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YouTube Link:
https://youtu.be/Q-FNv8d9ER0

"Venus Walks Again" uses the same chords as in the original "Venus Walks" and Venus Walks V3: Venus Speeds Home", plus in all 3 each section starts at 3/4 timing and then switches to 4/4. The wordage in one of the first and last images thematically follow on from those in the original "Venus Walks" video.

Strings & Warm Pad: Sirius - Smooth Jazz
Strings & Warm Pad #2: Enya44 - Soft Ev 16 Techno Orche
Pedal Steel: Bash Happy Pop Country ~ Eddy Dunlap
Drums: Country Rock Guitar Solo Pop Ba ~ Brian Fullen
Bass Guitar: Country Rock Guitar Solo Pop Ba ~ Tobin Frank
Rhythm Guitar: Country Rock Guitar Solo Pop Ba ~ Darin Favourite
Organ: Country Rock Guitar Solo Pop Ba ~ Gene Rabai
Organ Solo: King Fast Blues Rock Organ ~ Charles Treadway
Guitar Solo: Nashville Radio Power Bal Solo ~ Danny Rader
Rhythm Gitar2: Jovian Divine Alt Rocl Soloing ~ Mike Durham
Harmonica Solo: Vicksburg Harmonica Even-8 Blues ~ L. D. Miller

180 bars; 3/4 & 4/4, Em; tempo 110; Time 6:20

SoundCloud Link:
https://soundcloud.com/chay-tana/venus-walks-again-chay-tana-aka-wao-band?si=facd5eef692e40a29146e1e1e14829e0&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Woa,

Nice chunky guitars. Background organ is nice, too.
Bass is punchy.
Drums seem too low in the mix (weak)
The lead organ really jumps out at ya those first few notes, then seems to settle down.
Nice guitar.
The harmonica "comes out of the mix". A bit too in-your-face.
Ending guitar solo is nice

Opinions, of course.

On 1st listen, I couldn't quite get my brain around the groove of the 1st few bars and I was off-balance, then the 4/4 to 3/4 timing caught me by surprise. But I liked the organ solo.
On the 2nd listen, things made a lot more sense.
A very creative and surprising use of timing.

Many thanks Bass Thumper, and particuarlly for listening twice. More often than not I find I have to listen to new tracks 3 times to really get into them, but time is an issue on forums.

Thanks, Floyd. I agree re the drums, plus I think I could have lowered the gain on the 3 solos ny .5 db, but I found -1db was too low. But I actually love that harmonica solo! Both the organ and harmonica solos are hybrids of regenerations in order to get what I wanted.

WaoBand, very fun listen! The backing band is so strong (to my ears) that I think all the soloists could sit further back in the mix and let the rhythmic structure carry the song and the soloists function more as colors than features. They just overpower the cool groove to me. But if I've learned anything on this forum, it's that there are many ways to listen to and perceive songs. Thanks again for sharing!

WaoBand,

Very creative and filled with energy. Nice use of BIAB - love the mix.

You have some very cool sounds in this composition.

Bob

Thanks fort the listen, D.C. In a nutshell, I agree with you.

Thanks Bob. I particularly like the haunting pedal steel, but why it's called 'Bash Happy Pop Country' is a baffler as in this style the pedal steel devinitely doesn't make a happy sound!

Interesting stuff...the drums don't seem to belong to the intro - they seem to exist in a parallel space but not time.
The organ solo sticks out a bit too far making it seem like it's was dropped on top...the swells and high spots don't seem to be in response to the fairly static dynamic of the backing.
Some great sounds & ideas though.

...and, man, you're so smooth with the change in time signatures, wAo. All three of the songs you mentioned are so different, in spite of the similarites you mention. I like the smooth, no-nonsense backup band and the way they leave room and provide a comfortable bed for the soloists to dance over. Yeow, that harmonica solo is different. The videos are cleverly consistent with the Venus brand you've created.

It certainly seems like you are getting the hang of BIAB and learning how to use these sounds.

