Notes From The Unemployed

groucho

groucho

Member
Well, I got laid off yet again, so - as usual - my music output goes way up. 3 songs in 2 days. Whoopee! I'm broke and prolific...

Here's an odd little one for you to rip to shreds, laughing gleefully as you do it. I'm doing some experimenting with micing techniques, and other things - so let me know if it works for you.

"Table Talk"


Chris
 
My good fortune ... your bad

Hey dude,

Look through all your tunes and select three 'candidates' that you really, really hear either a 'violin' or 'fiddle' solo or cameo in, or viola part or cello part.

Or that you hear good potential for a violin, viola, cello 'trio' in ... or maybe a string background arrangement like a keyboard wash.

Select the candidates based on 'immidately and obviously' hearing a great opportunity for real strings.

I'll listen to the candidates and we can collaborate on adding real strings to one of the most suitable tunes after you and I decide which one it will be.

The first project will set us up nicely to add real strings to what will soon be coming out of you ...

I look forward to hearing your new music ...

now .... GET TO WORK ! :-)
 
I usually enjoy your stuff Chris, and this is no exception. Interesting vocal effect... assuming you got this by off-setting a duplicate track?

Anyways, I like the lyrics too, definitely work well with the melancholy music.

Recording was good, piano may have been a little too tinny, but that's a minor issue when you did so much right.
 
It sounds to me like you're trying way too hard on the singing. I bet you'd sound great if you just sang easy like.
 
Nice one. Lovely melody, good song.

Love the strummed e guitar break.

Distortion on the e piano distracts.

How about a constantly pulsing bass. Maybe a synth pad instead.

"Here's to my reformed ways" LOL

Vocal delivery: it's fine this way, but can you do a slightly 'less whispered' delivery? Use the heavy whisper delivery for certain notes only? Alternately, if you wanna keep that hoarse whisper delivery for the whole song - how about singing it less loudly, with less obvious energy? Just ideas...

Yeah, definitely worth retracking the bits that need it and mixing it. Keep the guitars as is - they're really nice.
 
THIS is the END my FRIEND

for a second I flashed back to the Doors on the instrumental break:cool:
I liked the vocals and the content.
Unemployment gets you going!
 
The art of ... quiet ?

The vocal sounds almost phased or flanged. Too much effect on your vocal. The natural sound of your vocal is effect enough ;-) . It's almost spooky, unreal, and it does serve as a good unique 'narrator' type of effect. So it's good for this 'story' that you sing to us. It's like the mystic sage's voice coming from behind the crystal ball ... ?

We are all waiting to hear you really open up and sing clean ... I'm beginning to become suspicious that there is a hell of a big clean voice in there.

On the lyric 'tellin' lies' on the word 'lies' we can get a glimpse of how strong your clean voice just might be.

I think we are probably getting less than 1/4 of what is really in your pipes ... consider that.

'It don't cost nothin' and it's nice', why is that so damn funny ? :-)

Oh the piano that comes in at 0:53 is very cool, very contrasty and nice stereo placement in the upper left field.

IMHO, I would voice the piano only three times, (the first three fills), Take the piano completey out after 1:01 until the solo section. 'Whet' our appetites with the little bit of piano.

Let the listeners interest return quickly to the lyric, and the story, because you introduce 'the girl' here. The little piano sound REALLY initially jerks the attention away, nicely ... but ... let us come back to the story quickly.

The guitar accompaniement is very well mixed, the vocal is way up on top ... excellent.

Bring the piano back in at 1:32 as you articulate that cadence with it at 1:33 and release us into the instrumental section.

Mix the piano out front during the solo instrumental section. Let the piano really wail here as you have just teased us with it early on. Mix the guitar way back ... to answer the piano.

I'd like to hear a much more involved piano part here in the break.

At 2:28 take the piano out ... let us concentrate on getting back into the story. Use the piano again to fill at 2:44 and again at 2:58 .

Interesting song, good storytelling.

No fill at the end after 'ya just gotta pay the price', let the listener reflect on 'the price' , give us some space there , let our own subtle life questions ring out there.

This is overall a very 'quiet' song, one that can actually be listened to very closely. Be very tasteful in the use of fills with a song like this.

Write the fills, record the fills, but just mix out those which don't really, really do something for the song, if it even approaches 'doodling' or 'noodling' just pull the fader down on that fill and 86 it.
 
Pinky: Thanks for the listen. Yeah, that piano's a bitch for me. I wanted it kind of "plinky" - more like a toy piano. But I don't want it to be too annoying either. Vox were tracked in a large, very "live" room with me about 3 feet away from the mic. Then I added a chorus effect that took me hours of fiddling to get the way I wanted, and a little flange as well.

Jake: Thanks for your ears. Sadly, I can't sing any easier than this.:) I damn near whispered this one in an attempt to get a mellower sound, but my voice just won't do the smooth Nick Drake thing I heard in my head when I wrote this one.

Ah fuck it, I hate those sissy "soft" singers anyway...:) (Chris goes into denial in an attempt to make himself feel better...)

