Rated Blue - "Chances Are"

[GMaq]

Hi!

Here's an original song I wrote recently and it came together in the studio pretty quickly which is usually a hopeful sign..

With the Covid-19 lockdown I was lucky to have a drummer "quaranteamed" with me but the Bass playing and Keyboard stuff I had to roll up my sleeves and do myself this time, this is my first recorded kick at the can on our studio Hammond organ so be gentle.. Recorded with Ardour 5.12.

I guess you could call this a prayer or a plea for unity... For now it's hosted on my webspace but it will eventually find it's way onto our next album project. Comments and critiques are appreciated..

http://bandshed.net/music/RATED_BLUE/JO ... SE-MIX.mp3

[tseaver]

Nice work! The song holds together really well. I like the bridge / interlude's use of sampled speech.

The only critique I can offer is that the panning seems a bit unbalanced: having all the guitars on the right, with everything else kind of centered, leaves the left side feeling empty.

[turbidh20]

Good stuff I possibly agree with tseaver on the guitars but sounds great anyway.

p.s. I wish I had a drummer

[ufug]

Great to hear your original stuff. I enjoy everything you share but this is a whole new level.

The arrangement and the playing are superb. The builds, the way the strings come in, and those sweet backing vocals... it's a worthy late 70s-style AM top 40 rock radio tune. Right up my alley. I loved it and was ready to leave it at that.

Then @ 2:50 all bets are off and I was floored until the end. The transition going into the rawk part and the impossibly smooth extraction into the coda is some mighty advanced writing/arranging. This is not easy stuff to pull off. The mixing is totally on-point for the song (although I do wish the main vox were pushed up a db, which is the only constructive comment I can think to give. The panning is spot-on IMHO and compliment the style of the music quite well).

How dare you! Can't wait to hear the whole project.

[milo]

A solid track, and as always the drumming and guitar work are top-notch. The composition has a definite "Wings" feel to it, probably because the bridge reminds me of "Live and Let Die." I like it; it's very effective.

I do think the string synth is a bit loud in the mix during the choruses.

[GMaq]

@tseaver @turbidh20 @milo

Thanks so much for taking the time to listen and comment! The mix isn't set in stone yet but as I've gone on about in great length in other posts I'm not a big fan of the rigidity of contemporary panning..

@ufug

Thanks very much, the parts for the song kind of just fell into my lap as I was writing it and I'm glad to hear they are functional to your ears...lol. I was a bit unsure about the 'rawk' part but since I'm also an avid jam band lover I thought it would be a nice bit to step out on when playing it live...*shrugs. My GF cried when she heard the MLK quote going into the coda so I knew I was on the right track..

On a further listen I think I'm going to pull the response harmonies from the first chorus and have them come in with the strings on the second chorus.. and I may give the vocals a little more presence instead of a volume nudge.

Again, thanks everyone for sharing your time and opinions!

[Rainmak3r]

Very groovy! Starts great, and becomes amazing in the last couple of minutes.

[folderol]

Hmm. Thought I'd already commented. Still, very much enjoyed this. I always especially like to hear peoples own completely original work.

[gennargiu]

Glenn is roker rules gnu linux very well guitar,voice and drums performance

gennaro

[GMaq]

@Rainmak3r @folderol @gennargiu

Thanks guys! Been busy offline for a couple of weeks and just saw these comments, appreciate it!

[jeanette_c]

This is sublime! I like the song, the way you capture the 70s spirit in composition and performance. I loved the bridge particularly, because it speaks to my current mood so well. Your vocals are great, you have something very much 70s there and I don't think this is the processing, though that helps.
If anything, I thought the bass was a little too promiment in the beginning. Later on the level sounded just fine. This really is a good transparent mix and none of that modesty about your organ playing. Stay friendly with that organ! I get your point of view when it comes to panning. Again, in the beginning the sound appeared a little askewed, but it did so in other songs of the era.

[GMaq]

Thanks for the kind words @jeanette_c

The 70's thing seems to be hardwired into my DNA, I was born in the 60's, musically came of age in the 80's but what gets on tape (or Hard disk) always sounds 70's...*shrugs