|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,123
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,123 |
Unconventional, yes, but not unprofessional!
Janice's vocal is perfect. She and that sweet harmonica bend all the right notes. The mix and the master are flawless.
"...taper into distant pines"
This is a solid and vivid write, Bud. Well done.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Excellent write Bud!!!
This is an incredible vivid image journey of a song
I love history, love this
Janice, well done, beautifully sang as only you can
harmonicas are cool, mix is pro
enjoyed!
Thanks Kenny. You mentioning the write means a lot as we very much admire your lyrics. I’m really excited that you liked the imagery. Even though I lived it I struggled to get it on paper. Thanks for everything! J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Bud and Janice,
This is superb! But then, that what we expect from y'all. The mix is really nice. Janice's vocals shine as always. The harmonica is a really nice touch.
Well done!
Steve
Thank you Steve. Glad the harp seemed to work. I had a lot of doubts! J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060 |
Janice & Bud,
Just getting around to giving this one a listen . . . glad I found it. Very impressive write on this one, Bud. And nice delivery by Janice on the vocals. Love that piano in the turnaround. Well done, folks!
Hope all is good with you both!
Deej
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Great story J&B! That harmonica really brings the listener right in! A beautiful full sound with the excellent vocal by Janice! Perfect to my ears in every respect! Thanks, Torrey Thanks Torrey, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever used a harmonica RT. Glad you liked the production J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,664
PG Music Staff
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,664 |
Hi Janice & Bud, this is excellent! I found this very easy to listen and a solid key signature choice too. Well done!
Cheers, Joe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Janice & Bud,
The first thing that stands out is the clarity and sound - beautiful work on the mix & production.
Janice - as usual is superb, with lovely feeling in the vocal, evocative lyrics, some masterful story telling, and also a nice album cover photo.
The harmonica sounds excellent and was a great choice for the song.
Wonderful.
Peter Peter said almost everything that crossed my mind as I listened. Every little thing has been polished to perfection. And when Janice sing, who isn't swooned into a universe of smiles? What a great song and equally splendid delivery. WOW! Tip of the proverbial hat to all involved. Alan Al, those comments put smiles on our faces! Thank you. J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
J&B, Power Duo! Nothing less than Amazing performance! Listens very well, with all the unusual twists. Harmonica was very good decision on this. Conventional is boring  BTW, nice bike! For some years I used to live in Scranton, PA. They have major train museum. If you ever go through, stop by at the center, they have some really cool trains displayed outside, including Big Boy, that you can climb, if no one is watching. P.S. starting 2:55 a few clicks are audible. Thank you for sharing! Misha. Thanks Misha for the very nice supportive review! glad you liked the bike. The irony is that now at an advanced age I spend 4-5 days a week on a bike  Would love to climb on the Big Boy! I mentioned in another follow-up post that the clicks were apparently a function of the bounce down or the upload to SC. Thanks for noting. And they should be gone by now. J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,055
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,055 |
Excellent Bud and Janice! Can't add more comments than I did when I first heard it a couple of weeks back, I'll just say this is one of my favorites from you two, enjoyed it very much 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298 |
This is embarrassing but I've listened to this song SO many times and could have sworn I commented! I am very sorry for that; and I totally dig the song and concept! Give me a day or two and I'll be commenting.
I have to say, the "green dot" saved me on this one!
Comments are coming...:)
Chad (Hope that makes it easier) TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,662
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,662 |
Wow! The musical opening sets the tone well. I knew where this train was headed with those notes and instrumentation. Most excellent imagery all around. I especially liked "the conductor’s circled by colored dots from his punch." Beautiful vocal!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
I really enjoyed the story telling of the lyrics. Wonderful job. Good to hear from you and a big thank you! J&B As usual, impeccable mix, and great singing. I enjoyed listening to the stories.  Hey, thanks. Glad you enjoyed the stories! And thanks for mentioning the mix also. J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Wow - what a tune! Truly outstanding. Love the slow, smoky groove on this and Janice's vocals are stunning on this one. I also loved the cinematic lyricism on this. Makes it easy to close your eyes and really feel the surroundings described. You two should be proud of this one - thanks so much for sharing Dreyk. your mention of cinematic is much appreciated as it suggests that our attempts at the imagery worked. Thank you for all the comments! J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Great job.... and yeah, as others have mentioned, the mix is pristine.
A few days ago I was laying a trail for some K9 training and chose a path that took me along a section of the train tracks that bisect the local town. The tracks are still used once a day or so.... but they are rusted along the edges and the cross ties are rotting away.....
This song brings back memories as a kid, we used to live close to the tracks in our town. Trains were much more common then and the station was just a short walk from the house.
I liked this song. Well done. Thanks Herb for all and for mentioning the mix.. We bike ride occasionally on Rails To Trails which are old RR beds converted to trails. Some are over a hundred miles long. There plans to eventually have one across the US. Glaf you like it. We both love trains especially steam engines. J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Love the opening! Attention grabbing.
An excellent piece of writing. A walk through life.
The instrument choices are a perfect bed to allow the story to be told and the vocal to SHINE... which, of course, it does. Like a lighthouse beacon!! Awesome.
Top shelf through and through.
fj Thank you the the nice review and for the golden fj counsel on the mix. We very much appreciate your comment on the write! J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 877
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 877 |
Very evocative and heartfelt,..incredible production as well!
Keep up the good work, guys :-)
Band-in-a-Box 2024. Custom Build Desktop PC W/ Windows 10 Home 64-bit. CPU: Intel Core i5-9600k @ 3.7GHz (6 core x 6 threads) RAM: 16GB DDR4. Storage 238GB SSD + 2.7 TB HDD. GPU: ZOTAC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Really beautiful story, full of vivid imagery of the past world. Great work with harmonica - instrument which has that mournful tone needed for melancholy in this song. Excellent chord progression, especially in the bridge section. Superb mix and vocals.
Janne Thanks Janne. We appreciate you noting the chord progression on the bridge. That was Janice's idea. And thanks also for mentioning the harmonica. It was comped up from many tracks. J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Unconventional, yes, but not unprofessional!
Janice's vocal is perfect. She and that sweet harmonica bend all the right notes. The mix and the master are flawless.
"...taper into distant pines"
This is a solid and vivid write, Bud. Well done. We both very much appreciate that...every word of it! Thanks for mentioning the write and use of the harmonica. J&B Janice & Bud,
Just getting around to giving this one a listen . . . glad I found it. Very impressive write on this one, Bud. And nice delivery by Janice on the vocals. Love that piano in the turnaround. Well done, folks!
Hope all is good with you both!
Deej Thanks, all is well and hope the same for you and yours! J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357 |
J&B,
All the good things already said about this song get better with repeat listens. Its a fine use of an underused song form and the vocal is stunningly good. Up there with your best!
btw I loved the steamtrains still running nearby our house in the 50`s -brings shivers to think of them appearing from a tunnel. oh, and you had a pretty nice bike!
Robert
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,121 |
Hi Janice & Bud, this is excellent! I found this very easy to listen and a solid key signature choice too. Well done! Thank you Joe. Excellent Bud and Janice! Can't add more comments than I did when I first heard it a couple of weeks back, I'll just say this is one of my favorites from you two, enjoyed it very much Thanks Dave. We appreciate your support! J&B
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
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.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,166
Posts801,477
Members40,061
| |
Most Online64,515 Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|