The Blues Woman

Our BIAB journey over the last two years has taken us to musical places we never dreamed of visiting. Watching Janice transform from a hard core bluegrass singer to a soulful blues and country singer has been quite the experience. And one for which we are extremely grateful to PG Music for their products and our collaborators and many friends from this community who have encouraged her to explore new musical territory.

With these changes have come some interesting reactions from our old friends who are often surprised and/or perplexed at this change in direction. I’ve attempted with this lyric, inspired by her, to reflect the journey of a woman moving from folk to blues music. To try and achieve this the song starts in the present, flashes back and then finishes again in the present.

Maybe too ambitious for me, maybe too long, maybe a strange song structure but, what the heck, I just wanted to try and tell the story.

Bud

Janice: Vocal and vocal arrangement
Bud: RT arrangement, effects, mixing and mastering
Tom Adams: Lead Guitar, vocal processing, drum processing and infinite patience in guiding me through his Ozone mastering settings.

Huge thanks to floyd for offering great input on the arrangement and mix and to Lawrence for an arrangement suggestion (to the extent that I plan an updated version).

Bass: electric blues rock 1012
Drums: Blues Shuffle
Fingerpicked Guitar: 528
Fingerpicked Guitar: 1679
Resophonic Guitar: 585
Piano: 1591
Electric Rhythm Guitar: 421

It's certainly interesting.... but sure ain't following the rules of the road on this one. In so many ways.

Well Bud, I'm all for experimentation when music is concern, and I think I've done that every now and then with somewhat a modest result. My point, I thought it came out very good and almost was waiting for the change, and it did happened, so IMHO you guys did good.

Mike B.

Hey Janice, Bud, Tom & Floyd,

Rules? In our opinion, until someone is paying us, we make the rules ... what few there are for us. We love to experiment, mixing genres, reshaping existing genres and just saying "what the hell" and do something extemporaneous just cuz we want to.

We thought this was a great listen. Bravo for a project that ended up real nice. Different? Yep, to some degree. Wrong? Not to our ears. Creative? You betcha! Bold? Yep.

Tom's guitar screams sweet and Janice's voice melts in the mic. The arrangement was bold and sweet.

Uh, we kinda liked it!!!!!!!!

Alan & Di

Bud,
I do like the timbre of Janice's voice....
I thought that it was a bit of a weird instrument change at the words "later I found the blues", verse 3, but then the song took off,lovely build up, a bit like gently flooring the accelerator in a powerful sports car on a nice straight road,radio on loud.

Yeh BIAB is a wonderful program as it can easily take you into genres you never thought of before, it certainly changed my style of songwriting.

Rules.. MEH!! you only know what sounds good or not when you break them.
All kudos to you, Tom and floyd on this arrangement and I look forward to the revised version following Lawrence's idea.
DID I say that I like Janice's vocals?? LOL

excellent

Alyn

Amen to those vocals. Great story, nice guitars riffing too. and once the band was all in place you guys could have kept on going and i would kept on listening. Nice.

Another great piece from ya'll; thanks for sharing!

Heck, we never read the rules in the first place! We're just a couple of rubes out in the provinces with some powerful software



Thanks Mike! BIAB just invites experimentation. Nothing ventured - nothing gained. Really glad it worked for you.

I kinda figured a few folks would jump on the "rules" comment.... hear me out...

Don't misunderstand my comments. I'm not down on you for your infractions of the "rules"..... I kinda figured that the rules be damned on this one.....

I do think, however, that with a bit more though, contemplation, effort, and work, it would have been possible to make the rhyme structure a bit more complete. There's always a way to make that part of a song work better. With ingenuity, everything is possible.

That's all I'm trying to say here.

Hi Janice & Bud and all the rest of the collab,

you gave me a great listen. I like it very much how the song develops. And Janice's voice and Tommy's guitar on top!
Go on disregarding the "rules".

Guenter

Janice & Bud's "Garden Party". Great way to showcase Janice's versatility and a great example of collaboration. I enjoyed this and think it is very creative.

