Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
YouTube - Todd Russell Hall Channel - Broken Land
SoundCloud - Todd Russell Hall Channel - Broken Land



===========================
TITLE: Broken Land

===========================
TRACK & SONG INFO

Bass - 531:Bass, Acoustic, Pop Sw 065
Piano - 1889: Piano, Solo-Accompaniment CountrySwingJohn Sw085
Drums - RealDrums=JazzBrushesSticks: a: Brushes b: Snare, Ride
Guitar - 529:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Hank Sw 065

sw8, 4/4, Fm 65 bpm

In addition to the BIAB tracks above, I added the following:

Midi drum track in Superior Drummer - Independent Wooden Drum Hoops
Midi bass track in Trilian
Midi Keys in Kontakt
Acoustic Guitar
Midi Bassoons in Kontakt
Midi Cello in Kontakt

In my mixdown, I ended up with these tracks:

Trillian Bass
Bass (from BIAB)
Guitar 1 (from BIAB ???)
Guitar 2
Kick, Snare, Ride, Cymbals, HiHat - from Superior Drummer
Bassoon
Toy Sounds
Piano (mix of BIAB & extra piano I added)
Voice

===========================

LYRICS

Draft 5

v1
Well there’s just one way to heaven
There’s a thousand ways to hell
When you’re deep and dark and drunk on love
Your heart can hardly tell

She was a hooker of errata,
Her smile, a valentine.
My fists were hard and sober
When I laid her down the line

You see it’s fear that finds you burning
In that derelict hotel.
And she’ll be the first to tell you:

Yeah, there’s 27 bones in this broken hand . .

v2
All those aces in your card house
Won’t build a mansion to the sky.
Those tequila shots you’re shooting hot
Won’t halt her last goodbye.

I was drinking when I met her
At that old train by the sea.
She was hunkered down in a carousel
Painted ponies running free.

You know the carnival ecstatic
assumes a center of belief.
She’ll be the first to tell you:

There’s a stack of shattered dreams for each broken man

v3
The mantra of our fathers
Building kingdoms up through time
Sweet dejavu, our passions,
Make us slaves to all their lies.

Her voice was a song of burning
Like a bird that dwells in fire
Her hands they smoldered over me,
Like coals from a funeral pyre

You see the fastest way to Zion
Is through that doorway of her eyes
She turned to me and whispered soft:

There’s a thousand dying prayers in this broken land


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Draft 1 from the original text

A wh*re comes errata a jovial face
banjo’s last ramba the mansion
Ace cad the house lifting and fell comatose the herbs are verdant
The nachos sobre all sealed extra largo
The time me dejavus grainery of sublimation

Doritos and an apology of such eyes
You hunkered entire lost carousels
fruit principle of the pueblos of mansions
Why one way poor debauched the one

Time to lose arbors of the Hosia
Send her con margaritas and sabbaticals
Poor lost Rio of the lusting separation
Why comes errata green and desperate
famous entire lost graineries

Sober L patios felt the candid O
Mantra of the grandfather established a castle
And L soul quiet it jovial solo and vice
The time my deja vu juggernaut why serve

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The original text was a poem in Spanish. If you're interested, I can post it in the comments.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I wrote this song sketch for my Translitic Songwriting Group on Facebook. As with most of my writing, it was a last-minute thing--especially the video.

This is a sketch, and I plan on re-recording and re-mixing, but I'd appreciate any input--suggested changes and/or what seems to be working/not-working in the current version.

Sorry I haven't been on the Forum much the last 6 months. We've had complications with COVID and a death in the family, so the days all sort of melt together. I do look forward to catching up though and listening and commenting on the posts others have made on the forum.

Hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy.

Last edited by TexasFrets; 11/18/20 07:00 PM.
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,087
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,087
Todd,

Holy Smokes!! You are BLOWING ME AWAY.

"Well there’s just one way to heaven
There’s a thousand ways to hell
When you’re deep and dark and drunk on love
Your heart can hardly tell"

Killer.

"She was a hooker of errata,
Her smile, a valentine.
My fists were hard and sober
When I laid her down the line"

Killer.

...and it goes on and on.

Your productions are GORGEOUS. SUCH great "little touches". Pro level.
"...This is a sketch, and I plan on re-recording and re-mixing..."
Cannot imagine this getting much better.

And an excellent mix.

