Happy New Year, Y'all!!!

Let's line up a few guitars...

RealTracks in style: ~519:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 380:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Syncopated Sugar Ev 102
RealTracks in song: 998:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockLACrispSync Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 997:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockLACrispArp Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 805:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm DrivingCountryBalladClean Ev 065 (B:held)
RealTracks in song: 1000:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockLAFuzzyHeld Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1513:Guitar, Electric, Soloist CountryBrent Ev 065
RealTracks in song: ~669:Guitar, Slide, Background EasySouthern Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1260:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopShining Ev 120
RealDrums in style: NashvilleEven8^6-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat Open


SHE MAKES IT LOOK EASY

no one likes leaving somebody hurt
broken-hearted and crying
you try everything to make it work
sometimes you can't stop love from dying
piece by piece it rips you up inside
it's a hard thing to say goodbye

   she makes it look easy
   like it's a natural thing to do
   she makes it look easy
   tearing my world in two
   i never thought she had it in her to do it
   she walked away like there was nothing to it
   she's breaking my heart
   and she makes it look easy

friday nights she's stepping out
she's with somebody new
carrying on in a corner booth
the way that we used to
it's killing me she's moved on
acting like there's nothing wrong

   she makes it look easy
   like it's a natural thing to do
   she makes it look easy
   tearing my world in two
   i never thought she had it in her to do it
   she walked away like there was nothing to it
   she's breaking my heart
   and she makes it look easy

   i never thought she had it in her to do it
   she walked away like there was nothing to it
   she's breaking my heart
   and she makes it look easy
   she's breaking my heart
   and she makes it look easy

Comments welcomed and encouraged.
Thanks for listening.

floyd

Wow Floyd, I really like this song, really think it's a great mix between the vocals and instruments levels. I would like to hear a touch more bass. It is the only thing sitting back in the mix to me. This is some of your best vocals I've heard, and the backing vocals are spot on. You've got the Tom Adams drums thumpin' --- Nice.

It seems you mastered this song differently than others in the recent path. The overall level is higher and the high end EQ is much brighter and becomes somewhat harsh with the volume turned up. Doesn't effect how much I enjoyed this song and the fact of how professionally the instrumentation and vocals, lead and background were done.

Overall, another outstanding job.

Charlie

floyd

You make it look easy, like it's a natural thing to do
Yep I believe that, excellent track.
As Charlie says the mix seems very clear, a good mix between you and the backing.

I like the effect at 2.55ish when the 2 solos play and it sounded to me that someone ad-libed something in the background. I re-listened to it a few times and it is the 2 guitars BUT....

You hit 2015 with the bar set high

Alyn

Ha, ha -- eight (count 'em) real track guitars in there!! You make it sound so easy, but your songs never sound like they are BIAB. The nuances and subtleties that you (supposedly) can only get from real playing are always there in your mixes. I don't know how you do it, but it sounds great.

Fine lyrics and super vocals, too.

Hi, floyd.

So much to like here! Solid writing with the typical grace you bring to the lyrics. There's a nice interplay between short and long lines that propels the song ahead. I like the way the chorus starts out like a list, which allows repetition of the title as well as setting up an abab form only to have you unbalance things with a pair of cc lines, which allows the chorus to end with another repeat of the title. Slick and solid, but it comes across as natural.

The concept is clever as well, building sympathy for the singer without vilifying the ex and not making the singer sound whiney. She's not a bad person, it's just that he can't let go. Nicely done.

Add to that some great singing, instrumentation and mix and you've got me sounding like a fanboy.

Your style is entirely different than mine, but I'm taking notes and stealing whatever ideas I can!

-- David

Hi Floyd.

How is it that no one has mentioned the Eagles yet? Surely I'm not the only one transported back to the days of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Lying Eyes".

This is classy stuff. So many guitar RTs in there and yet it doesn't sound over-produced at all. Everything comes and goes just as it should do and the overall impression is of a band that has played together for many years.

Great vocals as usual and super harmony and BVs which seemed more prominent this time.

We don't mention the mix any more, do we?

And yes, I put it up on the big Tannoys and it ROCKED.

ROG.

I couldn't remember if this one was from "On the Border" or "One of These Nights," but then it hit me that it's not the Eagles at all!

Wow, Floyd, what an awesome track!

I couldn't help but think Eagles after just a few seconds. But it actually sounds like a great original tune that happens to have a few Eagles-like characteristics (which I happen to love).

Hard to believe all those guitars are playing so well together and are all BIAB! Solid and driving. Great mix (maybe a tad more bass). But the vocals really seal the deal. Very smooth and tight.

Good start to the year! Third listen now...

Thanks,
Bruce

Hi Floyd - This is up to your usual high standard. Just as I have come to expect every time I press play on one of your new songs. Just love your mixes and your vocals are just wonderful. You keep us all going on this forum. You make it look so easy!

