Original funk featuring the Memphis Soul sounds of the Kenhorst Brassworx featuring sax solos by John Newly.
I know it's not proper English but for a song I claim "literary license".
Enjoy!
This started playing in the jukebox, and my thought was, Damn this is weird! Who is this? I tabbed over to look and thought, Of course!
This is so odd and off balance. It gaslights you into thinking it's not in 4/4, but it is. So appropriate for the topic of the song. Take your destabilizing chaos and go!
Super cool.
Yes, it is comfortable and unsettling.....great sax sound......off kilter just enough to make it interesting without making one dizzy ....really cool song...really love the brass and sax...wonderful
That's some fab brass and sax as the others say an unsettled listen but addictive all the same ...
Thanks for listening, thetworegs, Bluesberry, Ted.
It almost sounds to me that you don't like it, or something about it. Unsettling? So sorry. :(
:) John B
John, I think that being unsettling doesn't mean I don't like it. There are certain things in art that portray say a certain image or emotion. Since this song is about an unsettling relationship, or something like that I would say you nailed that image with the music. The music is clever as ever with your songs. There is something though a bit different about this one. The other day when I first heard this it stopped me dead in my tracks. I literally did not know how to respond to it, so I didn't.
The only possible comp I have is maybe Chicago. Obviously not so much the ones that made the radio. Chicago had alot of great songs that took dedicated listening to get. They weren't designed to be background music or something to sing along too... they made you think, made you engage. This is like that to me...
the brass work sounds fantastic as well... and very much Chicago... which imo is pretty special!
Quote from: Johnbee on April 20, 2023, 04:32:20 AMIt almost sounds to me that you don't like it, or something about it.
Speaking for myself: This might be my favorite thing of yours that I've ever heard.
Quote from: Ted on April 20, 2023, 05:49:38 AMQuote from: Johnbee on April 20, 2023, 04:32:20 AMIt almost sounds to me that you don't like it, or something about it.
Speaking for myself: This might be my favorite thing of yours that I've ever heard.
Thanks again, Ted.
:) John B
That sax playing combined with the bassline made me feel like floating in the air.
I for one knew immediately that this was a JohnBee song. His knack of doing super complex songs with layered melodies and lots of stuff going on at the sametime and STILL making them easy to approach is bar none.
There's so much earcandy in this one. From the classic JohnBee vocs to all those jazzy stylings.
Quote from: StephenM on April 20, 2023, 05:45:04 AMJohn, I think that being unsettling doesn't mean I don't like it. There are certain things in art that portray say a certain image or emotion. Since this song is about an unsettling relationship, or something like that I would say you nailed that image with the music. The music is clever as ever with your songs. There is something though a bit different about this one. The other day when I first heard this it stopped me dead in my tracks. I literally did not know how to respond to it, so I didn't.
The only possible comp I have is maybe Chicago. Obviously not so much the ones that made the radio. Chicago had alot of great songs that took dedicated listening to get. They weren't designed to be background music or something to sing along too... they made you think, made you engage. This is like that to me...
the brass work sounds fantastic as well... and very much Chicago... which imo is pretty special!
Thanks, Steve! I'm glad you clarified that for me.
I've been a huge fan of Chicago's for more than 50 years, mostly of the original band which featured the late and great Terry Kath on guitar. Sometimes my horns tend to sound like theirs but this one I was going more for the funk/soul sound in the horns where you have the baritone sax holding the bottom more than a trombone (Chicago). If you haven't already, you might want to check out some Tower Of Power or some old Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs, Wilson Pickett recordings or even James Brown. That's what I was trying to capture here. I don't think there's a bigger fan of the Chi-Guys anywhere on the planet besides me and I'm flattered you're comparing me to them, but I was really trying to capture some "soul" here. Chicago has done some soul but they're mostly pop/rock.
:) John B
Quote from: Zoltan on April 22, 2023, 03:10:53 AMThat sax playing combined with the bassline made me feel like floating in the air.
I for one knew immediately that this was a JohnBee song. His knack of doing super complex songs with layered melodies and lots of stuff going on at the sametime and STILL making them easy to approach is bar none.
There's so much earcandy in this one. From the classic JohnBee vocs to all those jazzy stylings.
Thanks for listening, Zoltan. ;) I appreciate your kind words more than you know.
I got a confession to make to you guys. "John Newly" is fictitious. But it's not me either (although I have much experience with the tenor saxophone I can't play anymore because of my asthma). This is a program called Tenor Colossus by an outfit called Straight Ahead Samples. https://www.straightaheadsamples.com/. The have a different approach to virtual instrument sampling which makes them sound super realistic and at a very affordable price. How I came up with "John Newly"? John, of course, is my real first name. For Newly, I took the last three letters of my last name and reversed them (Bo
wen to "new", and just added the ly).
:) John B
This is fantastic! The horns are excellent. Your vocals are very good. It's hard to put a finger on the unsettling parts, but it works as a whole in an interesting way.
I would say this is a keeper.
