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Posted By: BlueAttitude Cry a River - 08/30/21 10:02 AM
Latest from Chris, Marty, and Dave:

Cry a River

The Band:

2734:Organ, Rhythm BluesSlow128Mike Sw 065

Chris Spruit: Vocals
Marty Straub: Bass
Dave Bell: Guitars and BGV

Drums by EZDrummer2 using midi from GrooveMonkey.

Mixed in Reaper, mastered with Ozone9


Cry a River (2021, Christiane Spruit)

You may think I cry
Cry all the time
when you and her walk by
No I don't cry
you may think tears rolling
on and on and on down my cheeks
but I tell you baby, I don't care for it
I don't cry a river over you
I don't cry a river for you

No, I cry a river
knowing that you and I just lived a lie
knowing that I
kept the truth inside
but Caught in the thought , for you
this love was true

love has left me blind
blinded by your light
But I told you once
I no longer lie
it is never too late
to take that chance
But most of all I have to allow my soul to say
turn around
when tears roll down down down
you might hide long behind a story
but you are selling yourself out


it is a slow way
for one who's been said
it's a long road to take you back to yourself
left behind
with a selfmade lie
Falling and see what was coming
taking myself, on
mendacious way

no cry
as long as I
don't ask too much
love will not die
when all the fire burns high
no fear ,no pain
can‘t see the rain
falling, …………..



All comments welcome!
Posted By: NigelSpiers Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 10:13 AM
Hi,

Very nice blues you guys.

Well done.

Best Regards
Nigel
Posted By: rsdean Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 11:14 AM
Chris, Marty & Dave,

You make some of the best blues around... What a great song and recording.

Loved it!

Bob
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 11:58 AM
Y'all are in Top Form here...

Everything sounds good. Bass - heavenly. Guitars - doing all the right stuff at the right times - and a tasty lead. Drums sound good. Organ done right (always!)

Chris' most expressive vocal yet - and that's saying a LOT. Beautiful! Nice write.

Excellent mix (no surprise there). Sounds GREAT in the 'phones!

Several listens. Worth it.

fj
Posted By: Torrey Bliss Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 12:30 PM
Dave, Marty and Chris

What a track and what a team you all make! You bring some of the top music posted here and this one is up there with the best of it! Chris's vocal is excellent as always! I can't give Marty enough praise for the consistent solid low end he always put down! Last of all, Dave, your guitar work is inspiring to me! You've got the tone and technique locked down! And man did you sound good on this! Thanks, Torrey.
Posted By: ROG Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 12:51 PM
Hi, Chris, Dave & Marty,

Another of your tracks which reminds me of Chicken Shack with Christine Perfect.

Everything about this is startlingly good.

Chris is absolutely flying and Dave's guitar is sublime.

And of course, Marty holding it all together in the best possible way.

Brilliant song with a spot-on mix.

Loved the whole thing.

ROG
Posted By: Scott C Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 01:04 PM
Very cool groove to the song Dave. Awesome vocal from Chris. Marty's bass lines were so smooth. Your guitar a was excellent loved the edge to the strat. Well done...
Posted By: CaptainMoto Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 01:49 PM
Great song.
Orchestration sounds wonderful.
Powerful vocals.

well done

moto
Posted By: MarioD Re: Cry a River - 08/30/21 08:53 PM
WOW you all are getting better with each song!

I love the blues and I would definitely buy a CD of music like this!

Everything is pro level and should be on the air today. Outstanding vocal, great backing band, and one sweet lead!

Loved it!
Posted By: rayc Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 02:18 AM
Cool song and a lovely vocal from Chris to sell the story.

Wonderful parts by all - including the organ grinder.

Marty, fab job with the bass part - just the right amount of notes and the right notes to boot.

Those drums are cool but the kick is oddly modern sounding - less thud and more thwack I suspect. being midi you could probably edit that of send it to a sep. channel for EQing.
Love the sting in the solo Dave.
Posted By: NigelSpiers Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 03:52 AM
Hi Guys,

Just had another listen - something was worrying me - the snare.

It has virtually no snare!

Slow blues (even country blues) needs a very firm snare to drive it forward.

Best Regards
Nigel
Posted By: musician17 Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 04:45 AM
Superb. Christiane's vocals are out of this world. I love this kind of emotional songs that communicate something personal to the listener. The harmonies, when they come in, are stratospheric. The lyrics are so beautiful ... the writing and performing are top-notch. Nothing to criticise ... this is a powerful ballad/anthem that made my day. Thank you for writing at such a high level - keep going, PLEASE :-)

P.S. at about the 5 minute mark, those LOW harmonies ... YES :-) And the guitar playing ... you're all amazing, why dissect this through analysis? Hats off!!!
Posted By: jannesan Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 02:33 PM
Strong lyrics and Chris's interpretation is very emotional. The organ creates nice 60's soul vibe. Enjoyed the bass line and the convincing guitar solo.

