Dear Forum Friends,

I hope this finds you all safe and well. You'll either love or hate our new song "Half a Million Gone" . We usually write upbeat, optimistic songs, but we felt we had to comment on the pandemic crisis.

On Feb 22, 2021, the death toll from the COVID pandemic reached 500,000 in the US. This was one day after the passing a close friend. These two events drove home the impact this terrible, senseless disease has brought to the world, my nation, and finally me. It had become all too real for me to merely cope with and complain about. I had to capture my thoughts and feelings in music to begin my healing process.

I'll post the Soundcloud link in a few days.

Link to song: https://soundclick.com/r/s8gqg1
[url=Https://soundclick.com/dcspacedog][url=Https://soundclick.com/dcspacedog][url=Https://soundclick.com/dcspacedog]Https://soundclick.com/dcspacedog[/url][/url][/url]

Best wishes

DC SpaceDog

Cool song. Good lyrics. Great beat. A real head nodder. I like how the numbers keep rising in the chorus. Good one. The band has it down.

Having also lost a close friend we are readily able to relate to this tune. The number is even more stark when compared to
US battlefield deaths and, yes, this is also a battle.

Like jptx3 we also liked the approach to the chorus...very creative.

Sad but a good listen...

J&B

I really like the style of vibe you chose for this. The harmonies in the chorus recall Buffalo Springfield.

Well captured!

Sorry to hear about the your friend.

Good write, well structured to fit the idea. The descending motif helped build a sense of dread.

As others mentioned, the chorus was effective.

Listening to this sort of song usually feels like getting hit over the head with a baseball bat. It's just the nature of the beast, but I think this worked out well.

JPTx3, Thanks for listening and commenting.

J&B, I'm so sorry for your loss. This virus is SO weird how it barely impacts some people, takes others over months in the hospital, and kills some in a few days. It's more than sad, it makes me angry that we let it get this far.

Gruverider, Thanks for the complement. I chose unison harmony for the chorus to try to preserve the feeling of isolation and unity.

Dave, Thanks. I based the solo motif on the minor harmonic scale. It always sounded strange and eerie to me. Sorry about hitting you with a baseball bat. However, good art and music should have an impact. I'll take that as a high complement. Thanks.

Best wishes to you.

DCSD

Hi SpaceDog

Sorry to hear about your friend. I do hope that creating this song contributes to the healing process, as you intended. I enjoyed the song (if that's the right word), which I think conveys your message well. One of the most heartbreaking things about the pandemic is that the actions of certain governments and individuals have made the impact so much worse than it might otherwise have been. While we've so far been very fortunate in my neck of the woods, until we're all safe, none of us are.
Regards,
Leon

SpaceDog,
sounds apocalyptical Doorsy. Solid composition and vocal phrasing. Nice production. The only tiny suggestion I can make is maybe a little d-esser would make it even better. Some interesting musical hooks. Sad tune, but made very well. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Leon, Thanks. It has helped. My next song will be dedicated to my friend who passed. That should complete my healing process. I've seen that Australia and NZ have faired better thru this thing. Let's hope it stays that way.

I heard a song on Soundclick yesterday that was just the opposite of my message. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion, unfortunately we all have to pay for that privilege.

Misha, "apocalyptic" Wow, maybe I over-did it ;-) Yesssssss. You have a good ear! I forget to de-ess. Thanks for reminding me.

Best wishes all!!

SD

Sad subject, good song!
I'm remined that half the population thinks it's a hoax or some plot to take away their civil liberties.
So sad!!!

An intriguing delivery on this one.

moto

A sad sombre piece but really nicely produced.

A top quality production from the write to the vocal.

Excellent work.

Peter

Sounds like a Ghost Riders On The storm in the verses.
For me the drums and vocals are far too forward with the slide a little under them and the rest in another room.
Good song, truth telling with melody and harmony.
The descending doom line doesn't work for me - either it's too fast or the piano is too bright n cheery...good idea though.

Moto, Thanks for listening. I agree. How can people still think this is some kind of conspiracy? Do they think those half million people were just going to die anyway? My friend was young, strong, and bursting with life. She was taken from us in a matter of days. Tragic! Needless!

Peter, Glad you liked it. I intentionally chose a key to use my lowest vocal range to make it feel somber and heavy. This caused quite a challenge in mixing. Thanks for the complement.

Ray, Thanks for your constructive input. I'll listen to it on a few different sound systems to see if the drums need to be lowered a bit. I'll also play with the riff to see if I can take the edge off of it.



I'm planning making the final tweaks this weekend. Thanks for all your comments.

SD

PGMusic

Here is the Soundcloud link and song info:

https://soundcloud.com/dcspacedog


****** Song Summary *************
Title: Half a Million Gone
Style is _RESFUNK.STY (Funky Swing 16ths Resonator Blue)

RealTracks in style: 1191:Bass, Electric, NorthernRock Sw16 075
RealTracks in style: 875:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm NorthernRockFuzzyA-B Sw16 075
RealTracks in style: 2627:Guitar, Resonator, RhythmPlus BluesFunkyRandy Sw16 075
RealDrums in style: NashCrossovrSw16^04-a:Snare, Closed Hat Skip Beat 1 , b:Snare, Open Hat Boogaloo