Busking Rosa May written by Neil Hogan

cosmicmechanic
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Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:31 pm

Nessa, since this is you (!), I'm sure this performance is very faithful to Neil's original, which I have not yet heard.

Thanks for doing this. It's as fine as it gets. :)

The notes are exceptionally spare in this tune.
Could be understood as meaning that since a story is made up of words ... there is a space between them (the notes).

This is a standalone beautiful piece.

BUT ...

HOW ABOUT A LYRICS CONTEST :) :) :) ????

How many times did you hear the words "Rosa May" in there ?

If I were to add lyrics to this, I'd have to hold back on the "Rosa Mays" a bit, though :S

Pierre


michelew
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Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:05 am

Pierre,

:) :) :) I like your thinking. I still have lyrics and vocal melody lines going through my head after listening.

We have the story ... My only real concern is being able to do the song justice. The real challenge is to express the depth of emotion in words that the music already expresses by itself.

...

Yes, I definitely heard "Rosa May" in there a lot too.

Shel


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Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:15 am

I think this was beautiful,,,I never heard it by Neil,,

Now I think on every lonely grave in the world,,I don't hear lyrics..I hear only peace and rest..


W.


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Music Junkie
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Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:30 am

michelew wrote:
Pierre,

:) :) :) I like your thinking. I still have lyrics and vocal melody lines going through my head after listening.

We have the story ... My only real concern is being able to do the song justice. The real challenge is to express the depth of emotion in words that the music already expresses by itself.

...

Yes, I definitely heard "Rosa May" in there a lot too.

Shel
This location is very interesting. I have been a couple of times on my trips to the Eastern Sierras. If you Google "Bodie", there are some interesting articles, and lots of pics. That would help in getting a bit more feeling. :)

Jason


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jcrocket
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Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:04 pm

Ness.........that was absolutely beautiful! Beyond the technical skills to pull this off, you also have an amazing knack for conveying the mood behind the piece. Thanks so much for sharing this with us!

Rosa May is my favorite cut from El Dorado, just a great song. Watching Neil play it at the camp, and now watching you play it, you can really see how some of those notes you have to stretch for - like that low F - are really key to the mood of the song.

Among the countless thrilling moments at IGC, two that really stood out for me were two of the instrumental pieces we got to hear, both of which hit me at a deep emotional level. One was Muriel's incredible "View from Space" on the harp guitar; the other was when Neil played "Rosa May". When the room is so silent you could hear a pin drop - and everyone is so rapt in attention to the song that it seems like nobody is even breathing - you know you are witnessing a magical moment.

On the topic of coming up with lyrics for this......I'm a bit torn, but I think I'd lean towards the "leave it alone" camp. Granted, the story behind the lone gravesite in the Sierras could be the basis of a very compelling lyric, in the right hands. But, to me, it's the rare instrumental piece that goes beyond cool and interesting, and actually connects on an emotional level - but when it does, it almost seems to be at a deeper, more primal gut level than most lyrics can reach. As Shel noted, it would be a real challenge to come up with lyrics that would be worthy of this song.

Jeff


thereshopeyet
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Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:30 pm

:ohmy: Adiding Lyrics !!!!

Image

:(


sbutler
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Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:39 pm

jcrocket wrote:
Ness.........that was absolutely beautiful! Beyond the technical skills to pull this off, you also have an amazing knack for conveying the mood behind the piece. Thanks so much for sharing this with us!

Rosa May is my favorite cut from El Dorado, just a great song. Watching Neil play it at the camp, and now watching you play it, you can really see how some of those notes you have to stretch for - like that low F - are really key to the mood of the song.

Among the countless thrilling moments at IGC, two that really stood out for me were two of the instrumental pieces we got to hear, both of which hit me at a deep emotional level. One was Muriel's incredible "View from Space" on the harp guitar; the other was when Neil played "Rosa May". When the room is so silent you could hear a pin drop - and everyone is so rapt in attention to the song that it seems like nobody is even breathing - you know you are witnessing a magical moment.

On the topic of coming up with lyrics for this......I'm a bit torn, but I think I'd lean towards the "leave it alone" camp. Granted, the story behind the lone gravesite in the Sierras could be the basis of a very compelling lyric, in the right hands. But, to me, it's the rare instrumental piece that goes beyond cool and interesting, and actually connects on an emotional level - but when it does, it almost seems to be at a deeper, more primal gut level than most lyrics can reach. As Shel noted, it would be a real challenge to come up with lyrics that would be worthy of this song.

Jeff
AHMEN JEFF. She's perfect as is.


michelew
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:44 am

Music Junkie wrote:
michelew wrote:
Pierre,

:) :) :) I like your thinking. I still have lyrics and vocal melody lines going through my head after listening.

We have the story ... My only real concern is being able to do the song justice. The real challenge is to express the depth of emotion in words that the music already expresses by itself.

...

Yes, I definitely heard "Rosa May" in there a lot too.

Shel
This location is very interesting. I have been a couple of times on my trips to the Eastern Sierras. If you Google "Bodie", there are some interesting articles, and lots of pics. That would help in getting a bit more feeling. :)

Jason
Thanks Jason. I read a bit about her yesterday. She's an interesting character. There's definitely lots of inspiration in the little I read.

Thanks.

M


michelew
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:59 am

Jeff, Dermot and Scott,

I hear you loud and clear; don't mess with Neil's masterpiece. Good advice no doubt.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that lyrics would improve this beautiful piece. Actually, I think the fact that anyone is even suggesting it is an indication of what an evocative piece it is.

I've only tried it a few times, and only recently, but I do enjoy trying to develop lyrics for instrumentals that capture my attention. One day I hope to write songs from scratch. For now toying with lyrics now and then is a fun path into creativity. :)

Pierre, and anyone else who's interested in the idea of lyrics, send them my way. I'd love to see and hear what you come up with, sing them if you can. I'd send the same toward you, if I come up with something that's a good enough rough draft.

Don't worry guys, the Master's creation is safe. :) :) :) I won't go drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa - well not on the forum anyway. :) :P :P

Shel


cosmicmechanic
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:26 am

michelew wrote:
... I won't go drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa - well not on the forum anyway. :) :P
Well, I think it would actually be fine to do that, but you'd have to rename it "Moe Lisa" :side:

Hmmm ... my suggestion was tossed into the forum light-heartedly, so I did not expect to hear "THUD" when it landed. Guess I don't know my own strength ?

I can see that adding (uninvited) lyrics is kinda touchy, since this instrumental of Neil's is so evocative, and everyone has his own mental imagery.

Been listening to lots of folk and bluegrass the past while ... very "wordy" songs, and the instrumentals usually have fast rhythms. This very slow instrumental gets the voices in my head talking. Maybe I can get them singing (off-site).

But no thread highjack intended, and no reason to distract from Vanessa's cover of Neil's "Rosa May".

BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE, NESSA !

Pierre


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