Regards,

Charlie

When I finished the lyrics I felt that six verses and a bridge with an ABAB rhyme structure all the way through (28 rhymes - way way more than I've ever done before) might be interesting to some folks.

The write actually took a lot of "contemplation, effort and work." Maybe it lacked "ingenuity" which is ultimately determined by the ears of the listener...but both the effort and contemplation were assuredly there. Admittedly a thrown together write and production can be pleasing and an agonizingly long production can sound awful. What really matters is the final product which will never be pleasing to everybody.

Cheers
Bud

The rhyme structure isn't consistent with how you start in the first verse. What you set in the first verse is "usually" the pattern for the balance of the song. The rhymes should fall in the same places in the following verses.

6 verses and a bridge. The pattern is AAAABAA

V1: Cheers and Years at the end of 2&4

V2: Guys & eyes again at the end of 2&4

V3: no rhyme at all ........ something should rhyme with quickly

V4: no rhyme at all...........rhyme should have been with pocket

Bridge: No rhymes here either

V5: Sound and town BUT at the end of 1&3

V6: wrong & Along..... like v5 at the end of 1&3... you might be able to say fun & woman also rhyme as imperfect rhymes at the end of 2&4

I counted a few rhymes. Not 28.... and I looked to see where the others might be hiding. Sorry, I couldn't find them.

Guys, don't take me wrong, I'm not putting you down for writing a song with this sort of "open" structure, and it's not something to die over..... My comments were meant to say that with a little bit of effort the rhymes can be placed in the same place and the words chosen can be made to rhyme. Plenty of times I have written something that didn't work or rhyme and while I liked a specific line I had written, I really had to dig in and go deep to either rewrite that line so that it did rhyme, hence keeping the rhymes consistent or.....I had to scrap it and have another go at it.

If you are happy with the lyrics, fine.... I have no problems with that. I do not recall in former things you wrote having this sort of disparity appear between the verses where the patterns are so different. Perhaps I missed those..... perhaps not. My purpose in mentioning this is to simply point out things I see...things that are not consistent with (dare I say it again?) the rules of writing songs. Of course, you're free to break the rules as you see fit and feel.

Peace

Hey Herb, if you can accept the concept of "near rhymes" I think you will find that lines one/three and two/four either rhyme or near rhyme for every verse and the bridge. I did that intentionally.

BTW other terms I see used for near rhymes are approximate rhyme, inexact rhyme, imperfect rhyme (as you alluded to), slant rhyme, soft rhyme, etc., and lazy rhyme English poets grew fond of the convention and it seems to go in and out of popularity.

For example, look again at V4 which you said had no rhymes and consider the following:

Drummer/Nighter and Pocket/Ticket

My structure for this tune was to intentionally not rhyme lines 1/2 and 3/4 but rather to rhyme lines 1/3 and 2/4

"I found a good bass man and a solid drummer
Brought in a hot guitar and we fell right in the pocket
I called the old club and got us in with a one nighter
Word was that our opening night was a hot ticket"

I feel you are viewing this from the 1/2 and 2/4 perspective. Heck, if I'm gonna break rules I might as well break whatever rules cover which lines have to be rhymed while I'm at it

Hi Janice and Bud,

Great idea to do it this way, telling a story.
We like it very much especially the part where the bass, drums and guitar come in.

Regards,
R & AM

Hi, Bud & Janice, Tom & Floyd !!!:))


Wonderful collab to achieve a masterpiece !
...and Janice´s vocal combined with Tom´s
lead guitar ........Wowowowowowowowowowo !!!:))

This is a masterpiece..............


Cheers
Dani

Thanks y'all! It was a rare attempt at a "story song" and I'm happy that you enjoyed it.

Bud




Thanks Alyn, I was trying to emphasize the word blues with the intro of the reso guitar lick -- may have gotten it too hot. I'll check it. Appreciate it.





Thanks! We would have liked to extended the guitar jam with the band...but since I'd gone way past the "three minute" rule I hauled it it :-)

Bud

Hi guys. Very cool and interesting work!! It certainly was an ambitious project and I was very tickled by the sheer creativity. As always, I'm a sucker for Tom's sweet guitar sound! Maybe the song is less universal than some, but for people who have followed this musical evolution with great interest (and I certainly am one), it was a wonderful treat. As always, Great work!! Take care. Greg

Wow! the mix is awesome!