I LOVE your vocal. That little bit of Waits growl is sweet. The clarity that follows is just as sweet. would kill to be able to that...

It is one of my favorite things that have ever shown up in the Showcase. I think I'm on my 5th listen...

Damn! this is good!!!

AND... the video is EXCELLENT. I may have asked you before...what video software did you use to make that - where did the clips come from - how are you recording yourself???

The song reminds me of one of my all-time favorite records... "Breezy Stories" by Danny O'Keefe. If you don't know it (few people do), I think you might find it interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mMMEr7jZdWlRwq5R6crw8mtX2L5n2ilX8

Color me IMPRESSED. And a fan. WOW.

fj

(So sorry for your loss)

User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,982
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,982
I feel I'm not qualified to comment this masterpiece, so perfect in every detail. Very vivid images in the lyrics: "She was hunkered down in a carousel Painted ponies running free." and the great opening lines "Well there’s just one way to heaven There’s a thousand ways to hell". Beautiful chord progression creating exciting mood. Great singing, mix and instrumentation. And the video is amazing. I'm speechless, I rather let the music speak.

Janne


Hear My Music:

Soundcloud
YouTube

User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749
Quite a proactive write.

Love it!

The band is well placed and the vocals are perfect.
Video is just as exotic as the lyrics.

Genius!

moto

User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,318
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,318
Todd, there is so much excellent stuff happening here I don't know where to start! Your vocals are SUPER!! The music is excellent (all of it)! The lyrics are well thought out and delivered in exceptional manner! Some of the best stuff presented here! Take care, T




User Showcase
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,820
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,820
Dang, Todd! Everything is top-notch. Love the lyrics and the vocal. The feel is perfect for the sentiment, and the production is so spot on in every detail.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Todd,

Holy Smokes!! You are BLOWING ME AWAY.

"Well there’s just one way to heaven
There’s a thousand ways to hell
When you’re deep and dark and drunk on love
Your heart can hardly tell"

Killer.

"She was a hooker of errata,
Her smile, a valentine.
My fists were hard and sober
When I laid her down the line"

Killer.

...and it goes on and on.

Your productions are GORGEOUS. SUCH great "little touches". Pro level.
"...This is a sketch, and I plan on re-recording and re-mixing..."
Cannot imagine this getting much better.

And an excellent mix.

I LOVE your vocal. That little bit of Waits growl is sweet. The clarity that follows is just as sweet. would kill to be able to that...

It is one of my favorite things that have ever shown up in the Showcase. I think I'm on my 5th listen...

Damn! this is good!!!

AND... the video is EXCELLENT. I may have asked you before...what video software did you use to make that - where did the clips come from - how are you recording yourself???

The song reminds me of one of my all-time favorite records... "Breezy Stories" by Danny O'Keefe. If you don't know it (few people do), I think you might find it interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mMMEr7jZdWlRwq5R6crw8mtX2L5n2ilX8

Color me IMPRESSED. And a fan. WOW.

fj

(So sorry for your loss)



Thanks so much, FJ, for your kind words. Really means a lot to me. I don't get much feedback from family and friends about my music, so it's nice to hear that someone really likes it. Thank you for that. It definitely encourages me to keep writing.

You asked about the video. I use Adobe Rush for most of my videos. I'd prefer to use Adobe Premiere, but my computer is old and pretty slow now, and the new release of Premiere often crashes it. Adobe Rush is a very simple and scaled back program, but it does allow you to do multiple layers and to adjust transparency of those layers. For this video, I purchased a hi-res gear video from Adobe Stock videos. For the videos of myself singing and playing guitar, I recorded at night with a black sheet draped on my wall and a small light on the floor pointed toward me. I put my iphone in a holder and mounted it to a chair to record. Then I imported all 3 videos into Adobe Rush.

I will definitely check out "Breezy Stories" by Danny O'Keefe. Thanks for suggesting it.

Thanks again for all your encouraging words.

Best,

Todd

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: jannesan
I feel I'm not qualified to comment this masterpiece, so perfect in every detail. Very vivid images in the lyrics: "She was hunkered down in a carousel Painted ponies running free." and the great opening lines "Well there’s just one way to heaven There’s a thousand ways to hell". Beautiful chord progression creating exciting mood. Great singing, mix and instrumentation. And the video is amazing. I'm speechless, I rather let the music speak.

