Beauty at Marnies

[VikingBlues]

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9307683

Well - this is the fruit of my labours on holiday at Marnies Croft. "Labours" being me walking about with headphones on listening to backing tracks on the CD walkman and trying to get my poor head to come up with anything resembling worthwhile lyrics to jot down in my notebook.

What I've ended up with is a David Wallimann BT (two of my last three songs on Soundclick are down to his BTs) in Aeolian mode in A, lyrics about my better half, and a standard Viking Tokai lead with some background guitar on the Hagstrom.

Honest - I've been working on my vocals, but it's not showing much signs of end result yet - the first verse is particularly tentative, but maybe I could get away with that by saying this was intentional as the lyrics are about feelings which were at that point tentative too. Yeah right - that would fool everyone Viking.

At 3:10 to 3:25 the lead playing for the first few bars after the second verse stretches the time around a bit (sort of follows on from HBLs thread about rule breaking), but is partly to contrast with the then rather more rapid flurry of notes. Not 100% sure if it worked ...

BUT ... the song gets across my feelings in a way I liked and although I wasn't able to stay in the room when she first heard it at least I didn't hear my better half didn't laugh out loud when it was on, so ...

[12bar]

Sweeeet!
That would fit perfectly on a Knopfler album, IHMO. Nice floating guitar tone, soft vocals.

[HoochieCoochieMan]

Nice. Don't be embarassed about the voice. You should actually bring the vocal track up a bit in the mix, for better balance (perhaps add a bit of chorus and reverb, if you feel squeamish about it - works wonders). That would make it perfect.

[VikingBlues]

Sweeeet!
That would fit perfectly on a Knopfler album, IHMO. Nice floating guitar tone, soft vocals.

Thank you 12bar. I find putting up a piece here with vocals SO much more stressful, but I need them to say what I want to say.

Nice. Don't be embarassed about the voice. You should actually bring the vocal track up a bit in the mix, for better balance (perhaps add a bit of chorus and reverb, if you feel squeamish about it - works wonders). That would make it perfect.

Thanks HCM - ugh - my voice.
I've had a go at your advice and would appreciate a view - too much, not enough, whatever. It's diificult to judge when you're not convinced about the quality of the sound you're working on in the first place.

download/file.php?id=149

[vancouverois]

Quite nice, I wish I could sing like you do

[Strummer07]

Good stuff VB !! ..well done Like it

Bearing in mind you've only been back from vacation a dog's watch ......Productive or what !!

and very emotive words too !! ..nice pacakge ..like the backing and the guitar and the song and the singing all fit real well.

Look VB I think you need to cease all and any apologies around your vocal emissions !!

Apologising just drags your confidence down... your saying "I'm no good" ..........and that is just tosh old chum !!

You don't need to apologise !! .there is absolutely nuttin to apologise for !!

Your voice is good !! People like it........... and tell you so !!

plus ..............this is only about your 3rd or 4th bash at vocals and already there is a marked improvment !!

Seriously.... compare and contrast Black cat (I think it was called) and this latest song ......big improvement !!

Thanks for posting

[HoochieCoochieMan]

I find the remix much better balanced, and the reverb really effective too. Voice is still hiding a bit behind the instruments in the first verse, but the overall effect is gorgeous. I think you should post the remix, but what does everyone else think?

Btw, you've got me seriously drooling over that Hag. I've never really come across one before, and I'm very impressed. I checked them out on the net and couldn't believe the price - what a bargain. I'm now sneakily looking on the net at deals on the Ultra Swede (I like the coil tap). Only trouble is, apart from being skint, I really need a 34", and even the 34 3/4" of the Swede is a bit of a stretch for me these days (I have a Heritage 335 lookalike, and find it hard going now). Did you look at the Swedes before you got your Viking?

Once again, really good work on "Beauty at Marnies".

[HalfBlindLefty]

Sweet VB, love the atmosphere of the song, well done... what ? VERY WELL done !!
Great lyrics and your playing sound good !

[VikingBlues]

Thank you Vancouveris - I need encouragement for my voice as Strummer has pointed out!

