PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase The Rule (co-write w/ 44kfl)

A co-write with Kenny Leverett (44kfl).

This was originally done as a "Eagles type Country Rock" song using the melody that Kenny wrote.
Kenny sang it and did the instrumentation and mixing, etc.
It was called "Exception To The Rule".

When I considered doing a recording of it, I was a bit tired of doing that style of song...
(I had done a bunch of them).
I re-envisioned it as a moody Rock kind of thing.
(A "reversal of roles" for the two of us....)
I wrote a new melody and did a completely different style production (which Kenny was okay with).
Since they are really different songs, I renamed it as well to keep them separate.

This has been sitting around for a couple of years.
I decided to post it yesterday - to see if it might bring Kenny "out of the woodwork".
He had sort of disappeared on us - and I, for one, missed hearing his cool brand of music.
And, out of the blue... there he was with a new post!!
I thought about putting this back on the shelf for a while, but figured...it must be a sign...



THE RULE

from a spark to a flame
when you whispered my name
but times, i've been burned by blue eyed cool
smoky barroom vignettes
nothing but regrets
there's always an exception to the rule

been stood up, knocked down
my heart's been dragged around
girls like you playing me for a fool
are you just in it for the fun
or could you be the one
could you be the exception to the rule

   you've been slowly breaking my resistance
   with that sweet intoxicating southern drawl
   pretty soon there'll be no safe distance
   should i walk away before i have to crawl

so what's it gonna be
settle in or set me free
are you playing for keeps or playing dirty pool
one last kiss; one last dance
or should we take the bigger chance
there's always an exception to the rule

   you've been slowly breaking my resistance
   with that sweet intoxicating southern drawl
   pretty soon there'll be no safe distance
   should i walk away before i have to crawl

   slowly breaking my resistance
   that sweet intoxicating southern drawl
   soon there'll be no safe distance
   should i walk away before i have to crawl



The BAND:
Style is _POPBRIT.STY (PopBrit 2 Guitars (120 RS))
RealTracks in style: ~388:Bass, Electric, Metal Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 645:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopRockBritEdgy Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 648:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopRockBritHeavy Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 698:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockDirty Ev 120 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 633:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopAmericanMuted Ev 120 (A:sync)
RealTracks in song: 1722:Guitar, Electric, Soloist TexasBluesRockStraightSol Ev 120
RealDrums in style: RockHardModernEv8^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:4 beat Snare, HiHat
Loop - BIAB Cowbell




Hope you enjoy it.
Kenny - welcome back, man!

floyd

Minus the electric solo, I could totally here R.E.M. doing this. (Not that I mind the solo, mind you.)

There is some really sweet jangle rock going on here.

Floyd, I have decided you are really a rocker just pretending to be the sensitive guy.



Great collab guys.

Yeah, I love this!

I like it when you let your inner rock star out, Floyd! You have a good voice for this type of material IMHO.

Lots of good things happening in the production, the holds in the chorus for example. Lead guitar sounds "right" to me, fits the song perfectly.

Nice collaboration you two!

Hi Floyd,

Well, I know I've said it before, but I DO like your heavier side.
And I know you're a Country Boy at heart, but you do full-on rock like
this SO well. Hats off to Kenny as well though, for writing a nice dark
chord sequence for you to mess around with.

Sounds good LOUD, sounds good on the speakers, sounds good in the 'phones,
so must be good. I'm not even gonna ask for the solo to be louder - hey, just
pleased to hear a solo like that in one of your productions.

Can we have so more of this stuff, please?

ROG.

Great write, well sung, excellent rocking mix. In my phones, everything is sitting in it's own space nicely - especially the "heavy" drums.

I particularly liked the "intoxicating Southern drawl" line. I was betting on you rhyming it with "...gonna fall". So much for my powers of prediction!

I enjoyed that song a lot!

Awesome! Sounds dangerous

Sol soloist never sounded better to me, I always seem to audition
him and then go with Brent on everything when using a soloist.

