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Hi Ron!
Those BVs in the middle are great! I like the choice of BIAB style as well. The acoustic guitars have a strum in the style of Eagle-Eye Cherry ‘Save tonight’ - great sounding!
Loved it.
Andrew Thanks, Andrew! Those guitars do play off each other in interesting ways, I like the way they turned out, too.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Ditto on all the kudo's already stated..enjoyed my listen..so well-produced in all aspects! THANK YOU, Tom! Oh, man. Saw the title and was immediately transported to 40 years ago when the kids were young. Every Thanksgiving Day we'd start off the holiday season with a cassette I made called "Christmas Classics Yule Noel." On one side was all Disney charachters singing, and on the other it was Muppets. Our favorite song was sung by either Animal or The Grouch called "Wreck The Halls." I'm sending this to them.
Although the subject is very different, they'll love it. Man, you and R.W. Davis write some fun sad songs. I always prefer your vocals. Right from the opening, that rhythm grabs me and I ride it happily --I know it's a sad song, but... Excellent harmonies, and the stops really elevate the dynamic levels. Ha! Funny story, Marty. My lyricist was slightly distressed when, on reflection, he realized the (now) obvious title similarity to that Holiday classic. I find it really enjoyable to role play these troubled narrators, and even more enjoyable when we can share with someone who appreciates the tune. Much appreciated, sir. 
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Your words "Sad songs are just so much fun" made me smile, it could be a title of a song, although there is already Elton John's "Sad songs (say so much)" Sad lyrics but with very sharp images of reflections on relationship. "Trapped in eternity/What have we left to prove" - I really like that (you know my latest song...). And rhyming inability and sensitivity I like the acoustic approach, yet I was waiting for an explosion where the walls were truly shredded, but it works this way, with a sad feeling at the end. Enjoyed the vocals, and the harmonies are really smooth. Janne
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Good song, Ron, your vocals are always my favorite part of your productions and they are stellar here as usual. Appreciate the listen, Rob. It always feels like a case of imposter syndrome when someone says they like my vocals, but a lot of work goes into getting to what you hear, so...THANKS! Hi Ron, I thought this was going to be a Chrismas song.  What it is instead is a great song with such amazing BV's and very signature DC Ron. Ha! You're right, with that title it SHOULD be a twisted Christmas song, and we have a few of those. Glad you were able to overcome your disappointment in the topic and enjoy the tune as-is. THANK YOU and...HO! HO! HO!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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A really cool rhythmic start and the rest doesn't disappoint either.
Vocal MAY be a little too far forward in V1 but all else is spot on.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Good song! Arrangement, mix, vocals, tracks, all working well together with right amount of variation to keep it interesting.
Way to go!
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Angst makes for good music. Your trademark BGVs don't disappoint. Clever chorus lyric.
I hope you weren't affected by the shutdown. I have friends here in Northern VA who didn't get paid for weeks.
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Hi Ron.
This is a fantastic production. I don't know how you did it, but the whole song really sounded first-class. The emotionally charged lyrics kept me fully engaged from start to finish. You and your brother really write some amazing material. It's two eagre thumbs up from me!
--Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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I am enjoying reading R.W's lyric - and wondering what you might do with them...
His lyrics take me to new places. As do your melodies...
Y'all knocked this one outta the park. Strong.
Dig that opening guitar!
Bass & drums land perfectly. Love the sound of both.
Nice jangly.
Cool BGVs.
Strong vocal. Immediacy. Sweet harmony.
Excellent Production. And Mix.
I Really Like this.
fj Thanks, Floyd. Yeah, sometimes new songs come right away, but I'll often look at a new lyric sheet and wonder WHAT in the WORLD I'm going to do with THIS. Usually turns out ok though. Appreciate the listen and reflections.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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I like the infectious guitar groove.
I thought it was a slightly wacky take on a Christmas song about "Decking the walls" but nope.
Good mix.
I'd have smoothed out the lyrical flow in a few places but that's just a personal opinion.
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.
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Hi Ron,
Great vocals and lyrics, and really nice job with the production and mix!
Bob
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Hi, Ron. Cool stereo image - I love the depth of the mix. Apology not accepted - sad and angry songs are great. To quote Warren Zevon: Cause 'I'd rather feel bad than feel nothing at all."  Great pop - you always have awesome songs. Ha! Warren was the bomb. THANKS for listening, David! The rhythmsection is great!
In my ears harmonyvocals .. it reminds me early Pink Floyd!
