[adamfarr]

Hi there, a quick break from SOTM hosting duties to post the latest from me.

Some may remember it from the lyrics section, got some great comments and moved it forward quite a bit. There was some questioning of whether so many "halfs" was a good thing - I decided to be bold and go with them all (with an added "semi" just for fun).

Theme is: our man reaches middle of life; has a job, house and a mortgage, but frustratingly no-one to share it all with, just a none too convincing hope that this might some day change...

All comments welcome. I feel the recording quality at least is quite improved over previous offerings. In my mind I saw a meeting of Leonard Cohen and a wild and stompy folk group (but I am not him - and somehow a 'rock organ' infiltrated the barn...). And finally, kudos if you can spot the typical Spanish instrument used... Thanks for listening!

https://soundcloud.com/lutehill/half-way

Half Way

V1
I was half-drunk when I kissed you
I tried to kiss half a dozen more
Half-heartedly partying
Ending up half asleep on the floor

V2
Moved half way to the country
Always with half a mind to flee
Spend half my time in the bar
But my glass always seems to be
half empty

Chorus
I've been spending my life half way to two
And I feel half-starved
I see my friends who are half way to four
And I know there's more
I wasn't looking for half a dozen
Just my other half to adore

V3
At half-time in life's game I realise
I've been betting on just half a pair
Semi-detachedly hoping
For half a second, that you might dare
to share it

Break
Life's got me counting
Waiting for
Just half a chance
Could you be the lonely dove
Who gets this sad magpie
Onto the Ark?

(c) Adam Farr, 2015

[pompeyjazz]

Hi Adam,

This is really different.

The first thing I will say is that your recording quality and technique seems to be much better. Just shows that all those hours in front of the DAW does pay off 

The rhythm is quirky. It took me a while to get into it but I think it really works well. I like the acoustic guitar sound and the organ.

Only negative comment would be that perhaps the vocals don't sit on the mix as well as they could but I'm the world's worst at getting that right !!!

Good Song

Cheers

John

[shadowfax]

I can only help you with this by telling you whats wrong..so look away now

lots of timing issues which are easily fixable...if loose is what you wanted..my apologies

the organ solo that starts at 3mins is way too long,....for me anyway

your singing in the wrong key, try it a tone higher, at the moment it's more like a narrative..
if you try it in a higher key you'll have to sing it..

phrasing is a bit strange and unconventional..again, if this is what your after..my apologies.

lyrics are a bit clunky in places.. and as John said the vocal doesn't sit well in the general mix..bit of verb would be good..it needs a space..

this is tough love I know but I would never have improved if the muso's on the Cubase forum had not told me what was wrong..I was s--t when I started, now i like to think I'm a lot less s--t because they told me what was wrong and I listened..

no idea what the Spanish instrument is..
best to you ..

Kevin

[PaulAds]

hello Adam

the recording quality has come on leaps and bounds - great work!

i think Kevin's right about the vocals...it's really hard to articulate much expression or emotion in there unless your voice can stretch out a bit. maybe take it up a few semitones...a capo can give the feel of a song a bit of a lift, too...

the organ at 3:00 is a nice little motif...i'd perhaps think about using a wee bit of that as a refrain a little earlier...maybe between verses?

i mentioned in a different thread about trying to get "in character" when singing...pick someone you can sound a bit like and try and step outside yourself and into them...i found that quite helpful.

onwards and upwards

[mondobongo]

"There was some questioning of whether so many "halfs" was a good thing."... Personally I love the repetitions of "half" and think they are the main hook of the song.  I like the lyrics and think this is a good song. I don't really have anything to add to the comments that have already been made.

[Frenchy]

Hi Adam,

I echo the above comments. I would add that the song being in 6/8 I think the snare or clap to the left of the mix should fall on the '4' of each bar. 123456, I would remove that crash too, it doesn't sound natural coupled with the timing errors it only serves to accentuates the problem. The result is a disjointed sounding track, that also is not helping your phrasing when you sing. There is some hesitation in places which feels uncomfortable.

On the plus side the recording sounds much better and the recording  levels are spot on.

On the vocals that aren't sitting in the track, I think that the vocal is too loud, turn it down a couple of db's or add a tad of reverb.

Regards
Frenchy

[Paulski]

Hi Adam

I was one of those wanting half as many halfs, but you've sold me on them and changed my mind.
I liked the 6/8 time and the lyrics are quirkily good - just need a touch up here and there where you are wedging them in. I'm also in the camp wanting this sung in a higher register. You are having pitch issues with some low notes (they take so much AIR  ) As far as the mix goes, I think the drums/percussion could be lowered - esp at the beginning.

You are steadily improving your art!
Paul

[adamfarr]

Thanks guys - jumping in now in order not to bump too much.

John - thanks - quirky is what I was going for as the song might sound bit 'cabaret' for doing it straight. Thanks re the quality - solving the gain settings seems to have been the key. Sitting in the mix is a tough one: on the master I put a touch of compression and EQ but the reverbs I have seemed to deaden everything... Still experimenting.

