On A Dime

We often mention how much we like open airy mixes based on a small number of tracks…well please allow us to completely contradict ourselves This mix is an attempt to be somewhat “in your face” but not smashed against the ceiling. And the track number counting all the bits totaled 14 which way exceeds my comfort zone. It’s somewhat a departure for us but it was fun and we hope you also find some fun in it. And, yeah, yet another 12 bar silly ditty from Bud for Janice and Peter to riff on!

Thanks to Peter for the guitars and joining in on the arrangement. And a shoutout to HearToLearn for steering me to the snare sample. Additional thanks to friends for preview comments and as always to PG Music. Oops, and Bud thanks Janice for the photo.

We appreciate your time to listen and comments are always welcome.

Janice: arrangement, lead and background vocals / Rode NT1 > Scarlett 212 > Logic Pro X / Nectar 2
Peter: solo guitar/rhythm guitar tracks, arrangement and mix
Bud: arrangement, mix and mastering

Bass: RT 1012: BluesRock / Waves CLA Bass Rider / Waves CLA Bass

Piano RT 1591: BluesRock / Neutron 2 / EMT 140 Plate Reverb sim
(comped from multiple regens)

Rhythm Guitar RT 1585: TexasBluesRockShuffle

Drum Kit: RD BluesRockShuffle / Waves CLA Drums

Snare: Ludwig 600 sample / Neutron 2 eq module / Waves CLA Drums

Additional drum bits (kick and cymbal) tracks: Waves CLA Drums

Mix: Logic Pro X
Mastering: Logic Channel EQ > Waves LinMB > Ozone 8 Imager/Limiter > Izotope Tonal Balance

© 2019 B. Merritt / J. Merritt / P. Fulham

Janice, Bud & Peter,

Great!!! Love the count off and intro... Another tremendous performance by Janice with some really cool layers of background vocals.

The mix is BIG and CRISP - really fills up the room!

Peter is smoking hot on guitar here...

Just an awesome production - Loved it!

Bob

Awesome!

like a tank driving thru a solid wall...unstoppable

Peter, I hear some SRV influence, sounds great

super mix, perfect vocals

a nice uplifting experience, love the answering vocals

it rocks!

Kenny

More comments will follow in the next few days. I'm normally not comfortable commenting on mixing (specifically EQ) as it's not a strong point of mine. Right now, I would be REALLY uncomfortable with that being my ears still have that "I just stepped off a plane" muffled, and popping feel to them from a cold.

That being said, there are some things I can definitely comment on...and one that might surprise you (he said baiting them to read on.

The problem I see is when I see those three names I always have both high and low expectations. The high expectations come as the result of your previous songs. This can be great; but I feel it's unrealistic to think someone can necessarily maintain that level of writing, performance, and production. SO...I lower my expectations to be fair. I guess I still don't need to do that though AGAIN, you hit the high bar. I don't get it. There are a few people on this forum that continuously do that; and you are 3 of them...on one song! You're not playing fair.

Writing-obviously perfect for the style. It's say so much by knowing what not to say. That's leaves only what needs to be said. That is the heart of this music.

Performance-perfection for the style. It's shows talent and restraint, with a very nice nod to "I could do a lot more; but the song doesn't call for it. So these are what I choose." And they are RIGHT ON! Great choice of RB's, the vocals are memorizing, and the guitar is to die for. All of it is sooooo good!

Arrangement-Well, it's like you know what your doing.! It's not 3 bar blues or anything. lol

Production-Again, not commenting on EQ; but the rest of it sounds really good from what I can tell. I'm not sure if I'm hearing distortion or not. It's bothersome for me not to know; but maybe someone else could fill us in. Using that number of tracks can be daunting but everything fits really well without bumping into each other. NOT easy! I really like how you made everything fit so well. VERY convincing.

"The snare"-special mention here of the snare. I think it really defined the 2 and 4 very well AND didn't seem like it was "just added." It sounds like it fits right in to me. Well done!

