Bert Guy

WQW!

I rate this a Power Pop Triple Banger: a great lyric married to a great tune married to a great, riffin' arrangement/ performance. that has a cool, driving, &  sustained momentum.

My only crit would be to boost the drums a bit during the instrumental.

A very strong track, in any case.

Cheers,

Bert

Awesome synth groove on this one. What a cool soundscape! 

Two thumbs up,

Bert

A fun, breezy song with a fun. breezy arrangement. Nice, light touch with the guitars.

Two thumbs up.

Cheers,

Bert

Jesse,

I love the lumbering, dissonant groove to this one.  The guitar is total dope.   The synth is all over the place.

Gonzo to the max. 

Production values are strong, as usual. 

One of your best, if you ask me.

Cheers,

Bert

On 4/3/2023 at 10:32 PM, bjornpdx said:

One of those songs that sticks in your head for a while and that's a good thing.

So, just an opinion from a casual listener here but I think the piano follows the melody a bit too much, like it's competing with the vocal. The voc might stand out better if the piano weren't as prominent.
-Bjorn

 

Bjorn,

Good observation :  many moons ago when recorded I the basic tracks on Sonar7, among my multiple deficiencies as a player was I didn't know  how to voice lead, and  for that matter, how to play a proper accompaniment in general. When I was doing some mixing recently, I found the piano distracting as well. Unfortunately its embedded in the submix at this point.

Thanks for listening,

Bert

On 4/3/2023 at 10:32 PM, bjornpdx said:

One of those songs that sticks in your head for a while and that's a good thing.

So, just an opinion from a casual listener here but I think the piano follows the melody a bit too much, like it's competing with the vocal. The voc might stand out better if the piano weren't as prominent.
-Bjorn

 

On 4/17/2023 at 1:32 PM, freddy j said:

A good song indeed!  Lots of good suggestions above.  I enjoyed listening and with a few tweaks I think you will have achieved what your are looking for.

On 4/19/2023 at 1:33 PM, Jesse Screed said:

Hello Bert, I really like this song.  It reminds me of Fleetwood Mac.  I really like the piano.  When the guitar finally comes in ti tells a story all on it's own.  One of the poppiest WTF relationships song ever.  Thank you

Hey guys,

Your comments about the song itself are very much appreciated.  I consider myself more of a writer/composer than a singer/player, such that if I come up with something I think is good, I may have to keep at it a while until I get something near what I heard in my head.  Hence I've nursed this one along for almost 20 years, having recorded the basic tracks at my apartment in Baton Rouge on Sonar7, taken the tracks to a studio twice to overdub background vocals & GTR, & bass. and to recently add vocals on my current rig (Sonar X3). 

And Jesse, I'll take Fleetwood Mac any day of the week; they are about as good as pop gets after the Beatles.

Cheers,

Bert

Jesse,

Very cool instrumental, here. I love the way it dissonantly swings, sways,  lurches and stumbles. 

And , as usual, very well recorded.

Cheers,

Bert

On 3/28/2023 at 12:39 AM, Supa Reels said:

Good for a demo idea but the mix is severely lacking making the whole song toppy. Good to see lyrics but your vocal is, in some, places is very low. One last thing is that it's a happy tune with a sad message ...perhaps you meant to do it that way, who knows but you.

I would suggest a remix with the comments here in mind 

On 4/4/2023 at 2:34 AM, Keith Wilby said:

I think that that is no bad thing; I've done it myself once or twice and if you can get it to work then I think it works well. It's a bit like in a drama, where someone is being threatening or sinister, to have them eat a sandwich at the same time, a bit like putting the ordinary with the absurd.

Well I know what I mean anyway 🤣

Here's one I did earlier:

https://www.bandlab.com/post/dbf9a90e3b3ee81180c300155d65202b_4894bae075f447dfbd9119b410257cc5

When I wrote this song, the first thing I got was the chorus and I heard it in my head as upbeat- in D major. In retrospect, I probably was hoping that we could get back together and reestablish the rapport mentioned in the first verse,  and, in any event I wasn't going let it get me down. Hence the upbeat feel.  This song is based on an actual experience and I was genuinely perplexed at the time that it all seemed to have fallen through.  

Cheers,

Bert

BTW, we reunited  a few years later and the pic is us returning to New Orleans for some pre-nuptial fun in 2007.

On 3/27/2023 at 8:00 AM, DeeringAmps said:

Enjoyed the listen.
One note, after On a sweet spring night in New Orleans the next line walks over the top of Orleans.
I think maybe I'd put a measure in there to separate those two lines.
Your song, your production...

t

DA,

Very interesting observation.  I am glad you made it.

I took multiple liberties with song form (consciously or otherwise) in this song, all with the idea of advancing the story : beginning the song with the chorus, contemplatively  taking down both verses to a slower tune with piano and voice only, changing the lyrics in the final chorus reprise, ,and,  especially the point you reference. What I did there was appropriate the music from the second part of the chorus & write lyrics that formed an extension of the first verse (in lieu of going to the chorus at that point).  I heard it in my head as an overlapping vocal, probably to emphasize its connection to the first verse. At the end of the (non-extended) second verse, there is a proper pause after "on a sweet spring night in New Orleans" before I pop into the chorus.  

Thanks for listening,

Bert

On 3/26/2023 at 11:06 AM, Lynn Wilson said:

Bert. this is a lovely song that has a cool vibe.  I like the wide panning in the mix, which makes the instruments easy to  hear and carves out a space for the vocals.  However, I may be hearing a little of what Nigel hears.  Since the mix has a healthy dose of volume, it could be that the limiter or compressor is a little aggressive.  I hear a lack of breathing in the mix which tends to flatline the sound overall.  But, that is all; the vocals are sweet, and the rest of the song is just waiting for a small tweak or two to be stellar!

