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This is the fourth CD Derek did with The Michael Feldman Group. Derek has no role as a writer or producer in the band. As such, this website is not adequately structured to detail this project, but Derek will share some words about it below...

"Before I say what I feel compelled to say about this record, let me say the following... I LIKE this record. I think the songs are the strongest Mike's ever written. The lyrics are great, and the melodies are wonderful. The pedal steel is a great addition, and there are some really amazing moments on there.

That said...

I HATED the recording process, and I never want to work with that engineer again. The drums you hear are electronic, and frankly, I think you can tell. The thing is, they're not just electronic, they're FIRST GENERATION electronic...just rubber triggers glued to solid wood. I'm amazed that Boyce didn't break a hand. The engineer INSISTED on using them because, "I just can't get the sound I'm looking for out of an acoustic kit." That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about him and his abilities. Plus, I was unavailable on the specific night Mike wanted to record my vocal parts--which I'd worked really hard on--so they just weren't recorded. Add in the studio-musicians who really didn't belong there (even though, like I said, I loved the pedal steel) and the fact that the engineer STILL, after three records, couldn't get my bass tone right...and I'm just not even sure why I was there for this record.

Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent listen. It's definitly worth whatever Mike's charging for it. It's just not what we were, and I prefer the sound we were getting in the rehearsals. Even minus that...even though I like and truly enjoy the finished product... The experience of recording it was so bad that I just can't get into it as much as I should. Had Mike done this without me and handed me a copy, I'd have nothing but good things to say about it. As it stands, though...I have nothing but bad things to say about the engineer.

But again...this is Mike's best work as a writer. The songs are really, really good. Don't let my poor feelings about the process color your enjoyment of what you hear. It's an excellent record...it's just not the one I wanted to make.  But, hey...it's not my band.

It bears saying that these are my own feelings...not Mike's. Sorry if this one pissed you off Mike. Go check out the stuff I wrote about 'Make Your Plans Big' or 'Narrow Road.' It's kinder. I still talk crap about the engineer, though.  Nothing I can do about that."