The Wagtunes Corner

[Frantz]

"Pig on the Dash" is weird, wacky fun. You have a real talent for novelty numbers.

Regarding the mix, I would lower the volume of the spoken interjections and especially the snorting.

[wagtunes]

"Pig on the Dash" is weird, wacky fun. You have a real talent for novelty numbers.

Regarding the mix, I would lower the volume of the spoken interjections and especially the snorting.

Thanks for the feedback Frantz. The volume of the voiceovers was intentionally done that way. I wanted them to be in your face and louder than everything else. It was an artistic choice that works for me if not for everybody else.

[wagtunes]

Okay, here is the official KVR release. I've added background vocals and I really like the way this came out. I will probably submit this to the American Song Contest this coming November. Maybe this time I can go from being a finalist to being a winner.

We'll see.

Losing My Mind (All Over You)

You came into my life like a fire
Now I'm up there walking that high wire
Girl I couldn't get no higher
Losing my mind all over you

But then it fell apart at the seams
And the nightmares they came out of dreams
Put up with your crazy schemes
Losing my mind all over you

How did we get to here
Me your doll and you my puppeteer
Losing my mind all over you

I tried to run away from your grasp
But your hold on me was firm and fast
I don't think that I can last
Losing my mind all over you

The time is running out like the sand
Of an hour glass that's out of hand
Smashed around our wedding band
While I'm losing my mind all over you

Repeat Bridge 1

Now it's all fallen apart
Took a stake and shoved it in my heart
While I'm losing my mind all over you

Nothing can save what we had
Even if I should go completely mad
With you as a friend I will go off the deep end
Losing my mind all over you
So we gotta end this now

Go away, go today
Cause your games I do not want to play
Losing my mind all over you

End it now, don't care how
Gotta break these scary wedding vows
Losing my mind all over you

No more losing my mind all over you

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... l-over-you

[Wopelka]

Indeed, a great number. The background vocals add their magic to an already great song. I like the way you treated-mixed your voice (main voice that is) in this one. Some older tracks of yours are slightly less convincing at this regard. I wish you good luck for the contest.

[wagtunes]

Indeed, a great number. The background vocals add their magic to an already great song. I like the way you treated-mixed your voice (main voice that is) in this one. Some older tracks of yours are slightly less convincing at this regard. I wish you good luck for the contest.

Thanks. It's a long way off.

[layzer]

Losing My Mind:

ahhh wags, how is it you seem to stir old
memories of old loves for me?
well done, as usual
only would have liked a little more sub-bass and high end sizzle
to make the overall tone less mid-rangy, but i know you dig that vintage sound
sooooo pay no mind.

[wagtunes]

Losing My Mind:

ahhh wags, how is it you seem to stir old
memories of old loves for me?
well done, as usual
only would have liked a little more sub-bass and high end sizzle
to make the overall tone less mid-rangy, but i know you dig that vintage sound
sooooo pay no mind.

Yeah, I really toned down the bass and cymbals on this one. I felt it worked better for the track. Most of that mid range is actually in the vocals. The guitar was EQ'd heavily. The piano, not as much. The background vocals had nothing below 250. I probably could have left the bass out of this and I don't think anybody would have noticed much. There's just enough there to give it a hint. Did you do a SPAN readout on the track? I'm curious to see what you came up with.

Anyway, thanks for the listen and the feedback.

[donkey tugger]

Good stuff - definitely the best sounding vocal I've heard from you in terms of recording/production. Whilst it's not totally in tune all the way through, who gives a toss - the commitment carries it. There is just one bit, right at the end where it jars a bit for me - at 2.54 on 'you', you hit the wrong note and bend up to the right one, probably could correct it.

Overall production/arrangement wise there's a few things I'd do if it were me, mostly in terms of imparting more dynamic between the verse and chorus - the drums and piano in particular seem to be all quite constant in velocity which lessens the impact when you do get to the big build up at the end. Nothing that a bit of velocity editing in the piano roll and a bit of judicious volume automation wouldn't sort. Half the fun in doing slow stuff is the big dynamic changes which catch the listener's ear, and I think you're missing a trick here!

[wagtunes]

Good stuff - definitely the best sounding vocal I've heard from you in terms of recording/production. Whilst it's not totally in tune all the way through, who gives a toss - the commitment carries it. There is just one bit, right at the end where it jars a bit for me - at 2.54 on 'you', you hit the wrong note and bend up to the right one, probably could correct it.

