AndyB01

Oh man, this is hairs on the back of the neck stuff. Gary that is a drop-dead gorgeous performance - I should think #ProudDad doesn't even come close to the emotions you must feel seeing your kids perform that live - I know I would be in pieces. I loved it: hot, cold, dry or wet - you can serve that to me any way you choose and you'll get no crits from me. However, do listen to the folks one here who - unlike me - actually know what they're talking about when it comes to mixing. FWIW I listened to the dry and the modified mix and the modd'ed one was definitely a little more balanced to my ears in terms of the ratio of piano to vocal. Beautiful stuff Andy

I always found a lot of Brouwer's etudes rather discordant to my ear (I like No 6 though); I think it sounds better using brass - maybe you could use a touch more drama and attack in the mid section as this would add to the variation but overall a very nice arrangement. Well done Andy

Ooh definitely getting shades of that Chrissie Hind vocal - superb all round performance. Andy

Love the drum sound and such a clean guitar too - really nice mix. You did a good job with the vox and the harmonies - very enjoyable. Andy

Hi Wookie - as always with your stuff I was intrigued to see where it was going to go next so I stayed the course. I like the lead synth when it cut in and the delay introduces some accents that challenge the sense of perfect timing you sometimes get with this genre - I like. One minor crit - there seemed to be some slight distortion on the bass/ drum accompaniment that sounded a touch overdone on my cans - but that could just by my cans (or more likely my ageing ears). Nice how the soundscape filled out towards the end of the track and with a gong to finish - what's not to like. Well done as always Andy

In a word - superb! Andy

I got a slight Men At Work vibe - very tight production. Very nice work, especially liked the brass and the percussion. Andy

Cheers Bjorn - glad you enjoyed it - I'll bear that in mind if I do any more work on this. Andy

Yeah well guessed Tom, EzD is spot on - it's my go to VST for drums because it is just so easy to use and I actually think the kits sound great. I know folk rave about SD3 but I'm fine with EzD . The groove could always come back - there's surely potential for at least another 30 minutes worth of creativity...! 🤣😂 Thanks David - not sure this is music to go sleep to so I doubt it will do much for your insomnia but appreciate the listen as always. Thanks @amiller well it is supposed to be a sort of homage to Prog so you kind of have to (although that 9/8 section was tricky) - could do with some of your sublime guitar chops over the last section.

This is a longer (and I think now completed) version of one I posted a snippet of a couple of months back as I was undecided whether to continue with it or not. It's a mix of original riffs and some EzKeys loops (mainly from the Prog midi pack) and a whole heap of different instruments - I may have gone a little crazy with tracks, drums and time sigs (there's a 6/8 section in there and 9/8 one as well I think) but on the upside, at least there's no vocals. 😂 See what you think - it kind of meanders a bit and doesn't really go anywhere but I kind of don't mind that too much as I wasn't aiming at anything specific (other than a change from my usual stuff) and I had a whole heap of fun of making this.

Definitely has a movie soundtrack feel to it and lots of surprises to keep you interested - I like the (new)? ending too. Excellent work, Andy.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 take a bow my man, that's a wonderful video. I love and admire your ambition to be the best guitarist you can be. As someone who has been playing for almost fifty years (yes I know, I should be a damn site better than I am) I can say that my guitar has seen me through some of the darkest and toughest times - I couldn't imagine life without having one around to play. If I can offer you one piece of advice it would to relax that left hand - it looks like you're trying and pressing the string way too hard. The way to stop the buzz is to square your finger at the knuckle and compress the string just behind the fret. Pressing too hard will just give you sore fingers and frustrate your desire to practice. The finger tips will harden off in time, keep your practice sessions short and frequent until they do. Wishing you all the best and thanks for sharing. You've now inspired me to try and write an 'unplugged' song for a change. Andy

Beautiful timbre David and plenty of light and shade. Slow hands eh, still sounds pretty good to me. Well played and enjoy the holiday season also. Andy

Fabulous art work and the soundtrack wasn't too shabby either. You did a lovely job on this and very skilled use of VSTs, as a guitarist I could tell - but only just. Would love to hear that played on a decent 12 string with a few well-placed strings added in. #TopWork Andy

Love that groove, yes a blistering hot guitar solo might round that off very nicely. Mix sounds good on a pair of Sony MDR-7506s. Andy

Nice one @Wookiee as you are someone who has listened to my many crimes against singing (and even said polite things) I felt duty-bound to listen. 😉 I think the vox processing fits the mood of the track and the back story helps bring it to life - I agree with David about the panning and I liked the change ups as well. Good work. Andy

OK so I have added a few more minutes to this - a mix of original riffs and some EzKeys loops to say it's a ramble into the unknown (and previously unexplored) for me would be putting it mildly and it's a change from my usual stuff that's for sure. It may not be the finest production or instrumentation you've ever heard but I sure had a lot of fun getting it this far - have another listen if you dare and see what you think. Just some guitar required over that final section when I get the time to put it down. Andy

Hi Steve that's a fine cover - Beatles stuff sounds deceptively simple where as in fact it's anything but. You did a quality job on this and I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for sharing. Andy

+1 to this - I saw the Genesis Revisited Tour Steve did in 2018 at TSH Birmingham and was completely blown away. I have been a fan of Steve Hackett all the way back since he left the band and thinking about that concert still gives me goosebumps. One incredible and unforgettable night, it was a privilege to be in the audience. Andy

Hi David - reminded me a little of Ungar's Ashokan Farewell (no bad thing) it has that sweet yet melancholy Celtic lament. I really enjoyed it - rubato and all. Andy

Simply stunning: musicianship, vocal, lyric, video, production - all of it. Absolutely top drawer.

Rik - sorry to hear about the vision and I hope things are improving but - let me tell you - there's nothing wrong with your ears fella; this is one classy blues track and I absolutely love that guitar tone. Up there with some of Chris Rea's finest work imho. Great listen. Andy

@daryl1968 you did it again with this one - the vocals are great and my compliments to the lyricist - very clever and contemporary stuff. Andy

Sounds OK on my cans but would agree with Tom, a little less bass and definitely drums to come up a notch. Oh and +1 to the Genesis vibe (I could hear nods to both The Knife and Trespass - intended or otherwise). Love your stuff and this is another belter Andy

Nice vibe and mix and great vocal - nice job and good luck from me also.