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Here's a quick one. An explanation/reiteration of sorts. Cognosce Inimicum Tuum GEAR Organ 4308 Drums RockHard03 170bpm Guitar Baritone Artist GM1BARI solo & right Squire Mustang left & right Bass Vantage VS-695B FX ACtone pedal trem & spring reverb ITB Any suggestions, comments, criticisms etc. are most welcome as this is a work in progress. LYRICS: Palestine & Gaza Israel & Trump Plaza Ukraine and the bear The gunman doesn't care Armed teachers he advises Culture metastasizes Malignancy as virtue It isn't guns that hurt you Truth no longer abides Too late they've taken sides You say I should scream and shout You say let my feelings out I say polemics is a stew guaranteed to make me spew There's nothing it can do Prince Rupert & the Cult Magazine cover dolt Myanmar and Rohinga Don't you point the finger Duck & cover drills at school Apartheid makes them drool Famine in the Congo Foreign aid takes too long so Truth no longer abides Too late they've taken sides You say I should scream and shout You say let my feelings out I say polemics is a stew guaranteed to make me spew There's nothing it can do Can't reach the ones who won't Can't change the ones who don't Seems they've all taken sides Armed and joined their tribes & those left in the middle Ignore as the rich fiddle Refugees are drowning Talking heads are frowning Truth no longer abides Too late they've taken sides You say I should scream and shout You say let my feelings out Well now I'm on the 3rd chorus & there's no one on this bus There's nothing it can do You say I should scream & shout But that won't change a mind or doubt I prefer to make my case Without spittle on my face That's just how & what I do.
Last edited by rayc; 09/18/25 06:24 PM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Ray, cool vibe and fabulous guitar work. Love your use of space and the opening/ending. Super guitar break, too. Like how you've recorded your vocals and where you've placed them in the mix. Very easy to follow the narrative without the lyrics that way. And any lyrics that feature "polemics" have to be heard, y'know? Well done, sir!
DC Ron
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Ray,
Great song and I love where you are going with the production. The uncluttered arrangement and instrumentation really support the lyrics and your vocal. Excellent mix.
Again, great work here.
Bob
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Another good one, Ray. Although my wife would tell the cops over my dead body, "He has no enemies," we don't know what we don't know. You say a work in progress, and if it were mine there would be a fork in it already. I'd listen and say, "Wow, this is so cool. Ain't nothin' I can do to make it better." You, on the other hand, will surely bring this back even better. Today, I'm posting one that I thought was done until your ears assessed it.
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Great guitar work and the drums presence was felt nicely. Astute lyrics as we've come to expect. Vocals could be louder but you're doing much better in that regard so I shouldn't even bring it up. Excellent work, seems ready to me.
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Hi Ray,
This song almost sounds 'old fashioned' when hearing your latest 'Pink Floyd' song and others.
But I know you love to play these songs. I'm not a real fan of this genre, but I admit you made it sounds very cool.
The guitar play is also cool, but the lyrics are really great!
They demonstrate the powerlessness of many (right-thinking) people in this crazy world. And what does that implicate?
One small thing: I don't think your vocals are as clear as in your previous songs. They seemed more in the background and also a bit difficult for me to understand.
Hans
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Ray,
Cool! I'm glad you've started putting your vocals a little more forward in the mix.
I didn't listen to much rock music in the 1970s, as I was playing in a country band 25-28 nights almost every week. All my time went to listening to country (that's where the money was!). But from what I did get to hear, this gives me an early to mid-70s vibe.
I really liked the guitar work in this one - the ending was particularly nice.
Good stuff - creative and a little different from what we usually hear on the forum.
Best to you,,
Alan
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This is already ray's masterpiece.
So that's a hellava start.
A stunning write. Wow.
Everything about the production works.
Nice guitars and bass throughout.
The production has a just-right simplicity and fullness.
Any number of things could be added. Or not.
ray's masterpiece.
fj
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Once again that pink Floyd vibe, but your originality still stands out. It's again brilliant instrumentation and arranging, plus I totally empathise with the lyrics. Just last night I left a long comment on conscious political post on FB - fairly rare for me as I try as much as I can to avoid 'corporate politics' (corporations controlling the politicians) as I see through how it all functions (as of course did or do very many others such as Noam Chomsky), but when I posted the comment to my page I had to add a series of quotes which related one way or another, a very key one being Buckminster Fuller's "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." Related to that is your verse:
"Can't reach the ones who won't
Can't change the ones who don't
Seems they've all taken sides
Armed and joined their tribes" + "Too late they've taken sides."