The Unexpected-I actually really like what you did for the photo for the song! What a cool picture! Coordinating the jeans and the text color with the black and white photo looks fantastic. If you wanted to make the text pop a bit more you could add a drop shadow or stroke...but I would keep it subtle if you do. Anyway, something about that color combination works really well; and seems to be a great a visual representation for the song and style. Are those blues jeans Janice is wearing? There may be a song in there somewhere.

Here is my thought for your next song. To level the playing field; I vote for you next song Janice plays all of the instruments (a minimum of 5...so you don't pull a "she's on spoons"), can't use BIAB, and you two boys have to sing it! Thoughts?

Bob, we couldn't ask for a better review. You mentioned all of our objectives and we much appreciate it!

J&B

Hi there J&B + Peter.

Loved the whole thing from the count-in to the fabulous over-the-top ending.

That band is really flying and the mix is superb up LOUD on my monitors.

Well, Janice just excels at this stuff, so no surprise that she produces another
faultless, emotive and spirited vocal.

Peter's guitar work is fabulous - imaginative and exciting whilst still being in control.

Bud - your mixing is now as professional as Janice's singing! What better complement could I offer?

Great stuff, team.

ROG.

Fabulous... simply fabulous...
I really look forward to hearing your collaborations...
Wow!

That description alone is worth the time that went into this! As a rock guy we even more appreciate your comments. Thank you...a lot.

Really hot stuff, great rocking rhythm and powerful vocals. And what a solo, I can smell the guitar strings burning across the ocean

Janne

Nice work JB, I admired the overall vibe on this. This is beautiful and rhythm is easy to follow. The guitar is crunchy! Keep it up!

You all are hard to keep up with! You present something here about once a month on average I guess, and one thing I know for sure is that it is always going to be top level stuff!! From the guitar work to the mixing and especially the vocals! I know you could be throwing something out there every couple days if you wanted to, but I appreciate the fact that you take the time to get it right every time!!! I admire and respect you people more than you know! You along with Floyd and Tom along with a couple more set the standard for this forum and you have many fans out here!!! Thanks, Torrey

Janice & Bud & Peter....

I can only echo what others have said.
Good stuff....and the kind of music/tempo that I tend to write and lean toward.

Not a genre I expected from you two and it was a pleasant surprise.
Well done in all aspects.

Carry on....

"In your face" is a great way to describe this song, and I mean that in the best way possible! It's really well balanced so that even though it's a very powerful song that it's not so overpowering that it's overwhelming. Really great job! Thanks for sharing.

Nice groove you guys. Enjoyed this a lot. Some great guitar work. Thanks for posting. Rob

The song sizzles so much, the frying pan doesn't need any fire. I enjoyed this much. Keep cranking out these great ones!

Janice&Bud + Peter. Great collaboration!
More of that "discomfort" zone and contradictions please!
Bud, will rephrase your previous Moto: Do not stay plain, it's a trap!

Really cool stuff, feels like being in a live joint. Everything sounds wholesome, like delicious loaf of bread from the oven.

Probably a matter of taste, but I would prefer solo guitar parts to stand out more. To me, feels a bit "even" in mix. (Please do not hate me for this comment )

Congrats to all of you!

Misha.

We are overwhelmed that you would take that much time and thought to respond to our song. It was a labor of love, fun and learning...and reading your comments make it exponentially even more worthwhile.

As mentioned in the post thank you so much for the snare advice and for directing me to that on-line source. You saying, from a drummer's perspective, that the snare did not sound "just added" has given me a LOT of encouragement to continue my quest to learn more about drums. And as a LONG time bluegrass picker that is a position I never thought I'd be in!

Regarding your nice comments on the mix, after receiving some excellent advice and counsel on it, I afterwards struggled with the mastering -- trying to get it as Kenny described in his post but without going over the top. I finally tweaked Waves multi-band compressor to a point that I felt reasonably comfortable with it.

And, hey, yet another thanks for mentioning the photo of Janice. That was taken at our fav B&B last year. I'll try your font suggestions!

We hugely appreciate your support.

J&B

Yeah, this is BIG. Sounds like a song to close out a big concert show with everybody on stage. Loved the listen.

Thanks Bob - needed to play some hot guitar to keep up with the smoking hot vocal.

