back to the song...
Floyd, this song is "Classic FJ"... radio ready and mixed beautifully. I listened with headphones, and the spread was just off center enough to be interesting and separated, but not so extreme as to sound overdone.
I've had a lot of practice. Since getting BIAB two and a half years ago, I've mixed about 100 songs....
Your image painting in this song is (IMHO) some of the best you've brought to the forum. Your descriptions not only evoke very graphic and unique visuals, but even more importantly, your way with words lets you do it without sacrificing any of the elements of style that make lyrics great. Upshot is that these lyrics excel on multiple levels at once. It would be impressive if it were the occasional accident that some of us experience through sheer luck... but I know that you are fully conscious of your craft... how to change this in order to accomplish that... and therein lies the real magic in your productions. yes, they consistently sound good, they are consistently mixed perfectly, they are consistently accompanied by the best of the best collaborators... but the fact that you know how to repeat the phenomenon time after time is the deal.
What a nice thing to say. And thanks for noticing. When doing a song like this it's important to paint quick pictures - that evoke emotions. And to do it without using all the cliché images that have been used a bazillion times before. The "cowboy clichés" are used (overused) so often for things like this. And they are often cartoonish - not real life stuff..
I thought the piano perfected the mood you crafted for this song. Rich mentioned that the piano changed it from being a "real cowboy" kind of song from his perspective... but there are a bunch of different ways you could have ridden to the topic, and you seem to have taken the scenic route. The combination of the piano and the pedal steel gave it a wistful feel that works well with the idea of being the last of a dying breed. To me the piano recreated a similar mood that was achieved by Michael Murphy in the song WILDFIRE
That actually was another attempt to avoid "the usual". Cowboy song=acoustic fingerpick guitar. Adding a piano into the mix changed that up considerably. The NewAge piano is really versatile - I've used it in all kinds of songs and it never sounds repetitive from one song to the next....
The transition from 3rd person to first person was a great way to wrap up the story after the changeup in the middle. It left me thinking. "yeah.. that's a good resolution to the story.. he's not the last after all.. the story lives on in the 1st person character. "
Passing the torch.... It's good to be able to add a new dimension to a song while still keeping it focused.
When Tommy's pedal steel swelled into the mix... and I mean every single time... I got chills up my back! It's kind of scary to turn the reins over to a collaborator, because you relinquish a bit of control. But I'd guess that by now you trust Tommy and Janice completely to send you something that can be used with very little change.
It was great to have Tom to turn to - to get the steel done specifically for this song (instead of piecing one together). He did a great job and his playing in each chorus is similar, so it helps give the overall song a cohesive feel. And Janice (and Bud) and I have been doing back and forths for a couple of years now. And hopefully, will continue on for a long time...She's always spot-on.
I like the change in style when "he came back into town the other day". It is easy to miss the opportunity to change things up in the middle, but this really accented the fact that you were introducing a change in the flow of the story, not just in the flow of the chords.
That's what all the electric guitars were for. For that change-up chucka-chunka sound in the bridge...break the monotony a bit...
My hat is off to the "REAL" band that consistently cranks out hits on radio WPGM!
I assume that is a cowboy hat? We do appreciate your delightful review!
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