Dead On The Streets/Dead When We're Born

    Dead On The Streets | Brian Blevins
    Dead On The Streets by Brian Blevins, Country music from Guntersville, AL on ReverbNation
    www.reverbnation.com


    This is an old song I decided to redo. It is one of those that I just wrote the lyrics and melody in about 5 minutes and you can tell:) The lyrics were written around 1997. I came up with the main riff when I was about 15 around 10 years prior. My band was looking for more material for a project we were working on. We never officially recorded it.


    Anyway in 1998 I moved away from where I grew up in the Cincinnati, OH area. Before I moved I was jamming with some folks and one of them is the singer on this song who recently passed away. We only did one version of the vocals and this is it. I just redid everything else this week.


    I hope you guys enjoy it.


    Brian

    I forgot to say that a couple of the other guys i was jamming with at the time were a lot closer to the singer. They really appreciated hearing it since they had not heard it in so long and most likely didn't remember it anyway.


    It was a real emotional moment for them since to them it was just music until they heard that familiar voice. They told me that hearing this helped them to heal just a little more knowing that our friend live on through the music he made.

    Great track, great vocals with a tragic story. Really great use of the dual guitar solo too. Thanks for sharing the story. As much as the vocalist is so key here I’d want to find a way to mix the guitar and drums a little higher so that they can back up the power and grind there.

    Quote from TheSystem

    I forgot to say that a couple of the other guys i was jamming with at the time were a lot closer to the singer. They really appreciated hearing it since they had not heard it in so long and most likely didn't remember it anyway.


    It was a real emotional moment for them since to them it was just music until they heard that familiar voice. They told me that hearing this helped them to heal just a little more knowing that our friend live on through the music he made.

    Music can be very emotional and should be. I remember a couple times with running tears. The first time was hearing my first mix and that I actually made a song from nothing. It wasn't great or even good sounding but I made it with my own hands and mind alone. That's a powerful feeling.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

    Like 1
    Quote from BayouTexan

    Music can be very emotional and should be. I remember a couple times with running tears. The first time was hearing my first mix and that I actually made a song from nothing. It wasn't great or even good sounding but I made it with my own hands and mind alone. That's a powerful feeling.

    It is an amazing feeling for sure.

    Quote from Per

    Great track, great vocals with a tragic story. Really great use of the dual guitar solo too. Thanks for sharing the story. As much as the vocalist is so key here I’d want to find a way to mix the guitar and drums a little higher so that they can back up the power and grind there.

    Thanks for listening Per and providing feedback.


    I played and recorded this in my home studio except for the keys and vocals (of course). I created the drum track using Jamstix.


    I will open up the Reaper session and have a listen. I mixed this in my last home studio. We have since moved so it will be cool to revisit this song in my new setup. I use many plugins including UAD. Lately I have been 'converting' over the UADx where that might apply. I will do the same to this one.


    Thanks again.

    Quote from Per

    Great track, great vocals with a tragic story. Really great use of the dual guitar solo too. Thanks for sharing the story. As much as the vocalist is so key here I’d want to find a way to mix the guitar and drums a little higher so that they can back up the power and grind there.

    I just did some tweaks to my mix. I ditched the Steven Slate samples for something less metal sounding and did some rebalancing.


    Any better?

    Quote from TheSystem

    I just did some tweaks to my mix. I ditched the Steven Slate samples for something less metal sounding and did some rebalancing.


    Any better?

    Different, better in some ways, a little muddier too. I think now you're fighting the bass frequencies.

    Perhaps a middle ground? I think you need to sculpt the sound around the vocals more. Having them forward is good, it's just that before they were so far forward that the backing sounded anemic, perhaps a little use of Neutron or riding the faders and pushing the bass down or treble up here and there might get that big sound without compromising too much. Maybe Monkey_Man has some suggestions?

    Quote from Per

    Maybe Monkey_Man has some suggestions?

    Thanks for call-up bro'. :D


    I can't comment on anything bass-related 'cause I lack the facility to hear it right now.


    As for the forwardness of the vox, I think it's fine but could use a tiny bit of fairy dust in the form of some subtle delay. Just a slapback or two, mixed right-down so you don't really "hear" it, but moreso sense it gelling with the mix a little more.


    That said, it's pretty-damned close already IMHO.


    Good job Brian!

    Thanks Guys


    I will do some more work on it. I did add some UAD Studio D and more Delay from Soundtoys to the Vox in the last mix. I also did some volume automation here and there on various aspects, vox, gtrs, drums.


    I also tweaked the 2-Buss which is probably explains what Per mentioned.


    After Bengals game, I can work it :)

    Thanks for listening notorst and commenting.


    We moved recently and I need to hook up with a singer where we live now so I can wrap many of these ideas up.


    Brian