Lovely Lie

We are big Lucinda Williams fans ... particularly her more gritty productions. This song is an attempt to illustrate her influences on us. Thanks to Peter for adding to the grit and to PG Music for enabling it all. Both your time to listen and comment are always welcome!

Janice: melody, vocals and arrangement
Bud: lyric, arrangement, mix, mastering, photo, etc.
Peter: guitar solos, fills and arrangement

Lyric is on SoundCloud

Tech Stuff:

Vocals Lead & harmony: Rodes NT1 mic > Scarlett 212 > Logic Pro X > Nectar 3 & Waves CLA Vocals

Bass RT 700: Electric PopHalfNotesPush Ev 085 > Waves Bass Rider > Neutron 3

Rhythm guitar RT 2904: GrittyBluesyPopBrent Ev 100 Direct Input > Logic Pro Boutique Retro Distort amp sim

Rhythm guitar RT 2677: Acoustic Rhythm BluesStraightBrent Ev 085 > EMT 140 Plate Reverb sim

RealDrums: FunkSanFran: a: Snare, Kickb: Snare, Open Hihat > Waves CLA Drums

RealDrums: Doubled snare > Neutron 3 > EMT 140 Plate Reverb sim

RealDrums: Doubled cymbal > Neutron 3 > EMT 140 Plate Reverb sim

RealDrums: ShakerEven8ths > EMT 140 Plate Reverb sim

DAW: Logic Pro X
Mastering: Logic Pro EQ > Waves Multi-Band Compressor > Waves L2 Limiter > Ozone Tonal Balance > Logic Pro Loudness Meter

© 2020 B. Merritt / J. Merritt / P. Fulham

My hat's off to all of you for such a good production. Gritty indeed!

Mike B.

I always look forward to your work here, it brings me back to my golden days of listening to Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, Valerie Carter, LInda Ronstadt and NIcolette Larson. All top singers and you're right there with them! Excellent production as well, what a killer combination!

Hi J,B&P
Another wonderful collaboration, worthy of its inspiration (I'm likewise a fan of Lucinda Williams). Nice lyric, good blend of guitar sounds and of course a great vocal. Quality all the way.
Regards,
Leon

Thanks Mike. Glad you noted the grit!

J&B

J&B + Peter,
Definitely a bit grittier than most of your offerings.
I was about to write "Gritty indeed", but Mike stole my comment
Sounds very natural. If I have not heard other tunes by you, I would imagine that this is your main style of music. Done very well. Instrumentals, vocals, guitars everything sounds in their places. Perfect mix. Spoken word was a nice touch. Reggae next? Seriously, I think it could be a fun project for the trio. Thank you for sharing!

Misha.

To my shame I have to admit I hadn't heard from Lucinda Williams before you mentioned her.
So I did some homework and listened to a couple of songs from her. From times ago and more recent stuff (still 3 years ago. Actually, while I'm writing this post I am listening to "Still I long for your kiss". But before that I listen to your beautiful rendition of Lovely Lie. Now there is another one: "Something About What Happens When We Talk". Very good. I think I'm getting addicted to lucindas' songs now!

I heard a close relation between your way of singing and hers, Janice. But there is of course a difference. Your voice is much more brighter and sounding younger. But some of your songs have a lot of resemblance with hers. So I understand why you are such a big fan of her. Has she invited you to sing along with her? She has to, I think.

Nevertheless, you did a very nice one with this song, the three of you! I have enjoyed what I heard, though the lyrics have a vile message.

Thanks,
Hans

Janice / Bud / Peter,

WOW! This is absolutely stunning in its grit and beauty... A mind blowing vocal, arrangement and mix.

Congratulations to you all - this is something very special.

Bob

Yeah ... what Bob said! Not much I could add to that, as he summed it perfectly, to my way of thinking. Peter nailed the feel and Janice always performs at such a higher level than almost any singer. Bud, you always have that magic touch with the "knobs".

I'm just about out of superlatives ... yet none seem adequate.

Best to all three of you. Be safe ...

Alan

Thank you. And you just mentioned a list of artists that we also admire and listen to.

Janice's says it is very humbling to be mentioned in the context of those singers and it is greatly appreciated! Also thanks for mentioning the production.

Be safe.

J&B

J & B you're my favourite duo on here. Constantly producing top notch songs. LOVE your harmonies Janice. Love to hear you doing a semi classic song sometime, I reckon your voice would suit ANY genre. Another winner in my view, great work from Peter too of course

Thank you Leon. We’re glad to hear that you are a LW fan. You likely know about her poet father. She’s been a favorite of ours for 20+ years!

J&B

Really enjoyed listening to this. I like the way the two vocal lines work together.

