Hi everyone! I have been out for a couple of months, due to a job change - working about 60 hours a week. Getting too old for that!

I finally got some time to do a new song. I hope you enjoy it! All the basic instruments are RealTracks and Realdrums. I played the orchestration with Garriton Personal Orchestra, and all the vocals are me.

Long Ago

Here are the lyrics...

Long Ago
Music & Lyrics, copyright Stephen W. Young

There once was a young man
He looked a lot like me
He lived life with a plan
When he was twenty three
But time can take a turn
And life can bring the rain
Some say we never learn
Some say we never change

He thought he knew all the answers
But that was long ago
Now he longs for the memories
Of things he's never known

There once was a young man
He looked a lot like me
He heard about a plan
That changed his destiny

He thought he knew all the answers
But that was long ago
Now he lives with the memories
Of things he's come to know

I thought I knew all the answers
But that was long ago
You have given me memories
Of things I need to know

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Here are the RT's/RD's used...

RealTracks in song: 1253:Bass, Electric, PopShiningHeld Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1542:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopBelieve Ev16 065
RealTracks in song: 1595:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Pop8thsSteady Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 1601:Mandolin, Rhythm Pop16Melodic Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 1539:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopBelieveHeldDry Ev16 065
RealTracks in song: 377:Guitar, Resonator, Background Trav Ev 088
RealDrums: RealDrums in Song: NashvilleEven8^4-a,b:Sidestick, HiHat
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Have a great day!

Steve

Hey Steve,

Nice to see you back here... This one was certainly worth the wait. Love the sentiment and lyrics. The arrangement, mix and vocal are stellar. Great, great job.

Bob

Wow I couldn't tell this was Biab at all! Very professional mixing Steve,the Lyrics and the Sangin are wonderful! Was the string pad part done with a Biab generated MIDI track, sounded Great! You are way too talented to be sellin cars! Wish I could sing! Thanks Cuz for sharing, really enjoyed it!

Steve,

very tastefully done as usual! Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Tommy commented that it doesn't sound like BIAB at all... but BIAB is like a computer... it does what you tell it to do! The way you arrange the flow of your songs is what makes them so unique sounding... like the string section and tympani rolls near the end. Just about anything that's musically possible can be done with BIAB, but not everyone eplores the possibilities beyond what's built into the styles. You do, and it really shows in your finished products.

Thanks for posting.

Wow...what a great work of art. This is skill and talent on another level. I hope you are able to find a good balance between work and music that will allow us to enjoy more of your wonderful music.

Thanks very much for sharing...

Excellent arrangement! All around, well done.

I like your choice of instruments. I was betting on an electric guitar solo, so the slide guitar came as a pleasant surprise. The "false ending" before the final verse was effective, and got me wondering if it even needed a final time through - until you brought in the harmony and lovely tag at the end. I'm a sucker for timpani.

My only musical nit is that the flute on the intro seems a touch too soft against the guitar, but I'm listening on headphones, so take that with a grain of salt.

In the second verse, you set up the lyric as if you're still talking about the same person in the first verse, only in the last phrase to make it clear you were talking about someone else. On a conceptual level, I like that the song did something different. But on a personal level, I'm a lazy listener, and don't really like it when a song misleads me and makes me have to mentally backtrack like that.

Then again, I like vanilla ice cream, too.

I don't know how you find time to do this... But I'm glad you do!

Steve,

I'd bet you worked on those lyrics in your mind since
the bump in the road a few months ago.

Great lyrics telling a nice story. Guessing its autobiographical.

Really liked the steel at the ending.

Your vocal style delivered to match the storyline.

Thanks for your hard work on this song.

May your 60 hour weeks lighten up in the near future.

Hey Steve,

Beautiful all around. Dobro and mandolin with an orchestra - love all the finesse in the arrangement - those little touches that add interest at just the right moments really make it sparkle.

I also like the song and the bittersweet feeling you've captured with both the lyrics and music.

A craftsman at work.
Good one Steve.
Always love your contributions.

Bob,

Thanks so much! It's nice to be back. I'm still putting in a lot of hours, but my body is starting to adjust to the grind!

Steve

Tommy,

Thanks a bunch, cuz! Actually, though Band In The Box is absolutely my favorite music creation software, the orchestration was not generated by Band In A Box. I played all the parts on my midi keyboard, using VSTi's from Garritan Personal Orchestra. The tympani is a VSTi from Logic Pro. The extra piano track is also a VSTi from Logic Pro. All the other instrumentation is Band In A Box.

Thanks again for your very kind words!

Steve

Pat,

Thanks so much for taking the time to listen and comment! I appreciate your very kind words. Always so good to hear from you!

Steve

David,

So nice to hear from you! I always appreciate your thoughtful comments. And thanks for the generous words.

How do I find the time? I sleep real fast!

Steve

Frank,

Thanks so much! I do tend to write most of my songs in my head. By the time I sit down at the computer, I usually hear it all in my head, and try to reproduce it in Band In A Box. (I mean that I hear music, not voices! )

Thanks again!

Steve

Josie,

Always so good to hear from you. Thanks so much for your input. I'm glad the instrumentation worked on this one.

Steve

Robert,

Thanks so much for taking time to listen and comment! (Does the song play backwards, when you are listening in Australia? )

Glad you enjoyed it!

Steve

Beautifully composed, sung and crafted, Steve.

Nitpick alert: when the drums came in at 1:51 and 3:28 I was expecting them to be more powerful and be a more prominent component of the mix each time, adding to the overall drama and emphasising the emotional changes in the song whenever they enter and exit.

But a lovely piece with the usual professional craftmanship nevertheless!

John

Very well done Steve. A particularly creative arrangement combined with an excellent vocal. In fact, so well done that I wouldn't have picked the basic tracks as being Realtracks - admittedly the writing and singing are so good that I was just drawn right into the song.

Oh, and I might add, the song doesn't play backwards in Australia - but we do have to listen with the speakers turned upside down!

Excellent work! I really appreciate the idea of only using that which is needed--and here every element plays a role. I really liked the reflective nature of the lyrics.
Thanks for sharing.

Mandolin Mike,

I don't know how I missed your post! Thanks so much for your very kind comments, and welcome to the forum!

Steve

John,

I truly appreciate your input. I have great respect for your arranging abilities. I have been bothered all along by the drum part (too bland), just haven't done anything about it yet. When I have some more time to devote to this one, I will probably fine tune it.

Thanks again, and glad you like the song.

Steve

Paul,

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed this. I will try turning my mic upside down next time, so you don't have to rearrange your speakers down there!

Steve

Tano Music,

Thanks so much for taking the time to listen and comment. I'm glad you enjoyed this one.

Steve

Thanks Steve! I'd have to agree with John about the drums - the rest of the Realtracks are just fine, but the drums - well they're not quite right. This is a very, very minor quibble mind you. It usually takes me a while to find exactly the right drums for my songs.

Stephen you have a God given talent to not only write fantastic lyrics but also to find the perfect melody and backing tracks to go along with them.

Outstanding job my friend.

It's a keeper!

Quote:

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Robert,

Thanks so much for taking time to listen and comment! (Does the song play backwards, when you are listening in Australia? )

Glad you enjoyed it!

Steve

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As much as I tried to get the song to play it just wouldnt do it.