Janice's voice stands out and yet all of the instruments are present and accounted for.

It sounds really good. The transition to the blues part sounds very smooth now. It sounds like you did a lot of work to get it all to hold together and it does

Well done!

Thanks!



Thanks Guenter!

Bud (aka resident rule breaker)

I want jump in and say thanks to everyone for commenting on my part of this. I appreciate the kind words. And of course a big big thanks to Bud and Janice for including me in this wonderful project. Keep on breaking them rules so we can make our own. Tom

Really enjoyed it all! Nice bluesy vocal but not exaggerated, the arrangement builds smoothly and the lyrics kept me guessing. Adventurous. Cheers.

This is great and you all should be very proud of it!

I really like the way the song builds and of course those vocals and guitar parts were top notch!

This is a keeper!

Thank you Charlie. We both love that Rick Nelson song. Amazingly I haven't thought of it. Thanks!



You are way too kind my friend. We appreciate it!




Glad you liked it and the bass, drum, guitar transition. I struggled with it and hoped it wouldn't seem gimmicky. Thanks!

Hi Janice and Bud,

Now that was worth the listen! Janice's silky vocals, Tommy's V8 guitar work and Bud's ability to wield the musical scalpel and cut and stitch RTs with the precision of a consultant surgeon - what a team!

I have to say, I was captivated by the above interchange regarding lyrics. Most interesting. I thought I'd jump in and share my perspective ...

For what it's worth, "pocket / ticket" is a legitimate type of rhyme. It's what Berklee College refer to as a consonant rhyme (that is, the "-ket" sound where both the "k" and the "t" are consonants common to both words; that's a clever one, Bud, because many consonance rhymes only use a single consonant and not two).

Below is a link to a song written by Gary Burr and sung by Tim McGraw that uses the "n" consonant rhyme (as the only rhyme) in the first and third A-section with "one / gone" and then in the reprise of the third A-section with "undone / gone". Because consonance is the weakest type of rhyme, its use leaves a feeling of lack of resolution. This is perfect for enhancing mood and emotion. Gary Burr uses consonance very effectively in the below song to reflect the dawning sense of loss that the song's character is experiencing.

• Can't Be Really Gone

Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin also use a really unusual rhyme in "Don't Laugh at Me". In the chorus, they rhyme "wings" with "me" in the spotlight position of the last line. The pronounced lack of resolution that this rhyme creates, amplifies the song's emotion and boosts meaning greatly. I believe that this song made it to number one a couple of times (Peter, Paul and Mary; Mark Wills). Below is a link to Mark Wills' version.

• Don't Laugh At Me

Steve Sekin is also a great user of weak syllable rhymes. (I notice that Bud's and Janice's use of "bigger / dreamer", "down / woman", are consonant rhymes that involve at least one weak syllable and "quickly / honestly" is a perfect rhyme that involves weak syllables.) In the first two lines of "Grown Men Don't Cry", Steve Seskin and Tom Douglas use the weak-syllable, consonant "er" sound and rhyme "center" with "mother". To my ears this rhyme really establishes the emotional context for the whole lyric that follows. It's a lyric writing master-stroke. I believe that this song also became a number one hit.

• Grown Men Don't Cry

My view is that it's only by playing around and developing a feel for these unusual lyric rhyme-types, and how they impact on lyric motion and emotion, that one gains an understanding of how to use them effectively. With my own lyrics, I often try a number of different types of rhyme and try to gauge how they "feel" in relation to the emotions I'm trying to convey. (I'm still a novice but I have lots of fun playing around.)



Overall, any rhyme type that doesn't offer the full sense of closure found with perfect rhymes leaves a listener in a disquieted state of mind. The degree of disquietedness depends on the rhyme type. The net result of this uneasiness of mind is that it adds to a lyric's emotional impact.

