Well I'm energized with all the nice feedback. Thanks.
I tend to agree with your comments. One of my weak spots is with the final mastering of the final mix. I never feel I get it right but don't want to tweak and tweak and tweak to make it sound different, but make it sound better...like the snare shot. I too, love the crack of a hot snare but I need to work on making it stand out on the track without clobbering other parts. I did a better job with the snare on another song we did. I need to be more patient and put it down when my ears crap out for the night.