Did they take my advice?
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- Опубликовано: 20 июн 2024
- The band from the 2nd most viewed video on my channel is BACK. These guys sent in a rehearsal tape of their original song, "Grass", asking for some constructive criticism. I listened through and offered several bits of advice. If you haven't seen that video, the link is below. Well, it's been about a year, and the band (named Comfort Shag) has gone into a local studio to record their record. It is fully finished and available at the link below. So, did they take my advice?
First video: • Session Player reacts ...
Comfort Shag's record, "Third Coast Sound":
/ third-coast-sound
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Really nice voice of that guy singing!
Gives me a Cardinal Black vibe.
Constructive critique. Always so humble. How much do we love Justins videos.
This is the kind of thing that's really missing from RUclips in the guitar community. Songwriting - arrangement - structure. At the end of the day you can know every scale and every riff but if you can't write a song what good is it? I really like these type of videos. They are so useful and insightful. I got some great tips from your feedback on this song. Would love to see more of this type of thing. Really appreciate it Justin!! Also kudos to Comfort Shag for writing a great song.
Some people also respond to things negativity because they are jealous. I'm old enough to realize i don't have to like everything I hear, but out of respect for peoples efforts,I also have the ability to move on. If you're going to keep your mind closed, then you should keep your mouth closed too. This is by far my favorite channel on the Tube.
Never heard anyone describe phrasing like that, comparing it to a singer or horn player having to take a breath. It really made sense to me.
Yes. Super important. This also applies to vibrato on guitar. A great singer will hold a note for a bit before the vibrato comes in. Super effective to do this on guitar also. It adds some real intentionality to your lines.
@@bryanh3057 Just heard Bukovac give that same advice. Great players think alike. Thank you
Man, I wish I could sing that this guy. Lovely vocal tone and vibrato. I think the slower tempo emphasized the emotion in the voice a bit more, but the faster works okay too. I would go “less is more” and much cleaner on the guitar solo’s personally.
I really like this guy's voice. Cool tune.
I like that thought…..”take a breath in your playing”. I took a music class years ago where on the first day the music teacher said “silence is
beautiful”.
So fun to watch the whole process. What an opportunity!
I’m a fan of the 60’s and 70’s rock. This reminds me of that era. I really like the vibe of the original in that it sounded like it was all in one room during a single live take. The new faster tempo sounds like it was played at a local bar. Who doesn’t like that?
I think it’s easy to get caught up in the “does it work for radio?” mindset. As a stand alone song, it’s pretty good. So instead of trying to compare them to others, why not just compare them to themselves. Did the song improve? I think so. Did they take the critique from earlier and make changes? Yes, they did. Are they happy with this new version? Obviously or they wouldn’t have sent it in. Will everyone love it? Probably not. Not everyone likes everything.
I would suggest that this is a solid song and something that they can be proud of and build off of. Is it radio worthy? Well, that’s a matter for people who are in the industry to really decide. As for me, I like it.
I remember this song. This dude has an awesome vocal style! This is my kind of music. Love it!
I feel like they may have sped it up a little in order to shorten it. I liked the slow version but I thought the quicker version was more commercial sounding.
I like the coaching and pointing out the things many of us overlook. But that tune is amazing. Love the vocal tone and guitar tone...just awesome!
Hi, this is Frank, one of the guitar players in Comfort Shag. Thanks for the compliment on the song.
Brilliant remarks and advice to the “mean” reviewer! Spot on! Love your channel! This track from the Dad band was very, very good! Great stuff!
This song is beautiful. Wow
@timothyhansen3975 it's got so much soul in it. Truly, no bs. I like the new version. Keep writing.
I kind of like that slower intro on the demo for the first part of the verse but after that picking up the tempo makes sense as long as you have a good transition
Even if the tempo increase works (have a bias since I heard the slower version first), I don’t think using the exact same lick on the intro works. It feels rushed. overall melodic concept works, but some of the pick up notes feels incredibly rushed.
It’s like they sped it up, but tried to play everything exactly the same, not sure that really works well.
Trying to recapture that first recording vibe is tough… like trying to learn how to play your own song again… no seriously frustrating in my experience. Cheers to the band for keepin on keepin on and to Justin for his constructive wisdom.
Yup, 100%. Jon, bassist from Comfort Shag here. This song has evolved significantly and I think will continute to.
The older tempo gave it more atmosphere, the new tempo makes less Chris Issac and more Bad Company. It's hard to judge the mix listening to you listening to it, but some room atmosphere would be nice....glue that makes it all sound played together. I dig the song, the lyrics and chorus are all cool.
