Home Music Articles Forums Blog Chat More...      

A Mirror's Image


by

mowguy3

 Genre: Ballad
No artwork

Get Flash to see this player.

Description
A revisit to a previous tune. I made many changes and am looking for opinions.
Leave a Comment
You must be registered and logged-in to comment.
Song Stats
Hits: 776
Comments: 33
Fans: 11
Plays: 75
Downloads: 46
Votes:
Uploaded: Jul 22, 2008 - 04:42:15 PM
Last Updated: Jul 22, 2008 - 04:42:15 PM Last Played: Nov 02, 2009 - 07:14:30 PM
Song License
Creative Commons License:
NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Creative Commons

Song Actions
share on facebook share on twitter download song
Comments
Feter said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
A Mirror's Image
There s a real powerful feel on your guitars work ...
(maybe the rethym guitar be bit lower volume) ...great
singing as ever my friend ..great rockin song and a
very good productiion ..always enjoyed yours ..thnx
alot for sharin !!!!!
mowguy3 said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
Thanks
Feter, It sounded pretty good when mixing with the cans.Sounded pretty good with the monotors. Only when I upload do I get the surprises. I noticed it as well and am not happy. But thanks for the listen, and glad you liked it.
Be Well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
Skean said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
Very nice
I kinda love this compose I wish I could help you with some details... But in my ears it's sounds good... Thanks for sharing.

Take care
----
Kenta
Check out my latest song called Let's Go Trippy
mowguy3 said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
Just Glad
you liked the song. Thanks for stopping by.
Be Well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
egobandit said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
Ruff
But I like it that way! when I look in the mirror I'm not shure either! love the feel of this I didnt hear your previous version, but This one sounds great!
Check out my latest song called when its love
mowguy3 said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
Ruff can be good
at times. Thanks for the listen. Glad you liked it.
Take care, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
MarkHolbrook said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
Hi Russ
I think I really liked the previous version of this tune!

The guitars sound great on both sides.

The vocal seems almost too close and centered over my left eye in the head phones... but that may just be the headache from work!!!

I think I'd like it more if you compressed the vocals some and backed them off a tiny bit. Not much. Just a little. Maybe a tiny bit of echo or verb on the vocals might give them a little polish.

Overall I really like this tune Russ!



Check out my latest song called Never Say Goodbye - Bond Challenge
mowguy3 said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
Thank You sir
In many ways I like the first version better,I was just trying to get a angry, frustrated kind of a day to day march thing going on. Thank you very much for the recommendations on the vocal aspects of this tune,I will keep them in mind.
Thanks and be well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
drakonis said 492 days ago (July 22nd, 2008)
good bluesy vibe
The intro is good with the drums, then the rhythm guitars, then the lead, then the bass stepping in.

Overall music is very nice and catchy.

Bass could come up a little, drums back a little I think.

The way you play the halting rhythms on the guitars is really good, but because they are separate rhythms, stopping at different spots in the measure from each other and being panned to the left and right, I find that on headphones it creates a bit of a back-and-forth (L/R) distraction while listening to the music... perhaps fold those two guitar parts closer to center?

I like your singing voice, but it too feels a little "stilted" when you sing... this song feels like the singing should be more languid... let some of those syllables linger, draw them out at the end of lines more. You don't... want to sing... like... Captain Kirk! :-)

The lead guitar has a nice bite, but it is almost too sterile... wonder if a teeny bit of far-off echo on it would help a bit.

The entire mix sounds gorgeously clean and sparse, but there's room for a little bit of room-reverb on your voice perhaps?

I sort of like it sparse like this, you could probably even reduce the drum complexity a bit... sounds pretty good to me... I had to tighten up my "critique hat" a bit to come up with suggestions. Hope these are helpful!

ttfn,
Drakonis
Check out my latest song called Lullaby for the Inner Child
mowguy3 said 492 days ago (July 23rd, 2008)
Thank You
Yes a big help. Lots of advice to keep in mind next time. I have tried to work with echo,and some other effects from time to time and it just sounds kind of phony. I will keep working on the to much to little aspect.
I have started a little note book with your's and others ideas and sugestions for future music. Thank you for your time and for sharing a bit of your musical JuJu.
Be Well. Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
said 492 days ago (July 23rd, 2008)
A Mirror's Image
I have heard this one before and loved it then and love it now too.
As you are aware I am not an expert.
Awee it does sound more Poignant now though.

Downloaded and will listen often as I do all your others.

