Sentimental song.

[barrymk]

My friend Mikke Sundh added guitars to this song that I wrote about my little granddaughters growing up and leaving home one day. (Just in case I ain't around.)

https://barrykingsbeer.bandcamp.com/track/growing-away

[Rene Asologuitar]

[QUOTE=barrymk;2638032]My friend Mikke Sundh added guitars to this song that I wrote about my little granddaughters growing up and leaving home one day. (Just in case I ain't around.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++

Time flies, and this song is very timely to offer love and affection to a very special person.
I can feel the tenderness and care in your voice.
Very emotional singing.
I love the lyrics and the melody, especially the guitar solo.
I love this recording!
Respectfully,
Rene

[barrymk]

Thankyou Rene, appreciate the thoughts.

[asharin]

Really enjoyed this, thank you. Made me feel a little sad as I haven't seen my daughter for going on 3 years now, but that's not your fault haha.
What I'm saying it's a song that stirs emotion well and I think it's amazing!
Very Bowie type sound to your vocals too, which is another plus in my book haha. Amazing guitar work by Mikke too

[barrymk]

Cheers Ash, I sympathise greatly, we get to see our girls for a couple of hours most weeks, in between their myriad out of school commitments and it still isn't enough. Can't imagine how it is with you. Glad you like the song and Mikke's contribution, his input re my mixing is invaluable too.

[Frank Lee Scarlett]

Well, that made me cry and I don't even have a daughter.

Really nice melody, chord progression....everything.

I think the drums can come up a bit. I'd like to hear a side stick or something a little more prominent. But I'm a drummer, so take that with as many grains of salt as you want.

[barrymk]

Thanks Frank. The drums were the hardest to level. There is half a verse of sidestick, guess a bit more wouldn't hurt. As a bass player, drumming is an arcane art and arriving at anything that sounds like what a drummer might have played is a challenge. EZdrummer 2 helps but....

[barrymk]

https://barrykingsbeer.bandcamp.com/track/growing-away

I've reworked the vocals and added more sidestick (thanks Frank) to the drums plus I've done some extra work on the mastering. To me it feels fuller and more accomplished or I could just be kidding myself. Nothing wrong with that!

[Frank Lee Scarlett]

I like it much better. Sidestick suits this song perfectly.

I still think the drums are low and distant. Like I said, I am a drummer, so....

...but I'll also say that 99% of recordings/mixes I hear from non-drummers treat the drums as afterthought. I mean, there are some pretty experienced people right on this site, and they post their music. And, it almost never fails, the drums are weak and it makes some potentially great recordings sound amateur.

I honestly think that, regardless of style, drums and vocals is what makes a mix sound pro. Even if you take a band that you wouldn't think drums would even matter, the drums are still right up there, clear and audible.

Off the top of my head, take a song like "Sister Golden Hair" by America, for example. You would think a song like that would have the drums buried somewhere in the background. But they're right up there, dry, and in your face.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. It wasn't directed at you, personally. Just a general observation.

I love your song, I really do.

[barrymk]

I hear you Frank and none taken! Have a listen now I've boosted the drum track some more, softly softly catchee monkey..

[Frank Lee Scarlett]

Oh shit. You took my advice? That rarely works.

You sure you turned them up? Maybe you uploaded the same version again by mistake? I'm just going by memory, but they seem to be the same volume that I remember from hearing the previous version. I could be wrong. Either way, I'd still bring them up.

[barrymk]

You might need a refresh? It definitely went up and I widened the sound too.

[Frank Lee Scarlett]

You know what, I like it. When I listen to it from a different perspective, the drums might actually be at a good volume.

I do still find them distant and low, but taking into account that the song has a nostalgic sound and vibe to it, like many songs from the 50's-early 60's, it might be just right. Many of those tunes were almost all vocals and strings, hardly any drums in the mix at all.

What I would try now is slightly tucking the vocals in just a tad, and adding some more reverb to them. It might help glue the mix together better. Maybe not. But at the cost of studio time these days, why not try it?

[barrymk]

Appreciate the suggestions but I like the vocal as is and I think it's time to put this one to bed. There is a danger in carrying on changing and tweaking and I've had mixes go totally bad that way. Thereby lies madness ... Time to move on and write something rocky and cheerful, which I find the hardest kind of song to write!

[Frank Lee Scarlett]

I understand totally.