And i do not why. Maybe the colour of singing voices
Jona THANKS, Jona! Never been compared to Pink Floyd before, but that's quite a compliment. Appreciate the listen!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Your words "Sad songs are just so much fun" made me smile, it could be a title of a song, although there is already Elton John's "Sad songs (say so much)" Sad lyrics but with very sharp images of reflections on relationship. "Trapped in eternity/What have we left to prove" - I really like that (you know my latest song...). And rhyming inability and sensitivity I like the acoustic approach, yet I was waiting for an explosion where the walls were truly shredded, but it works this way, with a sad feeling at the end. Enjoyed the vocals, and the harmonies are really smooth. Janne Thanks, Janne. Great point about the lack of a wall-shredding musical shift. Have been experimenting more with using the vocal arrangement to carry the dynamic transitions. On this song, I always knew I wanted to end with the final extended "Wreck the wa-a-a-a-alls...", not as an exclamation of destruction, but as a cry or acceptance. Think it works on some levels, but perhaps not on others. Anyway...glad you enjoyed the not-so-happy tune!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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A really cool rhythmic start and the rest doesn't disappoint either.
Vocal MAY be a little too far forward in V1 but all else is spot on. THANKS, Ray! As you know, within a couple of hours of you posting I remixed that first verse and re-posted. So for those listening later, Ray is not hearing stuff. Well, he IS hearing stuff, but he's hearing all the RIGHT stuff. Always appreciate the listens and sonic advice, Ray.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Good song! Arrangement, mix, vocals, tracks, all working well together with right amount of variation to keep it interesting.
Way to go! Thanks, Scott! Angst makes for good music. Your trademark BGVs don't disappoint. Clever chorus lyric.
I hope you weren't affected by the shutdown. I have friends here in Northern VA who didn't get paid for weeks. Thank you, Scott. Angst is the best. We have a song in our catalog titled "Happy Endings Never Make a Good Song" about a songwriter who sabotages his personal life just so that he'll have interesting things to write about. Pretty sure my brother just makes it up though. Happy Thanksgiving!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Wow!
Did you and Springsteen do this on an 8 track in your basement?
Just kidding!~ Happy Thanksgiving! Maybe there should be a movie, though. Save Me From the Stairs: The Gut-wrenching Basement Tapes of DC Ron and Springsteen, a Journey of Pain, a Journey of Madness, A Hope in the Darkness on the Edge of Town
Great lyrics and performance man. Love the mix.
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Hi Ron.
This is a fantastic production. I don't know how you did it, but the whole song really sounded first-class. The emotionally charged lyrics kept me fully engaged from start to finish. You and your brother really write some amazing material. It's two eagre thumbs up from me!
--Noel THANKS, Noel. I'll give a lot of the credit for the sound quality to BiaB, of course. Glad you enjoyed the tune! I like the infectious guitar groove.
I thought it was a slightly wacky take on a Christmas song about "Decking the walls" but nope.
Good mix.
I'd have smoothed out the lyrical flow in a few places but that's just a personal opinion. Yeah, we have wacky Christmas songs, but this isn't one of them. Or wasn't SUPPOSED to be. If you want to drop me a DM on the lyric flow thoughts you have, I'd appreciate the feedback. The lyrics are not mine, and they are locked. But how I phrase the lyrics is all on me. THANKS for the listen, Herb!
Last edited by DC Ron; 11/29/25 05:09 AM.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Like BYOBand, I too thought this was going to be a parody of a Christmas song -- i.e, Deck the Halls
Not at all what I expected, but I was not disappointed. Band and lyrics work well together. Sad songs are important; they remind us that real life is no bed of roses. Gilbert O'Sullivan's Alone Again is a prime example.
ProTools; Ableton Live Lite; Reaper
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 MK4 interface
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Hi Ron,
Great vocals and lyrics, and really nice job with the production and mix!
Bob THANK YOU, Bob. Much appreciated. Wow!
Did you and Springsteen do this on an 8 track in your basement?
Just kidding!~ Happy Thanksgiving! Maybe there should be a movie, though. Save Me From the Stairs: The Gut-wrenching Basement Tapes of DC Ron and Springsteen, a Journey of Pain, a Journey of Madness, A Hope in the Darkness on the Edge of Town
Great lyrics and performance man. Love the mix. Thanks, David! Hard to process that Bruce has been bopping around this musicscape for half a century. That's even hard to type. Sadly (for me), the only thing I share with Bruce is a penchant for miserable lyrics. Ha! Hey, this mix (and all my recent ones) feature the "rear bus" technique you introduced here. Super stuff and THANKS again!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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“Wreck the walls in the house Where we live all our dreams Tear out all the mem’ries And all our future scenes Yeah, it’s never what it seems” Thankfully we don’t fit the narrative but, man, is well written. Bud gets it about the sad song thing. We are very happy (45 years) but he will write a sad song. We like the happy vibe of the band against the sad lyric. It would seem counterintuitive. But a friend schooled us years ago on how well that juxtaposition of upbeat and sad can work. Your harmony arrangements are always superb! (great lead vocal too). Nice BiaB session folks and wrapped in a fine mix. Enjoyed it! 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
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