Parts and Places

As I am nearing the end of my middle-aged years, I never know when I open my mouth in front of the mic, if it will come out butterscotch and cream, or burrs and thistles -- I think there is a song there -- especially during my allergy seasons of spring, summer, and fall. It was a struggle, but here it is, a little country-flavored, melodic verselet.

RT:
RT 684 Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync
RealDrums-NashvilleEven8^5-HiHat,Rid
RT 2719 Guitar, Nylon, Fingerpicking
RT 405 Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming
RC3321 Guitar, Acoustic, Soloist RnBPopDblBrent

Mixed on Reaper, Nectar 3 Vocals, Ozone 8 Mastering



I hit the road
Left you behind
I didn’t know
You’d never leave my mind

Pavement pounding feet
Nothing left to eat
Singing in the street

There’s a part of you
In every single song
There’s a place in my heart
Where you always belong

My lonesome days
Sleeping without dreams
Counting faded ways
Of woman loving schemes

Pavement pounding feet
Nothing left to eat
Singing in the street

There’s a part of you
In every single song
There’s a place in my heart
Where you always belong

Enjoyable listen. The chosen instrumentation is well matched to your vocal timbre. I liked the guitar fill after "Singing in the street". Simple lyrics with deep meaning. Well mixed and produced.

Good song! I really like your vocal, seems like the struggle paid off

Enjoyed the listen!

Nicely done! I thought your vocals were fantastic on this, I wouldn't have known of the struggle at all. It matches the instrumentation perfectly, and I found the tune to be nice and easy on the ears. Pleasantly catchy, and the tones are velvety and sweet.

Thanks for sharing

Ezekiel, you made a very nice folksong.
I like the way you sing in this song.
Almost as if I was the one who has 'nothing left to eat and singing in the street'
Luckely that was a dream.
So nice job!

Hans

I love the sound of this... Great song and perfect vocal. Outstanding mix as well.

Much enjoyed!

Bob

You came out on the good side of the struggle...the very good side.

Nice take on the "wandering minstrel" both with the lyrics and the sincerity of the vocal.

The RT/RD selection supports it all well. Nice little guitar fills here and there.

Well done!!!

J&B

Gently rolling pop rhythm is quite catchy. Nice chord progression. Great vocals clearly mixed. Simple but effective lyrics. The acoustic solo guitarist works perfectly in the mood.

Janne

MArk, Dave, Derek, Hans, Bob, J&B, and Janne:

Thanks for listening and the comments. Because of the wonders of the digital age, I was able to capture the better elements of the vocal, but when I listen I still hear my strain and struggle, which now lie on the metaphorical editing floor.

Scott

“...the metaphorical editing floor.”

J&B

Nice melody, solid arrangement, tasty licks, good vocals.

Digital editing is a wondrous thing - the vocal sounds good to me!

Hi Scott,

This sounds terrific! Seriously. You've done a great job.

I love the clarity of the mix... it's vibrant, resonating with life and showcases your excellent vocals really, really well. I wouldn't change a thing.

I totally enjoyed listening!
Noel

Scott,

A very nice "troubadour snapshot".

That vocals and harmonies are well done. The BAND does a good job of providing just the right setting.

The mix is tight. Well done.

At one point, it occurred to me that Peter, Paul & Mary would have taken this right to the top of the charts...

fj

Enjoyed that, Scott.

Ezekiel,

Nice smooth sound to this one—the vocal fits it like a glove; some cool, subtle harmonies going on here that really resonate. Like how that acoustic guitar jumps out in the breaks. Pretty tune—nicely done.

Best regards,

Deej

'Ezekiel's Storm'...

I play very, very close attention to so-called 'love' songs because, since the word has so few rhymes (above, dove, glove, shove -- that's about it, isn't it ???), it forces a songwriter to be very creative, very imaginative in finding other words that could describe what 'love' means to him/her.

With that in mind, I believe you met that challenge very sensitively, and powerfully, in the lyrics you wrote for your song, 'Parts and Places', a title which in and of itself suggests a strong sense of dislocation, of being scattered, not whole anymore. I think you painted a stingingly vivid word picture of a man whose heart is sinking so deeply into a world of regret that he is on the verge of being literally incapacitated by it:

"...Sleeping without dreams..." (a chilling image)
"...Pavement pounding feet, nothing left to eat, singing in the street..."

He is utterly, irreversibly lost without 'her', and what's worse, even, is that he did it to himself. It's as though as a result of his actions, his soul has become homeless.

The plaintive quality of your fine singing voice accompanied by the yearning quality of the music heightens the sense of stunned sorrow in the lyrics. The emotion comes through, direct and inescapable.

- bluage -

I've never known when I opened my mouth what was to come out. Chalk it up to just another puberty.

Loved your chord changes here. The change under "singing in the street" is especially sweet as it not only surprises, but leaves the listener hanging a bit. Given the lyric, it's a great choice to my ears.

Vocals worked well with the backing. Backing worked well with the lyric. An extra-fine package.

Really nicely done Scott!! I think there could be a little more verb on the vocal and acoustic guitar. Really pretty song, and a VERY GOOD vocal! And, we never reach the end of middle age.....we just stay there until we die.....that's how I'm trying to look at it. Really like this!! Take care. Greg

Liked it all, but especially the guitar fills. Good lyrics that fit well.

Ezekiel's Storm,
Clean write. Everything is in its own space. Bright & clear vocals. No signs of allergy! Enjoyed it.

Thank you for sharing!

Misha.

Dear Scott,

I think I said this before: I love your song-writing a lot. No matter what flavor your songs have: They're always ... well, complete. (May sound stupid, but that's my impression). And because that is so, it doesn't really matter to me - they're always a very good listen.

You chose a perfect backing track, the thing is rolling like it should. Allergy or not: I really like your voice and your flawless singing. In this case I loved that very soft second harmony a lot.

The mix is so transperant - I could understand every single word without having to prick up my tinnitus-tortured ears or creep into the speakers; I love that.

So, although I'm not a country guy I enjoyed this song immensely.

Take care,

Stefan

I concur with the positive comments on your vocals - such a warm resonant timbre.
The song rolls along with a familiar sounding 60`s folk melody- reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot, which is a good thing.
Clear balanced production rounds out a very good song.

Robert

Your voice was in a sweet spot for this recording. You may have a little age 'essing" but other wise it cool.
Lovely arrangement and narrative.

Thanks for zeroing in on the lyrics. I try (although not always successfully) to avoid cliches. Your review sounds like something one of my fellow English teachers would say.

Tango,

I hope this reverse puberty only affects my voice and nothing else Thanks for your commentary.

Stefan,

Thanks so much for the boost of confidence. This forum is my only sounding board for my songs: I don't perform anywhere. Thanks also for the kind words on my singing. I have never been of fan of my own singing because I am so limited on what I can do.

Really nice - the vocal sounds excellent, and the overall write is thoroughly engaging.

Very nice work.

Peter

Loved this tune. Excellent choice of instruments of the backtrack. Vocal was excellent. Very cool lyric..Well done

Scott...
Your vocals really shine on this tune...
It looks like your "allergy season" left your "butterscotch and cream" voice intact .
But then, I always enjoy listening to your songs!

excellent stuff, enjoyed this.

Thanks, Jim. It's good to hear from you. I was getting worried about you because I haven't seen any posts from you; however, work has kept me busy, so my posts have been sparse as of late.