Back to the blues for this one:

Blue Guitar

The Band:

2733:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm BluesSlow128Mike Sw 065
2734:Organ, Rhythm BluesSlow128Mike Sw 065

Marty Straub: Bass
Dave Bell: Guitars and Vocal

I used EZDrummer2 for the drums

Mixed in Reaper, mastered with Ozone9

Blue Guitar (2021, Dave Bell and Marty Straub)

When you're feeling sad, oh so blue,
and there's nothing, that you can do.
It seems the walls, sometimes,
are closing in on you.
Here's what I'll do.
I'll play a song for you, on my blue guitar.

When you lose your way, down and out
And there's nothing, only doubt
you need a hand to grab, to pull you through.
Here's what I'll do ....

Music can show you the way
It can lift you up when sky's seem gray
no matter how you feel, music, it can heal
Music can show you the way


All comments welcome!

Edit: A few people mentioned the vocal was too low so I bumped it up and uploaded a new mix. Of course Marty and Chris have been telling me all along that it should be louder
It's very difficult for me to mix my own vocal, I'm very new to singing and I'm not used to hearing myself sing

Dave,
Such a pretty tone on that guitar and cool fx too.
Really ear tickling choice of riffs - beautiful playing.

Josie

Dave & Marty,

SMOKIN'!!!!

Very COOL Blues song!

All the parts are excellent.
Marty's Buttery Bass!! Love it!
Dave's guitars are goosebumpily!!! Some of your best!
Drums sound Great!!

Super Cool Vocal! Smokey. Bluesy.

Awesome Blues.

fj

Dave & Marty,

This is absolutely on fire! The playing, mix and production are excellent.

The vocal is off the charts. Dave, you really know how to cook with a slow simmer...

Loved it!

Bob

Hi, Dave and Marty !

Such an impressive
tune with the bluest sound
imaginable ! I am awed !


Cheers
Dani

Great job guys smoking guitar work and excellent bass awesome vocal love them drums really sweet!!!another great colab thanks for sharing Eric

Dave & Marty

That "blue guitar" sure played some tasty licks on that track.

Really nice work on guitar bass & vocals. A very enjoyable blues tune (liked the change in the bridge).

Excellent (no surprise there).

Peter

Great guitar opening.

This is one of the best and hottest guitar playing on your songs.

Vocal fits perfectly with the song.

Hey Josie,

Thanks for giving this a spin! And for the comments on the guitar. For me that is my voice, always

Hi Floyd,

Man, you write the nicest reviews! Very much appreciated, thanks!

"goosebumpily", I like that!

Dave,

this is another proof of your fine guitar abilities - very, very nice ! Your solo playing in this one sure reminds me a lot of Gary Moore. Great great tone, man !

IMO you could have brought your vox a bit to the front - don't be shy

Marty, you seem to have become the universsal bass man on this forum. And you know what: You deserve it! I DO LIKE YOUR STYLE.

Great collab, all the best guys,

Stefan

Ah, Dave, you know I'm a big fan of the songs you write and the guitar you mastered, but your voice is really starting to shine a brighter spotlight on all the talent you share. I've said this before, but all of the songs YOU sing seem to play over and over again in my head long after listening to them. Thanks for letting me be a part of it.

xxx WARNING! Great compliments ahead xxx

Hi Dave and Marty,

A great Blues song! In every perspective!
In all these posts above mine I read the same and no wonder.
As with most of your songs this one has such a pleasant vibe that brings me in a very, very good mood (I don't go into details) while I listen to it over and over again. That is what this song does to me.
But beside the fantasic ban, Marty and his bass and your beautiful leadguitar, I want to say one or two thing about your vocals;
They are really very good. smokey, mysterious and nicely dark. You said you like my voice, well I like your too!
I have a little hesitation about my second point, but I do say it; I wished them a bit louder in the mix. Especially at the start of the singing.

On a scale of 1 to 10, you and Marty earn at least 15 points, so hats off!

Hans

Super stuff Dave! That soft vocal is perfect for this minor chord based blues tune! This is masterfully put together! The searing tone of that axe is sweet! Marty is holding down the bottom is excellent fashion(again)! GREAT song! Thanks, Torrey

Hi Dave,

This is my kinda music:

Song - good - reminds me a little of "I'll Play The Blues For You"

Lead Guitar excellent - great tone and lovely playing.

Vocals - yes suitably growly tone but too low in the mix. I could barely make out any lyrics except in a few places. The vocalist is the key to any song - I would have the vocals at the same level as the lead guitar.

Mix and backing instruments - excellent.

I'd like to hear a remix (just a tweak in Reaper) and more of this type of music.

Best Regards
Nigel

Very kind of you, thanks, Bob!



Thanks for giving this a spin, Dani!

Hi Dave,

I just took a listen to the remix. Yes vocals are now at a much better level.

The first verse vocals are still a touch low but in Verse Two and the First Chorus they are now at a perfect level.

Excellent work - more Blues please.

