[tone]

Me again.

I've done another tune, for which I'd really like to borrow your ears and your production advice/ critiques.

I will say one thing which may harm my defence if not stated prior to the trial - all the percussion on this track is home made, proper DIY job.

Hell, if it's good enough for Tom Waits, it's good enough for me

Check it
https://soundcloud.com/anthony-lane/the-crescent

Thank you

I'll leave it all alone tonight
force it when the time is right
of everything I do I might as well
ignore it when the moment comes
step aside for just this once
imagine there is nothing that needs to be done

sleeping on the slow boat sailing west
waking on the last train to nowhere
but I'm gonna speak the word when I get there

it only takes the breath in me
the howling call of destiny
the smoking ash of wisdom that's rising in me
you're special when you're nobody
but nobody's that special to me
that nobody is silently drowning my dreams

walking on the water dirty and deep
crashing like a wave of ice on the beach
stirring up a tempest of apathy

I'm never coming back again
to tip this balance over the edge
and fly the flag of sour surrender

can you see the crescent lighten up the dark tonight
revealing what you crucified
can you see the crescent lighten up the dark tonight
a halo of thorns you deny
can you see the crescent lighten up the dark tonight

[onemanband]

Hey Tony -

          I thought the music was fantastic and the singing (after a shaky start) really gelled well with it.


I enjoyed some of the lyrics aswell

"can you see the crescent lighten up the dark tonight"

thats a really beuatiful image painted.

But some of the other lyrics didn't really work for me - sounded like they were just stuffed in rather then crafted to fit in some cases.

I would also suggest maybe a little more variation it is all quite one paced and it doesn't really feel (as a listener) that you arrive anywhere at the end of the song. Although saying that I really enjoyed the vocal melodies and I am humming them as I type -which is always a good sign.

I'll leve it to others to critique the production side of things - sounded superb to me though.

Good luck - enjoyed the listen.

[Boydie]

By Jove I Think You've Got It!!!!!

I thought the production and mix on this is gorgeous!!!!!!

It is interesting with lots going on yet it never became distracting

I bet this took you AGES!!! - I can really hear the attention to detail in the panning and EQ, absolutely spot on - you must be VERY proud of this one

The ONLY thing that jumps out to me on a first listen is the very start and very end

I think you should get in to the habit of leaving some silence at the beginning and the end of your tracks - I thought you had managed it at the end but you did slightly nip the end of the tails! **SMACKS WRIST**

There is also a "click/pop" that needs some attention at 3.30 but I think this will be an easy fix when you track it down

Other than that this is definitely what I would call "radio ready"

There are a few things I would personally change (a "roomier" kick in places, a little more automation on the vocal to eek out every last nuance of emotion, some EQ tweaks), however these would be very "subjective" choices rather than corrections

Really, really, really, really well done

I thought the song itself was lurvly as well - the only thing extra I would have liked would have been another more "airy" vocal sitting on top some of the vocal lines

FANTASTIC JOB - I would definitely not be turning over if this came on the radio!

[digger72]

Hi Tone,

Good song. A nice Crowded House feel to it.
There were a couple of bits in the vocal which i thought could be strengthened;

"... just this once"
"... call of destiny"

Just sound a bit of a strain.

But, the melodies are good. Production seems good to me. A nice warmth to it - and some fine playing throughout.

Cheers,

Digger

[skogge]

This is a great song.
I think about something/someone when I listen but I dunno right now. It´s got a magnificent late sixties/early seventies vibe to it, but not retro, just timeless I think. I love how it seamlessly floats on, like a river but with interesting things to see on the shores.

Some remarks of things I would have done differently though (except doing everything with old school synths…   )
I would have not started out with the guitar melody nor the drums, just the chords one turn and then the singing part, beautiful as it is (especially in the beginning…  )
But I guess I just love build-ups.
The hammering piano in the verses feels a bit mechanical in my ears, a bit softer or/and more sensitive playing would fit the piano better into the song.
The last remark is that you should not stop singing the background melody in the end part. Sing every word of "can you see the crescent lighten up the dark tonight". IMHO. :-)

[montydog]

Production wise it sounds great to me can't fault it at all. Very clear and every instrument has a place in the mix without sounding too complex.

