Thanks to my wife Jamie being a country singer from Austin, pfizer TX I was not only introduced to this song but also to its author, Susan Gibson. What makes a great song great is something far beyond what engineers and producers do in the studio, but the magic captured from the air here is certainly worth inspection from my usual critical listening ear. Download it here to listen along.

It begins with the full bodied rhythm guitar favoring the right ear and a hi-hat happily ticking on all 4 beats. The fiddle stands just to the left of center introducing the turnaround with the full band bringing us back to the top of the progression. A pedal steel all the Continue reading Wide Open Spaces (Dixie Chicks) →

This piece by Blind Faith has always touched me in a way I’ve never been able to explain. Well, clinic it’s time I took a listen to learn at least mechanically what’s going on here. Download it so you can listen along.

The piece begins with two acoustic guitars and percussion played on a drum kit using brushes, health while the bass is gentle down the middle. The lead is panned pretty much hard left with only a bit of it in the right channel. The very stable finger style rhythm guitar is focusing on octaves but still hitting enough of the chord to Continue reading Can’t Find My Way Home →