..... of my favourite MJers! First, absolutely wonderful vocals (and harmonies) from Lisa - hadn't realised how much I'd missed your voice here. Shades of The Beatles (Dear Prudence I suppose).
Beautiful, delicate playing Jim, and wonderfully subtle production. The acoustic bass sounds so real, both in tone and in the way you've "played" it. Talk about a glut of plugins/programs Jim - I'd be happy with any one of the ones you mention!
Love it!
Neil

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... coming from one of my favorite macjammers. ;-)

I think this is definitely the chord progression from Dear Prudence and it never hurts to borrow from those guys, does it? I think Jim changed it up a bit from the original version, so it's been Bouchardized.

I missed my voice here, too! Only I realized it and it was driving me bonkers. It's a very different experience to participate as a listener when I'm used to being in the thick of things. I agree that Jim did a lovely job with the music and chose a really nice bass sound. Thanks, Neil!

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where to start to respond? How about the technical stuff? As far as plug-ins go, you can download the free trial of Spectron I'm using here from the izotope website, as well as the free trial of WaveSurround. Both of those I'm just trying out here. I have a friend that used to work for the company that makes Sonic Boombox so I got that demo too. ChannelStrip was such a good deal that I couldn't pass it up. But Ozone 3 totally rocks and I've merely scratched the surface. If I was going to go with just one, it'd probably Ozone 3, but unfortunately I got the other ones first. The acoustic bass part is just the bass notes from Lisa's original guitar loops from the first version. She sent me her Garageband file with the idea that I would stick close to the original arrangement, and by using elements of the original software loops I was able to do that with some ease. I cut the loops up into the individual sections and went in and adjusted the timing of each note so that there's more of a swing, changed the velocities to go along with the song, and then I changed notes as needed where I had changed some of the chords. My son has borrowed my bass guitar for a while now and I'm stuck using a software bass, and for an upright sound, this is the most acoustic sounding one that I have.

The important thing though is the music being made with these tools, hopefully, and having so much technical info might be sort of distracting, but I don't mind sharing how this stuff gets made. Thanks for your comment!

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Love the harmonies Lisa - nice to have you back on form. This arrangement is gorgeous. It's all sounding really professional. I'm going to download now and have a proper listen on my iPod.
Top marks guys.

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Thanks for mentioning the harmonies because that's an area where I usually really struggle. It's extremely hard for me to hear them, but I do like some of the ones I found this time.

Thanks for downloading, too. It's cool to think of the song marching around Australia with you. Actually, it's kind of overwhelming, really. The Internet, what will they think of next? :-)

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Your singing is so great here, Lisa. Beautiful harmonies. Poignant story in the lyrics.
And Jim...what a great backdrop you provided here...perfect.

Just a wonderful meeting of talents to create this.

Thanks, both, for this treat :)

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Any mention of the singing by the Voicemistess (tm) always leaves me feeling happy. I'm glad you like the harmonies, too.

Jim is a magical producer; he really made that vocal track sound pretty good.



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Wow....
This is one of the best and most beautiful pieces of music I've heard on this site.
I love everything about it.
The lyrics, tone and melody work perfectly with the melancholy instrumentation.
Flawless....
...wow....

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A "flawless," coming from you means a great deal.

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A lovely song Lisa...your voice reminds me of one of my fave singer/songwriters called Laura Veirs (I love her song Galaxies!)
Great production on this one too...very lush...soothing to the ears!
Cheers
Steve

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Hey! I know who Laura Veirs is. She's from the Seattle area (though I think she's moved to Portland now)and my husband has appeared at a couple of shows with her, knows people in common.

I can see the similarities in style and you know I always love hearing from you, Mr. Foghorn. Thank you.

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production, performance and a wonderful vibe.

Great vocals Lisa and another great collaboration Jim



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So glad you dug the vibe. Jim really is a master collaborator, no doubt. I just looked back in my gmail and he started working on this exactly 14 days ago. I'm agog.

