I Can't Live This Way

[Cruciform]

Hey Ken,

I got goosebumps with the first chorus. But it just feels like it's missing some layers of emotional instrumentation. Some soaring strings and orchestral toms or timpanis would take it into powerful territory. To me this is currently in the soft pop ballad region. It doesn't seem edgy and modern to me, notwithstanding their examples of "Beautiful" and "You're beautiful".

Really nice song with lots of potential, but I don't think it meets the listing. If it's a critiqued listing, rather than a Y/N it might be worth submitting anyway to get some feedback on what they think it needs (assuming they don't forward it).

But my track record with targeting the listings was dismal, so take this with a handful of salt.

[kenmassey]

Thanks Nick, Don, Dick & Rob and eberybody else for helping me out here. I do appreciate it. I just listened to my last remix and feel the bass is too loud. So there will be one or two chances at a remix before the Friday deadline.

I'm hearing a little Celine in here too, but can't seem to get my head around the "edgy" thing! What is edgy? How does one make a production edgy? What elements of the production need to change to make a song "edgy?"

Thanks, Ken

[Len911]

I'm hearing a little Celine in here too, but can't seem to get my head around the "edgy" thing! What is edgy? How does one make a production edgy? What elements of the production need to change to make a song "edgy?"

Thanks, Ken

Alright Ken, weren't you the one who critiqued my last song as being edgy,lol, I know you were because I double-checked

I would say edgy is the unabashed, unabridged truth. The listing did say, emotionally revealing. An example that comes to mind is my grandma, she would always say toot or poot, probably for 90 years, and a few weeks back she said fart, so she is getting edgier. I don't know that's the best example, unless you had known her, the royal queenly christian matriarch, everyone is blaming the alzheimers.
I suppose the edgier version of the ribbing I gave you above, might go something like this, "What the hell Ken, you told me my lyrics were edgy, and you are saying you don't even know what the hell edgy is?" Unfortunately edgy is hard to do in print because it might not be taken in the same context as it is meant. When you use curse words for punctuation or as exclamation points, I suppose that could be construed as edgy.

[kenmassey]

Hey Len, I stand guilty as charged! Lol!
I was just commenting to a friend that I'm as guilty as the next guy for using the "edgy" phrase while not really being able to define it! Especially as it relates to music in general or in this case production specifically. It seems to be one of those: I know it when I hear it but can't explain it, type of things!
BTW I liked those lyrics alot, did I use "quirky" too? If so, now I'm in deep doo doo!

I'm still at a loss with respect to "edgy" production. I've become as familiar with Kelly Clarkson's Already Gone as my own song and still can't get my head around an "edgy" production. Maybe it's because I'm old and dense! Guess grandma was right!

Thanks, Ken

[Len911]

I will have to watch the videos and listen to the lyrics of all the songs looking for the "edginess", but I saw a program on tv the other day about Christina Auguilera, and the "Beautiful" video had some sort of homeo-erotic element to it, I can't remember if it was two woman or two men kissing or what exactly, but perhaps that is what is meant by edgy. Maybe you're suppose to translate that type of edginess into the production somehow?

[kenmassey]

Hey Len, Yea, I'm hearing ya. Just posted my um-teenth remix, let me know what you think.

Another pot hole is the OCD remixing of a track in an attempt to make it better. So I'm gonna call it a night, have a glass of wine and let the screeners fall where they may!

AND if anyone can define edgy production for me; I'm all ears!

Thanks to all of you for helping me become better at this. Ken

[Len911]

I wish I could hear the second mix with this one for comparison, because I'm thinking I liked the number 2 mix better, the vocals were sweeter and fresher, though maybe that's less edgy and too Celine-like?

[kenmassey]

Hey Len, My OCD kicked in and I just had to do another remix, it's posted now. I swear I'll keep my hands off of the faders now. Besides, I'm getting a bit of a wine buzz and don't trust myself anymore! Thank you for all of your help. Ken.

[Len911]

Hey Ken, I'm gonna listen again. I just discovered I have been listening and mixing with my mixer set at -12db, and for awhile now, I was wondering why certain things didn't sound as well as I thought they should. Damn it, it's always something I swear! So that means I am sure your 2nd mix sounded even better! I was attenuating and then increasing the gain, it seems to affect certain frequencies more than others.

Yes, this is lovely, and the feeling is back!! Sounds great Ken!

[deantaylor]

Hey Ken,

this one isn't edgy to me. it's more Celine.

to do edgy, i think along these lines:

1. use a bit more slang in the lyric and have some lines coming a bit more out of left field .. in the blunt song the opening line is like that for me .. My life is brilliant .. or in verse 2 .. She could see from my face that I was, Flying high .. he turned the perspective to her

2. use a little blue language .. blunt used 'fraking high' on the CD

3. blunt's vocal is also a bit edgy and modern sounding.. that helps present it

4. for production .. i saw ML give the example of a Colbie Caillet song that seemed pretty 'timeless' but had an urban beat underneath it to give it a modern feel

Dean