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Hi Floyd, I like your song very much. I don't normally comment on songs but as you asked about the strings I will give my opinion. I saw Tommy Emanuel play live and he said that when he is playing with someone else and the other person is playing open chords he will play higher chords and vice versa so as not to conflict with one another. So, on to the strings, perhaps if you raised the strings an octave or to a higher but sympathetic key it may help (separate your singing from them). Just trying to be constructive  Regards George
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Floyd,
This is very sweet... Love the sentiment and feel. Great job.
Bob Bob - thanks for the listen. Almost lost for words.
Even without the message, the song screams out "professional". Wonderful arrangement, great choice of RTs and the usual Radio-Ready mix.
Add in the inspired lyrics, delivered with a beautifully emotional voice and well...
I'm lost for words!
ROG.
ROG - Those are some very nice things for you to say... certainly appreciate it.. Good job Floyd.
Yeah, I can relate to that having raised 2 daughters.... Thanks Herb
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Hey Floyd, Another outstanding job! Very well crafted and an excellent mix! Your a machine!  My beautiful wife & I will be celebrating 29 years on the 24th of this month. Well Done! Greg Thanks Greg. And Happy Anniversary! Well thank you very much Floyd! Because of this wonderful song you may have just ruined it for every married male musician in the world! My bride and I are approaching 50 years and I do have a song ready to go, thinking should I wait out the next five years before I publish it, cause hell in five years I may be in diapers unable to hold a guitar, or bite the bullet and do it now. Anyway I digress, I loved this song. Re: The you ruined it for us part of this reply, I was just kidding, well sort of. Later, Danny - LOL - Sorry, man. Unforeseen consequences... 50 - Zowie - the really big one! Congrats!... and DEFINITELY just "bite the bullet"!! Do it! Floyd,
What a sweet story and song. Love everything about it.
Also congrats on 37 years!
Josie - Thanks. Appreciate that.
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Floyd, Dude, really!!!!
That folks is how it's done!
Rob - in less than 10 words, you gave me one of the best "reviews" I've ever had. Appreciate that immensely. I think the strings sound good, the level is ok to me. I thought the effect you you were going for (Glen C orchestra, etc) was pretty much achieved... I mean short of actually having a full orchestra.  I'm liking it! Greg Greg - thanks for coming back to weigh in on the "strings issue". Floyd, That is a wonderful song; the sentiments, the vocal delivery and the arrangement are all top class. Strings are in my opinion notoriously difficult... Here is an article giving advice on Arranging for Strings which explains it better than I could. BUT the song, The Girl Next Door is still as in my first paragraph. A wonderful listen.Well done, I assume the wife is proud to be the subject of such a wonderful song. Alyn Alyn - appreciate the comments and the discussion. I'll definitely be taking a look at that article. It's a never-ending learning process.
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Hi Floyd, I like your song very much. I don't normally comment on songs but as you asked about the strings I will give my opinion. I saw Tommy Emanuel play live and he said that when he is playing with someone else and the other person is playing open chords he will play higher chords and vice versa so as not to conflict with one another. So, on to the strings, perhaps if you raised the strings an octave or to a higher but sympathetic key it may help (separate your singing from them). Just trying to be constructive Regards George George - thanks for the comments and the thoughts... I'll be working on it...
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Hey floyd, What a great image and equally great philosophy. I can see myself quoting you to my students! a raging river starts high in the hills
from a single drop of rain Right now, I'm sitting here with my fingers poised over the keyboard and they have no idea what to type. This is a bit of a nuisance because I'm so incredibly impressed with this song that I have to think of something to say that does justice to how very much I enjoyed listening to it. The ballad-meets-country-meets-folk-meets-floyd feel is EXACTLY (and I mean 100% 'exactly') perfect. The strings worked for me. In fact, when they came in, my first thoughts were, "What a very polished sound! I don't think I've heard strings in one of FJ's songs before. Really nice." Also ... ... the way you developed the hook was incredibly skilful. Once again you have taken me another couple of miles along the road to my becoming a better songwriter. Without exception, I always learn something from every song you post. Today's most important lesson was how to use AABA form to tell a story. By the way, I love the lyric variation in the repeated B and final A section! For me, and I've said it a few times on this forum, AABA always works incredibly well for an isolated moment in time. In a sense, this is the music-form/lyric equivalent of the Aristotelian unities of Time, Place and Action. Pat Pattison calls this isolated moment, the "Now" of the song. Because AABA has such a strong sense of 'the moment', when I listened to this song, the image of a father/husband talking to a friend and telling them about a cross-section of his life was incredibly vivid in my head. In this way, what was a story came across as a first-hand reflection, like it was being told by a storyteller - and a mighty fine storyteller at that! Thank goodness that even though my fingers didn't what to type, my brain got them working in the end Mega-congratulations on a brilliant song. All the best, Noel P.S. Congratulations on 37 years, too. That's something to celebrate!