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I remember and like the Original.

This is a new and different Song: larger and sonically richer with a more complex identity.

The Imaging from JB is delicately complex as it creates the "world" of the emotive; never threatening or overpowering the nuances of the Vocal.

Totally Pro Level Sound Stage with great delivery and Capture.
A Distiinguished Collab of Fine Sensibilities and Talent.

Very FINE.

VBR,
Cooper

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You're not kidding that this is different, Coop! It's actually pretty funny listening to the earlier version next to this one. The first version will always be dear to me, but Jim has taken this song and given it so much more energy and warmth. I feel very lucky.

I feel lucky that you listened, too.

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My favorite Ledeb song done up pro style! Love the orchestration and the new vocals. A great tune given some air and space and love. After this one, I don't know if there could ever be another version of After All. ;-)

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Heh! We'll just have to see if there could ever be another After All after this one.

Thanks for letting me out of the basement (where you had me chained to the radiator) to do this song with Jim. :-)

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One of my favorite tunes here on MJ; instantly. Welcome back, Lisa - and what a way to announce your return - this is just a beautiful song with so many complex layers and Jim, you've done an amazing painterly job with the brushstrokes. I love the melodic key changes and lush, full chord extensions. This is such a heartbreaking song, yet it carries with it a huge basket of hope and you convey this perfectly with your voice Lisa, which sounds absolutely dead-on here. Shop this one around - it's got wings of gold.

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Kind words from you always mean a lot and to hear that it's one of your new faves is really terrific. Now shouldn't you be off trying to subvert the administration through the power of song? :-p

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I've got a little casserole cooking to that extent, yes. : )

---
Mahalo nui loa,



Bing Futch



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The whole forgiveness thing is half of the story, the other half being unconditional love. Love is not something that should be switched on or off based on pre-determined, unexpected actions or a perceived loss.

It is the one thing you can give away any amount of, and still have as much left to give.

Your song showed the 'open door', because of the the unconditional love, rather than the normal way of things in many relationships, where the door is slammed after (or if) someone leaves.

It is a beautiful song and both the singing and backing were first class.

Take care.

Paul.

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You're very right, Paul, that unconditional love is something that's also very important to me. I've found, though, that sometimes one has to walk a line between being taken advantage of and giving love or friendship as generously as one wants. Sometimes the door has to be mostly closed as a matter of self-preservation.

I'm a big softy, though and it's not in my nature to be unforgiving. I don't think I've ever closed a door completely, though I may have slammed them in my life, they tend to bounce back open rather than latch. Sometimes, this has gotten me in trouble, but I do prefer to trust that people can learn and grow from mistakes and that most people are fundamentally good and doing the best they can at any given moment.

I'm so glad you liked the song.

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...and everything else that went into this.

It's a touching and heartfelt tune in any version. As I've said many times, definitely your best, Lisa. The mix turned out absolutely great. And, I'll say it again, I think this is the best vocal job you've done - PERIOD! Keep a spray bottle around full of cold germs and spray yourself down good a day or so before you're ready to record vocals from now on so you can hit that "sweet spot" just before you get too sick to get off the couch. :)

Jim, you did such a wonderful job interpreting the tune. So much depth. It hits the ears as something totally new, but instantly recognizable. The instrumentation is so rich and adds such a beautiful bed for Lisa's vocals.

Excellent!

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...that I seem to be developing the stomach bug that Matt came down with today? So that's a cold and hurling all in one week. Thankfully, neither stops me from singing and I think being slightly pre-cold always helps my voice; why I don't know. Something to do with mucus, I'm sure. Many things have to do with that.

I think I need to start taking Ciprio daily, as well as wearing a haz-mat suit everywhere I go.

This is definitely one of my favorite of my songs and definitely the best of the songs I've written all by myself, I think. Not that there are too many of those...

