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Posted By: Noel96 At Apollo Bay - 05/06/17 08:14 PM
I thought that it was probably time for me to introduce a bit of local scenery into one of my songs.

I live in Melbourne (Australia). It is located on the northern end of a pretty large bay called Port Phillip Bay. Around the edges of this bay are many local (sub)bays and beaches. One of those bays is Apollo Bay. It is a popular holiday location for locals and tourists.



Using Apollo Bay as a setting, I thought I'd write a story about someone who might live there...




...I hope you enjoy it.

Please feel free to comment on any aspect of the song.

Regards,
Noel


The BIAB Band
RealTracks
519: Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 120
522: Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 120
405: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 120
2201: Guitar, Nylon, Background CountryBrent Ev 120
1542: Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopBelieve Ev16 065

Realdrums
NashvilleEven8^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
TambourineEven8ths: a: Tambourine b: TambourineEven8ths

**Realtracks and Realdrums generated by the Audiophile edition of BIAB/RB


Lyrics
Standing on the beach at Apollo Bay
She stares at the distant horizon
A friendly wind blows
A seagull circles low
And as the blue fills with rolling waves
She feels her spirit brighten

Standing on the beach at Apollo Bay
She thinks about the father of her daughter
For three years, he’s been gone
And with courage, she carries on
But her heart longs for a future day
When he’ll fly across these waters

Twisting a golden ring around her finger
She says to the ocean, “This life with a soldier means taking each day at a time”

Standing on the beach at Apollo Bay
She faces those fears that come and greet her
It’s love that keeps her strong
Gives her power to travel on
And she’ll endure whatever comes her way
This life will not defeat her

Thinking about her daughter and the years ahead
And if she has to, she’ll battle heaven and earth, if that’s what it takes to survive

Standing on the beach at Apollo Bay
She faces those fears that come and greet her
It’s love that keeps her strong
Gives her power to travel on
And she’ll endure whatever comes her way
This life will not defeat her

Yes, love keeps her strong
Brings her hope when things go wrong
And she’ll cope, whatever comes her way
Life will not defeat her

©2017 Noel Adams, words and music, all rights reserved.
Posted By: Joe -PG Music Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/06/17 09:02 PM
Hi Noel96, Excellent work with this. Very easy to listen to and quite enjoyable. Well done! smile
Posted By: Robertkc Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/06/17 10:55 PM
Noel,
I liked the way your story drew me in - the first verse really sets the scene.The folky melody suits the lyric( and takes an unexpected turn in the chorus). Your vocal is assured and distinctive... a bit like the ever positive feeling of your songs.
Oh and very well produced!

Robert
Posted By: AudioTrack Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 12:37 AM
Wow, Noel. This is genius songwriting.

I have to be impressed with the way you have crafted the rhyming nature of the lyrics.

Very clever rhyming of lines 1 & 5 and 2 & 6 and then carefully and masterfully creating a separate rhyme by introducing symmetry with lines of 3 & 4 of each verse.

The further exceptional achievement is the creativity of the story line that embraces the entire song.

Thank you.

Excellent, again.
Posted By: 44kfl Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 12:51 AM
Cool song!

great writing as usual and I agree with Robert

in that the folky melody suits the lyric and then

takes an unexpected turn in the chorus (which I really like)

it sounds Country there to me. Another strong very likeable song.

Kenny
Posted By: Al-David Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 01:05 AM
Ho Noel,

It's not always easy to paint a masterpiece with words but you managed to do so exceptionally well. As Kenny mentioned, the chorus takes us to slightly different feel - Country-Rock rather than Folk-Rock. They work very nicely together. Each chorus raises the interest in the song, as a chorus should.

Your technical production expertise shows through quite vividly. You have a nice touch with the "knobs". We were right there over-looking the water and enjoying the view with sweet music in our ears. Really nice! Wishing you well.

Alan & Di.
Posted By: ROG Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 06:14 AM
Hi Noel.

A beautiful song and a great arrangement.

I liked the pick-up into the second verse and the way it kicked again into the bridge. Very professional.

Good story-line, but then your lyrics have always been a strong point of your songs.

Enjoyed the whole thing.

