Homeward Bound - Simon & Garfunkel

[ronws]

Thanks, David.

And something else I wanted to say about the process of approaching a recording, especially a collab, with more time and patience than even one of our infamous "twang on the geetar and sang" things. MDEW has an excellent talent for arrangement, I find. I have taken some of his advice on other songs and it worked out well.

And sometimes, when you have a good recording scheme going and ideas of mix float around, this may cause you to add or re-write something. You go, wow, that sounded kind of neat or I could do that differently because this effect works well and I want to highlight it.

Now, if this was a recording for professional release then a number of things would come into play. First off, we would probably have a few more tracks and takes bouncing around and eventually have to choose just one version for release. And we would likely be using a professional engineer or producer, who would be bringing other elements in, including re-keying the song. Because voices sound different at different parts of the range. And it depends on the sound you are going for. So, in a professional recording, the "insistence" to record in the original key or even one that you are familiar with may fly out the window. As changing to yet another key will bring out in your voice something that needs highlighting.

[Slow Start]

I enjoyed that alot - both of the versions. MDEW I feel like I have heard a lot of improvement in the tone and stability of your voice! You seem to have a characteristically open nasal port sound, which is just an observation... it doesn't bother me. Stylistically fine imo. What happens when you practice singing some scales with your nose pinched just to see if you can operate with a closed larynx sound?

I liked MDEW's harmonies on ron's version and that was a nice guitar solo... woulda wished the bend sounded more decisive to me for more flavor.

And Ron, it sounds to me like you lose some adduction in your lower register... sounds like a bit of the too depressed larynx with air comin' through perhaps? What happens when you try to find a neutral larynx position and hold your breath for a second and then consciously sing with a little less air on the lower end like you are talking under water? (glottal compression) I feel like lower connection should definitely be something that you can tweak around and get (reasonably since I know you're a high voice) since you have such good control of pressure and adduction in your higher range.

[Keith]

Very cool guys! I'd like to hear Bridge Over Troubled Water next!

[MDEW]

Thanks agin for the comments and encouragement.

Thank you Ronws for joining me on this little project.

Slow Start, Thanks, I am aware of my nasal sound. Even pinching my nose while singing does not create much of a difference so I am at a loss as to why that sound is there unless it is too high a larynx mixed with twang.

There are other aspects of my voice that I have become aware of recently. I think someone described it as a thin sharp sound. It ended up being a good contrast to Ronws warm low tones.

I would not mind trying another collaboration with Ronws but I do not know if either one of us has the time to put a major effort into it. So it would be a few hours each and post the results and let the chips fall where they may.

[ronws]

On the way home today, I heard "You Never Even Called Me by My Name" and thought it would be a good one because it was a live version duet between David Allan Coe and, I think, Jerry Jeff Walker.

"I was drunk the day my momma got out of prison.

And I drove to pick her up in the rain.

But before I could get to the station in my pick-up truck,

She got runned over by a damned 'ole train ....

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me

I never minded standing in the rain.

You don't have to call me darling, Darling.

You never even called me by my name."

Thanks for the ideas, Slow Start. For me, this song was not about blasting away at any part of it. High or low.

And yes, I have a soft and warm low end, that a large number of other people have liked.

And, to be honest, I am not all that interested in developing a booming low end, even though I like boomy baritone voices. It's complicated, I know. But thanks for the good comments and ideas.

And yes, MDEW, any time, let's do another collab or duet or whatever we want to call it.

I just had another thought.

"Beer for my Horses" which is a duet between Toby Keith and Willie Nelson. And a really good movie written by Toby Keith and co-written and starring Rodney Carrington.

"Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses."

Maybe I can "fake" the Toby part. I have the height. In fact, I think, I am about an inch taller than him. and I still have a black Stetson.

[MDEW]

On the way home today, I heard "You Never Even Called Me by My Name" and thought it would be a good one because it was a live version duet between David Allan Coe and, I think, Jerry Jeff Walker.

"I was drunk the day my momma got out of prison.

And I drove to pick her up in the rain.

But before I could get to the station in my pick-up truck,

She got runned over by a damned 'ole train ....

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me

I never minded standing in the rain.

You don't have to call me darling, Darling.

You never even called me by my name."

Thanks for the ideas, Slow Start. For me, this song was not about blasting away at any part of it. High or low.

And yes, I have a soft and warm low end, that a large number of other people have liked.

And, to be honest, I am not all that interested in developing a booming low end, even though I like boomy baritone voices. It's complicated, I know. But thanks for the good comments and ideas.

And yes, MDEW, any time, let's do another collab or duet or whatever we want to call it.

I just had another thought.

"Beer for my Horses" which is a duet between Toby Keith and Willie Nelson. And a really good movie written by Toby Keith and co-written and starring Rodney Carrington.

"Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses."

Maybe I can "fake" the Toby part. I have the height. In fact, I think, I am about an inch taller than him. and I still have a black Stetson.

And I have ben compared to Willy more than once. That may have been because of my long Reddish brown hair and beard, plus the fact that in typical Hippy fashion I would wear a bandana as a headband. Not to mention my nasal twang.

Just surprise me and send me something and I will try to add something to it.

[slstone]

On the way home today, I heard "You Never Even Called Me by My Name" and thought it would be a good one because it was a live version duet between David Allan Coe and, I think, Jerry Jeff Walker.

Funny you should mention this one. I've been singing this one to my wife since the day we met, lol. I remember hearing it many times on the radio when I was a kid. I should do a metal version...crank it up a bit.

p.s. I usually do it with an exaggerated southern twang which is funny since I have been living in New England for the past 21 years.

[ronws]

Awesome. I have also butchered the lyrics to that one.

"You don't have to call me genius

But I am ..."

Etc., etc. ....