The second solo might not serve the song the way I would do it, but I'm a hack. The guy has skill but less sizzle and more steak might be better. But hey, if they are happy with it, that is all that matters. Kudos to them for taking it from an idea to finished product! Keep rocking guys!
Good on ya man, keeping it positive and constructive is the way to go.
Cheers J.O. 🍻
Brilliant point about phrasing. I’ve never thought about that literally. Makes perfect sense.
Love your take on honesty versus mean spiritedness. I think there's a lot of nice things to be said for the song. I like the rhythm and vibe of the track and the vocals sound great. For what it's worth, I think I preferred the slower original tempo.
Not a fan of the tempo change. Really dig how they wrapped up the tune also very cool of them to put their selves out here for our criticism
@timothyhansen3975 you are probably right. I’m certainly guilty of pushing the tempo and not realizing it
Man, he’s got a great blue-eyed soul voice. Nice track. Thanks for your advice to the hater. You were right on the money. Haters gonna hate. Delete and move on. Love your channel, J 🤘
Seems like they are all vibing to a slightly different tempo and stress on the beat.
There are parts of both versions I like but I keep going back to the original. It had this groove you can lean in to. Great job!
Thanks, Mike! I guess I have to say we are facing "good problems." Appreciate you taking the time to listen and critique.
Wish they would ask you to take a run at it!❤
I have been waiting soooooo long for this! Liked the vive from their first take a lot more than this mastered version even tho they cleaned up a lot of the things you brought up.
Jon from Comfort Shag here. Thanks, we are figuring it out!
Regarding comments, unfortunately there are some musicians who view music as a competition. The guy who wrote "its sucks" probably has written or played some of his own music, which the majority of us would think "boy that really SUCKS". Fact is that some people think the Beatles "suck" or any other band. Everybody who puts their music out has haters, as well as fans. My response to a guy like that its "OK....where are your songs?...lets hear them". That usually quiets them down.
Great analysis as usual. It is time for you to become a producer!
100% agree on being able to be honest and being able to keep your mouth shut. I hate all these "Brutally honest review of____". Why "brutal'? It just sets a tone, and not a good one. Anyone can be honest, get the point across, and not be brutal, rude, mean, or condescending... In my day, and on a small town scale, when I worked with bands in various ways (never in the bands) there were only a couple times I had to get blunt with someone, and that was only after literally exhausting every other way and they weren't hearing me and got rude and insistent about the issue.
The guitar solo at its basic notes and phrasing is pretty good for the song, but it could use a mellower tone. That buzzy one is just not the best choice on a song that's not a rocker.
14:25 this face says it all
The voice reminds me of Richie Kotzen. Cool stuff.
Dude is a great singer for sure
Making notes as I listen (hopefully constructive!):
-More concise sections: good!
-Lyrics have too many perfect rhymes (and the same vowel sound): runs the risk of being boring/predictable... try varying rhyme schemes!
--also kind of vague/cliche. I'd get more specific about the situation so people can relate better and hopefully picture themselves in it.
-Chorus has a dynamic shift; good! But vocal melody is basically in the same register & has similar phrasing, which makes it blend into the verse and easy to forget.
-Gnarly solo tone! Works well for those slow burning licks, but gotta be conscientious when playing fast on the lower strings bc it gets muddy
--also take care to match dynamics and play ideas that make sense into each other; 2nd half seemed like an obvious punch-in
Hope this is constructive. I feel the vocal is being delegated to be just another element of the arrangement rather than being the dominent element that the other elements are centered around. The vocal is sung very well and should be considered the selling point of the song IMO.There seems to be too much focus on the guitar bits. It would be interesting to hear a stripped down mix. As an excersize I would come up with an arragement that is three minutes in length. Being a Dad rocker myself, I like to think of the way 1960's classic hits were arranged and produced (not that it has to sound retro) as a template. The song is good. Made me think of The Atlanta Rhythm Section, a band we all remember from the 70's.
Thanks for your thoughtful review! Interesting idea to take it to three minutes -- I'll let you knw if we make that happen.
Nice song. Definitely something they should be proud of, and kudos for putting it out there for critique. That’s very hard to do. Agree on the solo, cool tone… but maybe didn’t quite fit the song. Maybe More of a deluxe reverb edge of break up tone might be better?
Old version has more gravitas
That bigger guitar solo sounds kazoo like. They don’t seam to be in time with each other. I hear pushing from guitar. And the original tempo had a much better vibe.