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Sorry for the late reply Floyd. Another superb song with lyrics that we can all identify with. We've been together 47 years gone September last so you're catching up fast, my friend. I dont think our daughter would like to be called a "weed" though.  I enjoyed the pace of the song and the way the backing rose and fell with instruments coming in and building to something and then falling away again. As always, you have my admiration. cheers ian
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Hey floyd, What a great image and equally great philosophy. I can see myself quoting you to my students! a raging river starts high in the hills
from a single drop of rain Right now, I'm sitting here with my fingers poised over the keyboard and they have no idea what to type. This is a bit of a nuisance because I'm so incredibly impressed with this song that I have to think of something to say that does justice to how very much I enjoyed listening to it. The ballad-meets-country-meets-folk-meets-floyd feel is EXACTLY (and I mean 100% 'exactly') perfect. The strings worked for me. In fact, when they came in, my first thoughts were, "What a very polished sound! I don't think I've heard strings in one of FJ's songs before. Really nice." Noel - I like that you picked out those lines. I don't write those kind of "grandiose" lines often, but I like this one... (it's fun to sing, too). I'm pleased to hear that the strings worked for you. You just never know with something new like that.... I thoroughly enjoyed your critique... as always...
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Sorry for the late reply Floyd. Another superb song with lyrics that we can all identify with. We've been together 47 years gone September last so you're catching up fast, my friend. I dont think our daughter would like to be called a "weed" though. I enjoyed the pace of the song and the way the backing rose and fell with instruments coming in and building to something and then falling away again. As always, you have my admiration. cheers ian Ian - Thanks - I appreciate it. And.. you weren't exactly "late"... this had only been up a couple of days... Ya know.. it's a common expression... "the kids are growing like weeds..."
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Floyd,
I've just joined this forum (and love it!), have never heard any of your songs before, but after hitting play, it was like reading a good book that you can't put down until it's finished!
Impressive! Looking forward to hearing more of your work.
Wally G
Yamaha Montage 6 Roland J80, D50, Integra 7, BK-7m, FR-8X, 1967 Fender Jaguar, Fender Strat, Fender 1965 Twin Reverb reissue, Selmer Trumpet, Akai EWI, Studio One 4 My WEB Site: www.gontowski.com/music
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I'm late to the party and can add nothing to what has been said about the arrangement, the dynamic mix, the vocal and the lyric. All of it is simply in a word, superb. Another clinic in the outcome of a great vocal, wonderful songwriting and the sheer power of BIAB in the right hands.
What I can add is that this one struck a great note with the two of us. I won life's lotto when Janice and I married 32 years ago.
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Floyd, this is first class from the superb vocal through to the stunning lyrics and sentiment to the excellent engineering. A great job.
John
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hi Floyd jane this a excellent job a keeper for sure we raised four daughters and a son totally relate to this well done eric
AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
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Floyd,
I've just joined this forum (and love it!), have never heard any of your songs before, but after hitting play, it was like reading a good book that you can't put down until it's finished!
Impressive! Looking forward to hearing more of your work.
Wally G Wally - Welcome to the forum. It a great place to hang out. A lot of terrific people and a lot of good music... I like the book analogy - thanks...
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I'm late to the party and can add nothing to what has been said about the arrangement, the dynamic mix, the vocal and the lyric. All of it is simply in a word, superb. Another clinic in the outcome of a great vocal, wonderful songwriting and the sheer power of BIAB in the right hands.
What I can add is that this one struck a great note with the two of us. I won life's lotto when Janice and I married 32 years ago. Hey Bud! Thanks for all those very kind words...
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Floyd, this is first class from the superb vocal through to the stunning lyrics and sentiment to the excellent engineering. A great job.
John John - That's quite nice of you to say. Appreciate it.
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hi Floyd jane this a excellent job a keeper for sure we raised four daughters and a son totally relate to this well done eric Thanks eric!
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Floyd:
I think this may be my new favorite of your songs. Nice job with lyrics, story telling and use of BIAB. 95 out of 100.
My only suggestion would be to use perfect rhymes instead of porch/door fence/friends because you use them everywhere else.
To me, the tag line would be just that much stronger with a perfect rhyme.
Otherwise, really good job.
John
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