"Helpless" cover w/ female singer - inputs please

Hi Folks,
Working a Neil Young cover ("Helpless") with a female coworker.  Here's what we have so far.  I think the solo in the middle is a weak spot (we tried to 'ham and egg' it with dobro and electric trading licks).  But I've heard this too many times to have an objective ear, and I'm not sure how to improve it.  My buddy and I do all the parts so we're stuck with the talent you hear, ie, amateur hour...LOL.  I'd love some feedback to continue to hone in on this one - on arragment, mix, or both.  Thanks for your time...i know it's a bit lengthy.
 
http://soundcloud.com/slowdown-cassidy
 
Cheers
wicker1000
 
 

Hey wicker1000,

The vocal (i.e pitch) is really good but her articulation is not good (IMO). TBH it sounds (to me) like she is singing with two layers of sheets in front of the mic.

All the instrumentation is spot on. The guitar at ~2:45 jumps in a bit strong but mellows out correctly. Maybe just a fade in envelope?

The recording/production is beautiful, but as Bapu says the vocal could do with a little 'presence'. A subtle high end boost. 

The only thing that really stood out to me was the snare in the middle of the solo. It seemed late like it was following the other instruments where it should be leading. 

Overall very good

More please. 

I know this song pretty well because my band performed it 30 years ago.  Your version is well done, yet it is so laid back that it is quite different from the original.  The lead vocalist has a nice voice, there's no fire or passion in her delivery.  I miss the harmonies of the original, which makes the delivery of the lead vocal all the more important.  The middle section is a bit long, and as has been suggested, it could be cut in half.  The parts are well played, but the song loses focus at some point.  These are really very minor things that I believe could be easily and quickly fixed if you decide to do so.  Still, I commend you for choosing a great song to cover.

Hey,
 
Very pleasant, laid back cover of a great song!  Guitars and percussion sound great and she has a good voice.  I agree with Lynn that maybe a harmony part or two would add some zest and an extra element of interest to break up the flow of the song.
 
Very nice work!
Bob

First of all... She has a lovely, lovely voice.  I appreciate her take on this-- she doesn't follow directly in Neil's footsteps, and makes some interesting changes.  This is one of those songs that I play all the time, too.  And I like that she's done something else with it.

I could leave it at that, because it's really nice, I think...

But since you are still working on some pieces, I'll suggest that the harmonies after the instrumental solo aren't helping the lead singer much.  There are some not quite meshing parts, that I think needs to be redone or done away with.  And, in my opinion, the piano addition at the end isn't "taking it anywhere", or adding enough to justify it's place.  

But again, it's really nice the way it is.  I think she's a gem.  And perfect on this song the way it's done.

Hi wicker1000,
First, really nice song. Did you record the acoustic guitar with one mic or two? It's really nit-picky but if you only used one you might want to try using two in a spaced pair setup to get a bit more "space" in the guitar sound. That's really minor though and really just a matter of preference.

Re: voice, she sounds lovely but I'd think about cutting somewhere in the 400-500 hz range to clarify her sound a bit. I'd sweep that range till I found the frequency she's sitting on, pull it all the way down and the slowly bring it back till it balanced. To my ears she seems just a bit too present in that area.

Good luck and nice work.

Dean

Overall you capture this nicely. The harmonies are missing though. I notice there are parts with a male voice added, but it is not singing a harmony - it is just singing the melody an octave lower.

I agree...she's got a beautiful voice.

Also with Julibee that the piano might not be doing justice to the song.  In a few places the timing is off slightly.  Play it like you mean it. :)

I listened to Amazing Grace too.  Beautiful!  The bass is so strong and adds so much to it IMO.