I'm on my second listen John and the song is way cool. Like Ted mentioned, it sounds like an odd timing but it is indeed 4/4. Each instrument has a lot of movement, but your good vocals and lyric anchor them all down well. Yes, I also hear some of Chicago's off the beaten path style here. Good songwriting!
Ken & Farrell-Thanks so much!
:) John B
Personally I absolutely love this. Sure, it's a bit strange - but there's nothing wrong with that. I love the unusual and this has oodles of that. Brilliantly put together and produced.
Fantastic.
Paul
Quote from: chapperz66 on April 24, 2023, 03:43:26 PMPersonally I absolutely love this. Sure, it's a bit strange - but there's nothing wrong with that. I love the unusual and this has oodles of that. Brilliantly put together and produced.
Fantastic.
Paul
Thanks for listening and your comments, Paul!
:) John B
Quote from: Johnbee on April 22, 2023, 08:26:54 AMQuote from: Zoltan on April 22, 2023, 03:10:53 AMThat sax playing combined with the bassline made me feel like floating in the air.
I for one knew immediately that this was a JohnBee song. His knack of doing super complex songs with layered melodies and lots of stuff going on at the sametime and STILL making them easy to approach is bar none.
There's so much earcandy in this one. From the classic JohnBee vocs to all those jazzy stylings.
Thanks for listening, Zoltan. ;) I appreciate your kind words more than you know.
I got a confession to make to you guys. "John Newly" is fictitious. But it's not me either (although I have much experience with the tenor saxophone I can't play anymore because of my asthma). This is a program called Tenor Colossus by an outfit called Straight Ahead Samples. https://www.straightaheadsamples.com/. The have a different approach to virtual instrument sampling which makes them sound super realistic and at a very affordable price. How I came up with "John Newly"? John, of course, is my real first name. For Newly, I took the last three letters of my last name and reversed them (Bowen to "new", and just added the ly).
:) John B
don't worry John/// I already figured that out... it doesn't change anything... it makes me dig you more... next time don't admit it!
Nearly missed this one. What a fantastic track! Love those melodic bass-lines and the brass arranging is first class. Excellent production and what in the world are those chords? Great work - well done, John.
Quote from: Ray Brookes on April 26, 2023, 11:35:35 AMNearly missed this one. What a fantastic track! Love those melodic bass-lines and the brass arranging is first class. Excellent production and what in the world are those chords? Great work - well done, John.
Thanks Ray! The chords are an assortment of various and sundry major and minor 9ths, 11ths and a few 13ths. ;)
:) John B
Very cool song. Good lyrics and structure. Killer horn arrangement.
I listened to this in a car today. Sure it's got a great horn arrangement, and melodic bass part, and a rhythm that keeps you a bit off balance. I was reminded of the thing that grabbed me when I first heard it: the vocal. I'm going to try to put it into words.
This is not the commanding voice of someone who is used to being assertive in the relationship; it's the voice of a mild-mannered man who has been pushed to his limits. That's the beauty of the vocal delivery. I imagine the other partner in disbelief. They never imagined their lapdog would stand up on its hind legs and bite back. The dizzying music is so perfect for the scene I imagine. Someone's world is being overturned, and they never believed the day would come (although they should have). This could be the scene that immediately followed the events in "The Missiles of October" (https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?topic=32965.0) - the long-suffering partner reaches their tipping point. It's not the sound of an explosion; it's sadness, disgust, and disappointment; it's the final whimper of air deflating out of the weak hope that the relationship would turn around.
Quote from: Frank53 on April 28, 2023, 08:05:34 AMVery cool song. Good lyrics and structure. Killer horn arrangement.
Thanks so much, Frank! :)
Quote from: Ted on April 28, 2023, 09:55:49 AMI listened to this in a car today. Sure it's got a great horn arrangement, and melodic bass part, and a rhythm that keeps you a bit off balance. I was reminded of the thing that grabbed me when I first heard it: the vocal. I'm going to try to put it into words.
This is not the commanding voice of someone who is used to being assertive in the relationship; it's the voice of a mild-mannered man who has been pushed to his limits. That's the beauty of the vocal delivery. I imagine the other partner in disbelief. They never imagined their lapdog would stand up on its hind legs and bite back. The dizzying music is so perfect for the scene I imagine. Someone's world is being overturned, and they never believed the day would come (although they should have). This could be the scene that immediately followed the events in "The Missiles of October" (https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?topic=32965.0) - the long-suffering partner reaches their tipping point. It's not the sound of an explosion; it's sadness, disgust, and disappointment; it's the final whimper of air deflating out of the weak hope that the relationship would turn around.
....and the perfect ending would probably be the person being addressed coming up to this guy and KICKING HIM IN THE BALLS!! !@013 ("You ain't kickin' ME out, Sucka')!
Cool idea! %)! !@004
So good, John!!
Nice jazzy vibe and the sax solos are just brilliant. Everything has been put well together!
Enjoyable listening!
Quote from: Redler on April 29, 2023, 08:54:52 AMSo good, John!!
Nice jazzy vibe and the sax solos are just brilliant. Everything has been put well together!
Enjoyable listening!
Almost missed this one! Thanks Redler.
:) John B