I like the bareness of this. It's really refreshing. Excellent fingerpicking!
It sounds like this is the heart of what your music really is. What's
interesting is that it sounds like there's some doubling on the
vocal...maybe there's a chorus effect or something, so it's still
sounding like a wall of sound to me.

I would like to go to the southern hemisphere sometime...this is some
nice encouragement!

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Thanks Jim, I have to admit to a doubling of the whole thing - I recorded it a
few weeks ago, and forgot I'd done it. From you, I am very happy to have a
positive re the fingerpicking - developed on my 12 string, the translation to 6
string has been interestiing! This is certainly how all my songs start out.
Glad you dropped in for a listen - appreciate that!
Neil

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I like this raw approach (well you know what my tracks sound like!). I
agree that the acoustic fingerstyle guitar work is great. The vocals sound
cool too...this has a great intimate vibe
Steve

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Cheers Steve! I sure was nervous about putting this up! The intimate style
doesn't sit real well with me, but I'm pretty pleased that it seems to be going
down OK with MJers. I have a version with country rock guitars, drums, bass
and 5 part harmonies, but it needs lots of work - we'll see if that ever gets a
run in the park!
Thanks for listening and leaving a comment.
Neil

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I'm so proud of you for having the guts to strip off most of the
doubling and let your simple arrangement and production and great
voice shine.

As always, your lyrics rule, "it's a universal antidote," is one I
particularly like the sound of. It's so funny to think that it's summer in
Australia. I'll bet Santa wears a Speedo when he hits your part of the
world.

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Thanks for listening Lisa. It was a really big "take a deep breath" moment putting this up - I'm glad I did, as it has taken me over a hurdle I needed to jump.
Cheers,
Neil

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The vocal is Just as Pleasing as Single TX, as shown here. I presume
you know this and Mostly Double for Contextural Affect. Both Great.

The finger-style is quite good, but the guitar mic sounds a little "hot"
on this Gear (well, the song Is about Summer, after all).

What You Mean, "Last GarageBand Song", Kimosabe? That just means
new software and such, Right? Not, "Thank you, thank you very much.
Elvis has Left the Building"? Right?

Best regards,
Cooper

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Cheers Cooper, Yes, the guitar is probably a bit too close to peaking - I always like to get as close as I can to full sound value for my dollar, and I may have been a little greedy here. Thanks for the listen and the comment.
Catch you later.
Neil

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Hey Tonto, forgot to mention that I've moved to Logic. Nothing could tear me away from MJ!

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Like how the picking gathers around the vocal. I hear a little REO
Speedwagon in your voiice.

Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks Bill, glad you took the time to drop by and have a listen,
Cheers,
Neil

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to your voice. I'm glad the hurdle has been cleared. I'm looking forward to hearing more like this! I can't explain why, but the tone of your voice just sucks you in. Really, really cool.

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Thanks Josh - have a new one with lots of Vox coming up next - can't sustain
this simplicity for too long I'm afraid! Thanks for leaving a comment,
Neil

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about this one is the up-tempo fingerpicking approach. This could
easily have become one of those sickly-sweet, sentimental songs but
this has just enough edge to take it out of that overdone realm.

Nice up-front vocal production too :)

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Craig, the new mic has done wonders for the volume, sound and presence of
the vox. I don't expect to have any more "hidden" lead vox. Thanks for the
comment, looking forward to your next song.
Cheers,
Neil

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Simple composition.
The guitar and the song are sung.
Good melody and good climate.


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Arigato Tadashi-san!
Neil

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I will comment about this in more detail later today, Neil. Another nice
tune, sir.

Dion

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I will comment about this in more detail later today, Neil. Another nice
tune, sir.

Dion

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As always, you have artfully put together some fairly poetic lyrics. I
really like this; and although I have truly liked your previous works, I
especially like the FX-less voice and guitars on this. Perfect for the end
of springtime, where things tend to start clean, stripped and anew,
while readying for the upcoming seasons.

