It's been a while since I posted a song. Circumstances haven't given me much time for music. Anyway... after going to a Pat Pattison seminar a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired and this is what came about...

Life Is Lookin' OK

If you listen closely to Brent Mason's guitar solo in the middle of the song (Realtrack 1515, starts at around 1:12 mins), you can hear him beating a rhythm on the guitar's soundboard while he's playing. This is a pretty amazing Realtrack to work with.

Feel free to comment on any aspect of the song.

Regards,
Noel


RealTracks
519: Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 120
1515: Guitar, Electric, Soloist CountryBrent Ev 120
844: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryRockPopping Ev 120
847: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryRockRiff Ev 120
686: Organ, B3, Background Pop Ev 120
1119: Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Strumming Ev 120


RealDrums
NashvilleEven8^6-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat Open


Lyrics
A ray of sunshine is paintin' the mountain
The sky's Hawaii blue
She spins around
Yeah, this is her day
Life is lookin' okay

She's never known another mornin' like this
She's never felt so good
It's time to buckle up
Get ready to play
Life is lookin' okay

oooo she's a powerhouse of energy
oooo she's ready to fly
oooo and she's gonna do whatever she inclines her mind to

A ton of dreams are waitin' out there
She's gonna catch every one
Not a second to waste
It's up, up and away
Life is lookin' okay

[Instrumental]

oooo she's a powerhouse of energy
oooo she's ready to fly
oooo and she's gonna do whatever she inclines her mind to

A ton of dreams are waitin' out there
She's gonna catch every one
Not a second to waste
It's up, up and away
Life is lookin' okay

A ton dreams are waitin' out there
She's gonna catch every one
Not a second to waste
She's up, up and away
Life is lookin' okay

Not a second to waste
She's up, up and away
Life is lookin' okay
Life is lookin' okay

Noel,

nice to hear you back on the forum.

This is different from your other stuff

In other RTs there are some playing anomalies, finger squeaks and release noise and that makes them so much more real

Nice harmonies. Were they Melodyned?

Yeh that song sounded OK actually a lot more than OK!

Alyn

Hi Alyn,

Thanks for having a listen! I'm not sure how I found this particular style I've used. When I stumbled across it, though, I'd just come in from the Pattison seminar and it seemed as good a style as any to write a song to. That's the beauty of BIAB, it's so easy to surf genres!

The harmonies are indeed with Melodyne. I was lazy this time around. Normally I use Melodyne to create a harmony by changing the pitch of the vocals and then learning to sing it. This time, I just stayed with the Melodyned (I like that word you've invented) notes.

Hope all is travelling well for you over there on the opposite side of the world.

Noel

Hey Noel,

Great song! Love the tempo and structure - very cool and confident vocal delivery also. Great job...

Bob

Enjoyed this. The harmonies were really good here so you may want to remember the melodyned technique for future use. I think it worked really well for you.

The Brent Mason solo worked so well with the song. Maybe even similar to what he would have chosen to play live if you had him in the studio with you.

Charlie

Noel: nice job with the song.

DE

Hi Noel,

thanks for this uplifting song.
The harmonies sound very natural.
Enjoyed several listens.

Guenter

Hi Noel!

Always great to see a Noel-song pop up.

Don't know anyone who can pack as much JOY into a write as you can.
This song explodes with joy!

The mix is excellent. Everything is right at the level it should be. Really nice! Some of my favorite RTs (don't think that I've used them at this speed - they do sound good!). The organ is a great compliment to them...

The vocals are good - joyful! The harmonies are the best I've heard using Melodyne - they sound "sung"!

Interesting rhyme scheme.

floyd

If the joy you write with could be bundled up and
sold you'd be a very rich man.

There's so much to like here. The write,
your vocal, the "melodynettes," the RT choice
and the super sparkling mix. Like Charlie said
the guitar solo sounded like you guys had worked
together.

We like it all and especially:

"A ton of dreams are waitin' out there
She's gonna catch every one
Not a second to waste
It's up, up and away
Life is lookin' okay"

Thanks for pointing out the fingerboard
rhythm...went back and listened for it.

The work you put into this is very evident
and it really paid off.

Thanks for sharing it!

J&B

Bob,

Thank you for dropping in and listening. As you've probably picked up over the years, I'm a huge fan of AABA song format. It works really well if lyrics are centred around a single instance in time. Also appreciate the comment about the vocals.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Charlie,

It's always good to see you! Thank you for once more taking time to listen to and comment on one of my songs. I was happy with Melodyne this time around. It's an incredibly powerful program - being able to control pitch, formants and many of the other vocal nuances is amazing. I think that I'm getting the hang of it a bit better now although it's going to be a while before I fully understand it.

