fat_fleet
Swollen Member
Oh, and Happy Easter!
rayc
retroreprobate
G'day Erik,
Vocals are a bit loud at the very beginninginginggg and a few times throughout.
I'm not sure if the mandolin (?) actually works when it's under the electrics.
A slip of the melody is similar to Cats IN the Cradle: but only a little bit.
Loved the revved up bass at the false end C3min - the da da das were a bit of a let down after the fun lyrics.
Good ending.
Vocals are a bit loud at the very beginninginginggg and a few times throughout.
I'm not sure if the mandolin (?) actually works when it's under the electrics.
A slip of the melody is similar to Cats IN the Cradle: but only a little bit.
Loved the revved up bass at the false end C3min - the da da das were a bit of a let down after the fun lyrics.
Good ending.
dobro
Well-known member
I'm travelling, so it's just earbuds, bud. It's a great tune. Laramie, Laramie. Make sure that repeating piano comes through through all the guitarrismo cuz it's what gives the tune it's character - I think I'd just turn it up. Also maybe it's the earbuds, but I thought bass could have been a taste louder for its little run. That's all I got. Sorry.
jiff 41
An Ex Tractor Fan
I love it, but as Ray said about the vocals, there is some really good playing on this track but difficult to hear with the vocal right up front, I'm only listening on buds as well but songs MUST translate 
(not that I can do can do it yet!! 
)
but I would love to hear it with the vocals down a little so everything else can come up!
(not that I can do can do it yet!! )but I would love to hear it with the vocals down a little so everything else can come up!
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
Hey jiff and ray- Yeah I noticed the vocals thru the laptop speakers as I was posting this, but didn't have time to tweak.
New mix now, lower vocals, same link. Thanks guys!
New mix now, lower vocals, same link. Thanks guys!
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
Heya, thanks for stoppin' by. No biggie, I listen to most of the stuff in here on earbuds. No piano on this though, that's probably the cursed and hated mando you're hearing.
dobro
Well-known member
I'm not cursing and hating on it. I love it.
jm67
Member
Woah - that's really cool. A lot of complexity wrapped around a catchy tune. Nice.
I caught a few rhythmic glitches around 2:50 and 3:35 - there are some "stuttered" snare hits there. They might be intentional, but it felt jarring to me.
Otherwise it sounded good. I'd be curious to see how it would sound to pan the electric guitar to one side - there's a lot of instrumentation crowded into the center of the field right now.
The beginning melody reminded me a little of "John Sinclair" by John Lennon (one of his more obscure tunes). But then "Laramie" goes in its own direction. I like it
.
I caught a few rhythmic glitches around 2:50 and 3:35 - there are some "stuttered" snare hits there. They might be intentional, but it felt jarring to me.
Otherwise it sounded good. I'd be curious to see how it would sound to pan the electric guitar to one side - there's a lot of instrumentation crowded into the center of the field right now.
The beginning melody reminded me a little of "John Sinclair" by John Lennon (one of his more obscure tunes). But then "Laramie" goes in its own direction. I like it
.
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
It is I, fat_fleet, and my fingers who curse and hate the blasted mando.
Woah - that's really cool. A lot of complexity wrapped around a catchy tune. Nice.
I caught a few rhythmic glitches around 2:50 and 3:35 - there are some "stuttered" snare hits there. They might be intentional, but it felt jarring to me.
Otherwise it sounded good. I'd be curious to see how it would sound to pan the electric guitar to one side - there's a lot of instrumentation crowded into the center of the field right now.
The beginning melody reminded me a little of "John Sinclair" by John Lennon (one of his more obscure tunes). But then "Laramie" goes in its own direction. I like it
Hey, thanks jm67. Yeah, the stuttered snare hits in those places is intentional...I love drummers who move the snare hits all over the place, not that I do it well, but I was actually kinda pleased with how they came out here. Oh well, to each his own.
Yeah, I'm not sure I'm done carving out the guitar and mando spaces... but this is the best I've done with it so far. I did have them more separate at one point, but the result sounded unbalanced to me. As it stands, neither are going straight up the center..they're both doubled and blended...but I might fiddle with them a little more.
I've seen that John Lennon footage before, but forgot about that song completely til you brought it up. Damn, that riff is kinda close.. Honestly, though, I'll bet there are a hundred songs out there that use some permutation of that riff. When I first started picking it out on acoustic my wife said it sounded like Hot Tuna.