Dobro: Oh no, not distortion! If you got a sec, could you tell me where specifically you hear it? I'm not hearing it but my ears may be (read: *are*) fried. Thanks much for the comments.

Hevy: Thanks! Unemployment rocks so far (it ain't rent day yet). Thankfully, my lady works. (Shit, don't tell her I said that...) I'm a terrible excuse for a man... Ah, fuck it... I hate those sissy "workers" anyway...

SV: Thanks much for your (as usual) comprehensive take. Yeah, I was messing around with effects here. Specifically, I was sort of half-assed trying to emulate the effects combo that Perry Farell achieves on certain of the Porno For Pyros tunes- this sort of eerie phasey thing.

I've actually got plenty of "clean" vox tunes. Just not in the last few postings.:) In fact I finished one today, but I should probably wait a *few* days until spamming the board with yet another tune.

And I *will* be in touch about the strings collab. I got a tune coming up that would be great for it, but nothing at the moment that would really warrent the effort. I mean, I got a ton that would sound kinda cool with strings, but the one coming up is *crying* for it. I'll PM you then and see if you got the time.

Chris
 
That sucks (losing the job part) ... :(

Wow, this is really in stereo ... you have some really wide panning going on. To my ears, this might sound better without the double tracked vocal. That piano sound is a nice touch and sounds well placed to my ears.

The guitars are definitely holding this up. The recording itself sounds really good (I like wide panning) :D

The only feedback I guess is to maybe go with a single tracked stereo vocal sound instead of double -- and that is just a subjective response -- watch, I'll probably be totally off and this is probably a single vocal placed on two tracks and panned all the way L/R ... :D
 
groucho said:
I'm broke and prolific...
Click to expand...
How to find that balance, hmm? :rolleyes:


While the "stereo" vocal and "mono" guitar do sound neat, I'd still like to hear it the other way around, just to be sure it's the best choice.

I'd also like to here something more composed in the piano/guitar section. It gets a bit "noodley" for my tastes. There a few themes asking to be more defined in some of that noodling.

The song is another good one from you. You're experimenting with production and writing/performing approach too, which I applaud.

I just skimmed through and can't really add much to what's been said it appears.

Good moods and ideas. Needs to be more "collected," IMO. Nice job!

Tom
 
Agreeing with Tom... the mono guitar/stereo vocs are interesting, but don't seem to suit this tune. Preference? mmmm. The vocs don't sound like they're in the room with the guitar.

Does it sound to you like there's some excessive hiss in here? Probably a mixture of room/mic/pre.

Interesting when you bring in the clean elec... a "volume knob" thing... there...

Nice song.


C
 
Well, I thought this might be one time I'd just say "to heck with these HRC guys - I'm doin' it my way!"

But as usual, after a few days I started agreeing with many of the comments here. Thanks Sluice, boydrj & Participant for the ideas.

So, I reduced the widening on the vox by about half, and I also lightened up on the effects a bit - removed most of the flange and feedback-ish aspect of it, so it doesn't "warble" much anymore (that "Planet Caravan" sound wasn't working for me either...:)

I also eq'd some of the harshness out of the piano and got rid of a couple spots where the guitar had some hissing noises I didn't much care for.

So, the new version's at the same place:


Any comments on the changes would be much appreciated.

thanks guys,
Chris
 
Great talent - lyrics, performance on a variety of axes - right up my alley. I hear some Tom Waits influence - but only influence - it's definitely you and not him.

Lots of cool tonal variations - pretty piano, electric, acoustic - smooth ! I didn't hear the original with the effects and stuff - that's OK, I'm keeping this one.

Cool shit - the break from work may benefit the rest of us!
Milan
 
I do like the gtr and piano sound you got on this one. I think the vocals were panned to much. It happens to me if I use the chorus on my Makie mixer and its turned up to far. Being layed off is just an extended vacation really. Might as well enjoy it. Ive been layed off 3 times in the last 5 years. Good ol HP.... Hewlett Packard.
Nice song. I do hear some Tom Waits in the vocals....
Myx
 
Very, VERY, nice tune. I agree that the vocals could be a little less whispered and affected. They seemed better towards the end of the song.

Love the piano! You got the perfect piano sound for this arrangement. Electric sounds really nice too.

I could stand to the vocals turned down some and still have them very dominant in the mix. But I know you like those vocals up front ;).

I'm building up a nice collection of your tunes. Keep 'em comping. But I hope you find work soon. I feel like I'm working for two these days.
 
I really like the vocal sound and the tune in general which is cool and quiet in a Nick Drake kind of way. I know I'm splitting hairs but IMO some of the piano and guitar fills were a little "busy" and upped the intensity a little too early in the tune. It kind of undercut the feeling of quiet despair you had going. Just a thought.
 
Oh yeah, this sounds much better to my ears. More natural sounding. I love that piano in there. You have a lot of emotion in those vocals.

I liked the original, but this one is definitely better to my ears. The vocal sound is much better -- imho -- :)

Very cool!

:D

still hear that doors influence on the instrumental break, though! :D
 
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