I wouldn't have thought to ponder if I might like your singing voice w/o
fx if you hadn't stripped it to offer it up to share in this way. I might
not ever think to ponder or question to differentiate between the two,
but your voice has a naturally distinctive and rich quality to it. I
wouldn't know to think that you or anyone would filter such a voice
with the thoughts that it sounds better. Well, I do understand how we
can sometimes have a lower opinion around something that could have
us in a most vulnerable position and yes, the addition of fx makes for a
safer bet, but it's not gamble that you would ever need to reconsider,
Jiguma. The richness in your voice is warm and more textural while
allowing for it to be more intimate and present in the way that it is
presented here and in most other ways. I would think... I actually just
assumed that the fx most likely make your voice sound better and that
it has been the source of this distinctive, jiguma sound. Way silly me...
You were born this way, how cool is that...

And of course, the same thing holds true for the voice of your guitar, it
is much warmer and more natural w/o fx too. It's all still classic
Jiguma, but more so now as it is closer to the originating source...
That'd be you, Neil.

I sure hope that we are in for more of these naturally occurring events,
but it matters not, you will always be the one that determines how and
what it is that you would like to share and so far, so damn good...

Dion

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What can I say Dion?! Thanks for your comments on this (and all my other
posts) - yours are comments I especially wait for - partly ego driven I guess,
but also because I value your perspective, and am confident that you'll let me
know if there is something I need to do differently. Keeping this at the bare
bones level here was really hard for me - I had actually posted this some
weeks ago, but pulled it before it became active. Don't expect too many of
these, as I found this a bit stressful.
Thanks again for dropping in to listen and comment on this and the others -
not sure if I'm actually in control of what happens (no I'm not coming over
religious), songs just seem to appear and I let them grow. Having a stack of
fun doing this though!!
Best Season's Wishes to you and yours Dion,
Neil

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I am sitting here in a studio that could double for a meat storage unit,
in three fuzzy sweaters (layers, ya know)...outside it's a bout 10�f...and
yer song makes me wanna say shut UUUUUP!!!....

seriously...the guitaring is superb...the singing sounds confident and
strong, lovely chord changes and a sparkly production....now...go to
the beach.

great work...more please!

z

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Thanks Fran, Can't write much - I'm off to the beach!
Cheers,
Neil

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had me daydreaming of summers past.....the vocal delivery and
fingerpickin just ties it all together.....thanks for the trip!

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Thanks for listening Mcboy - had a great Christmas day today - the friends
from Singapore and family from Sydney all arrived safe and sound!
Seasons Greetings,
Neil

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I always prefer a stripped down more bedroom/campfire sound to the big
production/wall of sound feel. I think the song fills out nicely. It sounds
like there are more than one guitar and the vocal is full and doesn't sound
flat at all. Why is this your last GB song?

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Thanks Chris!
Its because I've moved on to Logic Express, which I just find much easier to
work with. Happy Christmas!
Neil

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jiggy - censored! censored!! censored!!! i am sick with envy - you make
it all sound delicious - you have a great christmas barbie on the beach -
thank you for sharing this (i think!!!) and my favourite bit is the very last
line with your pure, pure voice xxx

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Thanks Caro,
If it makes you feel any better, its raining now - will have to be a barbie in the
back yard. Can I borrow the bear to shoo off the kangaroos?
Have a good Christmas!
Neil

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I've been so frustrated with my Internet this week... I knew this song
(and a few others) was up and I couldn't get it to play... Some days I
couldn't load the page...

Tonight I finally heard it. Your voice is great on this. Your voice, in fact,
has a nice "furry" quality to it as a single track (although you ARE doing
SOMETHING to it, aren't you, besides doubling? One of the GB presets?
), which, paradoxically, may be why your voice doubles and quadruples
so well...

I like the lyric and the optimistic vibe of this song. I always appreciate
your natural feel for detail... Your songs never come across as
generic... you have some universality to 'em, but never at the expense
of the particular... I have a sense of you being who and where you are,
even as I respond to a more general emotional message...

About to turn yourself loose on Logic. Hats off to ya, mate... I've got
Logic Express and have barely made a dent... Maybe next vacation.... I
look forward to hearing what you do in that expanded medium...

As always, a great pleasure to listen....

Ed

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Thanks Ed,
Really appreciate your comments (as always). On checking back, I used the
master track setting "pop ballad" whatever that entails. I'm just about to
finish a "Logic only" track, and am finding that Logic just makes things so
much easier. The mixing window is such a huge improvement on GB, and is
worth the price alone. I also like the way Logic allows more control of effects
and transport in general. It really is amzaing for me that people actually like
my voice - thanks for the positive comments.
Cheers,
Neil

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