Cheers, ROG.
Posted By: PeterF Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 06:55 AM
Noel

An excellent folk song that tells a story beautifully. Reminds me a bit of Eric Bogle.
Great work.

Peter
Posted By: rsdean Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 07:37 AM
Noel,

This is a new favorite for me... What a beautiful song - love the vocal. It reminds me of Roger Whittaker. Great arrangement and mix as well.

Excellent!

Bob
Posted By: Charlie Fogle Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 10:06 AM
This is a real masterpiece, and I love the band!! It doesn't get much better than this. This is a top quality write, mix, arrangement, performance and production. You've made all the right choices.

The overall writing and production in the forum has improved in quality over the last few years as well as the quality of realtracks and features of BIAB. It's no longer unusual to hear a very professional sounding production and this is a good example of a radio ready home produced song. Super write and production. It's been several years now since I could keep pace with the rapid growth you and others have achieved in the top quality professionalism of writing and production. You are inspiring a whole new generation of home recordists and consistently displaying the amazing benefits of BIAB.

Not only do you have perfect command over lyrics, you are getting really good with your production techniques and arranging skills. This is a complete package for me and I've enjoyed my listen from start to finish each time I've played it through.





Charlie
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 03:40 PM
Originally Posted By: Joe -PG Music
Hi Noel96, Excellent work with this. Very easy to listen to and quite enjoyable. Well done! smile

Thanks, Joe! Appreciate your taking time out to have a listen.

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 04:18 PM
Originally Posted By: Robertkc
Noel,
I liked the way your story drew me in - the first verse really sets the scene. The folky melody suits the lyric (and takes an unexpected turn in the chorus). Your vocal is assured and distinctive... a bit like the ever positive feeling of your songs.
Oh and very well produced!

Robert

Hi Robert,

Thank you for the visit.

It took a bit of trial-and-error to get this backing together. Deciding on the best over-arching sound and style was a puzzle for me. Whatever I chose, the ballad nature of the melody/lyrics often seemed to be having a tug-of-war with the tempo (120 bpm). This made selecting suitable RTs more challenging than usual. It was an interesting journey!

Thanks again!

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Torrey Bliss Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 09:57 PM
This is very good Noel! Great writing and performance. The song captivates the listener and holds their attention. I liked the way the instrumentation builds in the song. Thanks, Torrey.
Posted By: Steve Young Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/07/17 10:31 PM
Very nice, Noel! The arrangement fits the song well, and your vocals are very nice on this one. As usual, your lyrics are well crafted. You always have a way of presenting difficult times/situations with a strong sense of hope. I like that about your writing. Really enjoyed this one.

Steve
Posted By: Sundance Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/08/17 12:19 AM
So vivid and compelling!
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/08/17 08:10 AM
Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
Wow, Noel. This is genius songwriting.

I have to be impressed with the way you have crafted the rhyming nature of the lyrics.

Very clever rhyming of lines 1 & 5 and 2 & 6 and then carefully and masterfully creating a separate rhyme by introducing symmetry with lines of 3 & 4 of each verse.

The further exceptional achievement is the creativity of the story line that embraces the entire song.

Thank you.

Excellent, again.



Hey Trev!

Thanks for passing through the thread. And thanks for all those comments! As much as I'd like to claim credit for the rhyme scheme, I can't. I accidentally stumbled on this pattern when I was zig-zagging around the internet a couple of weeks ago and looking at lots of poetry.

Michael Drayton (1563 - 1631) wrote a poem called "Ode To The Virginian Voyage" where he used this rhyme pattern. When I saw it, I was determined to test run it. My poetic meter is different from his but the rhyming is the same abccab sextet. It's a very effective structure to augment feelings of 'not quite happy but happy enough'.

I'll definitely use it again sometime.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: tommyad Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/08/17 09:20 AM
Noel, The first thing that stood out to me was the unusual rhyme scheme that was handled with great skill. Pro production and a fine vocal. The image of looking out at a great expanse of natural beauty while reaffirming life's choices was an inspired concept. Great song! Tom
Posted By: David Snyder Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/08/17 12:32 PM
Noel,

What a great production! All the instruments are so strong, and so well anchored.