Peter

Thanks Kenny a tip of the hat to Stevie, and the 7#9 chord before the turnaround certainly gives the progression the SRV feel.
Appreciate the comments and feedback.

Peter

Sounds great you three!

Janice sounds awesome as usual, and the background vocals are lots of fun. Loved the count in intro!

Good "blues" write Bud, "I can't turn on a dime" is a great hook!

I like the little walkup Peter does to start off the solo, and I can see where Kenny got the SRV reference from. Stevie did something similar in one of his songs (Pride and Joy maybe?? Don't remember). But, a very cool move and really helps to build the solo. And the 7#9 chord (I call it the Hendrix chord) always sounds great.

Slowdown at the end is a nice touch.

I think the mix works well, lots of stuff going on but I can hear things clearly.

Overall a great blues/rock song! I listened a few times this morning and will be back again.

ROG, you are THE forum rock man and ALL your comments are greatly appreciated.

Our collabs with you helped Janice realize that she could cut loose and sing a song like this. So a BIG thanks!

J&B

Uh-huh! I like a bunch of Blues Rock! loved the chord rundown in the opening. Super mix! Peter's channeling Stevie ray, i would think - and doing a dang good job of it! And then there's that voice - Susan Tedeschi would drool over over this.

I wasn't expecting a blues number with so much rock emphasis- but it sure was a terrific surprise. i think the last time you folks put out a less than perfectly stellar song was when Jesus was still a carpenter!

Sweet!

Alan

Thanks Jim!

J&B



Thanks and, yep, Peter nailed it!

J&B

Sounds like Friday night just south of Fort Worth. If you will write a good Red Dirt song I think we could book you for the whole weekend. LOL

Pretty typical well done lead guitar for this type of blues. I have to laugh when I listen to the intro....use to have a piano player who thought he had to play wide open on everything.

You guys did a good job of keeping the vocal where it needed to be. That would not be an easy song to do live even with a good sound man. Even with in ear monitors the vocalist would have had a bit of trouble.

It is a lot of fun to play with a large band doing blues if the players know when and know when not to play. The arrangement becomes very critical.To make it sound really good requires a large degree of professionalism.

I like most everything you guys do. This one kinda takes me back home. Good stuff!!

Thanks,

Billy

Thanks for the wonderful review (it was a great project to involved in).
I think Janice would surprise us all if she played all the instruments.
Peter

Bud, Janice, Peter...

So, Bud conquers the BIG thing, too. Of course! Who would expect less? A huge sound - has the overall feel/sound of a really well recorded live performance.

Great sounding piano. Drums and bass are loud and punchy. Sizzling guitar. A vocal on fire!

Some of Peter's bast work, I think.

Janice has come to define perfection. This vocal has an effortless it's-what-I-do swagger. As good as it gets.

Not a thing about that mix that needs to change. Tight, tight, tight.

Flickin' a bic in each hand...

fj

Appreciate all those comments Rog.

Peter

Appreciate those comments Jim.

Peter

Great vocal, great guitar work, great hook and all anchored with a great mix/master production. I’ve come to expect that from the three of you and you never disappoint! Tom

Thanks Joe. Glad it worked for you!

J&B




Torrey, reading this so helps to erase doubts I occasionally have about the validity of our musical pursuits. Your comments mean more than you can imagine. We are grateful for the nice review and your support over the years,

Thanks!

J&B

This is so pro on every level. Really give me something to strive for, thanks!!

Thanks Janne they have cooled down now.

Peter

Thanks Joe

Peter

Thanks...particularly given your affinity for this kind of music. We listen to a lot of blues and blues rock so that makes it a bit easier to dabble in it although it was not a genre we played during the band years. We appreciate your time and the nice remarks.

J&B

Thanks for those kind words Torrey.

Peter

A wailin' good time. Applause all around, but if may, those drums - fantastic!

Wow - what a tune! I didn't find the mix to be too aggressive either. Very, very catchy and that groove is insane! Definitely an earworm, and the kind of tune that forces your body to move. I can imagine this sounding unreal live and filling a dancefloor in no time at all.