Some lovely lead guitar playing and i love the strummed acoustic tone you've got - very natural and woody.

I don't think you need my advice on songwriting - this is top drawer stuff. Great song.

So basically don't change anything

[benjo]

 I don't care about any of the things you want to know on this

 I love this
 and i'll tell you who this song would have been perfect for IMO
 
 the skinny guy that wears blue glasses from the Bee Gee's
 can't think of his name at the mo

 it reminded me of  HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART 
 yeah really liked that mate,

 sorry I'm no help other wise BUT BLOODY GOOD JOB

                          tony...             
 

[Neil C]

Tone,
Enjoying this a lot. Great melody countering the chords especially in the main verse/chorus/ending. Slightly less convinced about the minor bridge section at 0.59 and 1.46..
In terms of production just two thoughts. Arrangement - I felt the piano and rhythm at the minor bridge sections were ever so slightly out of time. My other point was perhaps the bass could be slightly higher in the mix?
Anyway some lovely touches like the piano breakdown and the slide solo.
Reminded me slightly of Crowded House in reflective mood.
Classy
Neil 

[nooms]

excellent vocals tone, that subtle vibrato and your phrasings always good & unlocks the lyric..
you sound like anthony lane !
thought the mix was centred around the song and works real well.
like the way the piano lifts the song @2.36 and the guitar playing,..
the intros familiar in some way but soon as you open your mouth its all yours

think you could maybe subtly underline the builds at -
'sleeping on the slow boat sailing west...'
&
'walking on the water dirty and deep...'

i dunno ivanhoe
great stuff

[S.T.C]

I read the other day , someone  refer to The Band Perry music, as 'back porch'..well yours is sort 'dim lit alley way' based on that reasoning...theres a sort of  a whispering darkness,and under current ,that takes you......

 

[Jamie]

Hi, really like the vocal vibrato, suits the song well. I agree with comments about crowded house, it has that feel to it, similar mix of instrumentation and vibe. Good song, melody takes some nice turns, works well. Liked the slide guitar, it nicely avoided the cliche type slide solo. I'm not expert enough to comment on the mix except that it soundly nicely balanced to me except the bass which needed to be more prominent IMHO!
Nice one!
Cheers
Jamie

[tone]

Thanks for having a listen folks - very much appreciated

@Boydie - thanks so much for the kind words. I feel like I fluked it and I'm pretty sure the next one I do will sound like crap and I won't know why Did it take me ages? Probably but I was enjoying myself so much I don't think I noticed.

Thanks everyone else for your honest comments and encouragement. This is the oldest song of mine that's still in circulation, so while I think some of your comments are spot on, I'm not going to change it now - I've got newer fish to fry.

Also, there's a cracking album version of this tune that's been quite boldly reimagined... I can't wait to share that with you when it's ready

But for now, you've all given me the confidence I need to keep bashing away at this production lark and see what happens next.

If I get the urge to revisit this tune, I think I'll mess around with the piano and bass, as Skogge and Jamie are probably right. Less and more respectively. Duly noted.

[crystalsuzy]

Well I'm no expert, when it comes to production Tone, but I do know what sounds perfect to my ears,

and this one does to me it such a beautifully haunting melody and the way you sing it is enchanting

I've listened to it 3X now and it gets better each time I can't wait to hear the cracking album version

kudos from me

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

Can't help on production side though have to say it sounds great to me.
Melody was good and never boring..held my interest throughout with some good melodic ideas.
All in all a good bit of songwriting. The vocal delivery was good too and lyrically sound with some well-chosen or well-placed rhymes. 'Once' with 'comes' my favourite.
Nice one.

[Dutchbeat]

this production sounds very crispy clean to me, the music especially


your vocals, i like it better when your vocals have that power that you have in your voice and are a bit more present with a little dot of reverb....the vocals sound modern (ah those combined vocals!), but for some reason your main vocal sounds a little muffled...well, it is just nitpicking and giving my two eurocents because you asked for comments on the production, which is pretty damn good, actually 

now, the song on the other hand.......

is simply excellent!!!! nice!!!!!