Very uplifting. Awesome sounds, great lyrics, and excellent vocals.
Posted By: Scott C Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/08/17 12:41 PM
I love this kind of music Noel. Just a super vocal and the guitar finger picking was just such an nice addition to the song. Well done
Posted By: Achordocaster Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/08/17 12:53 PM
Noel,

I enjoyed this very much! Your such a good story teller. A fine vocal with an excellent mix & production!

Great Job!

Greg
Posted By: floyd jane Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/08/17 04:00 PM
Noel,

What a fascinating rhyme scheme! I listened a number of times marveling at how well you did that. The story is nicely developed, as well - providing insight into both her history and her feelings.

I like how you use the same first line in each of your verses as a jumping point to where you wanted to take us. The two bridges (others called them choruses - but I thought them more as bridges) were nice - I like the parenthetic phrases you used - "She says to the ocean" and "And if she has to"... really made the bridges "breathe"...

The production moved the story along nicely, too. The simple 1st verse to the more full 2nd. The nylon lead was especially well put together...sounded custom played...

Your vocals always stay in my head long after hearing the song.

Well done.

fj
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/09/17 03:50 AM
Originally Posted By: 44kfl
Cool song!

great writing as usual and I agree with Robert

in that the folky melody suits the lyric and then

takes an unexpected turn in the chorus (which I really like)

it sounds Country there to me. Another strong very likeable song.

Kenny


Hi Kenny,

It's always good to see you. I appreciate that you had a chance to have a listen. Thanks for the feedback.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/09/17 05:07 PM
Originally Posted By: Al-David
Ho Noel,

It's not always easy to paint a masterpiece with words but you managed to do so exceptionally well. As Kenny mentioned, the chorus takes us to slightly different feel - Country-Rock rather than Folk-Rock. They work very nicely together. Each chorus raises the interest in the song, as a chorus should.

Your technical production expertise shows through quite vividly. You have a nice touch with the "knobs". We were right there over-looking the water and enjoying the view with sweet music in our ears. Really nice! Wishing you well.

Alan & Di.


Hi Al and Di,

Thank you! I went to work feeling really good after reading your very kind comments. None of what you mention would be possible without BIAB. It's such amazing software.

May everything good come your way smile
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/10/17 08:52 AM
Originally Posted By: ROG
Hi Noel.

A beautiful song and a great arrangement.

I liked the pick-up into the second verse and the way it kicked again into the bridge. Very professional.

Good story-line, but then your lyrics have always been a strong point of your songs.

Enjoyed the whole thing.

Cheers, ROG.


Hey ROG,

Good to see you! Thank you for taking time to pass on your thoughts. I always appreciate reading what you have to say.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: animarorecords Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/11/17 05:10 AM
Hello, Noel

Very excellent and beautiful tune!
I felt a latin melody a little bit in this tune.
Making the song with heavily using II-V makes me feel your definite composition skills.
Regarding this song, maybe it was probably composed after finishing to write the lyrics.
You usually write a melody first or lyrics first?
By the way, in my case, melody first more than 90% in the past, and almostly lyrics first lately.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/11/17 04:19 PM
Originally Posted By: PeterF
Noel

An excellent folk song that tells a story beautifully. Reminds me a bit of Eric Bogle.
Great work.

Peter

Hi Peter,

Thank you for taking the time to listen and to comment. Appreciate it.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/11/17 04:40 PM
Originally Posted By: rsdean
Noel,

This is a new favorite for me... What a beautiful song - love the vocal. It reminds me of Roger Whittaker. Great arrangement and mix as well.

Excellent!

Bob


Thanks, Bob. I'm grateful you had a chance to have a run through. I appreciate your comments.

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/11/17 08:09 PM
Very interesting write!! Quite a creative and engaging tale. Where did you find the painting? I think the melody and arrangement carried the story perfectly. Looks like a pretty place! Very enjoyable song Noel!! Take care. Greg
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/12/17 11:08 AM
Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
This is a real masterpiece, and I love the band!! It doesn't get much better than this. This is a top quality write, mix, arrangement, performance and production. You've made all the right choices.