Janne


So sweet of you to say, Janne. Thanks so much! I'm really happy you liked it. I had a lot of fun making this song. Thanks again. All the best, Todd

User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,219
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,219
Great vocal and lyrics! The production is top notch. Spooky video is the perfect compliment. Excellent in all respects. Super job, Tom

User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 241
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 241
I have no words to express how deep, rich, and original your son is! The atmosphere is hypnotic, vocals awesome, excellent mix, and the video....oh my!! Awesome job!

User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,116
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,116
Wow.

I'll also point out the Tom Waits vibe here, in all the best sorts of ways.

As with all your songs I've heard, excellent writing. Simple production, super-effective. Nice, emotive vocals.

I usually don't watch videos (I like to focus on the music), but I thought is was particularly clever. It's low-budget, but it works really well. My first thought was that you'd built this all out of stock video (because it looks quite good) until I noticed that it synced too well to the song. Color me impressed!

This is really good music. laugh


-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,712
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,712
"Her voice was a song of burning
Like a bird that dwells in fire
Her hands they smoldered over me,
Like coals from a funeral pyre"

Wow...four great lines of many.

Great performances from you on everything.
Composing, arranging, performing and mixing something like
this is waaaaay above our pay grade smile

And, man, that vid is smokin'. There are so many videos
that fail to add to the song and quite a few that distract.
This one enhanced it. Really well done.

And another fine mix. You are on a roll!

J&B


You can listen to our catalog on Apple Music or Spotify by searching on Janice Merritt
Our Videos are here on our website
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,603
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,603
Superb, great lyric, fabulous vocal, moody tune and all wrapped up in an excellent video.

Really top notch work all round.

Peter

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: CaptainMoto
Quite a proactive write.

Love it!

The band is well placed and the vocals are perfect.
Video is just as exotic as the lyrics.

Genius!

moto


Thanks so much! Very encouraging words. Thank you. Glad you liked the video too.

Cheers,
Todd

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
Todd, there is so much excellent stuff happening here I don't know where to start! Your vocals are SUPER!! The music is excellent (all of it)! The lyrics are well thought out and delivered in exceptional manner! Some of the best stuff presented here! Take care, T


Thanks so much, Torrey. I appreciate all your kind words. Makes me happy to hear these things. I'm especially glad you appreciate the lyrics. Sometimes my lyrics are a bit cryptic or esoteric because of the process I use to craft them. Good to know they worked in this song. Thanks again! Cheers, Todd

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: BabuMusic
Dang, Todd! Everything is top-notch. Love the lyrics and the vocal. The feel is perfect for the sentiment, and the production is so spot on in every detail.


Hey, Marty! Thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate you taking the time to share your kind words with me. Hearing these things is very encouraging and helps me to continue to write songs. Thank you. Cheers, Todd

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: tommyad
Great vocal and lyrics! The production is top notch. Spooky video is the perfect compliment. Excellent in all respects. Super job, Tom


Hey, Tom. Ha, yeah the video is kind of spooky. One of those late-night last-minute things for my songwriting group. It was fun for sure. I appreciate all your gracious words. Thanks so much for watching and responding. Means a lot. Cheers, Todd

User Showcase
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 6,024
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 6,024
Very cool tune. You are doing some magic with that translitic technique + your talent.
Sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: Angelomusic
I have no words to express how deep, rich, and original your son is! The atmosphere is hypnotic, vocals awesome, excellent mix, and the video....oh my!! Awesome job!


Wow! Thank you. Beautiful sentiments. Thank you for that. I'm really happy you like it. I appreciate your generous words.

Cheers,
Todd

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 181
Originally Posted By: dcuny
Wow.

I'll also point out the Tom Waits vibe here, in all the best sorts of ways.

As with all your songs I've heard, excellent writing. Simple production, super-effective. Nice, emotive vocals.

I usually don't watch videos (I like to focus on the music), but I thought is was particularly clever. It's low-budget, but it works really well. My first thought was that you'd built this all out of stock video (because it looks quite good) until I noticed that it synced too well to the song. Color me impressed!

This is really good music. laugh


Thanks so much for your kind words. I was definitely going for a Tom Waits vibe. I was trying to match some of my other songs that seem to have that sound/vibe to them.

I'm glad you liked the video too. That was a late-night thing I did in my bedroom where I record. I put it together with Adobe Premiere Rush.

Thanks again!

Cheers,
Todd

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Generate Lyrics for your Band-in-a-Box songs with LyricLab!

Need some lyrics to complete your Band-in-a-Box song? LyricLab is here to help!

LyricLab (by Joanne Cooper) is an AI-powered tool designed to quickly create lyrics and chords to fit your music. Just enter a rough idea of your lyrics, and let the AI bring them to life. Once you're happy with the results, simply import the LyricLab file into Band-in-a-Box® 2024 or newer. From there, you can pick your style and generate melodies to match your song’s chords!

Learn more about LyricLab here!

Watch the video.


Band-in-a-Box 2024 Italian for Mac is Here!

Ci siamo dati da fare e abbiamo aggiunto oltre 50 nuove funzionalità e una straordinaria raccolta di nuovi contenuti, tra cui 222 RealTracks, nuovi RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 3, Playable RealDrums Set 2, due nuovi set di "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 e altro ancora!

Tutti Pacchetti | Nuove Caratteristiche

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 German for Mac is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 für Mac Deutsch ist verfügbar!

Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK & 7, Xtra Styles PAK 17 & 18, und mehr!

Paket | Was ist Neu

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 French for Mac® is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 apporte plus de 50 fonctions nouvelles ainsi qu'une importante de contenus nouveaux à savoir : 222 RealTracks, des RealStyles nouveaux, des SuperTracks MIDI, des Etudes d'Instruments, des Prestations d'Artistes, des "Morceaux avec Choeurs", un Set 3 de Tracks Jouables, un Set 2 de RealDrums Jouables, deux nouveaux Sets de "RealDrums Stems", des Styles XPro PAK 6 & 7, des Xtra Styles PAK 17 & 18, et bien plus encore!

New! XPro Styles PAK 7 for Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Mac!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 7 with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 50 RealTracks and RealDrums that are sure to delight!

With XPro Styles PAK 7 you can expect 25 rock & pop, 25 jazz, and 25 country styles, as well as 25 of this year's wildcard genre: Celtic!

Here's a small sampling of what XPro Styles PAK 7 has to offer: energetic rock jigs, New Orleans funk, lilting jazz waltzes, fast Celtic punk, uptempo train beats, gritty grunge, intense jazz rock, groovy EDM, soulful R&B, soft singer-songwriter pop, country blues rock, and many more!

Special Pricing! Until September 30, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 7 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea)! Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box 2024® with XPro Styles PAK 7! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Watch the XPro Styles PAK 7 Overview & Styles Demos video.

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2024 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

New! Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Mac!

Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box version 2024 is here with 200 brand new styles to take for a spin!

Along with 50 new styles each for the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, we’ve put together a collection of styles using sounds from the SynthMaster plugin!

In this PAK you'll find: dubby reggae grooves, rootsy Americana, LA jazz pop, driving pop rock, mellow electronica, modern jazz fusion, spacey country ballads, Motown shuffles, energetic EDM, and plenty of synth heavy grooves! Xtra Style PAK 18 features these styles and many, many more!

Special Pricing! Until September 30, 2024, all the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 18 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea)! Expand your Band-in-a-Box 2024® library with Xtra Styles PAK 18! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 18 here.

Watch the Xtra Styles PAK 18 Overview & Styles Demos video.

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 18 requires the 2024 UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

New! Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Windows!

Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box version 2024 is here with 200 brand new styles to take for a spin!

Along with 50 new styles each for the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, we’ve put together a collection of styles using sounds from the SynthMaster plugin!

In this PAK you'll find: dubby reggae grooves, rootsy Americana, LA jazz pop, driving pop rock, mellow electronica, modern jazz fusion, spacey country ballads, Motown shuffles, energetic EDM, and plenty of synth heavy grooves! Xtra Style PAK 18 features these styles and many, many more!

Special Pricing! Until September 30, 2024, all the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 18 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea)! Expand your Band-in-a-Box 2024® library with Xtra Styles PAK 18! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 18 here.

Watch the Xtra Styles PAK 18 Overview & Styles Demos video.

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 18 requires the 2024 UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics82,911
Posts753,156
Members39,028
Most Online3,932
Nov 19th, 2024
Newest Members
Jean-Laurent, dongordo, xaos, sfloyd, Jack Peterson
39,027 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 156
DC Ron 102
jpettit 95
DrDan 88
rsdean 82
dcuny 81
Today's Birthdays
alvaro clemente1, mhill, Rick Hansen
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5