Thank you Russ

Peace Dee xx
HenriROGERsoloandbands said 491 days ago (July 23rd, 2008)
Mirror

I like this version better .
I agree with Drakonis suggestions .
The lead guitar could enter later and be a lil louder when there is no voice .
I enjoyed the listen , the voice and the rythmic guitars rythm interplay especialy .
Check out my latest song called HyperKineziK 1/1
said 491 days ago (July 23rd, 2008)
Nice mix!
I really dig the guitar riffage in here Russ. The mix seems well balanced and clean to these ears. Vox is up front where it belongs.

Really good stuff my friend!

Be well!
lengold said 491 days ago (July 23rd, 2008)
I really
enjoyed listening to this. I think the guitars and drums sound perfect to me. Great lyrics and sung very well too.
Cheers
Len


Check out my latest song called Dodgy Doughnut
TobinMueller said 490 days ago (July 24th, 2008)
Loosening the framework
Solid balanced writing. No frills, straightforward approach with an honest appeal. In my ears, two major critiques:

The sound is a tad too up front. I think, from the very beginning, the drums need a tad more distance/reverb; perhaps the entire track could use a touch of reverb. (However, when I listened in headphones, I didn't have the same reaction. Still, start with the vocals, add a touch, and apply the same to the entire mix via a master channel and see what you think.)

Second, the song sounds stiff, squared off, due to the MIDI precision and loop-like repetition in the drum track, the sameness of your vocal performance across verses (that fails to give personality/visual reality to some of your lyrics), and the lack of a bridge or break that might be able to both reset the ear and make us listen more closely to the most important part (whatever that might be) of your story.

Consider re-singing some parts, avoiding singing "on the beat" so much in order to give more meaning to certain lyrics. Consider more fills or drum changes (not making the part more complex, since complex MIDI drums almost always sound fake, just adding a touch of variation). Also, your snare sounds exactly the same every time you hit it, which isn't real. Try and vary the snare, using velocity, EQ and other things. That might sound like a time-consuming pain, but I want to visualize a real drummer, not imagine a drum machine backing you up.

Hope this helps.
Check out my latest song called Forge A New Life (MJRF)
woofer3 said 487 days ago (July 27th, 2008)
I agree with Tobin,
I think maybe a touch of reverb in the percussion dept. Excellent song and performance. I know exactly what you mean when you say "only when I upload do I get surprises" - I get that all the time - still my ears are shot to pieces.

Really good song.
Check out my latest song called coalhouse blues
dajama said 483 days ago (July 31st, 2008)
Nice song
I really like the bass and lead guitar on this, and the vocal is really good - a real Dylan sound. I like the lyrics on this, and the singing is low-key and restrained - just what the lyrics need, I think. As for production, the drums sounds a little flat to my ears, and the lead guitar could be a little forward in the mix, while the rhythm could be a little lower. These are really just nits I'm picking though! I really like the song and the performance. Nicely done. Thanks for sharing. Be well, my friend. Peace.
Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)
mowguy3 said 214 days ago (April 26th, 2009)
Thanks for the listen
Kind words and advice. I just keep working on the vocal and recording aspect of this new found joy. Thanks for stopping.
Be well,Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
michael2 said 480 days ago (August 3rd, 2008)
hey there
nice song. has a sort of neil young/dylan vibe to it. i really like the way you sang it too. as for improvements I can see, there isn't too much:

i would open the master track, put the AU matrix reverb on medium room and lower the dry/wet level to about 16-19%. would give the track a little bit of breathing room. i use that a lot to get rid of the digital sound (too clean and present much of the time). too much and it will sound terrible, but just a bit and it makes it sound more like a band.

there is a free plug in called Ambience or maybe it's ambient that is a really nice reverb for vox and drums. you can google it, if you can't find it, i'll send you a link. it's really nice and subtle. you can't necessarily hear it when it's on, but you can feel your vox loosen up and blend in with the music. i love it.

acoustic sounds nice, the electric could come up a bit I think. not a lot though.

drums sound good, I am trying to master MIDI drums too and it's hard to get. There is a plug in called camel crusher that is great for drums. the plug is a sort of distortion thing, but you can use the preset for "tube warmth" and it will warm up the drums a lot.