Janne
Posted By: Ghostgum Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 04:36 PM
Top notch on just about every level. Chris's voice is perfect for this kind of song (Coolidge-esque). Great job as usual.
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 05:35 PM
When I (Janice) listened earlier today I told Bud that y'all just set the piano on fire and exited the stage!

All of you are soaring high on this one. It's like a long, slow burn of goodness!

Chris, your vocals are stunning, ranging from sublime fragility to powerful.

Dave and Marty, you guys know your stuff! And anybody that foolishly has a doubt of that needs to sit down and listen to this. Period.

The mix is excellent and, man, those drums...

Soulful to the max!

J&B
Posted By: PeterF Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 06:57 PM
Chris Dave & Marty

Expressive, powerful and engaging.

Nice work by everyone, a real stand out vocal and a beautiful accompaniment.

Well programmed drums and the organ sounds great.

Top notch.

Peter
Posted By: Will Josef Re: Cry a River - 08/31/21 08:52 PM
Stunning good blues song. The vocal is out of this world good. Such a talented woman!!!

Wow... just wow!

Will
Posted By: Deej56 Re: Cry a River - 09/01/21 01:05 AM
BlueAttitude:

You all are just too cool for school . . . another slick, engaging tune. All the elements are there, beautifully mixed (really like the accentuating drums in spots). Chris’s vocals are as stellar as always—love those slips into a falsetto. Brilliant work!

My best to each of you,

Deej
Posted By: TuneMonger Re: Cry a River - 09/01/21 02:54 AM
This piece has it all, no dings anywhere! Delivers from start to finish. Great work!
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/01/21 06:04 AM
Originally Posted By: NigelSpiers
Hi,

Very nice blues you guys.

Well done.

Best Regards
Nigel


Thanks for the listen, Nigel!

Originally Posted By: rsdean
Chris, Marty & Dave,

You make some of the best blues around... What a great song and recording.

Loved it!

Bob


Happy you liked it,
Thanks, Bob!

Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Y'all are in Top Form here...

Everything sounds good. Bass - heavenly. Guitars - doing all the right stuff at the right times - and a tasty lead. Drums sound good. Organ done right (always!)

Chris' most expressive vocal yet - and that's saying a LOT. Beautiful! Nice write.

Excellent mix (no surprise there). Sounds GREAT in the 'phones!

Several listens. Worth it.

fj


I run the organ through the Scheps Omni Channel plugin, it adds a little bit of extra sheen I think. It's the only thing I use that plugin for actually.

Thanks as always for the support and kind words, it is appreciated! And I always forward your comments over to Chris smile
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/01/21 12:59 PM
Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
Dave, Marty and Chris

What a track and what a team you all make! You bring some of the top music posted here and this one is up there with the best of it! Chris's vocal is excellent as always! I can't give Marty enough praise for the consistent solid low end he always put down! Last of all, Dave, your guitar work is inspiring to me! You've got the tone and technique locked down! And man did you sound good on this! Thanks, Torrey.


Awesome comments, thanks, Torrey!

Originally Posted By: ROG
Hi, Chris, Dave & Marty,

Another of your tracks which reminds me of Chicken Shack with Christine Perfect.

Everything about this is startlingly good.

Chris is absolutely flying and Dave's guitar is sublime.

And of course, Marty holding it all together in the best possible way.

Brilliant song with a spot-on mix.

Loved the whole thing.

ROG


I'm a huge fan of the British blues bands that came up in the late 60's early 70's, and Chicken Shack is a fine example. They added a bit of a rock element that for me really kicked things up a notch.

I very much appreciate your comments, thanks, Rog!

Originally Posted By: Scott C
Very cool groove to the song Dave. Awesome vocal from Chris. Marty's bass lines were so smooth. Your guitar a was excellent loved the edge to the strat. Well done...


Appreciate that, Scott, thanks!
Posted By: Tangmo Re: Cry a River - 09/01/21 08:07 PM
Been wondering about Chris. Good to hear again. Great sparse band had the bases covered with a nice live feel. The drums were nicely present and the bass holding down tight. Vocals strong and clear and the organ on chording duty. Guitar gave the needed changes/breaks in a quite long song. It's a bit counter-intuitive, maybe, but those extra bars lengthened the piece but made it seem more compact as well. Much enjoyed.
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/02/21 07:07 AM
Originally Posted By: CaptainMoto
Great song.
Orchestration sounds wonderful.
Powerful vocals.

well done

moto


Thanks, moto!