Overall production/arrangement wise there's a few things I'd do if it were me, mostly in terms of imparting more dynamic between the verse and chorus - the drums and piano in particular seem to be all quite constant in velocity which lessens the impact when you do get to the big build up at the end. Nothing that a bit of velocity editing in the piano roll and a bit of judicious volume automation wouldn't sort. Half the fun in doing slow stuff is the big dynamic changes which catch the listener's ear, and I think you're missing a trick here!

As always, thanks for the well thought out feedback. The bend up to the "right note" was intentional and not a vocal mistake as I had fixed all of those. So I guess you just don't like my artistic choice there. Fair enough. My singing in general isn't for everybody anyway. As for the dynamics, I decided to go without any change in them throughout other than when the strings and background vocals come in. Was going for a more pop feel than ballad feel. Again, just an artistic choice that I'm sure some won't particularly like. The song itself could have been done a dozen different ways. In fact, I toyed with a number of arrangements before I decided on this one. But I can certainly see your suggestions as having potential for a different arrangement. Maybe one day I'll do a different version of this song and incorporate your suggestions into it.

[sjm]

Good stuff - definitely the best sounding vocal I've heard from you in terms of recording/production. Whilst it's not totally in tune all the way through, who gives a toss - the commitment carries it. There is just one bit, right at the end where it jars a bit for me - at 2.54 on 'you', you hit the wrong note and bend up to the right one, probably could correct it.

Pretty much what I was saying. The rest if the performance fits the song, and I'm hardly in a position to criticise people not hitting the right note. But ending like that is a bit of a shame, because the song deserves better. Better to end on a high note, so to speak

@wags: Criticism like this is only intended to help you improve, not point out your flaws. People aren't going to comment if they don't care. This is a great song.

[wagtunes]

Good stuff - definitely the best sounding vocal I've heard from you in terms of recording/production. Whilst it's not totally in tune all the way through, who gives a toss - the commitment carries it. There is just one bit, right at the end where it jars a bit for me - at 2.54 on 'you', you hit the wrong note and bend up to the right one, probably could correct it.

Pretty much what I was saying. The rest if the performance fits the song, and I'm hardly in a position to criticise people not hitting the right note. But ending like that is a bit of a shame, because the song deserves better. Better to end on a high note, so to speak

@wags: Criticism like this is only intended to help you improve, not point out your flaws. People aren't going to comment if they don't care. This is a great song.

Well, I hit the note I wanted to hit. Actually, I hit the two notes that I wanted to hit (D bending down to B). I like the way it sounds. What can I tell you? But it certainly wasn't a mistake or a wrong note. It's simply a melodic compositional choice that you don't like. And that's fine. You're the only two who mentioned it out of the many comments I've gotten. So either everybody else liked it, didn't mind it or didn't care. I like it. I don't mind criticism. I'm simply pointing out that it wasn't a "mistake" and that it was done intentionally. That you didn't like my decision and that it "ruined" a good song, oh well, such is life. I'm not changing it because a couple of people don't like it.

[wagtunes]

16th and final track from my upcoming CD "Untitled Masterpiece."

I started this CD at the end of November. I can't believe I've worked on it this long. Hopefully, it shows.

Anyway, the last track took a lot of guts for me to do. For starters, it's personal in nature. Won't go into details here.

But more than that, I wanted to see if I could carry a song with just the words, music, my singing, a piano and nothing else. This is about as bare as it gets. Fixing all the vocal "problems" with just a piano behind me was tough because there wasn't a big arrangement or overdubs to cover things up. So I had to spend a lot of time in Variaudio fixing this. I did the best I could.

I have no idea what my next project will be but this one was exhausting.

Here's the grand finale

At The End Of The Day

At the end of the day
When the sun's gone down
When there's no one left around
When there's nothing left to do

At the end of the day
When my thoughts are clear
When the silence I can hear
When there's nothing left to prove
At the end of the day
There's just you

At the end of my life
When the skies are gray
When the pain has gone away
When my feelings are most true

At the end of my life
When the fear's all gone
When there's no need to go on
When the skies turn gray from blue
At the end of my life
There's just you

For you've always been there for me
The bright light you were meant to be
On land and on the sea
You set my soul free

At the end of the day
When I think ahead
When all things have all been said
When there's nothing left to do
At the end of the day
There's still you

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... of-the-day

[wagtunes]

^^^^^^^ Really? Not even ONE comment? Ah come on guys. Last song of a grueling 4 month project.

[layzer]

At The End Of The Day:

nothing much to say except, at the end of the song....
i was very impressed. probably your best comp/production
work i can remember listening to. all 10's

[wagtunes]

At The End Of The Day:

nothing much to say except, at the end of the song....
i was very impressed. probably your best comp/production
work i can remember listening to. all 10's

Thanks Layzer. You made my day, no pun intended.