The overall writing and production in the forum has improved in quality over the last few years as well as the quality of realtracks and features of BIAB. It's no longer unusual to hear a very professional sounding production and this is a good example of a radio ready home produced song. Super write and production. It's been several years now since I could keep pace with the rapid growth you and others have achieved in the top quality professionalism of writing and production. You are inspiring a whole new generation of home recordists and consistently displaying the amazing benefits of BIAB.

Not only do you have perfect command over lyrics, you are getting really good with your production techniques and arranging skills. This is a complete package for me and I've enjoyed my listen from start to finish each time I've played it through.

Charlie


Charlie,

Thank you for taking so much time to put your thoughts down. I really appreciate it. I have to say, that the day I read your comments, I went to work with a huge a smile. While I've enjoyed every minute of the journey, everything about lyrics and production has been a long slow road for me and it's great to read that things are starting to come together! It makes it all worthwhile.

I hope that things are sailing along on smooth waters for you!
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/13/17 09:12 AM
Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
This is very good Noel! Great writing and performance. The song captivates the listener and holds their attention. I liked the way the instrumentation builds in the song. Thanks, Torrey.


Thanks for visiting, Torrey! I appreciate your thoughts. Learning to write lyrics is a skill that's taken lots of practice and quite a while for me to develop.... as I said to Charlie above, it's good to know that it's starting to come together.

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: RnAM Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/13/17 08:21 PM
Noel,

This is excellent!
The beginning has lots of tranquility. The chord progression that follows next surprised us in a very good way.
Very nice to hear again from Australia, since my parents lived there for a couple of years (well...Tasmania), but my brother still lives there (Sydney) and my sister also lived there for a couple of years.
So all in all a familiar feeling.

Rob
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/14/17 05:22 AM
Originally Posted By: Steve Young
Very nice, Noel! The arrangement fits the song well, and your vocals are very nice on this one. As usual, your lyrics are well crafted. You always have a way of presenting difficult times/situations with a strong sense of hope. I like that about your writing. Really enjoyed this one.

Steve


Hi Steve,

Thank you once again for taking the time. It's always a pleasure seeing you.

I hope that all is travelling well under the Texan sun for you and your family.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/14/17 04:23 PM
Originally Posted By: Sundance
So vivid and compelling!


Hi Josie,

It's great to see you on-line again. I've missed reading your posts in the various forums. Thank you for taking time to have a listen. I sincerely appreciate it.

Sending lots of healing thoughts your way,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/14/17 04:25 PM
Originally Posted By: tommyad
Noel, The first thing that stood out to me was the unusual rhyme scheme that was handled with great skill. Pro production and a fine vocal. The image of looking out at a great expanse of natural beauty while reaffirming life's choices was an inspired concept. Great song! Tom


Tom,

Thanks for passing through the thread. It's always good to see you. I appreciate your comments.

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: HearToLearn Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/15/17 02:12 PM
Ok, A LOT has been said...because there's A LOT to talk about with your music smile

Noel, I always admire your methods to build your songs. I can SO tell you have listened...I mean REALLY listened to understand. I think that's rare.

The next step with that is application. It's one thing to hear and appreciate what others have done, but to apply that to your own works...again, in my opinion, seems fairly rare.

I really like how your sections build and release with the common elements but also the addition and subtraction of various components to help with interest level.

I guess the short version of what I'm attempting to say is, there are a good number of skills on display with your songs. They indicate someone who has studied and uses what he's learned. It's great to witness!

Thanks so much for all you do on the forum! Songs like this back up your words smile
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/15/17 04:51 PM
Originally Posted By: David Snyder
Noel,

What a great production! All the instruments are so strong, and so well anchored.

Very uplifting. Awesome sounds, great lyrics, and excellent vocals.


Hi David,

Good to see you. Thanks for giving the song a run through. I always find your thoughts valuable. Appreciate it. Now if only I could discover how to be as creative at you are....

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/15/17 04:56 PM
Originally Posted By: Scott C
I love this kind of music Noel. Just a super vocal and the guitar finger picking was just such a nice addition to the song. Well done


Hey Scott,

Thank you for finding the time to have a listen. I appreciate the comments, too.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/16/17 10:45 AM
Masterful production. The BiaB band, the powerful imagery, the vocal delivery, the arrangement are all in perfect harmony.