In the UK there's a new party emerging which intends to go back to the people being primary, but while I'm pro them they're still stuck in 'us against them' and use the jargon of the existing paradigm: "fight"; "attack", etc, but you just can't change things that way as that's what's been going on in the artificial world for millennia. This makes lyrics like yours important.
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“I say polemics is a stew
guaranteed to make me spew
There’s nothing it can do”
The above and your last chorus really say it well about dealing with current affairs.
That’s an excellent but sad lyric and your vocal and the band sound great.
A smooth narration with an upbeat instrumental bed to remind us how to endure such times.
Great mix and really like your more up front vocals of late.
We agree with Marty on sticking a fork in it!
J&B
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First of all: I LOVE the lyrics and how you play with words, even if I don't get everything (at least I think so). Cool (and all too true) social critics packed in a (kinda) punk-ish song. Good use of breaks, but there could be a little more dynamic difference between the verses and the choruses. I'd also consider adding a little more treble to your vocals to make them cut through better. The volume of the vocals is fine. Finally  For a quick one, your song is actually quite mature. Enjoyed my listen ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif)
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Hi Ray!
I like the guitar-centric nature of this song. As others have said, that guitar solo sounds great, both in melody and guitar effects. One suggestion I have is to somehow separate the end of the verse and the chorus where they overlap as I had trouble distinguishing one from the other. I’ve never done this, but could you pan the last line of the verse to one side and the first line of the chorus to the other? i.e. out of centre then back to centre pan. It would also sonically illustrate ‘taking sides’. I look forward to the finished piece (and accompanying video).
Andrew
PS your lyrics are always an education for me - I had to translate Latin and look up polemics.
Last edited by Andrew Dee; 09/19/25 02:28 PM.
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Hi Ray!
I like the guitar-centric nature of this song. As others have said, that guitar solo sounds great, both in melody and guitar effects. One suggestion I have is to somehow separate the end of the verse and the chorus where they overlap as I had trouble distinguishing one from the other. I’ve never done this, but could you pan the last line of the verse to one side and the first line of the chorus to the other? i.e. out of centre then back to centre pan. It would also sonically illustrate ‘taking sides’. I look forward to the finished piece (and accompanying video).
Andrew
PS your lyrics are always an education for me - I had to translate Latin and look up polemics. Andrew, thanks mate. If you listen with headphones you'll probably eventually note that, in the 1st verse at least, the word "sides" is panned away from the centre, (gee, American spell checkers hate that spelling). I may have to accentuate that a bit more. I've been experimenting with just how far works for rather than against. With your encouragement I'll continue trying.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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I like the guitars..... punkish rock..... I'll be listening for the final draft.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Sounds great Ray. Nice guitar work and vocal.
Super mix.
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
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Superb. The message is the crux of this track, however the musical writing is inspired, also. Biting, sharp, communicative, and pulling no punches. Excellent use of harmony and of repetitive rhythm. Coming back to the lyrics, however: for some reason, they remind me of the lyrics to "Praying For Time", by George Michael. Yes, a completely different style; but the message is in the same vein, for me, although differently nuanced, perhaps (yours is perhaps more biting than Michael's). Particularly loved the last stanza, but all of it (including the ingenious rhymes) is inspired. Well done, Ray ... it takes a brilliant musician and not a negligible amount of courage (or despair, who knows) to produce something like this. Sadly or otherwise, loved it.
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rayc,
This is a song from the genre that you are most skilled in.
It showcases your strengths as a musician.
The guitar work is superb.
The reverb sound (which is not from a VST plugin) is excellent.
And the lyrics, which express complex emotions so well, are also fantastic.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi
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Cool tune Ray. Guitar break was excellent. Super vocal. Well done
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Very cool man. Like going to club in the 80s on the Lower East side! Fun!!
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Your work in progress sounds like you could keep it as it is. That 60s type guitar solo sounds so cool. I immediately clicked back to it for another listen. Exellent, important lyrics that will fall on too many deaf ears.
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