dhanners623 Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 It had been awhile (a couple of years, actually) since I have added anything to my ReverbNation and SoundCloud pages, so I pulled out the J-35, sat down and recorded five tunes that are part of a new undertaking I'm calling The Buck-Fifty Project. I like a musical saga as much as the next guy or gal, but most of us just write way too much. We take six verses to spin a yarn we could've spun in three -- or even two. The late Merle Haggard unpacked a guy's whole life story from birth to death row ("Mama Tried") in 160 words. There's a lesson there. The songs in The Buck-Fifty Project are all 150 words or less, including repeated choruses. I tried to get down to the essence of a story and leave some room for the listener's imagination, since it is not limited to 150 words. I added five songs -- "Belle Ayr," "Leaving Joliet," "The Oxyana Blues," "dollar store" and "West Terre Haute Blues." The recordings aren't fancy -- they were recorded on an MP3 app on my iPad -- and they all share a certain melancholy. But if you have a few minutes on your hands, mosey over and give them a listen and let me know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 The same songs are on my ReverbNation page, but you can even download them there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 Came up with an alternate version of "West Terre Haute Blues" and, frankly, I like it a bit better: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 I had a listen and I really like the feeling of this stuff. The songs go together conceptually very, very well. I had heard quite a few of the songs before, but I think you might have changed a few of them a little in the latest versions. Great suff! Like me, I know you like a bare bones approach, but with that said, your iPad recordings are solid but the songs deserve better sound quality. I record using an iPad too, just because it's so incredibly simple, but I have added an external soundcard and a condenser mic. This simple setup really boosts the sound. I use an Apogee One soundcard and an Eartrumpet Labs Myrtle condenser I bought used a few years back, and they both work brilliantly with the Ipad and the Garageband app. Just a suggestion, but you might want to consider something similar. They will even work on an iPhone... Lars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Lars68 said: I had a listen and I really like the feeling of this stuff. The songs go together conceptually very, very well. I had heard quite a few of the songs before, but I think you might have changed a few of them a little in the latest versions. Great suff! Like me, I know you like a bare bones approach, but with that said, your iPad recordings are solid but the songs deserve better sound quality. I record using an iPad too, just because it's so incredibly simple, but I have added an external soundcard and a condenser mic. This simple setup really boosts the sound. I use an Apogee One soundcard and an Eartrumpet Labs Myrtle condenser I bought used a few years back, and they both work brilliantly with the Ipad and the Garageband app. Just a suggestion, but you might want to consider something similar. They will even work on an iPhone... Lars Thanks. I appreciate your insights. And yes, some of the songs have been rewritten. Yeah, it would be nice to have fancier equipment for recording, but this retiree is doing the best he can with what he can afford. Plus, I have to be realistic. A fancier mic isn't what stands between me and fame.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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