"I was sittin' in the bathtub, counting my toes When the radiator broke, the water all froze I got stuck in the ice, without my clothes Naked as the eyes of a clown
I was cyin' ice cubes, hoping I'd croak When the sun came out, the ice all broke I stood up and laughed Thought it was a joke That's the way that the world goes 'round"
from "That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round"
Macbook Pro 2018 2.6 GHz 6-core Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM OS Monterey BIAB for Mac 2022
"I'm leavin' my family, I'm leavin' all my friends My body's at home but my heart's in the wind Where the clouds are like headlines on a new front page sky My tears are salt water and the moon's full and high."
James Taylor and Peter Gabriel are, to me, songwriting gods--JT for his ability to express the heaviest subjects lightly (not take them lightly, that's different), and PG for his capacity for taking the deepest subjects and making them accessible, both in pop music form. A rare art, in my estimation.
An example from Taylor's "That's Why I'm Here" on the death of an addict, speaking to other addicts or those knowledgeable of addiction:
"John's gone, found dead, he dies high, he's brown bread Later said to have drowned in his bed After the laughter, the wave of the dread It hits us like a ton of lead"
Thinking about it reminds me of my reaction to the news of Jerry Garcia's death. At first I was angry, but after reflection I simply grieved the loss of another artist whom I admired to something over which he had no power.
***
I was going to add something from PG here, but I'm going to have to do some more research. He packs much meaning into very few words, but in many cases you need the entire song for context. I'd rather pick out a verse or so.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
In reference to Peter Gabriel, I think his song "Sledgehammer" is a pop/rock masterpiece. There's a ton of great lines and that infectious guitar riff just drives it home.
I've always had respect for Mr. Taylor and not only because of his songwriting abilities, but also love the kind of musicians he surrounds himself with, their knowledge and abilities, from which he can easily keep pace, but also I think he has the ability to FEED off of their inputs as well, both musically and lyrically.
"There's always room for the BEST."
That "pursuit of excellence" thang.
"Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone..."
Classic use of the "when" opening line.
Songwriters should practice the same old school journalism mantra of, "Who, What, Why, Where and When" - the hard part is knowing which one to put where IMO.
. Yellow matter custard Dripping from a dead dog's eye. Crabalocker fishwife Pornographic priestess, Boy, you been a naughty girl You let your knickers down. I am the eggman, they are the eggmen. I am the walrus, goo goo gajoob.
Flatfoot sez: Call me when 'Talent-in-a-Box' is ready to ship! -- [8{>
L.A. is a great big freeway Put a hundred down and buy a car In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star Weeks turn into years, how quick they pass And all the stars that never were Are parking cars and pumping gas
genius...
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I'm a Bacharach/David fan myself. A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME, THIS GUY'S IN LOVE. Great stuff!! Have you checked out Bacharach with Elvis Costello? Also, great stuff! Take care. Greg
from "Like A Lover" Originally by Dori Caymmi and Nelson Motta, but these English lyrics by Alan & Merilyn Bergman are extremely poetic. (Making sure I give credit where credit's due)
Brilliantly performed by Sergio Mendez and Brazil '66
Like a lover, the morning sun Slowly rises and kisses you awake Your smile is soft and fuzzy As you let it play upon your face Oh, how I dream I might be like the morning sun to you
Like a lover, the river wind Sighs and ripples its fingers through your hair Upon your cheek it lingers Never having known a sweeter place Oh, how I dream I might be like the river wind to you
How I envy a cup that knows your lips Let it be me, my love And a table that feels your fingertips Let it be me, let me be your love Bring an end to the endless days and nights Without you
Like a lover, the velvet moon Shares your pillow and watches while you sleep Its light arrives on tiptoe Gently taking you in its embrace Oh, how I dream I might be like the velvet moon to you
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
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