these are all technical things (of which I am probably the last person to give advice), small at that. the song itself is great. glad you're having fun. I used to live in Florida (between Kissimmee and St. Cloud out in the middle of nowhere). Know what you mean about Skynyrd, I was in high school and people always wanted to hear "flirtin with disaster" by Molly Hatchet.
Check out my latest song called Behind Enemy Lines (w/Bud and Particle Dots)
mowguy3 said 214 days ago (April 26th, 2009)
I will certanly
look into some of your offerings here. I have a long way to go and can use all the advice I can get, so thank you. And thanks for the kind words as well.
Be well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
LunaTrick said 328 days ago (January 2nd, 2009)
Nicely done..
Super guitar work and I really like the bass here.
Check out my latest song called Luna Gypsy Heart II (Eternal Firelight)
mowguy3 said 214 days ago (April 26th, 2009)
I am so happy you
enjoyed this track. It means alot from a artist as versitile and gifted as yourself. Thank You.
Be well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
Char said 214 days ago (April 26th, 2009)
Only thing I'd like
is to see the lyrics. You sound kind of melancholy and so the style of seeing fits. I think there could be a "bridge"(I don't know anything!)with some jangly thing going on or some whistling, just for interest and variety. Thanks.
Check out my latest song called Break Away (Mark Holbrook & Awigze)
mowguy3 said 214 days ago (April 26th, 2009)
Hi Char.
This is a electric version of a acoustic track I have posted. So I was a bit lazy with not posting the lyrics. I tend to agree with the bridge idea. Nothing is in concrete. Thanks for the listen,advice and kind comment.
Be well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
SmokeyVW said 193 days ago (May 17th, 2009)
classic
nice one! this has a real classic feel to it.

the guitar work is nice and clean, but i agree with the comments about the drums seeming too dry.

thanks
Check out my latest song called One For Me
mowguy3 said 193 days ago (May 17th, 2009)
The drums
it's all midi and with the equipment I have there is not much I can do about it,sorry. I am looking into upgrading in the future but with the economy the way it is I simply can not justify spending the money to go into Mac programs right now. I want to so bad, but for now it's just my little didgital eight track and me.
Thanks for going back in time a little and checking this song out. Glad you enjoyed it, crappy drums and all.
be well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
SmokeyVW said 192 days ago (May 18th, 2009)
cheap tricks
there are ways to get cheap reverb.

you can play back a track through whatever speakers you have in whatever echoey space you can grab - a basement, garage, even a shower. record that and mix it back in.

also, there are free audio tools such as Audacity that provide reverb effects...

Check out my latest song called One For Me
Moviz said 193 days ago (May 17th, 2009)
Hi Russ
Sorry I missed this earlier, but glad I caught up...... the guitars and playing of them sounds great..... really nice vocal treatment to those meaningful lyrics..... really nice work here my friend, cheers M
Check out my latest song called Come Back Billie
mowguy3 said 186 days ago (May 24th, 2009)
thanks for going back in time M
don't be sorry. There is so much fine music here that I find it imposable to keep up. So glad you liked this track. The lyrics are my life at times.
Be well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
sloparts said 192 days ago (May 18th, 2009)
So far so good
I could swear I commented on this one back last year, but it appears not. I do remember it though and I liked it then, even more now. This is some good work you done here Russ.

Everything sounds smoother than I recall, so that must be from changes you made to the version I listened to back when.
Great work Russ

Ed
Check out my latest song called Just a little Something
mowguy3 said 186 days ago (May 24th, 2009)
Thanks Ed
the first recording of this was acoustic, that may be what you were thinking about. I wanted a little grit and volume in it so I did a electric cover. Thanks for the listen, glad you liked it.
Be well, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
Richard_Schletty said 171 days ago (June 8th, 2009)
Raw emotion in motion
Thanks for draggin' yourself over to the mic to record this soulful song. Tobin has good crits on performance and production. The main thing is to put yourself within the orchestration rather than so far in front of it. And yes, vary your vocal phrasing, both in the points where you begin singing and in your melody. Can you sing some of the passages a third or fifth higher as you progress?
mowguy3 said 171 days ago (June 9th, 2009)
Well Thank You
for listening. Some great advice as well. I will certanly keep this in mind for future recordings. I need all the help I can get and from a guy with a voice like yours this is fantastic.
Thanks again, Russ
Check out my latest song called A Different Shade Of Moonlight
Artist Info
artist photo
Name: Russ
send a note

Check out some of my other songs:

Genre Info
A ballad is a story in a song, usually a narrative song or poem. It is a rhythmic saga of a past affair, which may be heroic, romantic or satirical, political (affected by the previous three types mentioned, refers to either glorifying the exploits o

More songs in Ballad:

Chat
Who's Online
0tuneDE
5AR
62US
2CA
55AU
9US
58US
9tuneUS
Invisible Members: 5
Visitors: 64