ditto the WATYF comment: i love that opening line! great songwriting first of all, so tell your friend that!

this is definitely a step up for you mixing wise as well. the opening guitar sounded perfect.

production wise, i actually think it might be a little busy in some places. that's personal taste i know.

the drums sound a LOT better than your last post. i love ringing snare drums. one thing though. it sounds like you used a different snare in one spot and it threw me. not that it would throw anyone else, cause to most drums are just noise ;) but it threw me.

i actually listened to this on my monitors which isn't saying a whole lot cause you gotta consider the room they are in also but the bass was lacking something in this mix. it didn't sound woofy or anything. just didn't sound real meaty to me and the song could use that imo.

i'm gonna go check that on some other speakers.......be back.
 
I enjoyed it a lot man. I heard something at the beginning too,one of things like, when thought something ran across the road but your not sure or something. Anyways, it was real smooth and the snare and kick sound in the room and up close, the cymbals got a little flighty but still ok. I used to go see Karla Bonoff , reminds me kinda of a feel i got listening to some of her stuff. I applaud this...... love that singing
Ken
 
Hey Chris,
Im here at work, so im not gonna comment on the mix (I'll hit this again from the 'puter at home). I just couldnt wait:). Great song though... and your vocs sound GREAT.


......hit 'cha later.........


g
 
Loved the intro. Loved the harmonies - real tight. Loved where the drums kick in. Loved the the guit hard-panned to the left. "I've had to work to be the jerk I've come to be" was good. The instruments all sit together real well.

The sideshow lines were a bit contrived . That's my only nit to pick.

BTW - it isn't easy being green either. Just ask Kermit the frog.
 
You and me both,but mostly you

I hate country...but this is great,excellent production,great lyrics,made me sad and glad at the same time...I don't think the snare fits but that's just my asshole...I mean my Opinion...you be the mayor,and I'll be the sheriff...it's like you wrote my life...fellow jerks and freaks unite...love this tune...Bing up those guitars ,man!Nice work,perfect ending.
 
Toki987 said:
I heard something at the beginning too,one of things like, when thought something ran across the road but your not sure or something.
Click to expand...

Or when you thought you might have run over something that tried to run across the road....?
 
cool. who originally did this tune?
I really dig that tremolo effect at the end. What did you use for that?
 
chrisharris said:
Missed you there... The song is truly great; no doubt. As you can see, I didn't write it, but I'm VERY flattered that you think I COULD have. This is the stuff I love...I'm just kind of experimenting with some sounds, and I really appreciate the feedback.

Now I wanna' write this song...damn.
Click to expand...

I see now that it's a Chris knight tune.You did a faithful cover man.The original is available for Free download at his site.
http://www.chrisknight.net/

Good job on this one Chris.(HARRIS,not knight:D)

I still think your version is "Austinized".:D
 
nice work chris..........for a minute i was worried 'it ain't easy being me' was gonna be a cover of that song that was on the radio a lot last year....i think it's called 'superman', i can't stand that song, so i'm glad it wasn't it........this is much better

twangier vocals than usual, but done really well.........i really liked them

what's the organ sounds you've got going? really nice......

great song choice.......you do it well
 
"It's not easy being green..."

That was for Jeff M. and his Kermit avatar ;)




I'm gonna start singing my R's like you...git me somma dat country goin'...


I don't know the original but man this sounds great....You've got the perfect voice for this. Sounds like you sampled the snare from Sam's last tune. Works well here, but could use some velocity variety (dynamics)
It's a little cymbal-heavy, but I'm sure that's already been mentioned.

Second listen...
I like the pan of the git and organ in the intro...did the original do that? I might bring the harmony up just a hair...1dB. That's 2 hairs I think actually. Back those cymbals down and I think you got it.

Nice job Chris!
 
Great song, great mix, great sound. This kicks ass.

One of the best I have heard on this board!

Keepem' comin' Chris!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top