Lynn,

Always good to hear from you. 

I think your observation is a good one- I did compress the final mix a bit. Easy fix, there- that's what knobs are for. 

Cheers,

Bert

On 3/26/2023 at 12:59 AM, Bajan Blue said:

Hi - a good track, have to say though I struggled a bit with the vocal processing - sounded a bit hissy to me.

Apart from that, all good

Nigel

Nigel,

Thanks for listening. I was concerned about recording this vocal as the song was pitched in D-major- out of my baritone range. But I was  determined to record it in D because that was the way I heard it in my head : an upbeat  Neil Sedaka like piano based pop tune with high pitched male vocal. As a result I probably over compensated with the vox  processing to fatten up my falsetto. And I think that is what you are hearing. I will  tweak the vocal after I get additional input.

Bert

Quote

 

Very sweet good-bye lover tune. The guitars shimmer and the vocals are smooth and warm.  

Lots of beauty, here.

Cheers,

Bert

Hey all.

Every once in a while I get a decent idea for a pop tune.

On a sweet spring night in New Orleans...

https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=6495028

Really nice pop tune, here. The vocals stand out -very 60's.   I like the open arrangement- it leaves a nice space in the center for the vocals.

Thanks for the detailed explanation of your production. I am checking out EzDrums currently.

Cheers, 

Bert

Lynn,

Cool project  for more than one reason.

First off, you have something to say, and, it is said in an interesting/original way, with a melody that takes unexpected twists and turns.

Also, the instrumental part is strong with shifting rhythms and textures. Nice guitar lines.

Cool stuff all the way around.

Cheers,

Bert

Cool cover of a great song.

The vocals sit better in the mix in the second version to my ears, but that is without the drum part -which is good.  Maybe back out of the drums a bit & soften them up.

And the oldest trick in the book to fatten up a vocal is to actually double track it.  

Good stuff, either way.

Cheers,

Bert

My goodness, it looks like you are having some multi-tasking fun. here.  Boys with Toys to the max !

Cool rocking tune by a one man garage band and a fun video. 

Cheers,

Bert

Sprightly pop tune with a sunny vibe.  Reminds me a bit of Fountains of Wayne. 

Thumbs  up.

Cheers,

Bert 

Very interesting recording.

Lux Aeterna is a sacred text that has been set to music many times: from Gregorian chants to famous modern pieces, as in the present case.  This particular version could be based on a ancient chant tune, but I can't confirm that. 

I really like hearing these ancient tunes played on modern instruments- I've dabbled in that some myself.

This arrangement revolves around a strong, warmly distorted electric guitar part. Nice contrast with the synth parts,

Very cool stuff.

Cheers,

Bert

Delightful tune from the FM's. Nice recording, too. I love all the details, especially the jingle bells.

Merry Christmas !

Bert

On 11/14/2022 at 3:21 PM, Lynn Wilson said:

This is a terrific song that's searching for a terrific mix.  The drum issue has been brought up, and I agree with those observations, and I also think that the drums should be at least as loud as the guitars.  This song is looking for a driving kick and snare beat with body.  I also had trouble locating the bass guitar at times.  As mentioned before, your lyrics are inspired and deserve to be heard!  Turn those vocals up above the instruments (slightly), and you'll be in the ball park.  I enjoyed the unpredictable middle section, which makes your arrangement a step above.  A few more tweaks and this will be stellar.

Lynn,

Thanks for your comments on the song itself. I worked off and on for six weeks to finish this lyric (and read three books about Las Vegas).  And yeah. I am happy with the bridge- its hard to write a good one in my experience.

I agree with your comments about the drums- I think it needs a popping snare, especially during the chorus. Unfortunately, the instrumental parts are imbedded in a 16 year old studio mix. I have the raw tracks and I am sure I could fix the drums, but I know I can't edit the guitars as well as the engineer did. 

Cheers,

Bert

On 11/5/2022 at 5:18 AM, Wookiee said:

Some elements of Frank Zapper in the lyrics, to these furry ears.  Nice enough track if I had one observation the drums feel a little monotonous,  to these furry ears they need some finessing. 

Good recording though.

On 11/7/2022 at 8:42 AM, Bajan Blue said:

I agree with Wookie - tracks OK but with some different programing on the drums, could be a great track - enjoyed the Guitar

Cool

Nigel

 

Wookie and Bajan,

I agree- the drums are a problem with this mix.  To my ears, it lacks a popping snare part, especially during the chorus. 

Unfortunately, this drum part is embedded in a studio mix of GTR/bass/drums that I am working with in CW.  I do have the raw tracks, so if I had any sound engineering chops,  I could possibly remix the drums separately and sync it with the existing mix. 

So thanks for listening and offering constructive crits- very helpful.

Cheers,

Bert

Orygun is a quirky and enjoyable instrumental, with a  bouncing rhythm and nice surprises in the lead lines.

Laid back to the max.

Cheers,

Bert

Gorgeous tune. Very well played and sung, 

Cheers,

Bert

A  few years ago, I posted an old (2007) mix of this tune on the old CW website. I got some good crits that I employed in this remix/remaster. 

This tune will be on my upcoming album : 

 The Lost Vegas Sessions/   Songs About Bad Girls and Dead Singers 

     Bert Guy and the Up All Night Band

https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=14488467

Cheers.

Bert