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Im really looking for production advice from people with better ears than mine.Here's the lyrics for those that want to see them.Thanks in advance.http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... am=trueThe Brush of Angel's Wings© Mark S Calhoun , Matthew E HoggardVerse: I wrote you another letter todayMy tears stained every line I don't know why you took your life away I wish we had more timepre-chorus: But that's not all I need to sayI feel you here in some familiar wayChorus: I feel the brush of angel's wingsThere's glory on my faceTime stands still when I cry your name I feel your presence in this placeGod only knows what Id give to hold youId love to watch the wind rush through you hairI have to tell you , Ive got to get throughI can feel your wings move the air pre-chorusIs that you or am I crazyI turn to see your wings, and its you I swearChorusI feel the brush of angel's wingsThere's glory on my faceTime stands still when I cry your nameI feel your presence in this placeYes I doBridge: Lately something strange keeps happeningI feel you all the timeChorus x2

hey Matt, i only have a minute at the moment, i took a listen and wasnt going to comment until i had more time... But i had to say i heard a very powerful song here! Seriously, hairs on the back of my neck stood up and i was pulled in and followed along with the lyric. The production doesnt do it justice tho. Namely, lead vox are too far back, and the mix is suffering in a few places that i heard in a 'quick listen'. When i get a little more time this weekend, will pump it through the studio monitors as well as main stereo, and see if i cant give you a few idears about the mix.Again, this is a strong one bro!

damn matt,the angels of DEATH in my computer for some reason does NOT let me listen to the links that seems to have the "=true" thing at the end--can you post your taxi site and i'll find it the?--I REALLY WANT TO HEAR THIS, or email it to me at heinsite@sbcglobal.netall the best,warren

www.taxi.com/matthoggard"The Brush of Angels Wings.There ya go Warren my friend.

Hey Matt I agree with Southpaw - great piece here. Lots of sweet soul type emotion.Some of your guitar 'snaps' remind me of Springsteens Telecaster ( I have no idea what you play) a few may be too loud at times but I like them.Have you ever heard the live into to "Sweet Jane" ? Might be a good reference for you here - as I hear this some of this style going on..... I really love this give it a listen, this is intended as a compliment by the way; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y_ts0uDaVkTheres quite a wash a guitars going on... whether you intend that or not i dont know..... Actually I really like that if you can clean it up a bit, probably just need the bottom end cleaned off a few of the tracks for clarity. I think you just need to your ears to clear up and get back at it..After listening a second time I like it even more. Chris

Did you have a cold when you sang it, or jes' when you mixed? The lead vocal sounds a bit crunchy and distorted, maybe some digital clipping. I hear a compressor pumping on the chorus, sounds like the mix bus, so fiddle with the release time. Bring the guitars down, back off the gain and treble some, spread 'em out a bit more, lighten up on the gtr verbs, maybe make a hole in the midrange for the vocal to sit in. The lead vocal fluctuates in level quite a bit, it'll maybe need overall compression and maybe limiting in the chorus, maybe try a spreader to thicken it up a bit. gotta go, I gotta last-minute gig-hey, the song's really cool, and I dig the harmony vocal-maybe take another crack at this when your ears come unstopped, I've heard way better from you.

On the plus side: Great song! Good vocal performance. Decent performance in other instrumentation.On the negative side: 1) the drums are uninspiring. Hire a good drummer, or a great programmer.2) Mix is really struggling an awful lot. There’s no midrange, there’s a lot of clutter and there’s no dynamics. The mixbuss compressor is also obliterating everything. Hire a good mixer.

Thanks for the help. If I could afford a mixer i would definately hire one. This song will ultimately got to a demo studio but I need some good practice at mixing so it is what it is.Funny about the mixbus comp. Its barely engaging. Ill look into it some more.Thats my cowriter on lead vocal and I think He was a little under the weather. We will probably redo the vocals for posterity but for a pitch Ill hire a studio and get a really pro sound.Thanks again.

hi matt!sure glad i got a chance to listen to this--very good vibe, and musically love it, and hell, if i could produce this well on my boss machine, hell, i'd save allot on demos! i think the production is damned good if YOU DID THIS all by your lonesome! ok, details as i see it today, mild hangover, crab feed night last night at the boy's school...yum... --i like the structure, solid as a rock to my ears--guitar solo is strong (and yeah, a better mix would help it, but hell, we can hear it, can't we? yes we can...)--i haven't read all the comments, but you probably know a button ending should be what to do, not the fade, but i know you're still working on it...--i'm looking over the lyrics, and just one overall comment--for some of the lines, you get a bit too...hmmm how to say it...easy? non-creative? the line "i don't know why you took your life away" i just don't FEEL, and would love to know a detail ---i wrote a line like that once (once? LOL) and a screener, correctly this time...said "that's too easy, not concrete, a "throw away" line....but what? it was geniius! but after i broke the window,,,he was almost correct. another example would be in the line that i truly get my friend, but in the bridge you say "lately something strange keeps happening"--i'd personally like to here more concretely WHAT that is, now how to say it more creatively in one line may be one helluva chore, i'll agree...but those are two examples of some of the lines being a bit too "general", and in the chorus the line "there's glory on my face", i get what you're doing, but to me, it isn't concrete enough, if she's an angel and you're feeling the breeze from her wings nearby, ...well, that's kinda my point--but i HATE IT when people try to rewrite MY lyrics, so i will offer NO suggestions other than again, it's a bit obtuse (sorry, just watched shawshank the other night...)--now, as far as this being a country song (i think that's what you'r trying to do--) it isn't quite there yet with the instrumentation, and the twang stuff/vibe, but again, i can hear it in there! and you know that already too..i like this song allot, and it's a damned good effert. that's all this non-musician has for now on it, but you've truly to my ears (with a little imagination thrown in) have a solid well crafted tune here. keep up the good work my friend!all the best,warren--AKA "screener #6,971....LOL

Thanks Warren.This story keeps morphing but thats a good thing. I like your suggestions and I appreciate them.It was put together musically for a James Otto listing and I think its pretty close to his style.Lyrically, a few tweaks here and there for sure.Thanks man, I always appreciate your honest feedback.Matt