Thank you, Joe for your ears, in more ways than one. Also, hey man, didn't you cover this song yourself? I think I remember you doing a really cool version...(this is a hint, guys, Joe did a really good take on this). ;-)



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Jim covered this song, too! I should have put that in the song description. I'm putting this here to remind me to do that later. Someone poke me if I haven't.

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...a couple of hours after my first listen. I lived this moment at age 30. You two painted it so perfectly. Unsettling. That feeling won't change...so I'm back now, to say:

Your voice speaks so eloquently in this song. Like the air we breathe. You have a wonderful voice, Lisa. And the harmonies/etal adds so much depth. Achingly beautiful lyrics...

And, Jim: the addition of the dissonances after the lead break, the key change for the last "After all what is love for?", the finale...they all add so much, I guess I can only call it "realism" to an already wonderful piece of music. Perfectly set with and against the vocal. Put me right there.

This is a beautiful piece about a very difficult real life situation...

Kudos to both of you. Glad your voice is back, Lisa.

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You know, Bob, I've heard from a lot of people who have lived a version of this story and I'm really surprised what a very common and obviously painful experience it apparently is, somewhat life-defining, actually.

I'm sorry that I made you relive some pain, but grateful that you were able to enjoy the song, regardless. Thank you so much and I hope you had a happy ending!

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Please indulge the cliche: happiness and suffering go hand in hand. One can't exist without the other.
Life keeps on chuggin' along and there are no true "endings". The outcome, at that time, was a true bummer. But I learned and my life wouldn't be the same, now, with a different outcome back then. Things, at the moment, are very nice. Talk to me next week and...well; who knows? I'll do what I can to stay on the positive side, though.That much is for certain.
I love the tune. Art that reflects truth. Sincere. Extremely well conceived and performed. Couldn't ask for more.



---
I live between the notes

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thank you both sooo much xoxoxox

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You're very welcome, Caroline and thanks for listening! oxoxoxoxoxo (go to The Met, already) xoxox

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You two did wonderfully on this. A gorgeous song (sounds vaguely Beatles-Strawberry-Fields-ish), wonderful guitar and strings and harmonies (though there were a couple of minor dissonant spots between strings and guitar, super minor though), beautifully silky-chocolatey-smooth singing, touching lyrics that are as always, worth savoring and thinking about over and over (love that with your lyrics). Some of the panning (little harmony-vox bits and occasional guitar bits) were only on the right side, which on headphones felt a little unbalanced (I'd prefer the dupe-and-pan-full-left-and-right approach for those), but again, really minor points for a very lusciously rich, heart-tugging song.
ttfn,
Drakonis

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If you listen to the Beatles and other well-mixed music you always find parts that are only on one side or another. One reason is due to technical limitations at the time, but the other reason is that normally in any auditory experience different sounds come at you from different directions. If someone to the right of you says something it will be heard on the right side. In an intimate mix like this, where the vocal effect is is fairly dry, that panning effect should be more pronounced. The lead guitar is panning wildly, and some phrases sound on the right more but they move to the left, and that's a little artificial to me, but I didn't want to place that decorative element on one side or another, and I wanted to keep the center open. I never use that duplicating tracks and panning them equally to either side technique because I'm a firm believer that that ends up with a net effect of placing the sound in the center. Some people believe it should leave a space in the center, but I don't see how that's possible, especially if they are really duplicated tracks. If you shift them you get a phasing or delay effect, but you could probably just use a phased or a delayed effect and save on file size. And a delicate song can get lost in too many effects.

A couple of commentors have mentioned the dissonance, and that's also intentional. The basis of the song is the descending progressions, which go from a major decscending motif in the first verse to a chromatic descending thing in the second verse. To me it sounds like going from major to minor and the strings were sort of floating around playing with that as a contradiction, echoing the contradiction that is in the lyrics, where there's a bit of ambivalence at first in the asking that turns into a more firmly convicted begging. The first "please don't go" has a minor feel, while the last one is a major feel. Little things like that are things I wanted to keep subtle but insistent, so there's an edgy-ness that is not totally comfortable but also reassuring. The story was already there, and I just wanted to find the right frame!

