All suggestions appreciated. I have some specific questions, but I'll leave those until after the initial reactions.
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http://mysteriousbeings.com
Wow Gavin this sounds great! I can't imagine what questions you would have. This mix sounds really really good through my studio speakers. Love the lyrics as well! The only thing I can think of, and it's a really small thing is the transition right after the sax solo at 1:36. It sounds like you did a cut and paste there. I do that all the time, but to make it sound more natural just extend that last note in the sax solo so that it overlaps with the incoming vocals and doesn't end abruptly.
John...... WAKE UP! Listen to the lyrics again... You know damn well there needs to be a rock version of this!
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John...... WAKE UP! Listen to the lyrics again... You know damn well there needs to be a rock version of this!
Well I guess the world would be a better place if every song came with an alternate rock or metal version 🙂
Please post lyrics Gav!
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Wow Gavin this sounds great! I can't imagine what questions you would have. This mix sounds really really good through my studio speakers. Love the lyrics as well! The only thing I can think of, and it's a really small thing is the transition right after the sax solo at 1:36. It sounds like you did a cut and paste there. I do that all the time, but to make it sound more natural just extend that last note in the sax solo so that it overlaps with the incoming vocals and doesn't end abruptly.
Thanks John. That transition was originally going to be a short abrupt break with a moment of silence before the band picked up again. It didn't work out, so I abandoned it, but didn't fix the sax properly. I uploaded a tweaked version, which, I think, takes care of it.
Thanks for letting me know that it sounded good through studio speakers. I don't have any. I do everything through headphones, which tend to make things sound better than they will to most listeners.
I may or may not be an enigma
http://mysteriousbeings.com
Here you go, T. I didn't post the lyrics immediately because all the lyric only guys tend to read them first, form an idea of what it should sound like and then listen and find it's completely different from what they expected. That's not how music is usually encountered, so I try to get folks to listen first. That's what I do too.
NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
Words and music by me
Will somebody show me how to have a nervous breakdown?
Something’s got to give
I can’t sleep, but I’m not even half awake now ‘n’
I’m losing the will to live
I want to throw something precious, smash it on the floor
Grab a stranger and yell, “I can’t take it any more,”
Stand up in a crowded room and... just roar
But I don’t
I won’t
Will somebody show me how to get through tomorrow?
I can’t go on this way
Does somebody have a life that I can borrow
Just for a day?
Or two, or three, or four, or forever
I'm not going crazy, I’m not that clever
Just exploding under the pressure
Except I don’t
I won’t
Will somebody show me how to cry a real tear
And let someone see it
How to make a minute not seem like a year
Take a feeling and free it
Watch it as it flies under dark skies
Naked as a jaybird right before your eyes
As I ask you why you’re so surprised
But I don’t
I won’t
I may or may not be an enigma
http://mysteriousbeings.com
Wow Gavin this sounds great! I can't imagine what questions you would have. This mix sounds really really good through my studio speakers. Love the lyrics as well! The only thing I can think of, and it's a really small thing is the transition right after the sax solo at 1:36. It sounds like you did a cut and paste there. I do that all the time, but to make it sound more natural just extend that last note in the sax solo so that it overlaps with the incoming vocals and doesn't end abruptly.
Thanks John. That transition was originally going to be a short abrupt break with a moment of silence before the band picked up again. It didn't work out, so I abandoned it, but didn't fix the sax properly. I uploaded a tweaked version, which, I think, takes care of it.
Thanks for letting me know that it sounded good through studio speakers. I don't have any. I do everything through headphones, which tend to make things sound better than they will to most listeners.
The fix worked. It sounds much more natural now. It really does sound great through the studio speakers. I'm using JBL 3 MKII speakers. Studio speakers are a must for mixing in my opinion. When you mix with headphones then you're listening through headphones that are tuned a certain way (i.e. to make things sound better, some headphones are bassier than others or vice versa). So you make all of these mix adjustments and it sounds great! Then you listen to your song in the car or on another device and it sounds like crap. But with the studio speakers if you can get it to sound good on them, then in theory it should sound pretty good on everything else.
That's what I had heard too, John. Not really practical for me, as I would pretty soon piss off my family and probably the dogs LOL. I did quite a lot of research and got the most "neutral" headphones I could find without all that extra bass that a lot of them have, Audio Technica ATHM40X.
I may or may not be an enigma
http://mysteriousbeings.com
Well, I'd say you've found your mode or "style" for lack of better words. This couldn’t be anyone but you! Great write Gav!
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Couldn't be anyone but me? That's a good thing, right, Tony LOL?
I may or may not be an enigma
http://mysteriousbeings.com
You're like pineapple on pizza Gavin... ?
...man I'm hungry!....
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Love it Gavin. Well written. Well performed. Great mix. Now what were your questions? ?
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Well, firstly, it has no chorus. It just didn't seem to need one. In fact, it seemed to me that it would kind of get in the way, but it's a bit unusual. I don't see it as a problem, but....?
Secondly, and kind of related, are the sax breaks intrusive? It's a kind of "inside the head," intense sort of song. Would it be better just driving on relentlessly and uninterrupted?
Thirdly, is sax the right instrument? I went back and forwards between it and a kind of dirty guitar sound as I've done on a couple of recent songs. Both seemed to have a sound that could tie in with the singer's anxiety.
I may or may not be an enigma
http://mysteriousbeings.com
No chorus. No problem. The "I don't. I won't" ties it all together imo ?
The interlude is necessary I'd say. Without it, the listener could lose focus on the song. The sax (or guitar) would act to bring listeners back if their attention has flagged. While my attention didn't wane because I was kept "in" it by the conversational style, others might get distracted (i.e., with there being no chorus to keep them singing along). Does that make sense?
Sax? Guitar? I have no opinion on that. Either would do. I do, however think you need the interval.
This one is really good Gavin. Nice piece of writing.
J
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http://evansandstokes.com
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