[RichyRowlatt]

To be fair, in times of adversity I find they just fall out. I wrote this from the heart - I split up from the mother of my children earlier this year and with all the wrangles over maintenance, the worst kind of fall-outs with her family etc etc I found myself at the end of my tether, sat down and this one took about 20 minutes. I'd written it off until my best mate and bass player in my band heard it and loved it. Excuse the very basic format - I'm in a new house and have literally no set up so it's just me a piano and an iphone - but I also tend to write very basically and take the songs to the band in a basic form so they can put their twist on things. if you'd like to hear the first live cut give me a shout....

Out of Your Head

Sitting in your glasshouse,
Throwing Stones,
Come take it all I don't need it anyway,
You know the best things
In life are free,
So come take some more 'cos I'll give it all away

You say you know where you're going,
But there's no way of knowing,
If you'll ever be free

Now all your colours,
They come shining through,
And the blood is always thicker is what they say
But take a look,
At what you've done,
And then look me in the eyes and run away

You say you know where you're going,
But there's no way of knowing,
If you'll ever be free

So walk on's what you said
As you lay there out of your head
Don't stop now,
It's too late,
Takes a better man,
To keep walking away

Instrumental (excuse the plodding!!!)

You say you know where you're going,
But there's no way of knowing,
If you'll ever be free

So walk on's what you said
As you lay there out of your head
Don't stop now,
It's too late,
Takes a better man,
To keep walking away

http://soundcloud.com/rich-rowlatt/sounds-from-tuesday-evening


So there you have it - my first post

Please let me have your feedback, positive and negative, and prepare yourselves, I've got about a million songs, so one a week for a million weeks!

[Michael]

Hi and welcome to the forum !

The occasion you wrote this about sounds tragic, but you made a great song of it I think.

Lyrically very solid work. I really like the first two lines, I get the feeling I've heard them before, not sure where though.

Great how you lead in to the chorus musically, beautiful chord progression in the chorus itself too.

The piano sounds good, a bit more variation in the pattern would be nice though.

Would love to hear this in a full band setup.

[RichyRowlatt]

Hi Michael,

Firstly, thanks for the welcome!

I know the piano's a bit lame - you'll spot a trend as I post more eg. I'm pretty rubbish on the piano!!

I've always used it more as a tool of expression and concentrated on the 'feel' and the lyrics, and also have the benefit of having a few very talented musical friends who love to play the songs.
Here's the link to the live version:

http://soundcloud.com/rich-rowlatt/walkonmp3

Shortened to 3 minutes due to having to convert from .wav to .mp3.

Thanks so much for your comments and I look forward to listening to some of your stuff,

Rich.

[WhOoSh]

Great song and really well sung. Lot of feeling in that verse

[nooms]

really like this
terrible mix but get used to it, lennon like and pleasing chord sequence
builds anthemic.
you have to record this better.. its a great track be nice to be able to keep the naivety of it but better mix
good luck and welcome to the forum

[RichyRowlatt]

Thanks Nooms. Best quality I could get out of that tiny little speaker on the bottom of the iPhone! Really chuffed you like it though. I've not really been doing much for years but just got a band back together and been writing loads. I've every intention of getting them all recorded properly but need to find the right place and the right people to do it with.
Loving the site, really am, and thanks again for your comments.

[evanjavo]

Congrats getting your band back together, I bet that feels encouraging. I wish I could find that right group of people to put something together. But I'm glad for you man.

I'm really digging the song. Very Beatlesque. The quality isn't great but I get what you're going for and I hear it's potential. Can't wait to hear more, and welcome to the forum.

[Paul]

Hi Richy,

This is s a fine song that would really shine with a good studio production.  It's not unlike Oasis and that's the direction I'd be tempted to steer this track in if I was producing. However, I'd also want to add something to the production that is  unique so that the song would truly have it's own identity.   Though different in melody, it has something that makes me think of 'don't look back in anger'.  It's such a heartfelt song. I wish you the best of luck with your band and the future in general.

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Paul

[Nick Bauer]

hey Richy i'm new here aswell. really like this. I can see where people are coming from on the imagine/don't look back in anger thing with the piano, but i think your voice and melodies are very Bowie like here, in a good way of course. As for the sound quality i don't see a problem with it, after all there is a whole genre dedicated to lo-fi recording. It's a whole lot better than early Daniel Johnston stuff he recorded on a cassette player and some of that is amazing. Good luck with the band mate

[RichyRowlatt]

Thanks for all your comments. It's great having other trained ears listening.

Revolve, the band came about rather by fate - I was recording with a couple of mates for a few years, stuff which I'll post on here over the next few months - trying a dance angle and invariably finding it didn't work as fundamentally I tend to write pop(ish) songs, admittedly with pretty downtrodden lyrics and lots of 'em (incidentally, if someone can teach me how to write a happy song I'll gladly pay them - I'm a pretty happy character but all my songs are about the darker side!) Along the way I put on a  music festival and figured if I was putting on a festival, surely I should be playing at it?! So with 7 weeks to go I put the band together and now we're rocking along nicely, though I hanker after the days when I could spend life writing and gigging. Ho hum, age kinda creeps up on you!

Nick, I agree, production has its' place and is an art in itself, but I do love a recording that sounds like you're listening to a band on the stage of the club you're in the queue for waiting to get in, if you know what I mean.

Paul, I know what you mean about the Oasis thing - totally unintentional and they're not a band I particularly like, but I would've dearly loved to have written Don't Look Back in Anger!!!
P.S. Are you into the producing side of things?

Big thanks guys, nice to get such positive feedback from my first post, think I'll drop another one on now x

[mihkay]

Got some great hooks (yes plural) in there.
I'm not a big fan of the piano style, but you still get the feel of the song over.
Despite the vocal being a bit low in the mix I can still appreciate the melody so it must be catchy. There was the odd wee cliché in there but with the right arrangement, I think this would be a great tune.

Like it man. 

[RichyRowlatt]

Thanks Mihkay.
Richy Rowlatt, king of the cliche! You'll get used to them as I post more

[habiTat]

Look Mr Bowie, why not just come on here as yourself, it's so obviously you 

I love this mate, really really good. Please invest in a condenser mic and the other basic equipment so you can record it better. It really is worth the money. You are very very good.

hab..

[RichyRowlatt]

Thanks hab, you made me laugh out loud with that one! I've got a condenser mic and I shall dig it out when I get the time!

Thanks again,

Richy.

[Binladeda]

Good song...agree with the comments re the mix...but easy to see through that, and hear the potential of this ... bit of bowie and bridge over troubled waters ..I know exactly where you're coming from, and really enjoyed the lyrics and overall feel of the song.  It's good to hear you trying to turn something  hurtful into a thing of beauty. ..Something I was unable to do for a long time after my marriage broke down..just anger and four letter words  ..so well done for that....would have liked to hear more of that guitar break...sounded really good.  Look forward to hearing more of your stuff....welcome