Trouble in the Hood II

I think you have quite a sound here Phillip... 

I might pull the beginning vox back a bit where you say, "bless me Lord Jesus, for I have sinned, this thing called life won't let me win." Or maybe make it wetter? However, please acknowledge that I think this and the last round, were "incredible..." So any of my input? ESPECIALLY on notebook speakers... Should be taken with much salt. Where your child comes in at 1:50? Sounds angry or something, it's difficult for me to quantify. Seems to fit much better @ 2:45.

We all need Salvation... I wish I could write such music.

Danny and Philip,
this is very special!  This and part I will become Josh's legacy. 

even without the emotions that this brings up hearing Josh in the song, this is an incredible production.  I have no nit picks on it, I would have done a couple of things differently, but there's nothing "wrong" - just personal preferences.

Bravo!

Bob Oister
 
You've really developed a very cool style all your own, Philip, with a great trademark sound, and the mix sounds modern and very professional.  
Bob

I have to agree with Bob... I could not have said it better...
well done...
Frank 

Lynn: Thanks so much for your encouragement and kind words ... also your faithful listens to all of us aspiring performers.  I look forward to your next offering.

Frank: I appreciate your validation; while I 'copy' many genres, its nice to have a trademark sound, etc. ... per Bob

Bob: I probably should have widened the guitar further, for vox room in the middle, like you.  Speaking of trademark, you have that trademark rock sound that is instantly recognizable!  Anyway thanks for your most thoughtful encouragement.

Robbie: Yeah!  This was spurious and a bit quirky in areas ... but it all panned out for fun, salvation, etc. 
 
Danny rapped the verses pretty wet (I personally thought) ... in that he used autotune's avox Anatares mutator (pmt) ... to mold and thicken his 'cr&p hood vox'.  Interestingly, it is rare for Danny to use pitch-correction ... but between my Melodyne and his Avox, we reached a happy hood vox.

Scotty: Thanks for your spruce listen and encouragement!

Beagle:  I thoroughly appreciate your comments on all levels. Yeah; this was Josh's vibe and 'final battle-cry', which I believe God had conspired (implanted) within him ... before his departure, iirc.

Fortunately, on that Sunday, the sweet lad had 'finished his course' with great love toward God, his family, and his church ... chanting the dreadful invokation ("raise me save me Lord") ... the very day it pleased the Lord to take him.

Thanks for the dedication, Philip. That was an awesome gesture! I've always liked this song and felt we did a pretty good job on it. Some of it was definitely a challenging...especially that rap part! My dad listened to it a few weeks ago and said "that can't be you...are you serious?!" :) Ya gotta hit the Ebonics right to start with or no plug you use will help. LOL! For the record, I used Antares Mutator on that to tweak the timbre. The Avox wasn't as strong and sounded a bit fake.

I like the mix you came up with here. (still like mine better hahahahaha!) A bit on the low end side for my taste and well, you know my opinion of that Slate piece. I don't like what it did to your piano...it sucked the dynamics right out of it in my opinion and added a bit of dirt to the whole piece. Some guys like that...me, I've fought my whole life to remove dirt from my recordings so it's not something I welcome. But you did a good job on this...definitely acceptable and I'm honored to have such a powerful piece dedicated to me. So I thank you for that. You and your family will always be in my heart and in my prayers. Thank you again for this as well as all the times we've worked together. I appreciate and respect you as much as you do me. Utmost blessings and admiration my brother.

-Danny

A complex mix that is very lush, crisp, well balanced and unique.

WOW, I was not expecting that! Excellent work on this one guys, sounds like it was a complicated mix and you hit it perfect.  This sounds great.  Very Very nice.

OhGrant: Thanks for utmost encouragement and thoughtful remembrances.

Danzi III: Sorry about confusing the avox with the mutator; others cited this version as base intensive and would doubtless have preferred your studio version. 

I always hope to enlist your help and collabs ... as someone once stated: "nothing gets by Danny".  Your frank wit is always spot-on for all us musicians and our neuroses ... you're the physician of musicians.

Chasmcg: Thanks for your swift listen and encouragement

Thalweg: I always consider you a super-musician!  This was actually simpler than most of my pieces ... since much of the grooves were samples ... alls I had to do was 'dribble' a bit during emotional havoc.

Janet: As always, thanks for your sympathy and prayers these last few months.  Death is no respecter of persons, but love is.  I've always recognized God's conspiracies as great love ... to steer man's pride amuck where it belongs ... and replace sin with humility, godly-shame, heavenly joy, and majestic music, etc.

ChuckC: Utmost thanks brother for all your glancings and thoughts.  I hope to learn a lot with you.

MGH: Yeah, you validate Danny about it being bass heavy in sections.  Its not so bass heavy in traffic -- hahahaha!

Danny stated to me he's a Catholic.  I was raised near his Philly neighborhoods and was a devout Catholic (alter boy and all) ... and really do have the Catholic mass quite memorized.  Danny opens with the Catholic confession "Bless me Jesus for I have sinned" ... which also seems a Mafia invokation by tradition.  So I embraced this as a 'hood cry' ... till the kids could perchance make it real in the chorus ... and send the cry heavenward.  Danny also validated the verse-chorus transition: With hood inokations progressing unto utmost innocence ... crying heavenward.

... but after God dealt with me 30 years ago ... I totally freaked out with all the superflous Catholic and Protestant idolatry, incantations, and rituals -- hahahahah!  Of course, I don't do birthdays and holidays very well either.

Anyway Mark, I always love your crits and music ... you've always been loving, thoughtful, and a real band composer-producer with utmost wit.

Good stuff there.

This is really nice!

I like the song and how it flows from one section to the next. I especially love the sound of the bass.

I was raised cathollic as well. I don't accept that nonsense anymore. Truth be told, I would not mind christianity so much if it weren't for christians. I believe in the messages Jesus taught but christianity doesn't teach them.

Very well done!

Hi Philip,

Amazing mix of genres that ultimately sounds like no one but you! Incredible mix and production by you and Danny.

Great job.