Death On Two Legs (Fickle Mix)

This isn't perhaps as inventive as Dan's version, but I tried (as usual) to 'heavy it up' a bit.

http://rapidshare.de/files/13193516/Death_On_Two_Legs__Fickle_Mix_.mp3

The only criticism I have of it myself, is that, once again, I seem to have unintentionally managed to get a 'toilet bowl' effect on some of the backing vocals. This seems to happen when I downmix front and rear 5.1 channels to into 2.0 stereo, and there must be a way round this. I've tried inverting, but that doesn't seem to do anything, anyway, apart from that, I think this is cool - please leave your comments!

I like the guitar sliding down in the intro (0:36sec)and the end :)
The guitar with (the small) echo effect to the right speaker (0:43) is something I would change imo.
There is a very small volume dip at 1:30sec.??
Just like you mentioned yourself, the bit hollow (backing)vocals.
I like the flanger(?) effect on the phrase "Feel good".

Not your best, but still a very good mix ;)

Thanks Dan. 1:30 isn't actually a volume dip - it's because I only used the front two channels from the DVD-A, and the reverse cymbal sweeps from front to rear. Easily fixable, but I didn't see it as a fault, as such.

No, it's not my best mix, but it only took an hour or so, and there's not a great deal to work with on this one.

Would have been nice to have received a few more comments on this one. If you don't like it, say so, but if you've downloaded it, as 17 people have, at least say something!

"I've tried inverting, but that doesn't seem to do anything,"

Funny enough, it's when I invert things that I get crazy effects like the one you mentioned. Another common screw-up for me is when the piano goes 'honky tonk' because of inversion... crazy!

I'm downloading this as I write me post...

... downloading ...

... listening ...

This is pretty neat all told - I'm actually used to hearing the song as a low bitrate mp3 (my CD sits safely somewhere else you see) so even another mp3 is an improvement!
Wonderful stuff really, I have to say I miss some of the big overdubs (like the one right before he says 'talk like a big business tycoon'). But, pretty good stuff.

(Sorry if I can't think up anything else to say, I understand it's just as useless to say 'it's good' without feedback as it is to say 'it's bad' without said feedback).

Cheers Fickle!

Thanks Zeb. This is a fairly high bitrate MP3, so the sound quality shouldn't be an issue. The missing "Ahhhhh"s were by default rather than intentional, but I did intentionally leave it, as I thought it was nice to highlight Freddie's vocal.

Well done!

A heavier sound indeed from the original, much much clearer as well.

Yeah i quite liked it, especially how you only used Freddie's vocals for the first line, which i suppose sounds a lot like how they originally intended it... except that 'feel good' freaked me out a bit.

Lord F - great remix as always.

But, just to ask, towards the end of the guitar solo, and as the final verse starts, there is a slight "echo" on the track, not sure if this was intentional or not, but just wanted to point it. It's not that it sounds bad, it just doesn't sound consistent to the rest of the track, as this isn't an effect used often (or at all) throughout the rest of this remix.

Do you mean on the two "da da.....da da" drum beats? That's just a bit of reverb, and was intentional, as the drums sounded a little dry when isolated. I'll have another listen to it if that's not what you meant.

Thanks for the comments, guys!

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Lord Fickle wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Do you mean on the two "da da.....da da" drum beats? That's just a bit of reverb, and was intentional, as the drums sounded a little dry when isolated. I'll have another listen to it if that's not what you meant.

Thanks for the comments, guys![/QUOTE]

Yes, that's the part, at the end of the solo, and there are a couple of low tom rolls, before the verse starts back up. Like I said, it's not bad, just perhaps where I'm not used to there being reverb there (but it also covers all of the sound, not just the drums). Perhaps they could be handed a touch more bass? But, hey, it's not my song and as always is a quality remix anyway, and I don't mean to try and detract from that.

I know where you mean now - it's actually where the overlay mix of the front / rear channels (to include the solo) was slightly out of sync. Thanks for noticing that - lol! ;)

Although it wasn't ideal, it sounded better to do it that way, than have it phasing, which it did when correctly synchonised. I could probably have done it a bit better. Technically, this isn't one my best mixes - maybe I'll have another play with it sometime.

Thanks for your comments though - appreciated.

Though, I'm sure as you know, it doesn't have to be very technical to sound good.

For example, simple things that the slight growl of the guiatr before the first verse, or the fact you've taken out the scream that is normally before the first verse (which, although I don't hate it, for your mix, I really like the way it sounds heading straight into Freddie after the intro). Similar to the way you've removed the vocal section from The Prophet's Song (in the "alternate" version especially, where there's the phased cymbal-catching that pans between speakers, and then goes straight into the solo). Just a slight bit of editing, the [possible]addition of an effect, and it sounds great.

Yes, I like the little guitar growls too.

Here's a little trivia question for you (or anyone) - that 'growl' is used in many of my mixes, but where is it from? It IS Brian and it IS from a Queen CD.

Isn't that from Death On Two Legs??

I assume you mean that guitar sound I mentioned in the intro and near the end??