Best Regards
Nigel

Music is truly a healer, listening, playing or writing songs - works in many ways. This song delivers that message very well, in the lyrics, in the playing, in the vocals. Nice warm arrangement, clear mix and relaxed guitar playing. Enjoyed the mood.

Janne

Had a listen to this the other day. Very cool tune. Love your vocals. As always perfect guitar work and tone for the song. Martys bass lines were superb. Well done guys. Radio ready tune....

2nd listen,
Dave, ace tone, ace fingers and a ace vocal.
Marty - you do what you're supposed to do with the right notes and just the right amount of them - that takes style n class.
Mix wise all sweet....I like the slight change in vocal level as the song progresses.
I'm not sure if that 2nd last hit on the drums is quite in the right place.
COOL.

I love that guitar playing. Top notch chops. Bass is good too. The rest of the band captured the blue mood perfectly. Well done to all. That is how the blues should be played.

Thanks for stopping by, Eric!



Thanks, Greg!

Dave & Marty,
Super nice!
Edgy guitar parts work very well with smoky and smooth vocals. Marty got your back on this one. Very natural. Excellent guitar and bass playing + vocals and mix. Really liked this one. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Nice and sexy. I don't mind vocals setting a bit low. Listen to most Pink Floyd and they aren't "up there". The question becomes do they sit well in the mix even at that more intimate "volume". To my ears, what followed the guitar solo (as if anything COULD follow that guitar solo) was better settled. If all was the same, then I don't know what to tell you. If there was some difference in EQ or delay/reverb then maybe the "better" choice is what you did after. Either way, I had no trouble understanding you, and it DID make a really nice contrast to the GUITAR. That's the star of this thing.

Dave & Marty,
Listening to the revamped mix- the guitar is absolutely spine tingling and (despite misgivings) the vocal smokes along with the song`s mood very well... coming back in after the solo with a nice earthy feel.
Great rhythm section as always.
A guitar that matches the band- very, very good!

Robert

"Music can show you the way
It can lift you up when sky's seem gray
no matter how you feel, music, it can heal
Music can show you the way"

Yes! And folks either get it or they don't. You can't explain it.

That great toned soaring ax with Marty laying down exactly what needs to be there is high bar .... very.

Your moody emotive vocal is well suited to the lyric -- actually to the entire smokey vibe of the tune.

And the mix. What to say. They are invariably top notch and this certainly offers no exception.

Great stuff!

J&B

Man, this sounds so good. All of it. I really dig the guitar. Awesome man.

Loved it. Nice playing on it.... yeah, the vox are still a bit low, but, it kinda fits into the feel of the song. A few dB's more wouldn't hurt.

Good tone on the guitar.

Thanks, Peter!



Thanks for the listen, Scott!



Gary Moore was a monster player, one of the best ever IMHO. I'm not even close to being that good, but thanks for the kind words anyway

And yeah, Marty is DA MAN!



You make the journey fun for me, Marty, thanks for the music and the friendship

Wow, Hans, that has to be the nicest review you have ever given us I think!

Yeah, everyone has told me the vocal should be louder, including Marty before I unloaded the song. I am very new to singing, I think this is only the third song of ours that I have sung, and I still find it odd hearing myself on the playback. I've bumped it up now and will revisit again in the week or so with fresh ears.

Thanks again, greatly appreciated!



Happy you liked it, Torrey, thanks!



Hi Nigel,

I dabble in most genres, but blues has always been my main thing. And yes, very familiar with that Albert King song .
I'm a big fan of most of his music, especially the stuff he did with that great Stax rhythm section.

Thanks for the great review, and thanks for checking out the remix! Not perfect yet, but I'll get back to it soon.

Thanks, Janne.



Thanks for both listens, Scott



Very much appreciated, thanks, Ray!

Very kind of you, thanks!



Marty always kicks things up a notch in my opinion. Thanks, Misha!



I have volume envelopes all over the place because the levels in my vocal are all over the place So that will be the difference you are hearing, I did start the vocal after the solo at a different level because it needed to come in strong. Thanks, Tangmo, for pointing that out, I'll look into that when I get back to this one for a final remix.

Thanks for the kind words, Robert!

Blues at its absolute best!

Vocal - loved it

Lyrics - outstanding

Bass - absolutely fantastic

Guitar - absolutely fantastic

Mix - spot on

This is as good as any song in the Alligator Record's catalog!

Great blues, guys, as is only to be expected from you two. Dave, I'll join the chorus saying don't be shy about bumping up your vocal. You have a good voice for this style of blues. Let it be heard
Regards,
Leon

Thanks, guys! And thanks to Janice for the FB comment too



Appreciate that, thanks, David!



Thanks Herb! Guitar is a strat through the S-Gear amp sim. I also used Blue Cat's re-guitar plugin to make the guitar sound more like it has humbuckers, I only have guitars with single coil PUP's here at the moment.

Very kind of you, Mario, thanks!




Yeah, I'm slowly getting over my mic shyness Thanks, Leon!

I aint been around lately, just catching up on some good songs.

I'm a sucker for a good blues guitar song and this one is epic!

Love the breathy vocal on this.

Well done.

Moto