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 | ledebutant said 558 days ago |
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Fascinating This is so interesting. I'm so used to hearing you from recordings that were originally analog, that it's kind of discombobulating to hear you in digital format. I was listening to the introduction and waiting for your voice to come in, feeling pretty sure I was going to know how you would sound...only you didn't have that traditional Ejh sound. You were brighter and more present (not bad things to be in music or in life for that matter)and it really sounds almost as though you're right here in the room. I miss the warmth you got with analog, but there are certainly things that make up for it, as far as clarity and feeling as though I'm just hearing more of the nuances in your voice. I'm curious to know what you used the ChannelStrip for as far as production, because I'm noticing some of the things I noticed when I used it and I'm curious if it's the ChannelStrip or me. This is a really nice production, with lots of space and it really is a thrill to hear you so clearly. Okay, enough with the nuts and bolts and on with the part where I say "WOW!" about your wonderful concept for the song. Also, I will now be slapping you a high five on the sentiment behind it, too. It's really a very well-written song and very nicely performed, too. The solos sound terrific and have that magical Ejh feel. I'm so happy you posted something. Now for the real question...what does thepeep think? |
 | jiguma said 558 days ago |
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I tried so hard Ed! To be first that is! This is quite a cause for celebration - a new song from Mr Hannifin ;) Lovely guitar bed cushioning the song. Vocals are clear and present - I would hazard to say that they are the best I've heard from you Ed. The accoustic bass sound you've chosen is really perfect for this song, although I suspect a real one would have added a tad more to the song (acoustic bass I mean, not electric). Having said that, in this context, maybe the single note approach you have here is most appropriate. Lyrics are first class, and even though I'm not American, we hear "GBA" on the TV so often that I can see what you're about. I especially like the sentiment behind the song description you've written Ed. My only nit is that you've maybe used a little more lead guitar than I think is necessary, but again, maybe that's appropriate in the context of the genre. It's REALLY good to hear a new track of yours Ed - the fact that it's this good shows you haven't just been slacking off ;) Peace, Neil |
 | Vic Holman said 558 days ago |
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Alright First of all a nice bed of acoustics! Second very well mixed! Third vocals are right there Fourth The world would be just fine without "slogans" Fifth Do Charvettes Electrics still exist Sixth Nice subtle lead guitar lines Seventh a new tune Good work! |
 | Macaudion said 558 days ago |
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I will! I will... I'm gonna say more! I will need to catch up on some other comments first. Just wanted to get in on the dibn' action... Macca. |
 | perceptualvortex said 558 days ago |
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A new one from you, wahoo Great job with everything; the writing, playing and mix. The guitars sound really beautiful. I really like your writing, and I can certainly get behind the sentiments. My favorite line is the last one, which kind of says it all "God already blessed America When he blessed the whole wide world". Exactly! It's great to hear a new one from you, Ed. Even if your posts are infrequent, they reflect your attention to detail and perfectionism, so it's worth the wait. |
 | Feter said 557 days ago |
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Ejh acoutical world !! always impressed by the sweet acoustic sound you create on you songs ... the singing just so honest and warm the words ryme so good with the guitars anotehr perfect song my friend well done ... God Bless ...!!! |
 | Denny Borsboom said 557 days ago |
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Great lyrics I absolutely loved this song, both the lyrics and the music. Your guitar soloing is also pretty impressive here. Good bed of acoustic guitar, very nice rhythmic accents. The vocal is great. It's convincingly sung, which isn't at all trivial with these lyrics. Your vocal has just the right amount of crackiness here (is that a word?). But what I liked most are the lyrics, which are funny and intelligent and right on the money. You expose the arrogance those who constantly ask of God that he should consider such a petty thing as blessing a country, let alone the richest country in the world, with convincing argumentation - in a song... Congratulations on pulling this off. Best Denny |
 | Mcboy said 557 days ago |
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i'm blessed ....to hear such good music.......in my opinion u carry the dylan promise fervently in your music.....there are some philosophical undercurrents to the song that could carry a lively debate.....but there is no doubting the fresh view u bring ........many bows......and .....those acoustics sound mighty fine.....kudos.... |
 | Tadashi Togawa said 557 days ago |
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Good song. I had to have the reading ability in English. |
 | thoddi said 557 days ago |
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great great to hear a new song from you Ed:) And great sound from your guitar. I think there still is the same sound/feel to your music like there was in your earlier recordings. Only difference is maybe the polished digital format, and the somewhat unpretentious bass from the keyboard. I'd like to suggest a little zing to the bass groove with adding a little punch on the 8th stroke (or the 4th's "and") every now and then. Don't know if that makes any sense to you... just to sexy up the groove a tiny bit:) For such a long tune with little changes along the path, it can be ok to spice up some details every now and then. Of course that is just to my taste... I don't really believe there is such a thing as right or wrong in music. But most of all, I enjoyed your new tune very much. You sound great Ed. Your voice is very pleasant to listen to, and the overall sound of your production is smooth and full of good choices in the mixing department. |
 | Z293 said 557 days ago |
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Simply Beautiful God already blessed Ejh. |
 | Ejh said 557 days ago |
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Hi, Tadashi... ...This IS a pretty long song, isn't it?... And it probably makes a lot out of a rather small corner of American culture... Plainly I am going to have to learn some Japanese if I am going to function as one of your translators... Even so, I am happy that you came by and listened. Thank you very much for listening and letting me know... Always a pleasure... Ed |