Kevin - no problem with tough love and especially not coming from you, much appreciated. Yes, the solo was a bit indulgent (was the dancing around the barn moment - but "why" is a good question!). And I did lower the key as I wanted a more "adult" sort of vocal - and got kind of locked in even after I realised I had overdone it. All the vocals have some reverb but I pulled it back. Maybe the wrong type... What type did you envisage?

PaulAds - thanks a million. Yes, I got a bit sidetracked into the Leonard Cohen idea and I think in future I will leave that to him and find someone a bit more "me" to be...

Mo - thanks, I (obviously) agree re the halfs - but there might be a serious ballad in there with just the "half way to two" idea. More fun like this (though the vocal now sounds really not that fun!)

Frenchy - agreed, I had wanted the strong beats on the 1 and 4 so will look again to see where that went off... Actually the percussion was supposed to be a bit loose, but not that loose (and not as loose as the organ turned out to be). On the reverb, I see I do need to go there but I've never found one I like - I might start a new thread on that one... Many thanks for the constructive comments anyway, I learned a lot on this one already.

Paulski - thanks - glad you came round on the halfs/halves! I am kicking myself re the low key (was written in G but I thought my vocal sounded too 'teenage' and so I took it down a whole 3 and half tones !!!  ).

Thanks all for listening and taking the time!

[pompeyjazz]

Hi Adam,

You could try the Freeverb VST. Also Reaper has a built in Reverb VST

John

[adamfarr]

Thanks man - if I use anything it's Reaverb and now experimenting with TAL 3.

Taking that topic over here:

http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/recording/does-everything-need-to-be-wet-wet-wet/

[MartiMedia]

Hi AF,

Sound like a folk song to me, in a way I enjoyed it, but there's a lot of aspects in this
song that need to be reviewed imo. So, I have some suggestions, hope I'm helpful:
-The panning of the instruments... Bass seems to be on the right, drums partly hard
panned left. I'd keep those in (around) the center.
-Flow of the lyrics, it sounds a bit forced to me how the words are fitted in
-Timing, I think you could make the whole production tighter if you review the timing of
drums, bass and organs again and ajust where needed
-Chord progressions: There seems to be a chord that's accompanied by a bass note that
doesn't sound well to me (between ..when I kissed you and ..I tried to kiss)
I liked the folk rhythm though, and I can hear a decent song in it. Great to hear you're
improving your recording skills, recording is sounding better than one of your last songs
I reviewed to me. Anyway thanks for sharing, enjoyed this one!

MM

[nooms]

hi adam
really quirky song enjoyed very much
kept me listening.. like the dry humour in the words and coupled with your voice down in your boots sounded a bit like ivor cutler.
actually not sure how this would sound sung by a practiced singer, might take some of its charm away if it was too polished..

i didnt get the last three lines tho, dove magpie and ark, seemed to break the ‘chain’ somehow..

[igg]

Adam,

The half repetition is not a problem for me since you're not accenting each time for attention...I feel that the overpowering drive of that 6/8 needs a little relief. 
The chorus is the time to release us from the shackles of the rhythm..Lose the drums...

I hear the (Call) as your normal voice and the (Response) as some eq'd version (maybe telephone or AM radio). Then lift the last two lines (they are the payoff).... Also a little BG vocals in the chorus... would create a bit more of a variation...

Chorus
(Call) I've been spending my life half way to two --(Response ) And I feel half-starved
(Call)I see my friends who are half way to four --  (Response) And I know there's more
I wasn't looking for half a dozen
Just my other half to adore


Keep going on this ....you are well on your way....!!!

igg

[olivergearing]

Hi Adam

This is the first song of yours that I've heard, and I really enjoyed the dry humour and the folk-inspired rhythms and emotions.

Not much to add to the comments above, except that the outro / organ solo at the end is the tightest part of the song. This is probably due to the fact that by this time in the song you are totally 'in the zone' and nailing the rhythms.

A trick I found to get tighter sounding rhythm tracks is to cut the best 4 bars of a phrase, edit it like mad, and then repeat it over an over. This was a bit of a magic formula for me and it's really working. From what I hear this is used a hell of a lot by the pros...

Enjoyed it!

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

The intro and the guitar parts sound fine as it starts. When the vocal first came in I thought it sounded good though it could do with a bit more bite perhaps...this could be the key....got to agree that the key needs to come up to give the song more life. I realise it's not a joyous song but the low vocal isn't doing it any favours.

Didn't have a big problem with the 'half' repeats. Repetition can be a big hook in itself and I don't think it's too much here.

Wasn't too keen on the 'knocking-on-the-door' percussion bits and the organ is too loud I think - a bit more subtlety there perhaps?

Tricky song to do I think.....

After a few listens that verse melody - the first bit of it anyway, which reminded me of the first song you posted in fact...not that that matters or means anything - was going through my head and put me then in mind of 'Where Do You Go To My Lovely'....

The more listens the more I was appreciating it...took a while to get over the initial...er....not shock...er...misgivings...no! Look, I've been there..in fact I'm not much further now....keep plugging away. You've got something!

Was the traditional Spanish instrument that empty bottle of Anis Del Toro being bashed on a tabletop?