Johnbee58 Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 (edited) As I had to remove the previous song I posted due to controversial subject matter, I thought I'd "replace it" with another tune. This is bluesy but not beyond the norm of most bluesy songs. No controversy here. I just want to make sure I haven't become the Sinead O 'Connor of the Cakewalk forum. I didn't really want to rattle anybody's cage with the last tune and I'm sorry some took it that way. Here's "An Easier Way to Let Me Down", a tune I did back in 2017. Using Toontrack EZ Keys & EZ Drummer, Trilian Bass, Hammond organ by Native Instruments and horns by Garritan. https://johnbowen.bandcamp.com/track/an-easier-way-to-let-me-down I will get to listening to some other's tunes on the board a bit later. ?John B Edited May 7, 2019 by Johnbee58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybrun Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 (edited) I am sorry you had remove your song before I got to comment on it. I for one understood your message and that music is a form of personal expression not matter what the subject. I was not offended in anyway and could relate to your song and your message. Edited May 7, 2019 by garybrun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbee58 Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 2 hours ago, garybrun said: I am sorry you had remove your song before I got to comment on it. I for one understood your message and that music is a form of personal expression not matter what the subject. I was not offended in anyway and could relate to your song and your message. Amen to this!! Thanks! ?JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybrun Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 (edited) Hi John. I have listened to your song quite a few times now and it is quite complex. Also quite sad... reckon the song comes from experience? Lots of great little bits in there with horns and other instruments. Did you pan your voice slightly to the left (10 o'clock) to the left and not center. It through me a little as I thought my speakers where out?? Edited May 8, 2019 by garybrun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbee58 Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 33 minutes ago, garybrun said: Hi John. I have listened to your song quite a few times now and it is quite complex. Also quite sad... reckon the song comes from experience? Lots of great little bits in there with horns and other instruments. Did you pan your voice slightly to the left (10 o'clock) to the left and not center. It through me a little as I thought my speakers where out?? Nothing wrong with your speakers. The vocals are panned about 10:00 to the left. But I think I panned the reverb far right (not sure. Have to check. That project is two years old but I still have it archived). Not necessarily inspired by personal experience. I write the music first, then write the words according to the feeling the music gives me. Thanks for checking it out. ?John B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arlen2133 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 HI John, I listened to your song (liked it a lot).. Good recording.. Sounded nice in my work headphones... Sorry you had to take down one of your songs.. I haven't been around consistently to have caught it while it was up. But this one will do nicely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjornpdx Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 John I like the steady groove in the background - piano, drums, bass - that supports the vocal. And then you add in the horns for a jazzy kind of sound. Really nice break at 2:28 that transitions back to the main theme perfectly. Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynn Wilson Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 John, this is one of your best songs, yet. It has a nice Steely Dan feel, and these lyrics are bluesy. Stay true to yourself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbee58 Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 Arlen, Bjorn & Lynn-Thanks so much! ?JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy j Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Nice one John! You have blended a Blues/Old Style R &B with a kind of Jazzy swing. The rhythmic flow of this song really carries it along and the horns really add a lot. I think that the panning that you used worked for a good separation of voice and horns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbee58 Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, freddy j said: Nice one John! You have blended a Blues/Old Style R &B with a kind of Jazzy swing. The rhythmic flow of this song really carries it along and the horns really add a lot. I think that the panning that you used worked for a good separation of voice and horns. Thanks, Freddy. Yes, that was the reason why I panned the vocal to the left. To create separation between the horns and the voice so they wouldn't be in each others way in the mix. ?JB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegaltieribrothers Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Hi John, Freddy was spot on saying this is a jazzy old style blues R&B track, but with a more modern phrasing. Thanks for sharing. Good Job! regards paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywtelejazz Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 (edited) Hi John, Very interesting song on a lot of fronts . I enjoyed the modal piano part up against the S Dan bass style part . Gave your tune a nice rhythmic bounce .. As the song develops you go into some very complex chordal and song arrangements featuring instrument change ups horns and nice sub motifs that play off each other . Good stuff there . Seems you stand apart in that area ...must have taken a lot of time to get that right I got your songs vocal message VIA listening and then reading your lyrics . Since I am a non vocalist ...can't say much about whats happening there ... Overall you seem to have a quirky bone here and there in your musical bone structure ... BTW that is a complement in my book .... A little over 10 years ago ..I used to joke around w a few forum members on the old songs forum It seems a number of my tunes had their own thing going on and they didn't fit into a box Because of that , I used to call myself Captain Quirk .. all the best, Kenny Edited May 10, 2019 by Kenny Wilson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramscapri Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 Cool Bluey track John. Nice drums, horns and vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakku Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 Very nice. Although I really am a fan of less than four minutes long songs, I can 'forgive you' , as the song was of high quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbee58 Posted May 12, 2019 Author Share Posted May 12, 2019 Paul, Kenny, ramscapri and kakku- Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and comment. ?JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhonoBrainer Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 You should write for Steely Dan, plain and simple! Of course they are defunct. And you have your own thing going on that's great. That bridge or what you might call it, that's really complex and wonderful. I think your vocals here are some of your best vocal work. It's noticeable that you've thought out some reverb/delay and it works. The sax-horn harmonizing towards the end also has this treatment. The organ has nice effects, too. For me, I'm finding the piano a little dry, maybe just a hair of some treatment on it might blend the piano in to the rest. That's a proper fade-out ending! nice choice. cheers, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbee58 Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 6 hours ago, emeraldsoul said: You should write for Steely Dan, plain and simple! Of course they are defunct. And you have your own thing going on that's great. That bridge or what you might call it, that's really complex and wonderful. I think your vocals here are some of your best vocal work. It's noticeable that you've thought out some reverb/delay and it works. The sax-horn harmonizing towards the end also has this treatment. The organ has nice effects, too. For me, I'm finding the piano a little dry, maybe just a hair of some treatment on it might blend the piano in to the rest. That's a proper fade-out ending! nice choice. cheers, -Tom Wow! I do appreciate that assessment, but Don and Walter did a pretty good job without my help. My stuff is garbage compared to theirs, but they are a big inspiration and influence for me. I agree with the dry piano comment. The other day I tried adding some little bit of verb to it, but I couldn't find a room in any of the reverbs I have to suit it. but................ I sent some of the raw tracks to another member of this forum and he's working on a remix/remaster. Last week he sent me a PM with a link to my current mix through Altiverb's Memphis recording studio room. Knocked me on my *****! I asked him if he could do the whole song and he said he would take it on. I can't wait to hear his work. ?JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daryl1968 Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 Hi John. Definitely more than a nod to Steely Dan on this one. Mix-wise, vocals are a bit up front. Good stuff again though mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 Nice one John! I really like the slow steady swing of this. Lynn was right, I hear a little Steely Dan in there as well. The song threw me a little around 2:30 where it changes up, but in a good way. Really good piece of work John! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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