A story of my high school buddy Tom.
We had a CSN/America-style trio with Doug.
Tom could sing like an angel. And had some big dreams, but...


TRACKS AND ROADS

when his friends took off for college
he said he'd be right on their tail
but their voices faded in the factory's din
routine sucked the wind from his sails
day-to-day is what you do
when the future fails to call
he wonders why things just aren't the same
when nothing's really changed at all

   rigs thunder down the highway
   that amtrak whistle blows
   but tracks and roads mean nothing
   when you've got no place to go

kids that he once knew just to say 'hi'
like brothers they shake hands and smile
from a small group of girls who once weren't good enough
he'll choose an equal to share the aisle
come on back when you can
a mail box there will still claim his name
cause when you're paying for the ticket with any kind of change
it gets too easy to miss the train

   rigs thunder down the highway
   that amtrak whistle blows
   but tracks and roads mean nothing
   when you've got no place to go

the radio talks to him
it doesn't have a lot to say
but it keeps regrets in check
and helps pass the time away

   rigs thunder down the highway
   that amtrak whistle blows
   but tracks and roads mean nothing
   when you've got no place to go



The BAND:
RealTracks in style: 995:Bass, Electric, HardRockLA Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 999:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockLAFuzzyA-B Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 996:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockLACrispA-B Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1005:Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment, PopCalifornia Ev 140
RealTracks in song: 809:Guitar, Electric, Soloist DrivingCountryBallad Ev 065
RealDrums in style: RockHardLA^7-a:Snare, Bell Ride , b:Snare, Crash Ride



Comments welcome.
Have at it.

floyd


(thanks to those who made comments in the "Sometimes You Gotta Go Fishin' thread... I do appreciate that. But since the song was posted 2 years ago, I let it slide without bumping more....)

Hi Floyd.

I was sold on this one as soon as I heard that first chord. I DO like it when you get a bit heavier!

A classic country track with a great driving rock sound and a great punchy mix. Before you ask, yes, I played it LOUD on the big Tannoys and it hangs together beautifully.

Super storyline, superb vocals and harmony.

Loved the solo guitar, which I would have lifted a bit - I like solos which make your ears bleed!.

Altogether another fabulous Floyd song.

ROG.

Floyd

Way up there. What a great driving beat.

Sensational lyrics delivered with a first class set of vocals.

Piano and Guitar fill the breaks absolutely perfectly.

Another gem from FJ. You just keep 'em coming.

Hi Floyd,

another one of your fantastic touching stories!
Arrangement and delivery are as outstanding as always.
The lead guitar sounds like especially made for this song.
I enjoyed several listens.

Guenter

Hi, Floyd !:))

One of your absolute
best, for sure !:))
That goes for everything
in this superb tune !
Love everything about it !:))

Cheers
Dani

First off, someone needs to call B.S. on this song! And by that I mean, Bruce Springsteen. Tell me this couldn't be one of his songs!

Dang it Floyd! It's not right to have someone pumping out "once in a lifetime" songs a few times a month!

I'm not going to go into all of the lyrics I like, there are just too many! What'st he point in copying and pasting a whole song? However, the overall observation level and attention you bring to the situation is incredible. Just incredible.

A Big WOOOOOOW on this one, Floyd!!! What is there to say when the best lyricist on the forum outdoes himself? Absolutely a gem! Everybody knows someone like this. It just rings true. And the lyrics paint the perfect picture with a chorus that delivers a knockout punch. California piano is perfect-PG could use this as a promo for that track, and the program in general. Over the top!! Take care. Greg

Good one from start to finish. I think the piano solo was stellar and perfect for the song. The song has that signature Floyd Jane ring to it called quality. Great write, performance, arrangement, mix and production. You've about got enough material now to start a crowdfund project.....

Great song Floyd!
Very well sung, love the harmonies. And a really good solo.
Rock suits you well!

