Here is another Spirit Level Project. This song got started by Ray sending me a backtrack for a listen. I loved the sound of it. Robert is on a bit of a sabbatical so Ray and I passed files back and forth replacing instruments with synths. Ray even sent about four tracks using a Mellotron effects pedal. Over a week or two the song started to take shape. We coerced Robert out of his sabbatical and he did a vocal and lyric for the song. This was very difficult as we did not want to change the key for him.
As the song was nearing completion Ray said he wanted to do a video and asked for some pictures or video of Robert and I playing to the song. So a first for us. Video no 1

Sound Cloud link
Broken Rhyme - Soundcloud

Youtube Link
Broken Rhyme - Video

BIAB
Drums - RealDrums=Grunge^4-a HiHat, b HiHatOpen
Organ - N A 671 Organ, B3, Background Southern Ev 120

Broken Rhyme
cochrane/Collingwood/Cordrey

Life on Earth’s not all it seemed,
Love’s something I could not have dreamed.
Tragedies compound,
my flights of fancy hit the ground.
Gravity,
Asserts itself:
Books fall from the shelf.

Secret thoughts, secret fears,
Covert love, hidden tears.
Broken rhythm, broken rhyme,
Severed in space and time.

Love on Earth’s not all it seemed,
Life’s something I could not have dreamed.
Happiness compounds,
Lighting a path across the ground.
Gravity,
Inverts itself:
The books back on the shelf.

Secret thoughts, secret fears,
Crypto love, cryptic tears.
Spoken rhythm, token rhyme,
A place in space and time.

Secret thoughts, secret fears,
Covert love, hidden tears.

Life on Earth was someone’s dream,
A lovely thought, not long to gleam.
Tragedies accrued,
All my lessons never used.
Gravity,
Asserts itself:
The books burn on the shelf.

Scott:
Gretsh Duojet
Gibson ES335
Eventide H9’s
Marshall 1974x
Guitars were double mic’d Rodes NT1A and Sunnheiser E906

Robert:
Mic: Shure sm27
Reaper/Waves vocal rider/Nectar2

Ray:
Vantage bass VS696B + Behringer BDI21
Harley Benton RB-612BK + Joyo ACToneClassic
Fender Squire Mustang Bullet HH + Mel9 Tape Replay Machine
Reaper & stock plugins
+ PSP Vintage Warmer 2, Focusrite Red Compressor, Ambience Reverb & Blockfish.
Mellotron .wav samples.

Bravo! Well done, gentlemen. Everyone shined in their rolls. The band was hot too. Cool lyrics. Neat video. A lot of work went into that one. Congrats to all involved.

VIDEO direct if anyone wants a non "click through" start.
THANKS to Scott for working on, and massively improving, the progressions and structure of the meagre song sketch as well as to Robert for building a melody and reworking the lyrics.
Scott & I recognized something in this one very early on...it was good fun and a true collaboration within the Spirit level frame.
The video was built with WonderShare Video Editor and a bunch of Creative Commons flicks from Utub. Video from Robert & Scott was Green Screened over the top. Relatively quick n easy really.

Spirit Level:

Very, very cool, gentleman. An early R.E.M. sound and feel to this for me—something in the backing rhythm guitar that gives it that sound. Terrific write—love the structure and poetry of it. From a mix perspective, I’m wondering if the vocal could have come forward just a tad, but see what others think. The guitar solo is just perfect. Well done!

All my best,

Deej

Guys, this is GREAT!!

First of all, really enjoyed the video seeing you three in action. Having done exactly one Blue Attitude performance video, I know how much work it trying to remember what it is you played on the recording. Nice visual FX, Ray, very cool.

And man, just an excellent song too!

You three have something special going on with this project, more please

SL

Loved seeing you all play in the video - excellent work.

Enjoyed the song and the the obvious work involved by all.

Engaging stuff.

Peter

WOW!! What a great sonic texture!! I would normally say the vocal should be up a bit in the mix, but with this music, it works perfectly as is!! Great job by the gang!!! Take care. Greg

Thanks for checking out the song. This was such a different process in developing this song. It was so much fun. The video was a new experience as well. So glad you liked it



I am so glad you mentioned the rhythm guitars. When I was developing the melodies for the guitars I brought rhythm guitars and bass way up front. The jangle that Ray put on the guitars reminded me of the early Byrds song. Was lots of fun to play to.

Spirit Level jumped to a new level.
Can not capture the style of the song. I would say psychedelic space
rock. Close? Sounds classy, yet I can not find direct resemblance to anything I've heard.
I feel we are taking a lot of things for granted. Imagine if someone would of told you 25-30 years ago, that you will be making music with people you do not know personally, loooong miles apart..? Very cool experimental tune and a musical connection/collaboration. Twisty lyrics, and all that soundscape team created! Neat video too! Nice trip. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Sounds really cool.

Reminds me of Tom Verlaine and Television. Remember them?

Thanks for sharing guys!!!! love it keep going spirit level loved the video Eric

Misha spoke truth. So I ride his coattails.

A great sound! Everyone does there part - superbly. Scott's guitar works wonders. I always enjoy Robert's vocal on these type songs. Ray's magic...

And... Bahndi Nahbox - HAHAHA!

Cool video.

Awesome band.

fj

Strong song. Well done, Scott, Ray & Robert. The video is really cool, too. Excellent musicianship throughout.

Very well done you guys.
Rob

A great track. This collaboration definitely works...

Thanks Peter,
Those bloke do good work I agree.
I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Thanks Dave,
I can't imagine the effort required by Scott to play that long solo again. For me - I had to look at the chords in BIAB to get me through and Robert flew through his parts smoothly.