Lets remember that there are 4 or 5 people involved, and getting them all to agree to making necessary changes is an animal all it's own.
The next animal is writing a song everyone will like..
I would like to say this song has real potential.
I think guitar fills in between vocals would serve the song in a much better way. The guitar tone in the solo needs to be revisited with a tone that fits the vibe and the solo needs to say what the vocals are saying in a more passionate melodic manner. Like I said, this song has real potential if you can clean up some small problem spots.
We are flattered -- thanks! I think it's important for anyone writing to keep in mind that the songs can keep evoloving, even after bring recorded.
I enjoyed the sound. I thought the vocal and guitar parts worked well together.
I really dig the vocals and general vibe. For some reason I'm hearing the need for some vocal harmonies and a small bit of call and response vocals. I'm hearing female harmony vocals on the chorus, and just touch of subtle female call and response in the lead up to the chorus. Not hearing this song as guitar centric, but more as vocal dominated song i.e. it's about the singer and the song.
Singer has the goods, I hear those phrasing/ pocket issues. Guitar players can get caught in a moment, so important to police yourself and serve the song
Just found this and listened/watched first video then came back to this one, if I was the band leader/producer, rather than the shredder lead break I’d go with a key change, I personally feel the first solo is all that song requires to tell its story. I’m sure the band have a more raucous song for the Rockin guy to cut loose
I disagree. It’s a guitar driven band / track. There’s no rules, they are just doing what feels right to them!
I agree about the second solo, stylistically it’s more reminiscent of 1987 Whitesnake rather than the song it’s in.
AGREED, THE SOLO/LEAD TONE DIDN'T FIT AS WELL AS IT COULD HAVE . I WOULD LIKED TO HAVE HEARD THEM JUST BUILD OFF THE INTRO MELODY FOR THE SOLO WITH A SIMILAR CLEANER TONE, LESS IS MORE, IMHO. I CAN HEAR THE REVERB INCONSISTENCY AS WELL. VOCALS AND RHYTHM SECTION WERE SOLID. BOTH TEMPOS WORKED FOR ME.... COOL VID AND GREAT INSIGHT JUSTIN, YOU SHOULD DO MORE OF THESE !!! TILL NEXT TIME ...
I think it a good song at its core and I really like the singer’s voice. I like the speeded up version better than the original slow version. I think the song should start off a little slower and then speed up after the first verse with the vocalist and musicians staying out of each other’s musical space. I didn’t like the guitar solo, it seemed to take away from the song..
Great video. Super helpful hearing this kind of feedback from a pro on a song like this.
This advice on taking a breath is great.
On the song. When that voice comes in at first, it's showcased. The tone takes me back with a suggestion of inspiration by I don't remember whom. Which then gets all drowned out by the arrangement. Piano intro then here comes the guitar. Where did the piano go? The piano intro is of a mood a bit too bright and quick for the singer's expression to follow. It gets the listeners attention and all but the base and drums are then tying to get in the way of that! Which latter builds, of course through to the chorus. What's all the busy stuff for up front? The vocal is so heartfelt. That's territory for piano, not electric guitar? Get rid of the piano and go acoustic guitar. And get out of the singer's way man. Sentimentalisms aren't heartfelt, they are a form of pretend. Then a guitar solo that sounds like it should be a sax? It's an honest song and the title is too clever by half. Comfort? Comfort is marriage, not a shag. Who is going to lead this band?
I believe the singer is the keys player
I'm out of the loop, obviously.
How are these songs being shared, computer file?, where there are separate tracks and can be over dubbed?
Thanks
I would have double tracked those vocals, the guy has a nice soulful baritone I love it and the piano break is great, i would put that before the solo to set the listener up for the solo, think more Derek Trucks for the solo, I do think the solo was very good though
Keys remind me of Bruce Hornsby
It’s not afternoon here 😂
Might want to pocket those drums
The most important difference is the vocal. It's much much better on the new version. But yes, I liked the space the old tempo gave. You could hear the bass more. On this version you sense the bass but don't hear it. Might need a touch more low mids or just a little saturation on the bass to bring the pitches out. And the electric piano was more prominent iin the older version, where the guitar and piano were interacting more. Which I liked, because it's just less common that guitar. But the new rhythm guitar part is much better. Didn't like the tone of that last lead solo. It sounded reedy, almost like a harsh octave fuzz. So maybe some tweaking to the bass (too recessed) and lead (too buzzy) aspects of the mix.