I would be willing to bet that this is the line that started it all. "but tracks and roads mean nothing
when you've got no place to go". And a great line it is. I enjoyed the story. The guitars fit nicely. Did you put that soloist at half time? Is that live playing at the end? Good driving rock tune. Tom

Love it, you're taking your place up there with my favorite American
Storyteller Songwriters, example "Well the dogs on mainstreet howl cause they understand, if I could take one moment into my hands".
You're totally original in this song and very strong but I can feel the early Bruce inspiration running through it, a driving and forceful song of spirit maybe down but not out. At least that's what I felt and I enjoyed the heck out of it. hope you stay on this path for awhile.

Kenny

Floyd
A really engaging song - great set of lyrics and mixed with a powerful backing to make a real stand out.
Like Tom I was wondering about some of the guitars if they were played or not - either way they fit the song really well.
A good one.

Floyd

Like that truck, this one thunders down the track from the get go, and then that subtle little piano almost 'honky tonk in the middle just took it over the top for me. Great!!

Paddy G

HA! spoken like a true guitar guy "Turn me up!" You're right, though...it could be a bit louder.. if I remix, I'll see about bumping it a bit... It is processed to give just the tone I was looking for in this - and too much volume causes it to get too brittle sounding and not-quite-part-of-the-mix.... Thanks for the nice review...

I'm with Tom. So, was that the case. That just seems like one of those lines you could write a song around.

Very clever lyrics all around... and I tend to agree with the Bruce Springsteen association... so much so that I was disappointed that there was no Sax solo!

But as a guitar player I always enjoy a good guitar solo... and this song sure did have one! ...which I thought was very believable as a live performance, right down to the last two notes as the guitar player quickly wraps up the song he wasn't quite ready to end yet. Happens a lot. ;-)

Very predictable "A plus" grade!

Another fj hit. Loved it.


Regards,

Bob

Trevor - Thank you for that nice review. I always appreciate you taking time to have a listen...





Thanks, Guenter. Always nice when true musicians compliment a solo in that way...

LOL. Thanks, Dani....

Caaron... Thanks for such a nice review. As I build these type songs, they just end up with that born-to-run sound without me thinking too much about it. I start with drums and bass and the guitar sound that I think it needs and that sound just seems to prevail. Here, the style provided that right away (_HROCKLA.STY (LA Hard Rock, All RTrks (120 RS)). And, in this case, I looked for a piano that complimented that and found it - don't know if they (PG) intended it, but it certainly has that Roy Bittan feel and sound... The guitar solos were an attempt to carry that through, too....

Another great one from FJ, love the solo guitar, song content, and masterful mixing.

That is a real rocker Floyd. Tracks and roads...no place to go. Awesome production as always. A great listen all round.

Coming from you, that means a lot, Greg... Thanks!!






Thanks you, Charlie.... (what is a crowdfund project? I don't really follow that stuff...)

Very strong. Reminds me of Springsteen. Darkness on the Edge of Town era. Gutsy guitar.

Jackson Brown meets Bruce Springsteen.

I hear echos of both in there. Jackson rocked it up on his Running on Empty album.... one of his best IMHO....

This sounded good.... what was going on there at the end? You should clean that ending up.

Hello, floyd

Very energy rock with a great driving beat and powerful vocals.
As Guenter said, the guitar solo and the piano fill sound like especially made for this song.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best Regards.

Shigeki Adachi

HAHA! Thanks, y'all. I can guarantee you that that is the first time anyone has ever suggested that "rock suits you well"...

Actually... this was one that just started at the first line and continued on. (I wrote the original lyric 35 years ago. did a few tweaks as I recorded it this time)

The guitar solo is at half-time. Those lower bpm solos are a lot more melodic - they "sing" the way think a solo ought to - not so much flash - which you get (at times) with a solo in the same general bpm range...

No live solos - all BIAB - maybe 5 or 6 gens to get the phrases that fit...