Thanks Greg,
It is textured and some stuff, (clarinets and choir), only comes through with headphones and the .wav file...but that's streaming for you.
yes, the vocal is IN the mix but it is genre appropriate.

Thanks Misha,
Yes, Psych/Space in A it is.
I suspect the key helps.
Intercontinental music missiles for sure. being that my main Australian collaborators live between 100 & 100o miles away these days I'd be snookered..last time I was near a collaborator pre internet I went into hibernation from lack of interaction.

Hi Scott, Robert and Ray,

You did a mavelous job with this song and video!
Not only the melody (?) of it, but the way you three performed in it.
As Misha and Floyd pointed out it's so nice to imagine you can make a song together, while you have not met and played together! I done that with Joanna Cooper some time ago and I got the same kind of feeling how amazing it was we could do that.
And the result of your cooperation is very good, kind of psychedelic, so like a real Spirit level.

About the video, at first I thought I saw Ray playing lefthanded, but later on righthanded and with multiple guitartypes. What are you; left or righthanded, Ray? I ask this because I am lefthanded and it is considered to be a handicap. Although normally 'lefties' are more creative...

Enjoyable song and video!
Hans

Love the production and especially the lyrics. Another interesting take. Always love you guys collabs.

Hi guys,

that's a really cool one - a great listen and also a exciting watch. A marvellous song, very well realized and that brilliant video as cream topping - awesome.

Take care,

Stefan

Hey guys, looks like you’ve done it again. A really cool sound to this perfect for Robert’s vocal and lyrics. There is some fine playing from Scott and Ray brings in some nice textures along with some solid backing. The video was much enjoyed. I liked seeing the band in action, Tom

Thanks Dave The video was a little a suprise when Ray suggested it. Glad you liked it



Thanks Peter Glad you liked the song

Great production guys!
Video is well done and compelling.


I hate to splash cold water on the parade but..........
I can't understand a single verse in the vocals.

moto

Thanks Hans,
I understand you'll be cloning yourself soon to repair light bulbs across the nation...many Hans make light work!
Scott is right handed but I flipped some video parts to suit the frame & green screen.
I'm right handed as well but don't see anything "sinister" in lefties.
Cackyhanded folk are often creative, as are the ambidextrous and the dexterous. A rose smells as sweet fertilized with manure after all.

Thanks Moto,
A splash of cold water is refreshing. The level of the vocals & the subsequent intelligibility of the lyrics was ticked by all three...it's one of those "pull out the album cover" songs.

A smooth trip back to the 60's ... at least for Bud as Janice was still a child

So Bud's first thoughts were of a beat poet's lyric that got melodized and put to a psychedelic arrangement. Of course this does differ from a lot of the psychedelia of the time in that it is melodic, doesn't meander and is tightly arranged and mixed to the extent that even sans a background in the genre one is easily engaged.

It's most cool to see the fine guitar, bass and vocal performances on the video. As one lefty to another, cool soloing Scott. Not to imply that I'm a guitar player

The mix is perfecto on the monitors. And, Ray, although you alluded to how easy it was to create video we suspect a fair amount of thought and planning went into the process. Well done by all indeed!

J&B

Thank you Misha for the awesome comments. I agree with doing these collabs with different people from around the world. It has definitely kept making music fresh and lots of fun. So glad you liked the song



I have not heard of the Tom Verlaine and Television. I watched a couple of youtube videos. Very cool dark music. Thanks for checking out the song so glad you liked it

I'm a long time fan of Television & Tom's as well as Richard Lloyd's solo work.
I have the three TV studio albums and the live one plus most of Tom's solo stuff and a couple of Richard's.
Dark, tense and brittle music that's also hypnotic, tense and thrilling.
I didn't see them when they toured Australia about five years ago as Richard had quite...his playing and personality are too much a part of the band for me to have seen them without him.
It's a lovely comparison based on Scott's fluid playing more than anything.

Thanks Janice & Bud,
It was a fun project that really went through the mincer during development...ideas left n right some stuck and some slid but the glue, as always, is melody and Robert's vocal one aligned with Scott's guitar ones to string me along very happily. It's not often that I get to be part of a song that has such a long yet gripping middle section.

Many thanks Stefan,
Scott & Robert made it easy from ideas to video and each step between.

Hello Scott, Robert and Ray,

Listening to your composition, you take us to your secret garden and you allow us to live your lyrics. Very nice video well done by you three and your composition very pleasant. Well done.

Take care of yourself

Kindly regards


Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash

Nice work guys. Takes me back to my early rock influences like Strawberry Alarm Clock. I would like to hear the vocals a bit more on top but otherwise a great production.
<<TS>>

Love the video. Enjoyed watching you guys perform. Very cool song. Cheers, Todd

Thanks Eric

Glad you liked it



Thanks Floyd for the awesome comments. I too got a kick out of Rays name of the very versatile musician Bahndi Nahbox. Never complains always there when you need them. :-)

Great sound, gentlemen. I usually prefer to clearly hear the lyrics, but in this case having them float around a little in the mix suited the spacey feeling of the song. Enjoyed the video, too. Very well done, all.
Regards,
Leon

Hello Gentlemen ...

Well, everything I was thinking has pretty much been said already. Great see all of you in action! Everyone's part sounds as though it was written just for him ... a great collab. Robert has such a unique and wonderful voice, Ray you look a little stoic (ha!) but sound great, and Scott you play the heck out of those 6-string things!

Intriguing lyric and a really nice set of backing tracks behind the live efforts. Really, really good!

Wishing all of you the very best. Be safe ...

Alan

Chose the video...I mean, why not? Psychedelia meets pessimism. Why not? Splendid band, mix, play, lyric and package. Nicely done, Gentlemen.

Thanks again everyone for checking out the song Ray, Robert and I appreciate your comments