G
Greg_L
Banned
I think it's okay. The drums are kind of getting abused by the mashes of stuff on top of them and the super hot vocals. I think you've got some spacial imbalances happening that make the whole shebang sound disjointed to me. Tiny distant drums, vocals beating me in the face, but with a weird space room effect on them, and guitars and stuff seemingly pretty dry and all crammed towards the middle. The vocals kind of sound like they were tracked way off the mic in a reflective room, then compressed really hard. It needs some breathing room to me. I really like the guitar and bass sounds though. The big trem guitar at 3:09 and later is great.
R
RAMI
Guest
I like it. Like Ray said, you have a tag that really reminds me of "Cat's In the Cradle". The drums are a little off at times, which is more noticeable with the amount of snare that's being played. Generally, though, it's got a nice 70's feel to it. Pretty complex tune in places.
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
Hey Greg, happy birthday! And thanks for running it through the old lobes, always cool to hear what you think. Sorry the drums didn't work for ya, and I'm kinda curious what you're listening on. Also, there was (almost) no comp on the vox, and the only things going up the middle are kik-snare-bass. Anyways, I changed some things and the drums might be a little more present now. Probably not to your liking, but I don't want 'em much louder for this tune. Just doesn't sound right to me. Anyways, ummmm, how far off the mic would you track vocals in an untreated room? I was about 18" back, a lot more than usual...kind of an experiment.
Damn, 2 Cat's in the Cradles so far, and I'm just not hearing it... what part of the tune exactly? I'm sure you guys are probably right and I'm just missing it. Yeah man, I'm pretty loose on the drums and I can't just sit back and play a straight beat to save my life. I just get back there and try to whack everything that moves, but that's what I like. I wish I was better at it, but to me it still sounds better than a canned beat clunking away back there. Thanks for the kind words though, flattering coming from someone of your skillage.
R
RAMI
Guest
Not sure what you're saying, but it first happens at 1:03. You say the line twice and it sounds just like "You know I'm gonna be like you Dad, you know I'm gonna be like you...." from "Cats....".
The drums aren't as off as I made it sound. They're actually pretty good.
The drums aren't as off as I made it sound. They're actually pretty good.
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
You know, I think a few of the melodies in this song are almost like country/blues-rock cliches and have probably been in like 12 songs.
R
RAMI
Guest
Other than the "Cats..." line, I actually find this very unique. I wouldn't say it reminds me of anything in particlular. Just a good, classic, feel to it. Of course, everything comes from something, but I wouldn't say you're doing anything cliche here. I like this tune.
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
robgreen
no face
If we're talking about other songs this brings to mind, I thought of Buckets of Rain by Dylan first time I listened. Kind of "Laramie, Laramie, I aint no monkey, but I know what I like..."
It's good to hear something new from you fleet. It's a bit different stylistically from your usual stuff - less droney maybe? I really liked it - cool arrangement, guitars sound good, mandolin part works well, I like the drum pattern.
Main thing to fix for me is vocal levels - they kind of veer between dominating the mix and getting lost in it at various points in the song. I can only pick out the words in the occasional lyric too. Maybe this is something you're bothered about, maybe not - I just know from experience that when you know/sang the words, it's hard to distinguish when others can't - so might be a useful observation.
I listened through a few times already, I enjoyed it very much.
It's good to hear something new from you fleet. It's a bit different stylistically from your usual stuff - less droney maybe? I really liked it - cool arrangement, guitars sound good, mandolin part works well, I like the drum pattern.
Main thing to fix for me is vocal levels - they kind of veer between dominating the mix and getting lost in it at various points in the song. I can only pick out the words in the occasional lyric too. Maybe this is something you're bothered about, maybe not - I just know from experience that when you know/sang the words, it's hard to distinguish when others can't - so might be a useful observation.
I listened through a few times already, I enjoyed it very much.
G
Greg_L
Banned
Thanks for the birthday wishes. I was listening on KRK Rokit 8s in a well treated room. Since it's 5 am I'm now listening on some Shure cans. Either whatever you did to the mix is an improvement or I'm hearing it with clearer morning ears or I'm just more familiar with the song now and my first impression is gone, but the drums and overall balance do seem to be better now. I'm not crazy about the snare sound, but it's okay. It's got pop but not much body. I do like the way you drummed this thing. Almost Keith Moon-ish. As for the vocals, I'm having trouble pin-pointing what it is about them that I'm not liking. I think I'm usually pretty good about articulating into plain speak whatever it is I'm hearing, but your vocal tracks are throwing me for a loop. It might be the distance from the mic and room reflection. 18" off is a bit far IMO for singing in an untreated space. It kind of sounds like you have some layers or double tracking in spots that aren't harmonies? That probably doesn't help. The vocals just have this kind of vox-in-a-box kind of sound. They're not roomy in the sense that they have a long decay or anything, but they sound like they're in a small box. I guess a clearer, closer-the-the-mic kind of sound is what my brain wants to hear.