Bassist from Comfort Shag here. Really appreciate the critique you give. We are listening and learing. Thanks!
@@jonsnyder4716 Cool. I mean, it's all completely subjective. But, I reckon you can be louder and prouder, when the rhythmn guitar isn't heavy in the mix. And that a teensy bit of tubey midrange saturation/light growl can go a long way in the bass mids - like you'd hear in a Motown record say, from an Ampeg B-15 pushed hard. That kind of bass tone won't really get in the way of vocals but will project more. Especially when so many people are listening on not amazing speakers.
I really dig the singers tone and phrasing. The Vanessa Carlton piano intro can go. I’d turn the “chorus” into a bridge and use the guitar hook to craft a pop chorus. Lastly, I would recut the gtr solo to fit the song.
✌🏼❤️
Tempo on first recording I feel is right on...has that feel he is trying to convey
American audiences may not be familiar with Ian Moss from Cold Chisel but the lead vocalist sounds very much like him.
Just checked them out. Yeah, agree. Thanks!
I think the slower version allows for the vocal to be more soulful. The singer is very good. When you have a skilled singer, your job is to mostly stay out of the way. The sped up keys intro sounds rushed and way too busy. It works better in the slower version. It is a very good composition. Well done, dads!
Mean what you say, don’t say it mean (say it once….)
Sounds similar to Chris Isaak "Wicked Game"
A lot of little things seem to be combining to make less than it could be. The worst is definitely the lack of space in the mixing, secondarily timing/volume dynamics(drums sound almost too straight 4:4 at times and very off beat in a bad way at other times, and the volume swells seem to come in "late" and also generally the swells seem to not have much actual volume, as if it just gets busier but the mastering cut out any actual volume change), more minor things are that the chorus and riffs could probably use some little embellishment variations throughout the song, the drums are definitely a little underplayed, but the main thing is that the mastering combined with the lack of dynamics makes it seem pretty claustrophobic to my ear.
Jon from Comfort Shag here. Well observed, in my opinion. This song tested us the most of any on the album in terms of composition and timing in recording. Your remark about mastering is on point. One of the things I take away from the recording process is that I (we) should have trusted the mastering engineer more than we did. Details aside - our feedback to mixes might have hindered more than helped.
@@jonsnyder4716 I think the general feedback helped but some of the inadvertent changes hindered it, removing the conflicting guitar part over the vocal(maybe it could just be shifted down an octave if you want to keep it?) and upping the tempo both added to the song quite a lot, the tones seem to be pretty spot on(other than the drums being a little dry, but that can just be stylistic). as long as the mastering gets fixed, (maybe a little wall of sound type effect for the drums?) I think It has a lot of potential, is solid from a composition standpoint, has good parts, a good vibe and is well put together. Maybe try recording it live or something like that, might bring back the vibe from the demo tape.
I actually prefer the faster version.
I think I like the original better with the slower tempo.....that said the new version was really good
There’s a link to the whole record in the description
The second solo just seemed very incongruous to the rest of the song, both in tone and style. My advice to the player would be to work on playing to fit the vibe of the song better, and to spend some time working on his tone. With regard to his technique in general, a focus on improving his bending and vibrato, in particular, would help a great deal. Like most of the other commenters, I really like the singer's voice... perhaps a bit too many clichés in the lyrics, but the emotional impact of his voice goes miles toward mitigating those.
Did they actually pay a studio for that recording? I’m nobody, but I have played my whole life, I’ve recorded , played live etc… vocals were Dead, nothing melded together. It’s not the band… just saying?
@timothyhansen3975 I wasn’t knocking the song… just the mix…. A little would have went a long way! Just a little, but, I do understand and get bigger studios,… get em in, get em out.
Yeah first thing I thought was how poor the mix is, but that's probably not their fault. I probably would have split the difference on the tempo. Guitar solo tone was WAY wrong for this, and also mixed badly, and I'd have suggested a different take on it, personally. Perfectly decent song otherwise.
I've just talked about mix so will not here. In regard to your remark on splitting the difference -- that's what we've done lately. Justin was right when he talked about "finding a pulse". Speeding up the tempo was in fact one way used to reduce the song length, but not the only reason. We wanted the song to kick along a bit more.
To my ears the guitar is too bright. Just rolling the tone back to 6 may fix it.
I liked it slower and we can all agree that tone doesn’t fit the song
I don't delete mean comments. I appreciate them. Lol. I destroy hecklers.