Thanks for your comment!

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Wow.

That's a Keeper
FINE explication and Production overview.

Very Cool. Generous.

Man, that Rocks, Jim.

vbr,
Coop


---
"What you Don't use, You Lose." Get Rockin'

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This actually made me all misty-eyed...Very lovely collab here. This tune evoked the image of two butterflies flying in a helix pattern over a candle flame...I love it. (BTW, I empathize with you Lisa. I was sick the entire month of February with a clinging virus. Just now getting back in the saddle. Good to have you back girl!)

Be well!

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You big misty-eyed softy, I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks again for the empathy.

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Beautifully delicate and fragile singing combined with a silky arrangement. What more could anyone ask?

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...maybe to be Rebsie when I grow up.

I'm so pleased you like it, because I really look up to you so much.

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great collaboration. Your singing and harmonies are done with great care. The song is a touching story. The lyrics are well writen. Good song!!

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Thanks, mister and I like your structure!

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Well, okay, production, playing is great yadda yadda yadda. Typically with a Ledeb post, it's only been up a few hours and quite rightly has had massive interest.

You excel at songs that are quite ordinary on the surface, but are a bit ... off.. underneath. This is one of your best, I think. The vocal delivery is so great, Lisa - a mixture of under-surface sorrow and resignation ... i don't get the feeling this woman is in love, and she still doesn't want her husband to leave, which is so ... tragic.

I'm gonna stop now, casue I need some more listens to comment properly, but really great to have a new track from you.

And Jim ... sweet playing, man.

Steve

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You know, I've been told that before...someone used the phrase 'sweetness and menace' to describe my songs, once. Was it you? I always found it interesting. I think I'm pretty much a very upbeat, happy person, but I also feel emotions pretty strongly and, at the times those emotions are negative, there's always a war in me between being my more naturally optimistic self and allowing myself to feel sad or angry or hurt, etc. I tend to try to glue a sunflower onto the side of lots of situations when it might be better not to repress my feelings. Of course, if I stopped stuffing things down, I wouldn't need to write songs about the dark stuff. :-p

Could you just bill my health insurance directly for this therapy session?

As per usual, it means a lot that you like the song and I always look forward to reading your comments.

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the resignation in your voice sets the tone for the piece... That posture speaks as loud as the lyric.. (Bonnie Rait "I can't make you Love me") That resignation is as powerful an element as any other part of the production, which by the way Jim, is brilliant... All the other things that make a vocal good are there too beside the emotion, you know pitch & phrasing... an excellent job... I love the line "but then again neither is she... speaks volumes about we humans... Well Jim, they say the difference between men and boys is the size of their toys... then you are quite a man... cause your toy department goes on for a mile, but you obviously know how to use them... all the equipment in the world doesn't teach someone what you seem to know... and that bass plugin is killer, really convincing... I really dig the placement of the guitar soloing, and the rythem choices were perfect... you showed the restraint that this song required...

bravo.. you 2



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You're right that not all songs are equal in the toll they take, either before or after they're written. It really does seem that the expensive ones are the ones that really end up reaching other people and tapping into something difficult, but really wonderful, too.

Being compared to Bonnie Raitt's performance on "I Can't Make You Love Me," just about made my life, Scott. Thank you so much for everything!

Jim really does have lots of toys, doesn't he?


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I courtsey for You Ledebutant.... : ) With one knee on the ground...so beautiful.....can't believe You just sang it in an hour on Monday !!


I'M HAPPY YOU ARE BACK this feels especially like a gift as Today I've been a member here for two months

ThankYou You're Great!! : ) Happy for You & All who get to listen to Your amazing voice & lyrics !

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Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and I'm so happy to have given you some happiness on your two month anniversary here. You've certainly jumped in very enthusiastically and it's cool to see you enjoying yourself so thoroughly.