Brent Mason is incredible! When I stumbled across this particular generation that used the guitar soundboard/fingerboard for percussion effects, I was determined to use it. It was too good to leave out!

Thanks again for taking time...

Regards,
Noel

This song is doing OK! Lots of fun in there, well written and performed. Very nice use of the RT's.

Good one Noel! Nice and light and uplifting.
Very clear vocals and beautifully crafted as usual. Cheers.

Noel,
Great song. Glad to hear your music again.
SD

Great work Noel. Enjoyable from beginning to end.
Rob

Hi DE,

I appreciate your taking time to have a listen. Thank you for that. There's no two ways above it, BIAB is a remarkable program! I'd never be able to do anything like this if Peter Gannon hadn't been inspired to create this software.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Guenter,

Thanks for passing through. Melodyne is a brilliant tool. As I mentioned to Charlie, I'm getting better at driving it now. When I get a chance, I'm going to use it to create a bit of 4-part vocal harmony just to see what it sounds like!

Thanks for the compliments, too. Unlike Video Clips At School, my song was pretty easy to put together!

All the best,
Noel

Noel, This is super catchy. What a great feel good song. It is impossible to walk away from this without smiling. The mix is stellar, very clear and balanced. Very well sung! I'm still smiling. Tom

Noel,

This is definitely different from anything I have heard from you (not the content, but the style). Sometime when we (I) try something different, it comes out so-so, but not as good as what we (I) produce within our comfort zone. But THIS is, in my opinion, the best thing I have heard from you! The music fits the message like a glove. The upbeat country guitars are superb, and you managed to add a Beatle-esqe harmony that really works with this.

Very impressed with just about everything you have done on this one.

Steve

Right, so this isn't my genre of choice by a long shot, I'll own up to that right of the bat, BUT...I just marvel at how well you've used the tools you have before you! Not a drop of this says "machine" at any point through the whole piece, and you would never be able to tell if you didn't know it.

And that's just about the biggest compliment I got for any BBox creation!

Howdy floyd!

Thank you for giving up a bit of your day to have a listen. This song came about as an exercise. I had no concept of where I was going at the outset. It's interesting that it grew so well. I owe you for that. In all honesty, I've learnt a great deal from what you've done over the years. Please don't stop writing!

As for Melodyne... the more I play with it, the more impressive it becomes. It offers enormous control. I suspect that it's going to become the plastic surgeon for my vocals.

Thanks again for visiting.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Janice and Bud!

Thank you for the positive feedback both here and on Soundcloud "Melodynettes"... LOL! Nice! Who knows, they might even become a rival choir for the BIABettes. Appreciate the comment on the "sparkling mix". I always find mixing a challenge and a half. Ozone certainly makes it easier to get that little bit of aural sunshine, though.

Best wishes to you both.
Noel

P.S. Here's the link to Brent's solo if you want to hear it with all other tracks removed.

Kevin,

Thanks for dropping in and giving the song a run through. Appreciate it.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Richard!

I appreciate your time and the feedback. Thank you listening and commenting.

All the best,
Noel

Noel I always enjoy an organ if it compliments the other instruments and in the case of your song to me it certainly did just that. I have used Brent Mason in some of my songs also and he is by far (in my humble opinion the best country guitarist that BIAB could have used). Enjoyed your song!
Sonny

Very inspirational!! A lot of upbeat stuff on the forum these days. A love the care-free vibe. Reminds me of Good Day Sunshine in its attitude and cheer. Mix and vocals are excellent-crisp and tight, and the guitar solo fits this one like a glove. Beautifully done!! Take care. Greg

Great job Noel. One of your best.

Hi Space Dog,

Thanks for passing through and having a listen.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Rob,

Good to see you. Thanks for taking time to listen and comment both here and on Soundcloud.

Regards,
Noel

Tom,

You made my day! I'm glad you got a chance to visit the thread and listen.

As already mentioned the song came about as the result of an exercise. It never ceases to amaze me that it's possible to start just fiddling around and, before you know it, things start coming together and coalesce into a song.

All the best,
Noel

Hi there Noel,

We agree with Alyn that this sounds somewhat different from your other stuff.
But we definitely welcome it! A nicely balanced sound. Cool vocals and backing vocals.
Keep them songs coming!

Rob & Anne-Marie

Hey Steve,

It's always a pleasure to have you drop in. Thanks for the uplifting comments. I appreciate the smile they brought with them! Now.... if only I had arranging skills like yours....

All the best,
Noel

Hi Eddie,

Welcome to my thread. Thanks for giving my song a listen. I appreciate it. I also appreciate your compliment. No-one has said that before. All my years of listening to Steve Young, floyd, tommyad, J&B (just to name a few), must be rubbing off!