Originally Posted By: MarioD
WOW you all are getting better with each song!

I love the blues and I would definitely buy a CD of music like this!

Everything is pro level and should be on the air today. Outstanding vocal, great backing band, and one sweet lead!

Loved it!


We almost have enough material for a new CD at this point I think.

Thanks for the support and kind words, Mario, it is appreciated!

Originally Posted By: rayc
Cool song and a lovely vocal from Chris to sell the story.

Wonderful parts by all - including the organ grinder.

Marty, fab job with the bass part - just the right amount of notes and the right notes to boot.

Those drums are cool but the kick is oddly modern sounding - less thud and more thwack I suspect. being midi you could probably edit that of send it to a sep. channel for EQing.
Love the sting in the solo Dave.


Hi Ray,

Happy you like the song!

For the drums I have a separate track for the kick, snare, HH, and Toms so I can process them separately.

As far as the kick goes, for me I see no problem using a modern sounding kick on a blues song, why not? wink

Thanks!
Posted By: BabuMusic Re: Cry a River - 09/02/21 09:21 AM
This is easily one of my all-time favorite songs. Playing with Dave has become one of my all-time favorite things to do. Not only is he a mentor and a good friend, but, man, can he play a mean guitar, and he comes up with some of the most creative stuff. What a brilliant write and mix.

Chris's voice is soooo good and so versatile. My 6-year-old granddaughter wanted to hear Chris's newest song. After I played it for her she said, "Wow, she is so good. Babu, can I record a couple songs?" We did a bunch of them that day. Not only has Chris become a great friend, but she is much more influential than she can imagine.

Usually when I see a song is 6 minutes long... well, it better have something special. During the recording, changing, mixing and just listening to this song, I must have heard it at least 100 times. Every single time it ends I say, "Ah, is it over already." Well, as Michael T. McGreevy used to say, "Nuf Ced."
Posted By: Derochette Re: Cry a River - 09/02/21 04:47 PM
Hi Chris Dave & Marty,

Very gripping song by its lyrics. It's soft, silky and sad. The arrangement is excellent. Nice work.

Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash
Posted By: jptjptjpt Re: Cry a River - 09/02/21 10:05 PM
What a great recording. I am very impressed by all of your talents. Great song. Great recording. Great mix. Bravo!
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/03/21 07:43 AM
Originally Posted By: NigelSpiers
Hi Guys,

Just had another listen - something was worrying me - the snare.

It has virtually no snare!

Slow blues (even country blues) needs a very firm snare to drive it forward.

Best Regards
Nigel


Hi Nigel,

The snare is doing exactly what I want it to do. A heavy snare in a song this long would cause ear fatigue, it needs to be subtle and just come up for the fills, and the bridge. It's all about dynamics.


Originally Posted By: musician17
Superb. Christiane's vocals are out of this world. I love this kind of emotional songs that communicate something personal to the listener. The harmonies, when they come in, are stratospheric. The lyrics are so beautiful ... the writing and performing are top-notch. Nothing to criticise ... this is a powerful ballad/anthem that made my day. Thank you for writing at such a high level - keep going, PLEASE :-)

P.S. at about the 5 minute mark, those LOW harmonies ... YES :-) And the guitar playing ... you're all amazing, why dissect this through analysis? Hats off!!!



Thanks for the very kind words! smile

Originally Posted By: jannesan
Strong lyrics and Chris's interpretation is very emotional. The organ creates nice 60's soul vibe. Enjoyed the bass line and the convincing guitar solo.

Janne


Cheers, Janne.
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/04/21 08:09 AM
Originally Posted By: Ghostgum
Top notch on just about every level. Chris's voice is perfect for this kind of song (Coolidge-esque). Great job as usual.


Thanks very much! I'll pass your comments over to Chris smile

Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
When I (Janice) listened earlier today I told Bud that y'all just set the piano on fire and exited the stage!

All of you are soaring high on this one. It's like a long, slow burn of goodness!

Chris, your vocals are stunning, ranging from sublime fragility to powerful.

Dave and Marty, you guys know your stuff! And anybody that foolishly has a doubt of that needs to sit down and listen to this. Period.

The mix is excellent and, man, those drums...

Soulful to the max!

J&B


You guys are the best, thanks Janice and Bud!
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/07/21 11:59 AM
Originally Posted By: PeterF
Chris Dave & Marty

Expressive, powerful and engaging.

Nice work by everyone, a real stand out vocal and a beautiful accompaniment.

Well programmed drums and the organ sounds great.

Top notch.

Peter


Thanks, Peter!

