|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311 |
Tim, a fellow songwriter and musician/singer I've known for some time in another forum, came to me with a scratch vocal/guitar track on a new song idea he had and I assisted with some advice on lyrics and the music. Tim considers it a co-write so I can post this. We have spent the last month or better working on this song....and as we worked, the song actually took several different directions. This is but 1 of 3 versions to it. I have 2 versions and Tim has his own mix. We both worked from the same tracks. This version is more country than either of the other 2. On my version, here's the BB/RB tracks B3 Steel guitar part of the BASS track from the second verse on Part of the Drum track from the beginning to where the bass comes in. AD take over at that point. Tim sings it. I'm playing acoustic and electric guitars Mixing & production from my studio. HARD WAY If you would like to hear Tim's version you can find it here: Tim's Version Hope you enjoy it. Lyrics: IT'S A HARD WAY TO LIVE I tried to go my own way, but you know there's a price to pay when you're runnin' from the hands that made you. I thought I knew best. I said hell with the rest..I couldn't see what hard livin' had done to me. And it's a hard , hard way to live. It's a hard, hard way to live. I didn't want to believe, I didn't really see the need, I was lookin', but I still hadn't found. I was standin' all alone, with a heart made of stone, and on my face...always a frown. It's a hard, hard way to live, It's a hard hard way to live. Well I finally saw the light, I gave up without a fight. I can't believe, the kind of man I used to be. I'm free at last, all my wrongs are in the past, The Lord can change any man, take it from me. It's a good, good way to live,It's a good good way to live. It's a good good way to live.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 05/30/14 11:15 AM.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,085
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,085 |
Hi Herb,
Country outlaw Christian - I liked it.
Was gonna listen to Tim's version but for reasons unknown Soundcloud has stopped working for me tonight...grrr.
Edit- Got it to work, I think your mix is cleaner.
Josie
Last edited by Sundance; 05/30/14 06:53 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,043
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,043 |
Really great feel and energy. Top notch arrangement and production! Excellent all the way around. Keep it up. Take care. Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,673
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,673 |
This is a really good song and an excellent production, on both versions. On Herb's version, the drums and rhythm guitar work/ chord progression has a similar feel to early Waylon Jennings works,(in a very good way). It was a close call for me to 'like' one version over the other as both were top notch. I ended up leaning a bit more toward's Herb's version mostly because I'm really drawn to this style of music and choice of instruments. This is the type of song genre my late brother excelled on with the pedal steel guitar, so my mind wandered into how I imagined he would play it and the drawn out chords of the particular BB steel guitar instrument Herb chose, not because it was the wrong instrument but it varied from the jazzier, hot licks, and playoffs between the lead guitar/ steel guitar I was imagining in my head caused portions of the song to lose some of its energy to me. Again, if I listen to it without my particular bias and connecting my brother's playing to the music style, I don't think it is a real issue. Either way, it is my favorite song I've heard today and it made me smile.
Charlie
BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311 |
Josie, Greg & Charlie: Thanks for listening and the comments. I think Tim will like what you all said.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888 |
Hi Herb,
great feel and energy.
Good arrangement and production.
Guenter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,494
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,494 |
Hi, Herb !:))
Greet tune and great lyrics
not to mention the great vocals
I enjoyed this really very much !!:))
Cheers
Dani
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,931
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,931 |
Hello Herb.
I enjoyed both versions very much. The smooth vocal sits very nicely and subtly within the mix. He has a great voice. Nice collaboration.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,831
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,831 |
you've got a nice clean and engaging mix here. very enjoyable to listen to.
great write!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311 |
guenter, dani, josiec, and gruverider, thanks for listening.
Tim just emailed to say he listened to my mix.....I didn't want to send it to him until he was fairly satisfied with his mix, so that it wouldn't influence him or distract him.... so I sent it to him Friday evening before I left town.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 971
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 971 |
Excellent mix...definitely has that 'outlaw' country vibe. I like the way it builds toward those final choruses, the organ is cool.
Nice work on those guitars Herb.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 169
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 169 |
Good job with this very uplifting.
DA...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815 |
I listened to both versions and liked 'em both. Tim's version is maybe a little more "contemporary" with a slighter harder edge to it. Yours might need a little more compression to bring it all together a little more, and Tim's might need to work on controlling the drums a bit more (a little "boomy" maybe?).
It is interesting how the mix can make takes sound so different.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,438
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,438 |
Tim's version allows the lyric to come to the surface. The production fits the song/lyric - the cadence of the piano follows the lyric the way it should. The guitar gets in the way throughout and he would be better off dropping it entirely - the steel adds some nice things, but again, the guitar gets in the way of that. The harmonies in the chorus really help bring home the lyrical hook - and they sound great on the last verse.
Herb's version doesn't help the lyric. The cadence of the production goes against the cadence of the lyric and continues to build until it takes over the song. By the end there's no air. These lyrics don't have the strength to rise above that - saying nothing about the writing - it's about the words themselves. Some lyrics are built of strong words - Don Henley writes strong words - some are built on soft words - Jackson Browne typically writes using all soft words. This lyric is for the most part soft. You need a certain style of production to allow soft words to shine. The density of the heavy bass and the continual organ and fuzzy guitar and ride are too much for them - they get lost in the production...
It think if you could work together and combine your strengths you could turn this into a solid piece of work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335 |
Herb and Tim, I really like the song. The Waylon outlaw vibe is there. I am leaning towards Herb's mix, however I think the drums should be brought up in both mixes. In Tim's mix the kick sounds wrong. I love the organ in Herb's mix and agree with Charlie that the drawn out steel chords are robbing the energy in what should be a hard driving sound. I would start with Herb's mix and break it down starting getting a BIG drum sound and building a piece at a time concentrating on a driving sound. The kick should drive the train here. Thanks for posting both versions. That is a great idea and gives us all a chance to hone in on the mix and exchange ideas. Tom
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,311 |
Interesting observations. Since this is mostly Tim's call on what we do and where this goes, I will leave that decision up to him.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,387
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,387 |
At the risk of being redundant....I pretty much agree with what's been said. Hearing the same song interpreted differently in a back to back listen often gives me a better perspective of both the lyrics and melody - A good write will stand out in both productions as this one does. I can see how the strongest points of each production could possibly be combined. But heck, I like hearing them both.
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 are here on our website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
Join the conversation on our forum.
Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.
Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Mac Videos — we’ll be adding more videos as they’re released!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.
If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 Italian Version is Here!
Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.
Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.
Band-in-a-Box 2025 - Italiano
RealBand 2025 - Italiano
Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!
Bonjour à tous,
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music
Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:
BIAB 2025 - francisation
RealBand 2025 - francisation
Voilà, enjoy!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 German Version is Here!
Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!
Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.
Stay up to date—get the latest update now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums58
Topics84,272
Posts777,188
Members39,610
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean