'Play it as it Lays' - Original by Greeny

[Ted]

As a fellow "ham-fisted chimp" I give this one five bananas!

Great job!

[launched]

That's one battle that I wish my mom had won with me - piano lessons!! I have stubby fingers, so it's tough enough to play guitar.

Loved the mood of this number - thought it suited you very well - Great job!! You have that ability to change your vocals to fit the arrangement - quite an attribute to have.

It will be heading down the road with me for another listen...

See you around,

Mark

[Sprocket]

It's also the most depressing-sounding song I've ever created. It's so depressing that you may not get through it! Even though it's under 3 mins long!

Call it depressing all you want, but to me it has a ton of feeling in it...and Id think this would be your aim. You almost sound at the point of choking up as you sing it...just awesome.

The title comes from a Joan Didion novel. It's about the circle of life and surviving for 'the ones that we love and the ones that we've lost along the way'. More positive than it seems.

Did the writter make alot of golf analogies? "Play it as it lies" is a golf reference...not that Im a golfer, I have grown up around it my whole life.

Damn - I'm so unsure of this one! Funny how scared I get when there's no guitar!!!! 

Come on now, you sound like the super hot chic who thinks shes fat, "do these jeans make me look fat?"  

[hooper]

This is great, being able to look in and watch you experiment and develop your craft.  You are certainly no one-trick pony!  And just keep getting better and better...

[Flash Harry]

I missed this earlier Tim because I was working (it only gets in the way of the music and I'm thinking that I really should be kicking the habit).

Remarkable stuff my friend.

I read 'The year of Magical Thinking' by Joan Diddion this year. Outside of my usual reading arena. I'm still not sure what I made of it, however, I am sure what I made of this. It's rather fine.

You need a real piano. That's what you don't like, electronics give you no feel. You can't get that organic feedback from the things that vibrate and interact with your hands and gut. Music shop time. Piano shops for you and me mate.

[OsCKilO]

Remarkable stuff my friend.

You need a real piano.

My thoughts exactly!

But you got feeling out a keyboard!
Top Job!!!!!!

[Ferryman]

Well I enjoyed this a lot. Not as assured as your other work but that actually adds to the fragility of the piece. When you said Japan, you know you had me hooked (I always felt Night Porter was one of their biggest Satie-influenced tracks and is a personal fave). It's still you, but I can see where the inspiration came from, and I love that!

I think Flash nailed it - with this open, simple structure, a real piano would be great. That real organic sustain on the simple melody would really build more depth. I really like the structure - don't think it needs much more. Just great to see you expanding your artistic horizon even further.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Davo]

Very nice composition Greeny.

[Greeny]

I missed this earlier Tim because I was working (it only gets in the way of the music and I'm thinking that I really should be kicking the habit).

Remarkable stuff my friend.

I read 'The year of Magical Thinking' by Joan Diddion this year. Outside of my usual reading arena. I'm still not sure what I made of it, however, I am sure what I made of this. It's rather fine.

You need a real piano. That's what you don't like, electronics give you no feel. You can't get that organic feedback from the things that vibrate and interact with your hands and gut. Music shop time. Piano shops for you and me mate.

Thanks!

I used to have a real piano - an old upright one that I got free from the nuns (given not stolen!), but now it lives with my son. But that's OK, 'cause he's learning to play it. This song was played on my gf's electric piano. It's not as organic as a real one, but the noiseless advantage of recording it through the line-in is pretty good. I don't have space for a real piano anymore. I hardly have enough space for all my guitars and paintings and books!

Joan Didion did a great collection of stories and journalism called 'Slouching Towards Bethlehem' that I'm very fond of. You'll recognise the title - it's from the Yeats poem 'The Second Coming' (The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world...), so that was an added attraction. Haven't read the one you refer to, but I like her style, so will have to check it out.

And thanks everyone... stepping outside of your comfort zone is scary, but this place gives me so much courage. Lovely people and great music - it's a killer combination.

[Ferryman]

This song was played on my gf's electric piano. It's not as organic as a real one, but the noiseless advantage of recording it through the line-in is pretty good. I don't have space for a real piano anymore. I hardly have enough space for all my guitars and paintings and books!

Fair dos. Is it touch sensitive, and does it have a sustain pedal? Just getting more sustain on some of those single notes and melody lines would be cool, as they seem to decay quite quickly.

And thanks everyone... stepping outside of your comfort zone is scary, but this place gives me so much courage. Lovely people and great music - it's a killer combination.

Too true. This place is really an explosion of talent, fun and encouragement, and it gets better all the time. A lot of the feel of the place is down to the "older hands" like you, ORH, Flash, Hooper, 48, Bluesberry, 64G and too many to mention. Us newer folks appreciate what Pedro and you all have created for us.

Cheers,

Nigel