Originally Posted By: Will Josef
Stunning good blues song. The vocal is out of this world good. Such a talented woman!!!

Wow... just wow!

Will


Yes, not only is she a great singer but she's great lyricist too. Thanks, Will!

Originally Posted By: Deej56
BlueAttitude:

You all are just too cool for school . . . another slick, engaging tune. All the elements are there, beautifully mixed (really like the accentuating drums in spots). Chris’s vocals are as stellar as always—love those slips into a falsetto. Brilliant work!

My best to each of you,

Deej


Appreciate that, thanks, Deej!


Originally Posted By: TuneMonger
This piece has it all, no dings anywhere! Delivers from start to finish. Great work!


Thanks for the listen/comments!
Posted By: Rustyspoon# Re: Cry a River - 09/07/21 08:30 PM
Team,

Very tasty blues. Dived right in, ended too soon. Smooth bass, laid back guitar and silky vocals. Nice drum programming, G.Monk. has some nice grooves. Mix super clear. On my second listen. Good one. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.
Posted By: Birchwood Re: Cry a River - 09/08/21 09:08 AM
Hi Dave, Chris and Marty,

After listening to the song, I leaned back on my chair and let my feeling flow (about the song of course). Wow! Beautiful!!
I can say a lot of things. About the beautiful vocals, the delicate lyrics, the swell bass and leadguitar or the so bright drums, but I don't. I just repeat: Beautiful!!

Great job,
Hans
Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Re: Cry a River - 09/09/21 08:23 PM
Everything about this is good...no great...but the vocal is WOW!!! Superb dynamics, emotion, and tone.

My absolute favorite song and performance from Blue Attitude.
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/11/21 11:49 AM
Tangmo, Derochette, jpt*3, Misha, Hans, and Ezekiel, thanks very much for taking the time to listen and comment, it is very much appreciated smile
Posted By: Leon1 Re: Cry a River - 09/12/21 04:05 AM
No offence, gentlemen, but it's great to hear Chris again. She's certainly in top form here. Hypnotically good. Rock solid bass of course from Marty and Dave's solo is just superb.
Regards,
Leon
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/12/21 09:06 AM
Originally Posted By: Leon1
No offence, gentlemen, but it's great to hear Chris again. She's certainly in top form here. Hypnotically good. Rock solid bass of course from Marty and Dave's solo is just superb.
Regards,
Leon


No offence from me, Leon! Chris kicks things up a few notches, no question about that wink

Thanks!
Posted By: Noel96 Re: Cry a River - 09/15/21 10:13 AM
Hi Dave,



This is incredible listening. The near-6 minutes performance had me mesmerised for the entire journey. I haven't hear you and Chris sound any better this. Absolutely sublime song-creating and song-presenting!

I've always been a fan of your productions. They are amongst the "cream of crop" here in Users Showcase. The laid-back, bluesy lilt of this production was a sonic masterpiece.

This is truly an outstanding collaboration.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/15/21 08:08 PM
Originally Posted By: Noel96
Hi Dave,



This is incredible listening. The near-6 minutes performance had me mesmerised for the entire journey. I haven't hear you and Chris sound any better this. Absolutely sublime song-creating and song-presenting!

I've always been a fan of your productions. They are amongst the "cream of crop" here in Users Showcase. The laid-back, bluesy lilt of this production was a sonic masterpiece.

This is truly an outstanding collaboration.

All the best,
Noel


Very generous review, thanks very much, Noel! smile
Posted By: Bawb Re: Cry a River - 09/16/21 11:05 AM
Chris, Marty and Dave...
Whoa! Just whoa! From the first note, this is just such a fantastic song. I love the reverb on the guitar and the lonesome bluesy guitar lead at the beginning. The vocals are also very well done and definitely professional sounding. Thanks for posting, I enjoyed the listen.
Posted By: dcuny Re: Cry a River - 09/17/21 03:40 AM
Great sound!

Professional without sounding clinical - especially the vocal.
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/17/21 07:38 AM
Thanks Bawb and David, appreciate the listen and comments!
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 09/19/21 09:50 AM
We just released a performance video for Cry a River:

Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: Cry a River - 10/07/21 08:21 PM
A beautiful track!!! Love the space in the recording......really compliments the song and the vocal!! Guitar is as sweet as ever, bass is perfect, and production is pro to my ears! Great stuff by all! Take care. Greg
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Cry a River - 10/08/21 09:32 AM
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
A beautiful track!!! Love the space in the recording......really compliments the song and the vocal!! Guitar is as sweet as ever, bass is perfect, and production is pro to my ears! Great stuff by all! Take care. Greg


Thanks very much, Greg!
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