It's a "showcase" on the "user showcase" for the capabilities of BiaB in the hands of a talented artist. And the mix is stellar in its clarity. We have tremendous admiration for productions like this that are wide open and "airy" with relatively few instruments yet manage to sound full and lush.

An epic video could be made of this rich imagery. But it's easy to argue that the imagery stands on its own and needs no augmentation.

Superb!

J&B
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/16/17 11:58 PM
Originally Posted By: Achordocaster
Noel,

I enjoyed this very much! Your such a good story teller. A fine vocal with an excellent mix & production!

Great Job!

Greg


Thanks Greg! Appreciate your dropping in.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: RichMac Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/17/17 04:39 AM
Hi Noel.
Classy and tasteful as one would expect from you.
Cheers.
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/17/17 04:53 PM
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Noel,

What a fascinating rhyme scheme! I listened a number of times marveling at how well you did that. The story is nicely developed, as well - providing insight into both her history and her feelings.

I like how you use the same first line in each of your verses as a jumping point to where you wanted to take us. The two bridges (others called them choruses - but I thought them more as bridges) were nice - I like the parenthetic phrases you used - "She says to the ocean" and "And if she has to"... really made the bridges "breathe"...

The production moved the story along nicely, too. The simple 1st verse to the more full 2nd. The nylon lead was especially well put together...sounded custom played...

Your vocals always stay in my head long after hearing the song.

Well done.

fj


Floyd, thanks yet again for taking the time. I always enjoy reading about your listening experience. As mentioned in my reply to Videotrack, I accidentally landed on the rhyme scheme while looking through poetry one day. It appealed to me.

I wrote the lyrics first with this one and I wrote it to a picture in my mind. Originally it was the image of an 18th century woman on a cliff at the edge of the bay scanning the horizon for her husbands clipper. I used to enjoy watching the BBC production called the "Onedin Line" back in the 1970s. It was set in the days of shipping lines and sailing the high seas. This was the setting I had in mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbUZrl7tU08

Then, when looking for an image to complement the lyrics, I came across beach scenes that fitted so I changed the setting from cliff to beach. All else stayed the same. It worked so I left it.

Thanks once more for taking the time.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/18/17 08:30 AM
Originally Posted By: animarorecords
Hello, Noel

Very excellent and beautiful tune!
I felt a latin melody a little bit in this tune.
Making the song with heavily using II-V makes me feel your definite composition skills.
Regarding this song, maybe it was probably composed after finishing to write the lyrics.
You usually write a melody first or lyrics first?
By the way, in my case, melody first more than 90% in the past, and almostly lyrics first lately.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi


Hi Shigeki Adachi,

Thank you for once again having a listen to my songs.

You are totally right! I wrote the lyrics to this one first and then the music. Most of the time, I write lyrics and melody together. That is I get a few words together and they inspire a melody. Then that melody inspires a few more words... etc.

It's rare for me to write the music for a whole song first and then the lyrics (although I've done this with some of my songs). If I begin with music, I usually write a verse or chorus as a starting place for the song. Then I work on the lyrics.

With this song, because I was concentrating on getting this rhyme scheme correct, writing the lyrics first seemed like the best way to go. I didn't add the bridges until I'd finished the verses.

Thanks again for taking time and for commenting! It's always a pleasure to see you.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/18/17 02:40 PM
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
Very interesting write!! Quite a creative and engaging tale. Where did you find the painting? I think the melody and arrangement carried the story perfectly. Looks like a pretty place! Very enjoyable song Noel!! Take care. Greg


Hi Greg,

Good to see you! I stumbled on the painting just bouncing around hither and thither on internet. And yes... Apollo Bay is a great place to get away from city life.

Thanks for popping in and commenting. Much appreciated.

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: gruverider Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/18/17 07:00 PM
I really like the chords you use and the mood changes they evoke. Love your vocal especially in the chorus.

And the nylon guitar is sweet! I have been trying to use it in almost every song for some time now but it always gets cut in the end. Here you have used it to perfection. Bravo!

Your lyrics are tight and lay out a coherent and well told portrait of love and longing.

