Songcrafters.org

(Remastered 22/10/2021)

So I got me a new geetar the other week.

Named her Lala, obviously. Seemed kind of appropriate - she wears a faded gold dress and is full of chunes and mischiefs.

This is our first effort together. It was meant to be a love song. It still is, I suppose, of a sort...

But it's also a cautionary tale.

It's a bit like your old Nanna used tell you:

Do NOT f*ck with the fairy-folk (neither figuratively nor literally)

Riff got me i am in , god that sounds really good , love the harmony guitars , chords are really cool , just one hell of a song and the guitars man amazing , the production on this is first rate with every track clear as a bell , well thought out and produced it gets a 10 from me

Dunny

Classy stuff indeed. Love the riff which had a Thin Lizzy / Eagles feel to me. Great lyrics and the mix is amazing and crisp.

Great starting riff, Andy and you have written/produced this song excellently. Fantastic guitar work, especially the harmony stuff that I personally have always liked since 'Wishbone Ash' and 'Thin Lizzy' days. Great work; well done.

Everything's great about this song.  Many influences to other styles as mentioned but my first thought with the main riff was "oh cool! ZZ Top! Then with the guitar harmonies, I heard Almond (ha) brothers! Downloading for my playlist as I write. All in all, still a totally original kick-ass song! 8)

Cool song,the opening riff reminded me of a mott song (not mott the hoople) called Monty Carlo.
Excellent guitar work,it sounds great.

This sounds great - everything sounds top-notch. Loved the vocals, and the use of chord voicing.
Awesome. Liked this lots.
B

The opening guitar riff had me locked on the song right away. I like how you strategically placed the harmony guitars to boost the main riff. Cool lyric and fine vocals. It's a winner to  my ears, Andy. Btw Lala sounds wonderful!

Farrell

Wowee, another belter from Andy. I just love that opening riff and the way you recorded the guitar. It gave me an early Wishbone Ash vibe but then we went right into unique Andy territory with some great chord changes and intriguing song construction. I really liked the storytelling (and your good advice) and loved the way you did the "those who dream here" section. You never take the obvious path which is what makes your music so fascinating. Something I could definitely learn from.

Killer production as always, really crisp, clear and punchy. A great vocal performance as always and they sit so well in the mix. Nice work Andy! And that new guitar sounds fab!!!   

Wow!

Lala:

(https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=30230.0;attach=190602)

Great songwriting and performance as always! Catchy riffs and impressive guitar solo...

Enjoyable...

Fine guitar!

Brilliant song, performance and production.  Magnificent in fact.

I actually got some John Barry vibes in places - this might be a bit left-field - but just a hint here and there.

Tell me more about Lala.  I need to be introduced....

Paul

Great music and intriguing lyrics. This could have been submitted to the Halloween Fest.
Great tone, performance, and production. Yes, the harmony guitars sparkle.

Cheers folks :)

Chapperz - the guitar is one of the new Fender Vintera Roadworn 60s in Firemist Gold. I've got one each of the original Roadworns (60s and 50s) from must be 10 years ago, and when these were relaunched and hit the stores a couple of months ago I started getting itchy fingers. It's got a Pau Ferro fingerboard which is a shock to look at at first when you're used to rosewood, but I love it now, Mrs R loved the look immediately. Sound and feel-wise it's halfway between a maple and rosewood fingerboard - it's like the best of both. The guitar feels a bit rougher round the edges than my original 60s, but that's had a lot of playing and waxing of the back of the neck. I've got a family shot of all the strats together on another sofa taken the same day - I'll dig it out if I remember.

Again many thanks for the listens and comments everyone. People have picked out most of the references/influences. Yes, Wishbone Ash, big-time. One of my first gigs was on their 10th anniversary tour - I'm on Live Dates II, front row at Andy Powell's feet. The first thing I did when I started home recording was practice dual-lead lines.

Anyways, the riff: It's a riff I've been sat on for years and I decided to use it the other week. It was obvious after the first take that I was not going to be able to resist the "Don't Believe a Word" Thin Lizzy harmony, especially cos this strat is so good at doing hot bridge pickup riffing.

But what I hadn't realised is it's most like a Rory Gallagher riff - I've been playing a LOT of Rory on this guitar. I was really worried it was too close, but Mrs R didn't think so (Secret Agent, on Calling Card). When I played her both, we realised that they're very similar to play, but sound different.

The other one is Michael Schenker's riff on UFO's Rock Bottom. I finally got round to learning how to play that a week or two before doing this. That probably had more effect on this than anything else. I decided to write a UFO song... but I can't really sing like Phil Mogg. Both the bass and vocal on here are the guide tracks by the way (REG/Trev: there's some duff bits in both the vox and bass on this!! But, I only let them through because you can't really tell ;D)

Chapperz - you are right about John Barry!! He often finds his way into my songs. It started in the instrumental, that little weird melodic solo bit before it all kicks off kinda quotes him.

The reason I got to that melody is that it was all going wrong - I'd left the section for a UFO-like melodic rock guitar solo. Early on I did some fabulous stuff... but I wasn't recording. A week or two later after the verse arrangements were recorded and the bass and drums in place, I couldn't string two notes together... So I searched around for a "whacky melody" for the start of the instrumental - that gave me the notes quoting the non-obvious bit from the James Bond theme... Then the second half before it all kicks off is quoting something from Moulin Rouge (just checked, it's Nature Boy, original hit by Nat King Cole, but check out a version by Eden Ahbez, the guy who wrote it, WOW what a melody). Anyway, Mrs R didn't recognise it. Even when I said Moulin Rouge and isolated the tracks that would reveal it, she still couldn't hear it. So I stopped searching for notes.

Sir Ferryman, I loved this comment: "You never take the obvious path which is what makes your music so fascinating. Something I could definitely learn from."

Many thanks, but the trick is possibly sneakier (and easier) than that. I believe what I actually do is always take the first obvious alternative to the direction we seem to be going in! ;D

I believe, if you adopt that mindset, it happens quite easily and fools everyone into thinking you know something clever ... and it has the added benefit of probably sounding fresh and familiar most of the time.

Finally, my favourite comment on this song so far (received elsewhere):

"EXCELLENT! Reminds me of a blow up doll my friend once had. Everything you ever wanted."

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

wow wee...whooopeeeee this is fabulous guitar feast....I am glad you mentioned the UFO and Thin Lizzy vibes because yes.... I am a big fan of both and can hear you playing this here....funny thing is you can actually try to sound like something and then do it....that is special...as far as my love of music it is always music first and vocals and lyrics after....vocals just seem like part of the music... I can remember sounds and music in my head but lyrics I have to write down and work at....it is just how I am wired...so I would listen to this over and over just because of those guitar sounds....I think you could do a killer cover of "Cowboy Song"....your voice would match it I think too... your recordings are very precise....sounds really clear and professional...

Laila is certainly beautiful and likes being played with who could ask for more..... Excellent song you had me with the starting riff excellent playing and performance as always Bravo

Well from the beginning to the outstanding ending  Love the way it ended.  This went straight to my greatest hit playlist. Been sitting on the riff well I say you put it to good used
Bravo
Tim