Thanks for listening and those very supportive comments. Hey, we’ve done several reggae tunes - all before you came to the forum. Here’s a link to what I consider our better effort.
https://soundcloud.com/mootsman/rewind-me

Thanks again!

J&B

Hello Janice and Blud,
Well put together composition. The vocal is always pleasant with its blues tones.
It is always with pleasure that I listen to your songs.

Dero 13 alias JaniJackFlash

Cranked up a bit, what a great listen. Loved the progression, the lyrics and melody, the band and voice(s) and the tasty leads and fills. Just a gets-under-your skin experience. Excellent.

You three hit another home run out of the park!

Blues at it absolute finest! You should put out a CD of blues, I know that I would buy it.

PS - everything else I wanted to say already has been said.

Thanks Hans. We are glad you had a chance to listen to her. Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone and World Without Tears are two of our favorite albums of her. We appreciate you listening and writing such generous comments!

J&B

Janice,Bud & Peter, this is a song that is true to form of the Lucinda Americana genre. Just enough dirt in the production to produce authenticity. The vocal and harmony are rich and expressive and deliver the fine lyric with ease. The guitars have just enough hair on them to put the gravel into the bed. Great drum sound. Really nicely done by all three in your respective roles. Another one in a long line of great ones, Tom

Thanks Bob! We had hoped you would like this one.

J&B

Fun rhythm to the lyrics, excellent singing, clear production.

only three simple words such a lovely lie

Great lyric.

Misha
Thanks for the kind words. We did this reggae song some time ago.
https://soundcloud.com/mootsman/rewind-me

Peter

Listened a while back but didn't have time to leave a full review.

I really like this, quite a bit different than what I've come to expect from you guys.

Really good writing Bud! Strong opening:

"I was drawn to you like a moth to a flame
only to become but a pawn in your game"

Nice! And then:

"A few short months your veneer ran thin
you have no heart beneath your skin"

Excellent guitar from Peter, I really like the dual guitar approach he has used recently, very effective.

Mix is superb, you always get the drums perfect, but everything sounds great.

And of course Janice always shines through! One of my favorite female vocalists, period.

Great stuff guys, really enjoyed Loved the ending!

This song fits the ensemble like a new skin.
The denouement is perfect too.
Everything swings with a little friction to make dust with the grit.
I enjoyed every moment of this.
yet again - top class.

Loved it all, great production/performance, so professional, lyrics ++, overall very, very nice, and a completely enjoyable listen!

Top shelf again, Janice,Bud & Peter!
Has to be played loud to feel those guitars chopping and grating and to notice the fine production details... the doubled vocal sitting just where it should.
I like LW`s dark ballads more than her rockier songs; Janice has a playfulness in her voice here that suits the lyrics well (bet no one ever said Lucinda sounded playful!).

Robert

Right down my alley, love this bluesy Americana vibe. Awesome lyrics and performances, especially the vocals and even more so the vocal harmonies. And great job by Peter on guitar.

Doubled snare, doubled cymbal? No idea how that's done... you can isolate individual drum elements in BIAB?

Thanks Alan. We appreciate your continuing support.

J&B

I know the name but I don't know Ludinda Willams' music, BUT, this is AWESOME!!!! A complete class production all the way!!! EVERYTHING sounds GREAT!!! Take care. Greg

Thank you. It was a fun project!

J&B

Thanks Chris!

J&B

I listened to this one a few weeks ago I though but I must not have written my comments. I too love Lucinda (I thought I said) and this evokes that style well (I thought I said). Nice vocals (I thought I said). I always enjoy Peter's guitar work (I thought I said). Great stories in lyrics (hard to do, I thought I said). Nice arrangement too (I thought I said). Well done everyone! (I thought I said.)

Janice,Bud & Peter,

The breath of the three people fits perfectly.
The collaboration of these three people has become more and more wonderful.
Great vocals and a good match of high sense guitars.
A very clear mix.
All are top notch.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Thanks for listening and commenting!

J&B

Thanks. You mentioned all of our objectives and we much appreciate it.

We are glad that it worked for you!

J&B

Hi J&B + Peter,

A darker sound than your usual style and the lead vocal pitched a little
lower this time, I think, which gave Janice's voice a wonderful quality.
For me this was what turned a great track into a fabulous one.

But not to detract from Peter's superb blues guitar, or the clever writing
and arrangement - all simply first class.

And another super mix from Bud, to complete a thoroughly professional package.

One of your very best.

ROG.

J&B and Peter,


Another excellent collaboration . . . I don’t think I can add to the many superlatives above, . . . so I’ll simply say I loved the listen, every drop of it . . and that ain’t no lie. :-)

My best to each of you,

Deej

Thanks Mario! CD? Oh ... those round things you slide into slots? If you stream you can check out our latest album featuring Peter on Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora and many more.