In other words, it sounds like you are having a lot of fun, That is a natural place to start and the best I think.



As time goes on, and the novelty of it all begins to temper itself, more questions will come into your head, like:

Why am I do this here, exactly???

Was this part really necessary??

And stuff like that.

But for the time being I would just keep having fun with it all!

The arrangement is interesting, complex and engaging.

The entire production is very cinematic in nature ... would be cool backing for a series credit scroll.

And a LOT tracks to mix. Way above our sparse mix pay grade for sure

Enjoyed it!

J&B

Sounds like a bunch of musicians having fun.
The change in timing had me wondering wtf for a moment but I got used to it as time went by and thought it was pretty cool.
The solos may be a little too up front but they did make the whole thing interesting and fitted their slots.
Good mood music.
Vic

Thanks to last 5 commenters, rayc, Marty, David Snyder, Janice & Bud, and Vic - I've replied individually to previous responses - but it's easier this time to reply in once go. Basically I definitely got the gain on the solos too high, so I want to comment on that:

I've now over 2 hours of instrumentals I've created using BiaB this year (over 30 in total), though as I've done variations on cord structure compositions I've actually 'only' created 12 new pieces (which is great for in under a year, though 2 are instrumental versions of songs I wrote in the 70s & 80s). I've written over 80 songs since the late 60s and that's really my forte, but I can neither play guitar nor sing in the minuscule retirement flat I was forced to move into 17 months ago due having an even older neighbour and 2 and a bit plasterboard walls separating the 2 flats. But until BiaB came along I've only written songs that I can sing as although my voice is okay I've a limited range. Using BiaB I've been able to compose instrumentals that are beyond my range even to hum along to, though one, "Deya Flows", I've written lyrics for and I intend doing the same for some others. However, what I've found is that there are natural volume differences between listening in BiaB, Audacity, or playing a WAV via my headphones or via Bose PC speakers, so what sounds fine as a final mix in Audacity won't sound correctly balanced either via headphones or speakers, thus I often make numerous adjustments before I'm happy. Before creating a video for any new instrumental I also have to listen to it in a playlist with others as I then often find what initially sounded okay when played alone suddenly sounds to loud or too soft, or solos alone are too loo loud or soft. I tweaked "Venus Walks Again" a gazzillionth time before creating a video for it and as previously the solos sounded too subdued I upped the gain which I now know was a mistake.

What I look forward to doing once I've moved out of the inadequate flat I'm currently in is recording some of my old songs with BiaB rhythm tracks, but I'll post separately about my "Deya Flows" song, probably next weekend, as I had a trained superb lady vocalist sing the 1st of 2 choruses of lyrics which I've tried with different rhythm tracks, but her husband abandoned the project before I could get a WAV file of the whole song. I'm trying out Synth V, but I don't have much faith in it.

Hi, Chay.

Nice sound - moves along, changes are interesting, and it works well.

A bit longer than I'd like, but... it's your music, not mine.

If you've got any questions/issues with SynthV, you can drop me a line.

Quite an interesting instrumental with good variety that kept me listening until the end.

Others have already mentioned some issues with the mix, so I won't repeat that, but I think you're well on your way.
And, after all, the best way to learn how to mix is to mix more stuff.

WaoBand,

I don’t think I heard any of the prior versions, but I like what I’m hearing here. Organ is inviting and compelling out of the gate . . . the mix through the first 1:20 sounds good. The first few notes of the Organ solo are a little jolting, though the ear gets accustomed to it pretty quickly . . . maybe slide into the volume level on those first few notes? Just a thought. Guitar solo is great . . . but agree with Floyd that the harmonica is too much out in front and, for me, maybe a bit too busy in spots. But that’s just a subjective thought—ultimately go with what your gut tells you works.

All my best to you,

Deej

Thanks for the response, David. There's a thread on the Songwriting forum re Synth V where I'll be asking questions.

Thanks for listening, B.D.