I have come to realize that my harshest critics are the folks I live with..... so I use great care in letting them hear the stuff I write. Quite often I do not tell them. I get the "ho hum" roll the eyes thing and the music critic's review.
 
 

Actually, I'm starting to think my Wife is my best critic? Seriously, she's been pretty accurate so far!  But yes, Herb, I know that look all to well.   And it's also usually a bad sign when everyone resumes their loud holiday conversation with each other halfway through the song.   
 
I was definitely unhappy with this song for a reason.  And it needs work.  Incidentally, I came across this version of the song with me whistling the horn part.  You can tell i was really "loosened up". Lol.   I don't think this fixes the song but it loosens it a little.  I think I will explore putting a guitar solo in that spot among other changes.
 
https://soundcloud.com/dedicatedlight/christmas-whistling
 
Thanks for your help guys!

With a little syncopation on the vocal and percussion, this could easily go in a Neil Young direction or a blues direction if you threw a few guitar licks in.  It's a good song with potential, and it's worth taking a little extra time to get the feel of it.  Good luck!

I like the song...a somber melody, but with a positive message, it's interesting.  I agree it feels a little... mechanical, could use more energy or feeling in the vocal.  Definitely a keeper though.     

Thank you Lynn & Scott!!  You know what's really funny?  I'm thinking of throwing all caution to the wind and completely ignoring all of the good sound advice I've gotten here and posting it anyway.  Hahahaha.  But that's the kind of person I am.   Not too bright but very enthusiastic!
 
Maybe I will put a disclaimer that it's a "Work In Progress"  and will be different next year.  Y'know, songs that come with disclaimers are always a great idea.  Right?  Cut to the sound of Crickets.
 
We'll see.  At least I know that it's worth keeping. 

Don, I tried to play the song - Soundcloud says it can't find the tune. Did you take it down?

Hey Mark!!!  No I didn't take it down  I'm gonna tell you what I did.  Lol
 
I remixed it.  And then I plastered it right up there on the internet!!  Hahaha.  What the heck.  If they don't like, tough luck.  Incidentally, I don't think they liked it too much. :-)
 
But I did put the "horn" thing as a lead in to the tune and my vocals start right after that so the intro is less boring.  The horn samples sound crummy but I am working with some very outdated software.  Then I put the whistling thing in the middle.  Other than that, it's pretty much the same.
 
Here's both versions:
 
The Old; https://soundcloud.com/dedicatedlight/christmas-old-version
 
The New: https://soundcloud.com/dedicatedlight/christmas
 
Enjoy!!

I liked the old version... didn't care as much for the horn on the re-mix... I really like your voice a lot... well done...
 

Thank you for the listen & comment Frank!!!
 
Yes, I remixed this song yet again.  This time I put a church bell in the beginning, I worked on the brass band part to make it sound more like a Salvation Army band and I replaced the "flute" with a "trumpet".  But it's really hard, I did what I could. Brass samples are tough and I have very outdated samples.  I wish I could get a horn quartet to play this.  I also put some Christmas jingle bells on there.  It loosened things up a little.  I figured I'd send this thing to the top just one more time for you review.  Thank you for the listens. 
 
Latest Version: https://soundcloud.com/dedicatedlight/christmas-salvation-army
 
Thanks and happiest of holidays to all!!!
 
Don

I like this version better. It's been a few days since I listened to the old one and didn't review it before listening to the remix.
 
I don't get the feeling of this being as stiff and mechanical as the original. The biggest nit here is the midi sounding "horns"....    If this was in my studio, and if I didn't have any good sounding horns I would have sought out a better sounding instrument. I would likely have gone to strings. Even midi strings sound half way like strings compared to midi horns. And if you have sampled strings, they can sound quite realistic.
 
Think like a producer. Make it sound as good as you can with the things/tools you have. Don't let preconceived notions of what you "think" it should sound like, cause you to get stuck in a rut and end up with something less than what you could actually make better by going on a different path. If a part of the song is hard to get sounding right, delete it or try something different there.
 
After the 4 bells at the intro, the horn part could be deleted and simply start right into the tune (6 sec to 19 sec) .... then make the horns be strings. To me the horns are the distracting part of this mix now. Play with some other patches or samples. Perhaps even a nice piano with strings backing to play the melody that you have the horns playing....that way you don't lose the melody as strings alone might tend to do. I hear a piano back there in the mix playing quarters so it's not that far out to rework the beginning a bit to let the piano carry it with the quarters and a melody over them. Perhaps play the melody with the left hand lower than the quarters.
 
All of this is just me thinking out loud..... suggestions to get you to think outside of the box for this song.  The controlled rawness of the vocals and everything else is good.