You all outdid yourself here - thanks for sharing

Thanks Ember. You described well what we were hoping for and it’s very cool that you liked it!

J&B



Thanks Rob!

J&B

Thanks will do....

Peter

Thanks Ember.

Peter

Sizzling is good! Thank you...

J&B

Thank you Misha. We appreciate your support and positive review! And you have no idea how many times the guitar went up and down and up and down with me struggling for the sweet spot!

J&B

Hey Y'all,

Great job.

This one is a ton of fun.

Smokin' guitar. This one really cooks!

Thanks. We appreciate that description!

J&B

Loved this and got quite a chuckle from this:

"This mix is an attempt to be somewhat “in your face” but not smashed against the ceiling"

You hit the nail on the head. Loved the vocal and especially Janice's call back to herself. Very cool. The backtrack was so solid and the mix and production was just perfect. Peter laid down some awesome guitar work. Such cool tone and phrasing. Definitely put the in your face stamp on the song. Well done..

Thanks Dave! I wish I could've done more with the hook...didn't get much beyond it Yeah, when Peter added that chord to my SGU I asked about it and he schooled me on the Hendrix thing! That walkup drove me nuts trying to get the bass "right" on it. Had to comp it in. It was Peter's idea to create it with the shots as was the slowdown. Glad you like it. I worked to try and thread the needle to make it not sound overly dense.

J&B

We appreciate every bit of that Al. It’s insightful, supportive and funny. Yeah, guess this is more Rock Blues. It’s always fun to edge out a bit and BiaB plus this community sure helps with it.

J&B

A great barroom rocker!!! Love all the action and energy! Have not heard Janice sing this style much, and, like everything else she sings, it suits her incredibly well......SHE KILLED IT AGAIN!! Love Peter's guitar always....he's one of at least a handful of incredible guitarists on this forum!! AWESOME!!!! Take care. Greg

Janice, Bud & Peter,

Really nice shuffle rock blues!
I agree with Bob.
Love the count off and intro... Another tremendous performance by Janice with some really cool layers of background vocals.
And I also agree with Tangmo.
Sounds like a song to close out a big concert show with everybody on stage.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

With your familiarity and love of the genre to take you back home means a LOT. thank you very much!

Bud, Janice, Peter,
You know I'm always a sucker for a good wig out! This is a first class rocker with guitar (very Strat-y!), vocals, arrangement and mix to match. Well done all, I loved it!

John

Well, this works for me. Bud, you need to change your name to Bud Spector!

All the great things that I have come to expect are here on this one, as well. Great job on the vocals, Janice. Great job on the guitar, Peter. Now, go build another wall, Bud!

Steve

"Flickin' a bic in each hand..." Hahaha....doncha know that must've driven the fire marshals nuts.

Thanks for every word you said and thanks for playing and continuing to play a HUGE part in my production journey!

J&B

Thanks Tom. You hit all the spots we worked to achieve.

J&B



Thank you!

J&B

Hey, thanks a lot and we much appreciate you mentioning the drums. Tried really hard to get a good snare pop.

J&B




Deryk, we thank you you for those most supportive remarks. It helps make it all worthwhile!

J&B

WOW, this is a great toe tapper. Enjoyed this from the very first count. Great lift all round. Thanks

Thanks David! Cookin’ Is good.

J&B

Thank you Scott. Peter's on vacation but we know he appreciates your comment. And we appreciate you mentioning the call back...that was a bit spontaneous but seemed to work. Thanks again for listening and your time to comment!

J&B





Greg, you are a great singer and obviously have a fine ear for melody and phrasing so saying what you did about Janice's vocal is very meaningful to us.

Thank you!

J&B





Shigeki, we are always happy to see a review from you! Thanks for offering such insightful remarks.

All three of us appreciate your support.

J&B

John, on behalf of the three of us...thanks!!! Calling this a first class rocker makes it ALL worthwhile.

J&B



Hahahaha! You are too kind Steve. I thought it was hard to mix open/airy songs but this wall thang took me to the limit! We appreciate you...

J&B




Thanks...and that count off was fun!

J&B