Just finishing up tracking and mixing on this new song.  I'm looking for some feed back on the mix.  Is everything sounding balanced and at the right levels.
 
 
Here is the link:
http://www.reverbnation.com/michaeljhanson 
  

  
 

Michael, I can hear and feel your heart and soul in this tune very well.  Yet, I have to say that some of your decisions could be questioned.  The guitar solo, IMO, is using the wrong mode or scale.  This song is melodic, and a blues scale is not the direction I would have gone with.  I would sweeten the notes to flavor the vocal melody, or in other words, I wouldn't put Tobasco sauce on a sweet roll.  As for the vocal, you don't lack for feel, but there are enough notes out of tune to make mention of them.  Rather than use a pitch correction program, I would retrack the lead vocal.  Other opinions may vary, but this song is worth making your best effort.  I say this because I'm a fellow Texan (Corpus Christi), and we have to stick together.

Hey Lynn,

I really appreciate your honest feedback here; afterall, that is what this forum is for.  You may certainly be right about the bluesy approach to my lead playing on this tune.  If more folks have as negative reaction to it as you have, I will concider changing the guitar lead.  I have had this up on 3 different forums and so far, yours is the only response I have gotten.  I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. 

I made the decision a few years ago to not follow the cookie cutter CCM establishment song template.  I got real tired of hearing the same old same old all over the radio; everything sounding like it was cut from the same mold.  I've made the decision to let my self and my natural instincs and style come through on my songs.  For better or worse I guess.  Anyway, when I hear the song in my head, this is what I hear and I just let it happen in my playing.  Again, I am not apposed to changing it if it really rubs everyone the wrong way....I am not that anti-establishment in my work; I want my work to be liked.  I am just trying to be myself.

I'll listen to the vocals again.  I am discouraged of course because I thought I had gotten this tracked pretty decently.  The way it goes with your own song though, is you get to close to them and too used to hearing them.

Mike, this is, of course, a matter of taste, and after reading your explanation, I appreciate you not taking the cookie cutter approach.  My reaction wasn't negative, as much as thinking that the lead would be enhanced by sweetening the scale somewhat.  Your guitar fills are right on, and I just reacted to the contrast between them and the lick at the end.  After listening again, perhaps you might consider panning the lead gtr about 50% right, so that it doesn't sit on top of the vocal.  Panning wise, the song seems a bit narrow to me, and you can avoid the cookie cutter trend by not putting it straight up in the center.  I hope this helps a bit, and I'm always at your service.

I look forward to hearing the tunes you write. 

When you hit the chorus there is some distortion that comes in..... it might be the guitar, but it sounds a bit like the vox are distorting as a result. Might wanna look at that a bit closer and see what's happening there and see if you can eliminate it. 

I hear what others have commented on in the lead played on the guitar.... mode or just notes that were improper to the key and melodic sense of the song.... I'd retrack the guitar. 

I also appreciate that you want to forge your own path in christian music..... but regardless, you need to have all the T's crossed and the I's dotted. 

Good song.... but the production could stand a bit of polishing. 

Link doesn't work for me.

Same here...link takes me to log-in page

Well, that's not good.

I added another link in which is now the first link; if this does n't work, please let me know.  Reverb Nation is a new music page that I am trying out and I am not quite as familiar with it.

Working link now, really cool tune Michael, nicely done. I hear a bit of Tom Petty in this.

Herb, I can't tell you the joy your statement brought me knowing that you look forward to listening to my work.  I really appreciate the vote of confidence, you made my weekend.  I will take a look at retracking the guitar when I can get some free time.  This song was written and recorded many years ago when I was still back on Home Studio and new to recording.  I decided to do a rework on it recently.  It was an attempt to salvage some of the tracks and rework select areas.  I started by replacing drum loops with midi drums.  The bass sounded fine so I left it.  I was n't totally happy with the tone of the acoustic guitar, so I tracked it again.  Vocals needed some work so I retracked the vocals.  I liked the bluesy feel of the lead guitar, so I decided to leave it as is.  I did see that they were recorded pretty hot though and worried a little that they may have some distortion on them.  Bascially, it is looking I will have completely overhauled this one, except for the bass track by the time I am done.

Oh Grant, if you are hearing a bit of Petty, then I am happy, because I was going for something that was Petty-ish.  Glad to hear the link is now working.  Thanks for listening and commenting, I really appreciate it.