I find lyric movement, and how it can be used strategically to impact directly on the feelings of a listener, a really fascinating subject. I hope that the above thoughts offer another perspective on lyric writing and how it's possible to use non-standard types of rhyme to enhance the emotional power of lyrics.

Regards,
Noel

Hi there Janice & Bud.

Well, it works for me.

I mean, what's not to like here? Great story, great performances from everyone, a very clever production and an excellent mix. For myself, I don't like to analyse things in too much detail, though I'm always fascinated by Noel's comments. I prefer to just listen to the flow of the track and I thought this one was great.

A brave project and a resounding success.

ROG.

A super song, top drawer performances all round and a sparkling mix. Well done to all concerned!

(An adage I have followed: "Rules are made for the guidance of the wise and the obedience of fools.")

Bud/Janice/Tom..

This is a super cool project. A very clever idea (sort of right there in front of you, eh?). One of things that most impressed me was the rhyming scheme. It takes a LOT of work (thinking) to be able to write a song rhymed on 1 & 3 AND 2 & 4. Particularly one involving this many words. I think it's pretty neat that Noel jumped into that aspect and cited 3 of my all-time favorite writers...

Super cool idea to have the band followed the progression of the singer...

Great mix. Gorgeous vocal (of course). Delightful guitar work.

All around impressive.

Can't wait to see what's next!

floyd

Thanks a lot Greg -- yep, it's been fun watching it unroll!



Thanks man, most of the time mixing I felt like I had a handful of worms trying to escape. I think I got them sorta corralled!

Hi again, Janice and Bud.

I hope you don't mind me popping back in. I'm excited and wanted to share a discovery I've just made.

Tonight, while driving around through Youtube, I came across Michael Bublé sing “Softly as I Leave You”. It's such a great song (and one I haven't heard for a couple of decades). I was pleased when I discovered this clip because this song shows the emotional power of using a minimum amount of rhyme in non-conventional ways.

I particularly like how the last line of the song, 'So softly as I leave you there', seems to dangle without any obvious rhyme. To my ears, this lack of resolution makes this last phrase the single most emotionally charged phrase in the entire song; very powerful. (Looking at the lyrics, there is a potential sonic link between "bear" and "there" but I didn't hear that when read through the words nor when I played the song. It would be interesting to know if others hear it.)

• Prior to playing the below link, it's well worth reading the lyrics aloud.
• By doing this, it's possible to feel how the length of phrases and the unusual rhyme scheme work in partnership to present a journey of words that does not need music to create an emotional experience. (Putting an accompaniment to these words is simply the icing on the proverbial cake.)

• Link: Softly As I Leave You

Janice and Bud,

I don't really care about the what the rules are, but I really like this one! As always, Janice, your vocals just shine! Is there anything you can't sing?

Keep up the good work!

Steve

hi Janice and bud I like this a lot I don't follow rules most of the time however this is a great listen I think Janice could sing anything great guitar chops to tommy great mix thanks for sharing eric

We appreciate that! Delighted that you felt it flowed well.



Yeah man, Tom and Janice work together well for sure. Please it worked for you. Thanks!

------------

Noel, We deeply appreciate the time that you spent for both of your posts. I feel a sense of relief that perhaps stepping off the "song structure deep end" actually resulted in something positive. Your song examples and discussion of them are a genuine clinic in the subject and I have learned a lot from listening to them several times and putting the song in the context of your explanation. The "Mary" lyric you used was a great illustration. Thank you so much!!





ROG, that means a heckuva a lot to us and we appreciate it. From the beginning we realized that if we couldn't get the flow right the song would never work. Having you mention that the flow worked is just great! Thanks.



Thanks and the adage is priceless! Similarly I've followed "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds" It took me a LONG time to learn that.

Thanks floyd. Appreciate the props re the rhyme scheme. It did tax me. And about
what's next? I'll go ahead and say " a big surprise!"




Thank you Steve. Well, I'm biased....but there is little she can't sing well so long as she likes it and can inject some soul into it.

Bud




Thanks Eric!!

Sweet vocal and mix with some cool axe man icing.


Josie

Thanks Josie! Icing for sure....