My version was just a straight ahead Dwight Yoakam country-rock
jukebox barroom romp in an E major or G major (can't remember which).

This sounds minor-key dark and more complex, super catchy
like something I wish I'd written.

Great vocal and super mix

you elevated this song!

What a nice back story Floyd. Glad you resurrected this one. Welcome back Kenny.

What a cool collaboration Floyd and Kenny. Awesome rocker. Super lyric, vocals and harmonies. Guitar was just smokin….Well done

nice you gave it a new breath of air! A little dark rock with some attitude. I don't normally listen to much of this but this was pretty danged cool. Loved it1 I like Floyd's harder side . a new look at our our friend! Nice!

Alan

Floyd,

We've said it before, apart from being a good country singer, you really are a very good rocker!
Please go on making this kind of songs.
The mix is excellent.
This is a great rock song, which is very catchy too!
Really good job from both of you!

Rob and Anne-Marie

Hi floyd, I enjoyed this! I really enjoyed the overall tone of this. Fantastic choice of instrumentation, and great work on the guitars they sound very crunchy! Great use of EFX. Thanks for sharing!

Floyd,

As mentioned a couple of years ago, you and Kenny have done a really great job in writing this song. "Burned by blue-eyed cool" is still a standout line!

The current version, though, takes the previous version in a whole new direction.

What stood out to me most was how you've taken what was an AABA format and while you've kept the AABA presentation, you've modified the format so that it finishes with repeated B-sections. That really intrigued me. Normally to end an AABA song using the B section does not work effectively. But that was not the case here. Moreover, these days, the only way that a song usually ends with a B-section is if that B-section is a chorus. In this song of yours and Kenny's, though, the B-section did not sound like a chorus at all to me.

The more I thought about it, the more I came to see that your approach to format reminded me of a jazz technique I've come across a few times recently. There are a number of songs from the 40s/50s that use ABAB where B is definitely neither a chorus nor a bridge but just another musical section. One that springs to mind is Loesser's "If I Were A Bell" from 'Guys and Dolls'.



The first appearance of the B-section starts with Jean Simmons singing "From the moment we kissed tonight..." and ends with "If I were a banner I'd wave." In the following repetition of the A- and B-sections, the B-section ends the the sequence at that point with a slight variation of the original B-section.

In all honesty, I found it very refreshing to hear "The Rule". You and Kenny have given me a great deal to ponder!

Impressive work!

All the best,
Noel

P.S. Also, as always, I was left thinking... "How does floyd manage to produce such a spectacular sound!"

It rocks, really rocks.
You do this sort of thing oh so well.

Yeah, I decided to ditch the "sensitive guy" label... shopping for a leather vest and Harley... arrrrgh...





Thanks, Dave!! BTW - those holds in the chorus are the Medium Rock Brent soloist 120 RT doing holds - that RT does great holds - big, explosive and smooth, hitting just the way they need to for that sound...

Really great rocker with catchy 'big drum' chorus - I like the minor chord approach. Nice lyrics. Vocals, arrangement and mix are excellent. The solo guitar fits like a glove.

Janne

+1 to all the accolades! FJ and Kenny - Great collab! Sounds terrific!

floyd / Kenny

Excellent work - all the accolades deserved. Great mix and a huge sound.
Great work all round.

Peter

Good solid song. Well written, performed and mixed. Enjoyed it Floyd!!! Cliff

Thanks, ROG - you are giving me more confidence about doing Rock numbers - I sometimes think "they aren't my thing"...

Two of my favorite writers (on or off the forum)!!! I knew it would be great, and IT IS!! I can hear both of you in the song. Clever, interesting lyric with some great lines, including

pretty soon there'll be no safe distance
should i walk away before i have to crawl

Just right! The melody is perfect at blending the excitement mixed with apprehension of the relationship. The production/vocals are tops, and the guitar solo is perfect for the song. Certainly one of the forum A-teams! Great, great stuff guys!! Take care. Greg