If you want me to delete my long posts, just let me know. I didn't mean to rant in your thread so much. Most of it wasn't even directed at you or your song.

[barrymk]

Sod it, feel free to rant, sometimes its good to get it off yer chest.

[Frank Lee Scarlett]

I agree...Sod it! (I love British expressions)

Didn't mean to sound barmy.

[Glennbo]

Great job Barry. You guys work/play together real well.

[41TWIN]

Beeeeeaaaautiful song. I will say i think what i like about it most IS the drums. if i had to pick one element. i love the style of the song and those solos were beautiful and well played and fit the feel of the song reeeeal good.

u both did a great job.

i like how them drums have a lot of ambiance. its not usually how mine are but were u readin up or tryin a "when the levee breaks" type of micing? cuz thats what it reminded me of and it was a good job. plus imho they were played very very well!!!

[barrymk]

[QUOTE=41TWIN;2644226]Beeeeeaaaautiful song. I will say i think what i like about it most IS the drums. if i had to pick one element. i love the style of the song and those solos were beautiful and well played and fit the feel of the song reeeeal good.

u both did a great job.

i like how them drums have a lot of ambiance. its not usually how mine are but were u readin up or tryin a "when the levee breaks" type of micing? cuz thats what it reminded me of and it was a good job. plus imho they were played very very well!!![/QUO


Glad you liked it. Sadly have to admit the drums are my wrangling on EZDrummer2 trying to find something a real drum basher might do. I should have put that in the credits and will amend them. I'd much rather have live drums but they are beyond my ability. Anyone wishing to volunteer as house drummer for me and Mikke, please step forward. The rewards are legendary, just ask Mr Sundh about the generous terms he gets for his session work...

[41TWIN]

i bet u could learn...... im in process of getting better at any instrument i play. a few years ago it dawned on me that music is something u can keep on doing as u age. which was a nice epiphany since i turned 51 this year. where did the time go?

[barrymk]

Originally Posted by 41TWIN

i bet u could learn...... im in process of getting better at any instrument i play. a few years ago it dawned on me that music is something u can keep on doing as u age. which was a nice epiphany since i turned 51 this year. where did the time go?

No chance of that at 75 going on 76 I'm currently in the process of forgetting what I already knew! All hail old age, the bringer of arthritic knuckles and sundry other distractions. Nurse!

[Tod]

Originally Posted by barrymk

No chance of that at 75 going on 76 I'm currently in the process of forgetting what I already knew! All hail old age, the bringer of arthritic knuckles and sundry other distractions. Nurse!

Nice one Barry, all my kids are married and have kids of their own. I've even got "great grand kids" coming on college age.

I'm currently in the process of forgetting what I already knew!

Haha, tell me about it. I'll be 80 in July, and can't remember what I did 5 minutes ago. That's the truth, but thankfully I can still function as a musician and even write Kontakt scripting, but it takes a little longer.

[41TWIN]

My eyes are getting bad. I can't see much past arms length without them, and with them I can't see much within arms length. So they're constantly going on and off. And now the closer stuff is starting to not see well without them. Unless it's 1 foot. I tried bifocals and those suck.

I bet one could do a kick and hi hat and snare at 76. Most of the time I think drummers overplay anyways... Including myself. And I'm not a drummer. But I endeavor to keep stuff simple cuz it breathes better to me. Although the flipside is I love hearing a good drummer tear it up. But sometimes it's too much for the song. LOL. Sometimes it's not.... You get me, eh?... it's a fine balance....

[barrymk]

Originally Posted by 41TWIN

My eyes are getting bad. I can't see much past arms length without them, and with them I can't see much within arms length. So they're constantly going on and off. And now the closer stuff is starting to not see well without them. Unless it's 1 foot. I tried bifocals and those suck. ..

Sorry to hear that guess I'm lucky that all I needed was lens replacement cataract surgery, paid for from taxes but done by an efficient private company. One more step towards being a bionic man.

Originally Posted by 41TWIN

I bet one could do a kick and hi hat and snare at 76. Most of the time I think drummers overplay anyways... Including myself. And I'm not a drummer. But I endeavor to keep stuff simple cuz it breathes better to me. Although the flipside is I love hearing a good drummer tear it up. But sometimes it's too much for the song. LOL. Sometimes it's not.... You get me, eh?... it's a fine balance....

Ah balance is the grail but no amount of stick wielding would make me a drummer. Theirs is an arcane art.