Broken Man

[Monk]

Cool trick with the last line! I really liked the sound and arrangement of the choruses. Drums might be a little too loud in the second and third, making the track look a little emptier than it is, but we're talking decimals here. Really dig it.

The final placement came from feel rather than a logical or more traditional balance with the other elements. Lower fader settings just didn't do it for me. I wanted more vamp and drive compared with the first section too, which was intentionally lower so I had something in reserve for contrast and energy.

The last vocal "delay" line (you know, the "never come"s, "come and gone/undone"?s) in the first refrain (the one by the lead) are the only thing I'd revisit in an otherwise very interesting, very personal approach (it made me fancy watching "Gravity"). I can't tell if it's because the line is one too many, or maybe it's it being cleaner and more present than the inmediate previous repetition (the one sang by the BVs), or maybe all it needs is some stronger reverb.

It's too exposed as it is and you are right to call it. The second section works much better and is more inkeeping with what I was looking for. All that could go anyway, depending on how the harmonies come out, if I ever get there. I'll probably explore that feature set on another project later. If the vocal tracking had been better, I'd have pushed further on at the time.

I'm not so sure with the verses, thou.

I'm sure. Bjork does a splendid job delivering the sort of contrast I was looking for (by way of example out there in the commercial world), with her cover of Betty Hutton’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” which was a cover of Horst Winters’ more conservative approach.

Harry (Horst) Winter - Und jetzt ist es still (1948)
https://youtu.be/6zmhvJpTELc

Thanks for listening and taking the time to share your thoughts and quality observations.