Look VB I think you need to cease all and any apologies around your vocal emissions !!

Apologising just drags your confidence down... your saying "I'm no good" ..........and that is just tosh old chum !!

Thanks for the nice comments Strummer - they are appreciated, and thanks for the suggestion above, which I shall try to follow (but it might be a struggle). Fair point too about the Black Cat vocal. I think i'm a bit over-critical of vocals generally and as I posted on Golfxzq's thread on the Cyndi Lauper Blues album "I often decide not to listen to a group / artist where the lead vocals are male due to the vocal being not to my taste - I very rarely decide not to listen due to female lead vocals". So it's not just my own vocal I hate, just male vocals - so that's me snookered as I'm not prepared for "that" operation.

Sweet VB, love the atmosphere of the song, well done... what ? VERY WELL done !!
Great lyrics and your playing sound good !

And thank you too HBL. It was listening to your recordings on this site, and then some of the other recordings from the other members, that first made me aware of how it might be possible for l'il old me to maybe manage to get some atmosphere to my recordings. I find it difficult to believe it was only 6 months or so since I got the nerve together to post my first track here.

I think the peace and tranquility at Marnies Croft last week helped a lot to let me concentrate on this piece, and the absence of a guitar wasn't as big a problem as I thought it would be in imagining how the song should sound.

I find the remix much better balanced, and the reverb really effective too. Voice is still hiding a bit behind the instruments in the first verse, but the overall effect is gorgeous. I think you should post the remix, but what does everyone else think?

Btw, you've got me seriously drooling over that Hag. I've never really come across one before, and I'm very impressed. I checked them out on the net and couldn't believe the price - what a bargain. I'm now sneakily looking on the net at deals on the Ultra Swede (I like the coil tap). Only trouble is, apart from being skint, I really need a 34", and even the 34 3/4" of the Swede is a bit of a stretch for me these days (I have a Heritage 335 lookalike, and find it hard going now). Did you look at the Swedes before you got your Viking?

I think you're right about the balance HCM after listening to it a few times. I'm tempted to post the re-mix, but maybe will wait to see if any other reactions.

I didn't look at any other Hagstroms I'm afraid, and I took a gamble on the Viking Deluxe by relying on word of mouth and Matt Thorpe on YouTube (I recommend a quick search on YouTube of "Matt Thorpe Viking Deluxe" and he also has some videos of the Swede I think). Mind you Matt Thorpe could make any guitar sound good! I couldn't find any Viking in striking distance from where I live and ended up buying unseen which is a risk i don't usually like to take with guitars above the budget price level.

[MojoJim]

VB - This sounds like your best yet.

Your guitar playing sounds a bit more assertive on this song. It may be because of the propulsive percussion of the BT. But it seems to me that you are playing a bit more on the front edge of the beat. I think the languid atmospherics on some of your other songs may come from playing more to the back edge of the beat. That's just an impression - I'm no expert.

I agree that your vocals could even be more to the front in the mix.

I can't imagine how big of a hero I would be around my house if I could put together such a song for my wife. Bravo to you for courage and sensitivity.

[VikingBlues]

VB - This sounds like your best yet.

Your guitar playing sounds a bit more assertive on this song. It may be because of the propulsive percussion of the BT. But it seems to me that you are playing a bit more on the front edge of the beat. I think the languid atmospherics on some of your other songs may come from playing more to the back edge of the beat. That's just an impression - I'm no expert.

I agree that your vocals could even be more to the front in the mix.

I can't imagine how big of a hero I would be around my house if I could put together such a song for my wife. Bravo to you for courage and sensitivity.

Thank you very much for these positive comments. I suspect the more assertive playing could also be coming from my starting (at last) to have a bit more confidence in my playing. I feel the playing is also getting more fluent with all these hours of practice and playing. Whatever it is I'm enjoying it.

I look forward to a day that might happen with the vocals too, but I'm trying not to think this way about my vocals or Strummer will be on my case!

