It's thank you time again :-) I am so pleased this song went down well; it is a bit of a departure from my usual. Thank you to all of you who helped this song become the most played song on the Soundcloud forum page for July.
I like this tune a lot. It's a classic story that is well told with great instrumentation and good dynamic production choices.
I like where you go at 1:56 and I love the short instrumental that comes shortly after.
Just a great song all around with a chorus that sticks. Chuckling at the lyrical twist in the last chorus.
@Unclenny Thanks for the kind words - glad you liked the song.
Knockout lyrics and a real down and dirty smoky vibe.
"Freshly turned earth in a wood in Wisconsin"
was the pick of the bunch...and enough to set it apart from the other 95% of writers
i thought that you might have found a couple of bits awkward to phrase? That's maybe more because it's not the sort of thing i'm so familiar with...but it sounds great anyway!
i heard a line the other day...someone described someone else as being "a monday morning quarterback" which i thought was a brilliant line...and i thought "ooh...i wonder if i could use that in a song?" but i don't think i could...i'm too homespun, i think. You could, though...but why would you when you could write something better...
Backing was as cool as can be...and when the sax came in...it sounded like you were banging this out in a bar...and a sax player randomly dropped in for a beer on his way home and when he heard this, he thought "i'm having some of that" whipped it out of the case and joined in.
V cool.
@PaulAds Wow! thanks for the brilliant review - made my day and I'm so pleased that you got so much out of it.
Great tune @montydog! Great storytelling in the lyrics. Love the instrumental at the end. A great classic!
@Andreas Great that you liked the storytelling and thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi Alan I like the dark humour to this and the use of the 'unreliable narrator' who claims innocence. It's funny in songs or fiction, you feel sorry for, in this instance, the protagonist as the evil guy has stolen his missus. Then you realise that he's killed them and this seems quite reasonable in the circumstances quite unlike real life, of course, so you pull off this fictional trick with aplomb. Makes it all very entertaining.
The jaunty blues influenced backing track has a slight dark edge to it, but at the same time seems quite bouncy and merry, again making the revenge murder seem to be inconsequential- if such a deed can be done on top of a cheery piece of music. I found the whole thing intriguing and subtly entertaining. Well pulled off!
@MichaelA Many thanks for the long, thoughtful review. It means a lot.
I thought this was fabulous Alan. Really enjoyed the jazzy vibe .The keys underpinning it are great and it's spot on for your vocals which are sounding mighty fine. Top work all around
@pompeyjazz Thanks for taking the time to listen and review. Brilliant that you liked it so much.
Hi Alan,
This would be a perfect vehicle for Dave Lee Roth in his Eat Em And Smile days.
I think he'd groove big time on this. Sort of like Just A Gigolo.
Loving the delivery.
That bass is just great.
The solo in to sax works perfectly - I'd have been tempted with a little more lead sax.
Cool lyrics. A cracking tune.
Digger
@digger72 Thanks for the great review and for taking the time.
Nicely done! Rhythm flows with a nice shuffle, lead guitar & sax are fitting great
here. As mentioned your baritone suits the theme & story perfectly, I dig it
@Bostonfan2 Glad you dig it and thanks
Alan,
Love the bluesy feel to this, I just flows along with the bass and drums providing a cool shuffled platform for your storytelling and vocals.
Cool guitar and sax solo.
Lots to like here.
:-)
Neil
@Neil C Many thanks for the kind words as always.
Great song Alan, definite laid back bluesy feel.
Like it!
@PeteS Great that you liked the bluesy feel - blues is not my usual thing at all.
@montydog - Love this one, I just imagined walking into a blues bar, and your band was playing this, just like old times, all smokey, hot and the smell of beer, lovely slide guitar. Nothing to add except would love to play the solo on this.
Has a bit of Van the Man in it...
Doesn't sound the same "He drove a Vauxhall Viva 1.6L Estate" does it?
@cowparsleyman No, you're right. American stuff always sounds way cooler. "Fresh turned earth in a wood in Wolverhampton" doesn't quite work!
A perfect classic!!!!
I like how you describe though the lyrics that story @montydog
A very pleasant and elegant track!! The organ sounds great as well as the wind instruments!!
@moraamarolaloba Great that you liked the lyrics and instrumentation. Thanks for listening.
Quality stuff again.
No knits from me.
My favourite line has to be.
It was the weekend that pushed me too far
Great.
@rightly What a weekend it must have been!
Alan, a great bluesy feel here, lovely standout guitar. Tongue in cheek lyric tells the story exceptionally well which is the other standout, also fits the blues so well. I think I agree 'Mediterranean' sounds a little clumsy but that's a very minor point and overall this is great fun to listen to. Geoff
@Furry61 Hi Geoff - great that you liked the song. 'Mediterranean' was a bit tricky. I could do it better now though.
I loved this! I think your more baritone-tone here suits the darker theme, and the jaunty backing sets off it so well.
Lots of lyrical clues as to what's to happen - which we might not get on the first listen but on the second all point to the inevitable conclusion.
Minor criticism - I think the word Mediterranean could be phrased differently, it sounded forced and spoilt that part a bit for me ("Mediterranean sea" might scan better and the loss of the end rhyme wouldn't be noticed I don't think).
But small beans, the overall effect is fabulous, great story and great listen.
@adamfarr Thanks for the great review 'Mediterranean' is an issue I accept.