King: This might take a minute or two for me to scribble out my thoughts (in my own pattented brand of "stream of [un]consciousness" critiqueing) ...so bear with me. I have a point in here somewhere.
First and foremost, I could barely hear the fiddle.
Second, I don't have any opinions that could even arguably border on the topics of "EQ" or "Gear." I have 8 gears on a tractor, and the only thing I know about "frequencies" is it's a word that comes up a lot when I'm being reprimanded at work for absences. I could hear everything, so that's behind us now.
Song Structure: Sure, anything over 4 minutes is gonna' make radio programmers nervous...so what?? I just shaved a minute off of one of my songs, but it was because the bridge sucked, and it was unnecessary. I LIKE the momentum shifts in this song.
To me, the best parts of the song are the verses (chunka-chunka-chunka = cool)...especially when you're singing down an octave. So I love it from the get go...up to about the first chorus. Then I start loving the song again immediately after the chorus (@ 2:00). (more on this later)
My Favorite Line: "I just keep making payments on a life I don't own" - Cool!
Least favorite Line: "I was hot just like the air on a summer's night." C'mon dude...it's like you kinda' just threw it in because it rhymed...which would be fine for a lotta' folks, except that you're obviously capable of cooler (See "My Favorite Line" section). Besides, I've seen you quote WAAAY too many great lyrics in your signoffs for you to put up with this weak-assed line one second longer
The break at 3:00 minutes is just fine with me - (reminiscent of one or two of my favorite Judas Priest tunes...come to think of it...this sorta' reminds me of The Green Mennali...I'll stop trying to spell that right now...you know what I'm talking about, right?...that JP cover of the Fleetwood Mac tune...WHERE THE HELL WAS I GOING WITH THIS?) OH YEAH...there's a REALLY noticable timing issue at around 3:23...like a splice...it kinda' JOLTS ya'. Obviously fixable, so fix it (please note, I'm only saying it's REALLY noticable because I noticed it, and stuff like that usually slips right by me...I wouldn't know quantization from Martinizing...but I noticed this).
Dude, it's late. I've typed WWAaayyy too much, but I figure you're the only one who's gonna' read it, so here's the bottom line. (that elusive "point" I promised I'd have). The verses are sweet...but to me, the song loses serious momentum in the choruses...I'm not talking about speed or meter, I mean, it just becomes kinda' average, IN THE CHORUSES ONLY, to me. It's hard to explain, but I think that you should just scream your balls off when you're in CHORUS...eat gravel...throw up during a line or two. To me, it's the vocal delivery that holds this song up whenever your singing higher. (Man, this honesty stuff is difficult for me...but we're almost done). It's not the pitch, that's fine...you're not rushing words, that's fine...and I don't even know what people mean when they talk about the "attack" of a vocal...(I would think that a vocal that attacks you would be a bad thing). But somehow, you need to find a way to attack this vocal.
Writing this probably took more time than it'll take you to bump this up to great.
(I think I'm missing church)...*zzzzzzzz...*
-chris
"Take it Easy...but take it" - Guthrie
cool opening lick 
.......it doesnt seem like you flow on this style of solo....you should sit down and work out some melodic licks(nothin fancy but take your time and work a definative solo out) that fits the structure of the solo area and double it!It would be powerful and sweet man!Judas Priest used to double simple solo lines to give it a larger than life feel......that would give this the punch in the ass this needs in the solo section and you can do it man!