[redrhodie]

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I've posted a song. Keith, Dave and I have been working on this one for a while. I don't want to say too much about it, because I'm curious to read what you think it's about, and if it has an impact.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,
Lynn


Listen to and Hull Soul Collective Frida And Picasso by faraway my lovely #np on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/user-468459034/fml-with-hsc-frida-and-picasso-5

Frida and Picasso

I am persona non grata
Living only in your lie
Of a place that is brave and free
Until it dies
Until it dies

Black clouds slide through a purple sky
Golden prairie so vast
Kill us all with your kindness then
Forget the past
Forget the past

Middle 8

Here is my heart and my infant son
Tell me how we don't belong
In this land that my mother gave
You in that song
She sang that song
She sang that song
She sang that song
Until it died
Until it died

[LostBoy]

Hi Lynn,

Great to hear something new from you. U have a very nice voice that works very well doubled. I found the lyrics very intriguing, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was about. Sorry mate! (Not that, that really matters, as I can’t figure out what a lot of good songs are about! ) the music is nice...busy, but doesn’t seem to get in the way, which is a compliment to the guys, or yourself if u were playing? I enjoyed the bridge, u lifted it right up with your ooooooooohs, very nice touch there.

There’s something a little weird going on vocally with the word “prairie” The harmony I think sounds just a little off there, but other than that, great job everyone. 

[CaliaMoko]

The double vocals are well matched almost all the time. Two places that could maybe be fixed are "prairie" and the first "Forget the past" (word "past" doesn't end together and "prairie isn't quite together). I'm a real nitpicker, am I not??

I agree it's a bit busy. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It adds to the "feel" of the song, but I would like to hear how it would sound with a "cleaner" mix, just to see how it changes the feel.

Very pretty melody and I like the words, even if I'm not sure what they mean. It almost reminds me of current events, but then again, it could be a story of a young family.

Seems like it's been awhile since I listened to one of yours. Nice to hear your voice again, so light and delicate, quite pleasant to the ear.

Vicki

[tfz]

Really like it - washes over me Like waves. Nice lyrics and melody and I like the voices. I'd perhaps curb the lead on the verses and let them build into the chorus and outro as a build. Lovely work guys.

[rightly]

A joy to hear something new from you.
I like the lyrics,
A lot of ambiguity in there, that draws me in.

Very nice melody and the prominent guitar holds the attention.
Sounds very much like a band.

The Latin often confuses me, I'll have to look it up.

Good work lyn.

[cowparsleyman]

Whato @redrhodie (I listened to this on my tracking cans, which are a little bass heavy!)

This piece is intriuging - Like the melody lines.

I find picked ebow axes sould be kept to a minimum, (the sustained parts are fine) as they kind of glue songs together, and the glue is broken when they are picked, I'd have them spaced about in the stereo field, they also sound a bit unplanned, as if they are improv, and when you have 3 or 4 of them going on at the same time it rather exposes this, and draws one's attention away from the song, but that's just how my mind works 

There is a bit of masking of the lead vocal, by the rhythm section.

A  nice song, the chord seq. at about 1:40 is very nice.

Drums work well in the background, you might work on EQ'ing the bass and drums so they can be heard a bit clearer.

I'm no closer in knowing who Frida and Picasso are, to be honest...

Hope this helps Lynn


Rich
 

[redrhodie]

Thanks everyone. Keith and I appreciate your feedback. I'll address the lyrics, and let Keith talk about the mixing.

Lost boy, it seems you're not alone in not knowing what it's about. Vicki has gotten it right, it's about current events, specifically the treatment of "illegal aliens" here, and the new enforcement of the policy to take children away, and keep them in detention facilities, while their parents are deported without them.

Persona non grata is someone who doesn't belong. It's about being an illegal alien, a term being used wrongly these days to describe refugees. "Living only in your lie of a land that is brave and free" is the US. What I see happening is not brave or free. This is not how our system is supposed to treat refugees and immigrants.

Black clouds are symbolic of trouble or evil. The purple sky is the states, which are red, blue, or a mix of both, which is purple. Golden prairies so vast is the wealth and abundance of this land. There is enough food for everyone. There could be enough housing for everyone. There's no reason anyone should go hungry or be homeless. Kill us all with your kindness then forget the past is about people who pretend to be kind but are willing to support, or turn a blind eye, to this, and who forget all the times atrocious things like this have happened before.