Well done!
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/19/17 07:51 PM
Originally Posted By: RnAM
Noel,

This is excellent!
The beginning has lots of tranquility. The chord progression that follows next surprised us in a very good way.
Very nice to hear again from Australia, since my parents lived there for a couple of years (well...Tasmania), but my brother still lives there (Sydney) and my sister also lived there for a couple of years.
So all in all a familiar feeling.

Rob

Hi Rob and Anne-Marie,

I had no idea that you had such a close association with Australia. I'm actually from Tasmania! Even though it's only a relatively small island, it definitely counts as part of Australia.

Thank you for giving Apollo Bay a listen. I really appreciate it. I also appreciate the insight into your experience of Australia.... cool stuff!

All the best to you both,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/20/17 03:18 PM
Originally Posted By: HearToLearn
Ok, A LOT has been said...because there's A LOT to talk about with your music smile

Noel, I always admire your methods to build your songs. I can SO tell you have listened...I mean REALLY listened to understand. I think that's rare.

The next step with that is application. It's one thing to hear and appreciate what others have done, but to apply that to your own works...again, in my opinion, seems fairly rare.

I really like how your sections build and release with the common elements but also the addition and subtraction of various components to help with interest level.

I guess the short version of what I'm attempting to say is, there are a good number of skills on display with your songs. They indicate someone who has studied and uses what he's learned. It's great to witness!

Thanks so much for all you do on the forum! Songs like this back up your words smile


Caaron,

Thank you for taking the time to listen and to comment so thoughtfully. I've only been writing lyrics for 12 or so years and it was really challenging, and I mean REALLY challenging, for me at the start. I'm a science minded person and, for the life me, creativity with English has alway eluded me for as long as I can remember. I read a heap of books on how to write lyrics. They helped a bit but weren't as enlightening as I hoped they would be. (Creating music and harmony had never been an issue for me... just lyrics!)

Then I spent $200 to go to a seminar with Pat Pattison (2004, I think) and Pat showed me how to approach using language from an analytical perspective. I came away from that seminar with light bulbs flashing in my head.... lots of them. So I worked through the exercises in all of Pat's books.

Then floyd came along to the PG Music forums. His lyrics are text book examples of how to do it properly. I owe him big time because he tolerated my analysing his lyrics and applying the tools that I'd picked up from Pat. All the while, I'd been practising my own writing. Little by little, I started to get the hang of how to make song lyrics 'flow' and to develop effectively.

It's been a great journey!

It's because of the above history that I really appreciate your comments very much. Thank you again!

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/21/17 08:27 AM
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
Masterful production. The BiaB band, the powerful imagery, the vocal delivery, the arrangement are all in perfect harmony.

It's a "showcase" on the "user showcase" for the capabilities of BiaB in the hands of a talented artist. And the mix is stellar in its clarity. We have tremendous admiration for productions like this that are wide open and "airy" with relatively few instruments yet manage to sound full and lush.

An epic video could be made of this rich imagery. But it's easy to argue that the imagery stands on its own and needs no augmentation.

Superb!

J&B


Hi Janice and Bud,

I really appreciate that you had time to have a listen and to comment. Mixing for me is more about luck than good management! It's good when it comes together. I suppose that's a bit like Life really!

Thanks again.

All the best to you both,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/22/17 04:22 PM
Originally Posted By: RichMac
Hi Noel.
Classy and tasteful as one would expect from you.
Cheers.


Hey Richard,

Thank you for passing through! It's good to see you. Much appreciated.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: Noel96 Re: At Apollo Bay - 05/23/17 05:02 PM
Originally Posted By: gruverider
I really like the chords you use and the mood changes they evoke. Love your vocal especially in the chorus.

And the nylon guitar is sweet! I have been trying to use it in almost every song for some time now but it always gets cut in the end. Here you have used it to perfection. Bravo!

Your lyrics are tight and lay out a coherent and well told portrait of love and longing.

Well done!


Hi Lawrence,

I appreciate the visit and thanks for taking to listen and pass on your thoughts.

I used quite a bit of cutting and pasting, and the odd bit of stretching/shrinking, with the nylon guitar. I also did a fair bit of volume shaping to try and get some melodic phrasing that sounded suitable.

I'm glad the lyrics worked for you! They were where this song began.

Thanks again fro dropping by,
Noel
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