Janice Merritt
“Am I Blue Enough”

We appreciate your kind remarks.

J&B

This sounds great y'all. Excellent production!

Loved it! Rugged and beautiful. Loved the surprise ending!

I'm never ready for what I get. I see those 3 names; and get excited. Maybe consider recording something really sub-par to have us know you are human. You ARE human, right?

Ok. Once again, I was a bit blind sided. "Gritty Grove" has graced the forums. It's. Just. Right. There! Everything is working together so well together. Of course, Peter sprinkling it his awesome sauce takes it to the next level! Great job.

If I'm looking for the weak link in all of this, it's MY inability to formulate a way to say this is a great song! The production, arrangement, lyric, delivery, mastering...and of course, album art! I love that you include this. That really ads to the authenticity of it for me.

Ok, I thought of 1...so you know I'm not just blowing sunshine. The very first part of the song sounded slightly chopped. I'm talking the second you press "play." It's so subtle that I am questioning if that's just my computer. I didn't have time to read all of the comments, so if I'm the only one that hears that. It's on me.

Now,the vocal comparisons that have been given say A LOT...and rightfully so. I actually see this being to pitched to Sheryl Crow as well. Great comparisons for a reason.

Really great job. Truly a pleasure to listen to!

Thank you Tom. You know the genre we were attempting and it is very cool for you to say we achieved it!

And you mentioned all of the things we were hoping to achieve.

Made our day!!!

J&B

Janice, Bud & Peter.

Three Simple Words... A Great Band.

There is simply NOTHING out of place. This is like listening to the best of the music we grew up with. There should be vinyl of this somewhere. In all of our record collections (even if they ARE sitting in the closet...waiting to be rediscovered).

Peter's guitar is so good it "just fits". You don't even think about it. And the rest of the BAND sounds like the seasoned pros they are.

One of Janice's all-time great vocals. Brings to mind the great Soulful Pop vocalists... Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, Rita Coolidge... and the harmonies are just as good... Sweet.

Exquisite mix.

Can't even tell you how many times I've listened just now. I just keep going back and cuing it back up...

Awesome. Great Music.

fj

Thanks David. We appreciate that very much.

Be safe.

J&B

Dave, thanks big time. Your review goes a LONG way toward offering us validity regarding our production attempts. It means a lot. Thanks for mentioning the lyric also...I'll never write like Lucinda but I am strongly influenced by our 20+ years of listening to her. And, man, did you ever put
a big smile on Janice's face with your vocal comment!

J&B

Thanks Ray. Your descriptions and word choices are priceless! And appreciated.

J&B




Thanks!

J&B

Thanks Robert. It's cool you are familiar with Lucinda and we're glad the production worked for you.
'
BTW, if you haven't and get a chance check out "Righteously" by Lucinda. Quite playful

J&B

Janice, Bud, and Peter,

Great song and production. The guitars are a perfect balance to the vocals.

SD

Thanks for the kind words Frank. I answered your drum question in a response we made earlier to one of your posts. If you have any questions PM me.

We are glad you liked the song and especially appreciate the mention of the Americana vibe.

J&B

Thanks Greg!

J&B

I've listened to this several times - it is just plain good!

The vocalist, guitarist, and engineer should all take a bow.





p.s. Thanks for posting the 'tech stuff.'

Hahaha! Thanks for the kind words and glad you both like Lucinda and feel like we captured some of that vibe.

J&B




Thank you Shigeki. It’s always good to hear from you and we appreciate your support.

J&B

Thanks a bunch Rog. I (Bud) have encouraged Janice, with some success ) to explore
that contralto part of her range. Very glad you liked it! And we appreciate all your comments
on the song.

J&B







Thanks y'all for the time to listen and comment.
It's appreciated!

J&B

Hi guys,

I had to go look up the meaning of Americana to be sure I was on track with my comments.

When I listened to the song it was instantly recognizable. But why? What did it remind me of? And could those people be categorized as Americana?

The first person that came to mind was Lyle Lovett then I though yes Townes Van Zandt would write stuff like that. You guys said you like Lucinda Williams...I not sure I know her, perhaps that was because my first wife's name was Lucinda...lol

Nanci Griffith falls into that genera and so does Willie Nelson.

What you guys do is truly authentic Americana and really good stuff on top of that.

When I was young there we a couple of places in Houston Texas where I lived that many of the musicians like Lyle and Willie played at. Anderson Fair has become world famous. I use to go to Sand Mountain and Willie Nelson, David Allen Coe, Lyle Lovett and many other of today's household names would show up to play and we got to play with them and for sure drink with them. They were just people we knew in the same way we know Janice & Bud...just friends we liked who play and sang really cool music.

We are really lucky you have you guys around here!!

Cheers,

Billy

What everyone else said!

You posted this on 8/19. I don't know how I missed it.

