Pop outside my wheelhouse

[BigJguitar]

ok so my GF likes to watch The Voice and Idol. Ok I like The Voice more then Idol and she asked me if I could make a POP song because of something one of the judges said about trying stuff outside your wheelhouse. So Im all like, but Babe I dont have all that crazy keyboard **** POP stars use. Shes like you freakin slacker! (much worse then that, for real, for real), and bought me Alchemy 1.5. crazy woman!!! http://www.camelaudio.com/Alchemy.php
ok so I can see where this is going, no sleep for the wicked. I am not a great singer, but I figure V-vocals will help. Im not good at writting POP for sure, but Im not opposed to trying something new( aka outside my wheelhouse). So here it is, I was late the other day picking up my daughter, who lives with her mom ATM. I realised after finally getting there I was way more upset about being late then she was and she was totally cool about it. I tried to generalise the lyrics to fit for just about anyone being late, and the other person being totally cool about it cause THATS LIFE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

Everything here rec/mix/mastered on Sonar X1 with EZMIX2
all guitars Guitar Rig 5, bass too!
all keys done with Alchemy 1.5
Drums Metal Machine Ezdrummer( I love using metal kit for everything else but metal)
Crappy vocals fixed with V-vocal (*whew*)
Special thanks for the 80’s or I wouldnt have a clue as to what pop is
http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonhanerfeld/song/15969979-she-waits

http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonhanerfeld

Topic

[Jeekem]

I’m not into Pop either but you have some cool things going on in the song. I hate to be critical because you have a much bigger body of work that I do.
I seem to record things I write and get them sounding as good as I can and then I delete them because they don’t live up to my own expectations or standards.

I thought the synth part was kind of cool. I can’t seem to figure out what the sound is right around the time the guitar solo ends there are some great bell like tones in the background that I thought were great.

Overall though, the mix sounds a bit too compressed. It’s like everything that is going on is happening in a very narrow band of frequencies. I think it would sound better with both more highs and lows standing out.

I liked it better than what I hear on any Top 40 type stations these days. I’ll reveal that I’m a Grandpa and tell you that what I hear the most on Pop radio and TV still sounds like fricking disco to me. (And yes, disco still sucks)(I don’t watch much TV and haven’t seen Idol or the Voice since my wife passed away a couple of years ago)

When I was younger R&B consisted of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, etc. What they call R&B these days sounds like Disco too. The only dance music I ever liked was either up tempo big band stuff or serious boogie. Little Feat is freaking dance music. No one was ever able to stay in their seat when they were on stage. Everyone was dancing on the back of their seat.

Please forgive my critique. I’m fast approaching geezerhood I guess.

JeeKem

[BigJguitar]

Hey JeeKem, thanks for listening and dont worry about critiquing my songs ever. I always try to impress as best I can but theres always room for improvement! As for the song, the bell type sounds are from Alchemy. I used 2 sounds together to get that sound. I had a hard time trying to
get everything in there. I would agree POP and R&B isnt what it used to be, im very familair with the names you mention. Im no spring chicken myself and im sorry to hear that you delete your stuff. Just becouse I have a larger body of music online doesnt mean its good or that im better
then anyone else. IM NOT FAMOUS, hell I barely have over 200 fans on reverbnation haha! Ive learned to let go, and Im much more happy for it! Some people will like it, some will hate it, but you do have to live with yourself… Think about it this way, if you knew you couldnt fail, what would you do? I say dust off your workstation and write for yourself first and then see if others like it. Being critiqued doesnt mean you failed, IMHO people hear what they want to hear, but in the end I dont have to change shit!

http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonhanerfeld

[wagzisnotadrummer]

cool tune, Jay!

[Author]

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