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Lovely song. I think you and Jim combined your talents in a wonderful way, complimenting each other. Your words and your gorgeous voice have so much heart. Jim's signature sound with its hints of haunting dissonance and rich tones put it all into context.

Beautiful work. I enjoyed it greatly.

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Thanks so much, Peter and I can't tell you how happy I am that you enjoyed the song. Jim and I have another one in the works since this one went so well.

It's always a good day when I get a PGree comment on a song. Thank you.

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This mix is fantastic, so much more full of expression and life than the original (which, needless to say, I loved). The mix and Jim's playing make a lot of difference, and your singing just keeps on getting better, Lisa. You did the right thing, getting a real musician to play on this :-) I love your writing and singing; more emotion is coming through your voice with each successive posting. This is a totally solid, professional song, bravo!

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...if it ain't got that swing. Jim really got so much energy out of the song in a variety of ways, many of which I still don't know about. Nudging the bass timing is just the start, I'm sure.

Actually, this original GarageBand file was absolutely hilarious. Everything was panned dead center and everything had the Live Performance preset and apparently I'd never heard of EQ, because there wasn't any I could see. It was all single tracked with reverb as an extra. At the time, I knew absolutely nothing about production and it really showed. I still like the original just as a snapshot of where I once was, but I can't thank Jim enough for giving this song new life.

Thanks, Mr. perceptualvortex

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Yes, I know what you mean... I go back to my ancient mixes and they seem absurdly beginner to me now. I think it was chikoppi who clued me in to panning things away from the center. Yay, school of MacJams!

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/30232">Nothing Will Die</a>

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I also chiseled my mixes onto stone tablets.

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I went to this songs page, started the player without reading the description, and browsed through some stuff in another tab... As the tune played, I stopped doing what I was doing to listen... Beautiful singing Lisa, and I noticed that the guitars sounded familiar... Went back, and found out it is Jim playing...

What a treat:)

This is just something to love. Wonderful. A must D/L!


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So happy to hear that the subliminal message "If your name is Thor, stop what you're doing and listen to our song," that we put in at the last minute paid-off. I think I might try that again with the next one.

Seriously, Thor, thanks so much for taking the time to stop and listen. It means a lot to know that the song grabbed you in that way.

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Ok, Ok, Ok....

I'll stay!!! If you'll still have me:)

Nice song Lisa.

. - Harold

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It took you long enough. I've been waiting all this time!

You're silly, mister.

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the first when there's a new Ledeb tune up, and for good reason. This is a beautiful track and well worth waiting for. I agree with you about forgiveness, and you've expressed it so well here. Hard to believe this tune came together in virtual space - it really feels like you and Jim are vibing off each other in the same room. Wonderful arrangement, singing, playing. Great truth and emotion - after all what is music for?

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Hah! Very funny, bud.

Thanks for saying it sounded like we were playing in the same room. I give most of the credit for that to Jim, his musicianship is fantastic and I'm sure he made lots of tiny adjustments to make it seem that way. I've noticed the same feeling in his songs with Kelli King as The Fritters.

I'd love to sing this in the same room with Jim, maybe at a great big macjammers conference one day.

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Great job!!!! top collab if ya ask me!!!
The bass does sound very real, nice writing!!
The singing is very smooth and right on. Nice guitar solo and strings


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I'm so happy you liked the song, musichead!

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So many good things to say about this song, I just loved the genuinely laid back atmosphere here. The simple chords work beautifully, the strings are gorgeously woven into the guitar soundbed. And your voice sounds fantastic in this setting! Your best vocal performance yet in my humble opinion (Norah Jones and 5 Grammys...right:) What a charming song! I'd tweak the drums a little (around half way through) but let me just congratulate Jim and you for another truly outstanding MJ collaboration!

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Thank you so much, Parichayaka. You know, I always love seeing you because your profile photo is so happy and gives off great energy.

I'm glad you enjoyed the laid-back quality. I really have a hard time singing any other way, to tell you the truth. Sometimes I listen to myself singing and I sound like I need a good goosing. :-)

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