Here is my heart and my infant son is about loving what this country is supposed to be, and also about what it must be like to have your baby taken away by this government. The song her mother sings is most likely This Land is Your Land.

So, that's what's been going on here. I feel helpless to change what's happening, except to use the only tool I have, which is my voice.

I'm not sure I've succeeded, though, because I evidently made it too obscure.

Thanks again for taking the time to listen to me. Really appreciate you guys.

Lynn

[Skub]

Yo Lynn and Keith.

A dreamy,tripped out piece,very busy with lots of ambience. The melody floats on a sea of ambience,bobbing along there and remaining unsinkable.

It's probably not what the song is about,but I could easily read it as depicting the colonists treatment of the native Americans. The first two lines suggested that to me immediately.

Very cool song. 

[montydog]

Hi,

First off, that melody is a cracker which is worth the price of admission on it's own. I thought the arrangement was a bit muddy and came in fully formed from the beginning which is a little unusual. Having said that, I guess you were going for a dreamy feel which you have achieved. I  like that the lyrics are ambiguous - it means I can make it about anything in my own imagination. I thought the vocals were a little unvaried in their delivery but that kind of fitted in with the rest of the song. Very likable song with that lovely melody.

M

[diademgrove]

As Lynn said the song is about the US government ripping families apart, the music reflects that. It is meant to be unglued as it represents the consequences of the government's actions using the voices of the children and their parents. The song could also apply to the US governments' treatment of Native Americans over the centuries (well spotted Skub). I recently read an article about how Native American children were taken from their parents to force feed them Christianity but that was after the song was more or less finished.

Frida is Frida Kahlo. Picasso is Pablo Picasso, both of them great artists. If you are interested in why they are in the song title have a look at their paintings and you'll eventually find the relevant ones. There's clues in the Soundcloud picture.

Thanks for all the comments,

Keith

[redrhodie]

Yo Lynn and Keith.

A dreamy,tripped out piece,very busy with lots of ambience. The melody floats on a sea of ambience,bobbing along there and remaining unsinkable.

It's probably not what the song is about,but I could easily read it as depicting the colonists treatment of the native Americans. The first two lines suggested that to me immediately.

Very cool song. 

Thanks Skub. Yes, as Keith's already said, the treatment of native Americans is part of it as well. Thanks for the repost, too! Really appreciate it. You're too kind.

Hi,

First off, that melody is a cracker which is worth the price of admission on it's own. I thought the arrangement was a bit muddy and came in fully formed from the beginning which is a little unusual. Having said that, I guess you were going for a dreamy feel which you have achieved. I  like that the lyrics are ambiguous - it means I can make it about anything in my own imagination. I thought the vocals were a little unvaried in their delivery but that kind of fitted in with the rest of the song. Very likable song with that lovely melody.

M

Thanks for the comment, Montydog. I actually wasn't going for a dreamy feel this time. I think my voice just sounds that way. Haha. I also didn't think I was being ambiguous, but I understand this might not have been as big a news story in England as it was here. Maybe some of my word choices, especially the Latin, made it ambiguous. Of course it's fine to make what you will of it. That's part of songwriting, the listener interprets the song their way, which is cool.

I'm really pleased you like the melody so much.

Thanks again,
Lynn

[pompeyjazz]

Hi guys. I always enjoy listening to your collabs.  As usual Lynn's vocals are fab. The double tracking works so well. My only minor crit would be that the mix is slightly muddy but no great shakes. Cool song 

[RealKevM]

Hi, wonderful tone to your voice. The guitar hook is great.

[Mikey]

I like it a lot, the vocalis really nice, and I like the driving backing track, I actually like the slight muddiness of the mix, it reminds me of Bowies Heroes.

Cheers, Mikey

[MichaelA]

The song is very dreamy and melancholic, suggesting a longing for something. The 'infant son' lyric suddenly caught my interest and then I realised the subject, and yes it is quite dramatic.

The vocals are lovely and delicate and the electric rock band remains mostly constrained so as not to overwhelm a sensitive message. I say 'mostly' as I think the lead guitar comes in a bit too prominently on the first verse. After that it all glides together very nicely as works to create a strong impact. Good one!