All the best with your songwriting,
Noel

Hello,

nice song, good real tracks used.
great voice.

Hello.
Sergio

Noel: We are lucky in two ways (1) that you're in the forum offering outstanding advice (often with pics -- I often email your advice to myself and have set up a mini database). (2) we get GREAT songs from you, so enjoyable.

Boy "we" are lucky in deed. Simply thank you.

DE

Great job Noel. The lyrics work so well, the guitar mix is perfect, and the song is really well put together. The styles and choice of instruments is great, it has a great upbeat vibe. You delivered again!
Trevor

Love the positive upbeat feel of this, mix sounds great.
Kenny

Hi Sonny,

I agree. The B3 is a terrific textural sound when it works. Also, like you, I think Brent Mason's work is out of this world. I'm not a guitarist but it seems to me that his ability pushes the boundaries of what is humanly possible.

Thank you for taking time to have a listen and to comment. Appreciate it.

Regards,
Noel

Hey there Greg!

It's good to see you. Thanks for visiting the thread and listening. I appreciate the feedback.

As I've mentioned in a couple of earlier posts in the thread, this song came about entirely from an exercise. I had no preconceived notion of what the lyrics would be nor what the song was about. I wrote to a loop. After listening to the loop over and over, sounds became words, words led to phrases and phrases led to sections. Once the lyrics started coming together, the melody and harmony began their journeys. It seems that this particular exercise turned out to be very productive!

All the best,
Noel

P.S. It must nearly be time for another song from you. I really enjoy listening to your work. You're a talented writer.

Hi Josie,

Thank you for once again dropping by and listening to my work. It's always good to see you. I appreciate your comments. Now if only I could sing as well as you (but and octave lower)...

Take care,
Noel

P.S. Hope all is sailing along on smooth waters for you

Hi Rob and Anne-Marie.

It's good to see you again. Hope all is progressing well over in the northern hemisphere! Thank you for listening to my latest song and taking the time to comment. Appreciate the feedback.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Sergio,

Thank you for giving my song a listen and for taking time to comment. I appreciate the positive feedback.

Regards,
Noel

Great work, all around.

You tend to push the envelope with your rhythmic patterns, and I think that it came off a bit less forced in this song. (I don't mean to make that sound like a backhanded compliment, sorry).

So upbeat and cheerful. I don't know how you do it, but keep at it!

Hi again, DE.

Thank you for the above. I sincerely appreciate your comments. When I started out with BIAB, I got stuck a few times and a number of people on here helped out. Mac, who hasn't been around for about a year and a half, was awesome. It's my turn to do my bit now. These forums are that kind of place. I'm glad that my posts are useful for you

All the best,
Noel

Hey Trevor,

Thanks for the review. I'm not quite sure how to reply! LOL! Sometimes I get lucky when I write a song and sometimes I don't. Sounds like this was one of the lucky times. I appreciate your giving me some of your day and having a listen.

All the best,
Noel

P.S. It must be about time for another Videotrack post in Users Showcase... it's been a while...

Hi Kenny,

Thank you! I appreciate your stopping by the thread and taking a listen.

Regards,
Noel

Hey David,

Thank you for coming in for a visit. It didn't sound like a backhanded compliment to me at all. I simply go where the songs take me. One thought that always gives me hope is something Pat Pattison once said at a seminar.... "Remember that 90% of Bob Dylan's songs are not his best 10%". The math says it all!

Thanks again,
Noel

I really like this Noel, especially the lyrics. Very very "visual." Great job. I also like the one that comes right after this, called when I Wake Up in the Morning. That is quite an outstanding production.

Hi David,

Thanks for passing through the thread and stopping to have a listen. I appreciate it

"When I Wake Up In The Morning" was a co-write with Steve Young. I don't know if you've heard any of his music on the forum but he's one of the best arrangers on Users Showcase. His work never ceases to amaze me.

Thanks for taking the time...

Regards,
Noel

Late to the party on this, Noel, but I really like it. Your stuff just keeps getting better and better.


Regards,

Bob

Way to go, Noel !

This is a bit of a departure from the norm for you - but it's still great!

Good song - the instrumentation is amazing.

Hey Bob,

It's good to see you No such thing as 'late to the party' in my neck of the woods. The door is always open!

Thanks for taking the time. Appreciate it.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Curt,

Thank you! In all honesty, I couldn't write any of this stuff if it weren't for Band In A Box and Realband. Every time I hit "generate/play" in BIAB, I'm left amazed at what Dr Gannon and his team has created. 2006 was the year I accidentally stumbled onto PG Music. What a GREAT year that was for me!

Regards,
Noel