This is my new favorite song of yours.

All elements in this piece click together to make something special.

Hey, good to see you back around! Your time to listen and to write such thoughtful and supportive comments are deeply appreciated. It goes a long ways toward making it all worth the effort. I went back to the DAW and checked the file as bounced. I left 1-2 seconds before the first beat. Perhaps SC truncated it or does so on occasion. I’ll reload the file. Thanks for mentioning that.

Best to you!

J&B

EVERY word of that is appreciated and us three. Just being mentioned in the same sentence of those singers put a HUGE smile on Janice's face. And favorable remarks from you about a mix are always genuinely supportive. Thank you mr jane.

J&B

PS I've got hundreds of records stacked in the basement...gotta check them for that song -- hope I didn't steal it

hi j&b and peter this was awesome in many ways vocal, write guitar work everything very memorable top notch thanks for sharing eric

Thanks!

J&B



We three appreciate that! PG Music asks for the tech stuff to be posted. I tend to overdo it

J&B







You are very kind to say that Billy. This a great community indeed.

Thank you.

J&B



Thanks. We’re glad you found it and enjoyed it!

J&B



Thanks Eric!

J&B

Janice, Bud and Peter...
I can always look forward to a good listen from you folks! From the beginning to the end the song was flawlessly executed. Thanks for posting it, I enjoyed listening to it. You music has me like... Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words...
https://giphy.com/gifs/slow-clap-cartoon-applause-6L9E4acrva0Eg

Thanks for listening and thanks for the applause!

J&B

SEE !! Now I LOVE sassy singers !! The way you drag that lyric "... your desire !!" LOL That's what I'm talking about. Music is feeling and not a reading and syllable exercise. If you want to hear every syllable and phrase do Theater. For good old foot stomping head shaking music that you can feel this is what you've captured. I can hear the fun in your voice. That's what moves folks and Janice you nailed it.

This song really made me travel far away! Everything fits perfectly, the voice is strong, the guitar great, the mix really good. Good job!

Thanks for the nice comments!

J&B



Yes, it was fun! We often mention what we call “follow the bouncing ball” vocals that are technically good but completely devoid of soul. Janice has been kidded at times about her “bent note” singing - once on the forum somebody said it danced around too much But she puts her heart and soul in all her tunes and we try to write lyrics that are as she says “singable.” All meaning your comments are very supportive and greatly appreciated.

I, Bud, am writing this because she is far too modest to say what I did!

Thank you.

J&B

That guitar is to die for, and the vocals are just perfect, yeah the lyrics are ok too, did I get you there Bud? Ha, just a great song in all ways guys, love it. Cliff

Ha! Thanks Cliff. Thanks for listening and
Commenting. Good to see ya back around.

J&B

I'm going to have to give Lucinda Williams a listen because I love this tune. I get a Bonnie Raitt influence on this.

Great lyrics, great performances, great mix, congrats.

Hi J&B and Peter.

It's been a while since I last heard a song from the three of you and man, this is AWESOME+++++. The production is the best I've heard. And the minute Janice started singing, the thought came to my head that if I was an icecream, I'd run all over place. Janice, your vocals truly sizzle and shine brightly just like the noonday summer sun.

Peter, your guitar work was a perfect fit both with texture and technique. I'd love to be able to play like you.

Bud you've done a superb job bringing this production to life. It's just so very easy to listen to. I love it!

Thank you all for a great journey,
Noel

Noel, it’s always a pleasure to hear from you. We always appreciate your thoughtful reviews and this is no exception.

So, thank you!!!

J&B

Some tasty grit.
Your stuff is always so good I hate to suggest any improvements.
However, I hope you can accept a small personal observation:

Janice has a great voice but would have loved to hear more of her clean vocal (without doubling and such) in the verses.

Nice song, well done.

Thanks! Personal observations are always welcome.

The lead vocal is not doubled. The only fx is a Nectar preset I've used for years on her vocals (with slight tweaks depending on the song). For this tune I added a bit of tape sat and slightly more compression to "grit" up the vocal a bit which is what you are hearing.

And we are glad you noticed it as grit was the objective from the get go as we were trying to channel Lucinda. So, even though you preferred it cleaner we met our objective with the grit!

Thanks again and please never be reticent to offer an opinion.

J&B

I love the way this flows. Great vocals, mix and melody.
One tiny nit that I have is that the lead guitar sounds a little dead and doesn't sit quite right in the mix.
No one else here seems to have picked that up though so it may just be my old ears.
Don't hate me for it.

Vic

Glad you liked it. We feel that Peter played a great lively lead that captured the Lucinda Williams feel (our objective) and we were pleased the way it worked with the vocal and fit in the mix: No hate - unlike many forums this is a great community.

Be safe

J&B