Hi Floyd,

This song is one of your best for me.
Very pleasant. Good rockin' in the background
and beautiful vocal.

Sergio

Thanks, a bunch!, Kenny. Certainly humbled at that comparison. (Promise Land was always a fav from Darkness - earworm). I've got a few others in this vein... but they do tend to sound a little too similar when played sequentially. Thanks for the nice review..

Thanks, Peter. As I told Tom, the solos are all from BIAB... choosing a half-tempo solo on these type song gives more options - it's something I choose to do a lot...





Appreciate that, Paddy...

In this case... it was just one of those line that happened in place as it happened... sometimes that happens, you know?...

Thanks, Pat. I so enjoy having you drop by... yeah, I tend to make these type song have that Bruce feel/sound - years of having that blast my ears, I guess...even now... The guitar solos are always important to me and in this case, it was a conscious effort to achieve a Bruce-type lead. I especially appreciate that you "get" those end notes. One of my favorite parts... obviously, others don't understand the spontaneity of music and the creativity involved...

Not the time to read the other posts, I say only "fantastic". Bruce Springsteen has certainly been evoked yet. So you are the Boss floyd
Pascal

Floyd, this one knocks my socks off! Great lyrics and delivery. Your arrangements of RTs continue to dazzle.

Keep em' coming!

Fred

floyd,

Great song! I like the melody and your vocal very much. I enjoyed it a lot.

Hiroshi

Thanks, Bob. Good to have ya around...





Appreciate that, Steve... how's it going?





Thanks, Joanne...

>>> (what is a crowdfund project? I don't really follow that stuff...) <<<

Well, it turns out the actual term is Crowdsource... My bad. I didn't know as much as I thought I did...

From Wikipedia:

Crowdsourcing, a modern business term coined in 2006, is defined by Merriam-Webster as the process of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, especially an online community, (my emphasis) rather than from employees or suppliers.

Thanks, David... basically, the sound I was going for... isn't BIAB amazing?????






If I run into Jackson, I'll let him know. Sure he will be pleased.

The ending is just what I wanted it to be.





Thanks, Shigeki.... glad that it worked for you....

Floyd,
Another great tune. Really strong performance.
SD

Thanks, Sergio.





LOL... not hardly, Pascal... but thanks for the thought...






Fred - I do appreciate that....

The bands' packin some energy in this one. "The Boss" should demo this tune my friend, it's right in his wheel house. Needs more cowbell though.

Outstanding. Enjoyable. I'm jealous.

Rick

"routine sucked the wind from his sails"

Oh man what a line! I've thought about it since the first time I listened to this. How can you say so much in seven words? How many dreams have died from the same ole same ole? What a way to frame that.

Written 35 years ago? This is so much better than a lot of what was happening then. Any artist who wanted to ride the coat tails of The Man -- hell, the man himself -- should've jumped all over this. Your songs over the years on the forum have yielded a LOT of
consistently positive Springsteen references. BTW, although removed from Born To Run we were listening to Nebraska the other day and we both thought "un huh -- mr jane."

You wrapped it all up in a fine production. I gotta study that half-time guitar notion. It really works.

Superb!

J&B

Thanks, Hiroshi....





Like a lot of things these days... an interesting new concept. I miss the days when we paid for a good product instead of the promise of one.





Thanks, SD.

Thanks, Rick. If you see the man..let him know I've got a few cowbell songs laying around for later...





Thanks for that fine review. Who would have thought a country boy could do city, eh? Some things happened back then - just not enough - sometimes you're in the right place at the right time...sometimes, not...

Yes great rocker! and I really liked the piano, you set it just right in the mix and the added timbre gave the song a fresh, lively feel!

much enjoyed!

WOW

That was a door open and loud play on this lovely hot sunny day
As ROG said the solo needs to be a bit louder.
How do you keep doing it??

Another floyd masterpiece
AND EXCELLENT ending with the finger slide and echo YEH RAWK!!!!
great stuff

Alyn