On my 22 June post on this thread I included a version with the vocal higher in the mix than the soundclick version linked at the beginning of this thread. If you haven't heard that version I'd be interested in your view MojoJim - if you have heard the remix version you'll realise how unsure I am of the vocals given the original having them buried even deeper in the mix.

[Blindboy]

Quite nice, VB. I can hear much more confidence in your playing, and your singing compliments it very well. Comparisons to Knopfler (one of my very favorites) and Chris Rea are on the mark. Good job! I wish I could compose lyrics, but simply singing other peoples lyrics is challenge enough.

[VikingBlues]

Quite nice, VB. I can hear much more confidence in your playing, and your singing compliments it very well. Comparisons to Knopfler (one of my very favorites) and Chris Rea are on the mark. Good job! I wish I could compose lyrics, but simply singing other peoples lyrics is challenge enough.

Thank you Blindboy - I find i can have a go at writing lyrics - but only about major things in my life - if I try to write about things more trivial my lack of skill with words finds me out. This is where Sandra's writing is so much more skilled and I'm lucky I have access to that for a lot of my other projects. I enjoyed making this one - wandering on the hillside by the loch listening to the BT and singing along, notebook in hand, and forgetting about all the troubles of life - wish I was there now.

[VikingBlues]

Final mix on this. I was finding my first remix of the vocal, although bringing the vocal up in the mix was just a bit too "processed". On the car CD player it sounded slighlty like some sheep had got in on the vocals here and there.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9329935

Not like me to worry about editing. Shows how much the subject matter means to me!

Thanks everyone for your help, advice and support on this one. Now I best get off to work.

[MojoJim]

Hi VB,
This final remix sounds really good to my ear. I went back and re-listened to your original and the first remix. I'm not sure now why I thought the vocals in the first remix still should come more forward. I guess when you first listen you are working hard to get all the words and so you want the vocals clearer.

To my ear, this final remix has the lead guitar further back and closer to the BT. It gives the song less of a dark tone and it's also a bit less atmospheric. There also seems to be less reverb on the vocal part so it is clearer.

I like both the first remix and the final remix for different reasons. I think I like the final remix best. That's a personal preference because I'm certainly no expert on how things should sound.

Great job with both the music and with the production side.

[VikingBlues]

Hi VB,
This final remix sounds really good to my ear. I went back and re-listened to your original and the first remix. I'm not sure now why I thought the vocals in the first remix still should come more forward. I guess when you first listen you are working hard to get all the words and so you want the vocals clearer.

To my ear, this final remix has the lead guitar further back and closer to the BT. It gives the song less of a dark tone and it's also a bit less atmospheric. There also seems to be less reverb on the vocal part so it is clearer.

I like both the first remix and the final remix for different reasons. I think I like the final remix best. That's a personal preference because I'm certainly no expert on how things should sound.

Great job with both the music and with the production side.

MojoJim - thank you very much for taking all this time and trouble to listen again to all three of these versions - very much above and beyond the call of duty. I'm glad you've come down in favour of the final remix as I've made so many changes and tweaks, it's difficult to remember what differentiates the different attempts and I become unsure of my own decision making process.

I feel a real lack of knowledge in how things should sound and unfortunately I'm in charge of that job on my recordings. If it is so difficult to decide what's best on your own I shudder to think how tricky it could be in a group context where several musicians and recording engineers will have their own very different ideas as to what might / does work best.

You're right about less reverb on the final remix than on the first - I was concerned I'd overdone it in the first remix - and I also eased back on the splash of chorus effect that was helping to disguise the slightly out of tune notes sung here and there (and everywhere ).

It got more complicated in that playing back the recording of this song varied so much - on the laptop through speakers, the laptop through headphones, the desktop PC, the living room hi-fi, the car cd player - they all sounded different and one version would sound fine on some of these but quite bad on others. The first re-mix sounded OK on the living room hi-fi but was particularly bad on the car cd (the last place I tried it out).

Whatever the version it won't do the subject of the song full justice but I'm glad I had a go. If only for the line "I'm so lost in my love for you" followed by a lucky bit of note bending on the guitar (at around 02:50) which for me captured the mood of that phrase just how I wanted. One of those nice little moments.