Floyd,
Here goes...
One could hear a fairly straightforward song structure, lyrics, melody lines. Like the last one, just a simple song, a decievingly simple song that keeps playing it's tune long after the headphones have gone off.
Floyd, I bet you had a lot of fun putting all these guitars in place, in line, in the right sequence. Vocals and mix nicely balanced. (and needless to say well sung) A challenge to showcase the possibilities of BIAB, putting layer on layer on layer... and making it sound all natural. That's the main goal of this forum I suppose, and you did a great job, again
Don't like to be in the shoes of the storyteller tough
G
Fred

Charlie - Thanks for pointing that out. I had originally mixed this some time ago and remixed it this morning before I posted it and had neglected the bass - I was tweaking the drums, harmonies and solos and the bass got lost in the dust. I did another mix to bring the bass up. I also dropped the hi EQ some in the mastering process. It has been uploaded but I haven't been able to hear it yet because my cache won't flush - even though I go through the steps to do that - it will eventually.....

On a forum of such skilled listeners, it's hard not to repeat things when you don't there early. I also hear a lot of Eagles (And I love the Eagles). I think it really hits with that solo at the first chorus (I'm guessing that's the shining pop soloist), and the BGs really reinforce it. The production is excellent, and all the guitars work beautifully together. If I was going to play with anything, I might make the BGs a little louder and/or boosted in the highs, and/or possibly a little wetter. They sound great but I feel they could be brought out a bit more somehow. As for the songwriting....Masterful! Another excellent tune, expertly delivered!! Take care. Greg

Superb lyrics, outstanding vocal performance and the mix is superb as usual. thanks for sharing!

So many cool things about this.... Loved Brent's solo where he switched from solo to dual notes and back... something I enjoy doing as well...

The mixing of clean and dirty tracks was well done.

It's not easy to have 8 guitar tracks and end up with a clean well balanced mix as you did with this. the tendency of most folks would be to try to use the guitars more.... I like that you used restraint. The right thing at the right time. The interesting thing is that there were obviously so many different ways you could have mixed this and none of them would have been wrong, better or worse... just different.

The slide at the end was perfectly placed.

Overall writing was good as was the vox.

Great way to start the new year off the right way.

Edit: there was one thing that stood out to me. In the pause between the first verse into the chorus, everything's as smooth as it needs to be.... when it comes around again on the second verse...pause...chorus.... the first chorus chord is rushed slightly.

Oh yeah... that slide has a definite David Lindley vibe to it..... Jackson Brown... Running on Empty album..... If you haven't heard that album.... do yourself a huge favor....get it.

Edit 2: did I mention I like this song alot?

Hi, Floyd !:))


I simply love everything
about this song, it is so
well written, sung, played,
put together and produced !
Especially I like the vocal
harmony parts, they are just
great !:))One of your best if not
the best ? :))

Just great Floyd !!!:))

Cheers
Dani the Spaniard in spe

ad-libed.. that's the way it SHOULD sound, eh? it was just a trick to make you re-listen a few times thanks, Alyn...



Thanks for dropping in, Kevin... I think getting those "nuances and subtleties" from the BIAB tracks is pretty easy. I consider BIAB to be a stable of studio players who will give me professional sounding tracks - if I know what to "ask for". Guitar based songs, like this one are the hardest because there are SO many options. It can be overwhelming because you can find a lot of different things that seems to work. Whittling down to bare essential is the hard part. Part of your perception might be from the leads in the chorus. In a case like this, I find something that works (as fills) and then use the same thing in the other choruses - the way a guy in the studio would - a repeat of the sound theme. If you leave what is originally generated, it will sound good, but not coherent in context - and will give that sense of "the software doing it all".. hope that made sense...

Hey Floyd,

This is just great - sounds like it could be on the radio. My favorite of your songs so far...

Bob

...and so much to like about your "review". Your thoughts/understanding of what makes a lyric work are good reading - much like Noel's (when he happens by). You hit on a good point regarding the context that you put your "target" in.. The whiny, vindictive, vengeful thing - which can occur often with some writers - is a very bad place to write from. I did a bunch of those when I was young (and whiny and vengeful). They don't work. And no one wants to hear that... Steal away - I may be stealing your thing about the nonsense-syllable-Phil Collins thing to get a lyric started - it sounds like fun...



ROG - Thanks. Always good to know they sound good on the big boys...The Eagles thing was not an original intent - it just happened/evolved... I knew the opening rhythm that I wanted
380:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Syncopated Sugar Ev 102
998:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockLACrispSync Ev 120
...with a simple bass and hard hitting snare gave me that.
The harmonies were much the same as I always do, although I added in some BIABettes with my own. The Oooohs (in the chorus) seemed like the way to go and really start to give you that Eagles thing.
1513:Guitar, Electric, Soloist CountryBrent Ev 065 worked for the song as fills - and it, too, turned out to lend that Eagles flavor (again, unintentional). The solo guitar that I used in the middle (1260:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopShining Ev 120) sounded very repetitive for the outro, so I threw in the slide "echos" to give it some variety - and that immediately hit me like a Felder/Walsh combo.... So it just kept building into a very Eagles-sounding production...

Hi Floyd,

I'm a fan!
No time for commenting. Must get back to listen.

Guenter

Hi Floyd,

That is some achievement and probably my favourite song so far in my short time on these forums!

I echo all the other positive comments. I am also amazed at how you make it sound like it was played by a band rather than a bunch of RTs strung together. Great skills. Thanks for sharing.

Rec

+1 Always a sucker for those Eaglesque oooo's. Great listen FJ.

Josie