 | SmokeyVW said 557 days ago |
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such a gentle reminder it's too easy to forget to appreciate what we have your voice shines out here - very, very nice. thanks |
 | kristyjo said 557 days ago |
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I like this- The lyrics are excellent, as are the vocals. I'm glad you got 'past' the vocal shyness, because this is just great as a solo piece. (Maybe vocal harmonies on the later renditions of the line 'God already blessed America', but only a thought.) The guitars and bass are great, too. As backup instruments, they sound great in chorus. Thanks for sharing! |
 | thetiler said 556 days ago |
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Terrific How did I miss this gem. Love the mature words here. Kind of has the Mark Kopfler folk type feel. Which is a top notch sound. You get a a real nice tone from the guitars. Love the trademark EJh singin. Sorry for coming in late on this but I am sure glad I made it here:) Way to go Ed ! Terrific |
 | guitapick said 555 days ago |
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YAY! A new tune of yours AND a great one! Beautifully conceived and executed, Ed. That sounds clinical...but it's not meant to be. From beginning to end, it's great... As to the theme; well, come on, Ed. Don't you think God needs to be told what to do, every now and then? Gotta make sure he's backing the right horsey... ;-) (true joke...I can't stand the phrase either) |
 | Willywagga said 555 days ago |
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Great Song Very fine lyrics, I know what you mean, about the phrase, you really get that point across in a gentle way, there is considerable compassion in your voice and that crackiness increases the frailty of ourselves in the context of God. This works really well. I agree with the comment about the noodling, though it's not intrusive a little more sparingly might give the song more space. Your voice is great, hints of Paul Simon's gentle side in the delivery. Willie |
 | echoroom said 553 days ago |
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Soothing Hey Ed - its great to have a new track from you - it's been some time since the last. the production on this is lovely - loads of space, and the guitars sound really clear. Your voice sounds ... wise and wholesome here. This is such a sweet track - its so nice to hear something ... positive on this subject. In a world where everyone always wants more, it's great to have a track that says 'look what we've been given'. Great work Ed. Steve |
 | Jim Bouchard said 553 days ago |
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really nice! I haven't been paying attention much to MacJams music lately, and so I am glad that I finally got around to checking what was on top of the Fan Picks list, and that this one is there. Really great message, and a super recording, playing and singing! Your level-headed care and concern really shows in the music and the message, and we are blessed to have you here on MacJams to keep our heads on straight. I have no nits to pick on the recording, it's darn near perfect! The bass is subtle and supportive, the guitar leads are a little busy but quiet and not intrusive, the acoustic strumming is a nice bed. I like to hear your voice clear like this, though I certainly understand how difficult it is to resist adding some sort of effects to fatten it up, but in terms of the message it's important that it's clear and clean like this. |
 | Karmatoburn said 553 days ago |
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kudo's I love the concept and the sentiment. lyrically cool and your vocal imparts the message with heart. very cool guitar work by the way. the little electric riffs that thread the tune were tasty. |
 | elektronix said 553 days ago |
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Wonderful. Thanks a lot for sharing this wonderful song. Wonderful guitar, perfect playing and mixing. And really good lyrics. It is not my mother language, but I am able to read some provoking humour between the lines... Your voice is marvellous. Great work! Faved and downloaded. Greetings from (the already blessed, too) Germany, Bernd |
 | paul f. page said 553 days ago |
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God already blessed America... ...with your wonderful talent and this very special song that you've composed from your heart. Lots of comments (above) that are right on the money. I am always particularly taken with your guitar work, and here especially the lead licks. Very tasty every step of the way. The little "bent" strings here and there are so skillfully rendered. You are the absolute pro in this genre and playing style. (Bows!!!). You have to start writing more.. Peace. Paul |
 | selters said 553 days ago |
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You kept me up! I was actually going to bed, but just hat to listen to this song when i saw you had posted it. And I must admit it was a great choice to stay awake for this gem. The guitar playing is so wonderful that i cant find any words for it. It sounds to me that your mixing skills have improved "a lot"(All though I have always thought your production is great). It is specially the voice that i think sounds wonderfully mixed. Which of course has something to do with your splendid vocal performance. I don't think I even need to comment on your guitar playing. The lyrics are wonderful, your words should be sung out to all us spoiled people in the west! Im much looking forward to listen to this song on my mp3 player on the way to work tomorrow morning. Its a twenty minutes walk, so that will give me three listens. Thank you for this song, its wonderful! Magnus |
 | composerclark said 551 days ago |
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Like it (but I have some critiques!) I don't think I've ever heard anyone say, "God bless Canada!", but when I lived in the good ol' USA for a couple of years as a teenager I heard quite a few people say "God Bless America." There was also that business of pledging allegiance to the flag every morning at school... I found that kind of disturbing... like the powers that be wanted complete fealty (submission?) from us, perhaps so that we wouldn%u2019t mind too much if we got sent to Viet Nam. %u201CAmerica; love it or leave it!%u201D was something else I ran into a few times (a saying that seems to fly in the face of the parts of the first amendment relating to freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances), but, I never encountered equivalent slogans regarding other countries in which I lived. It%u2019s nice to hear a song challenging some of this strangeness! Regarding the musical aspects, I agree with much of the praise that has been heaped upon you %u2013 you are in good voice, the words are very clear, there are tasteful guitar solos, you are my hero, etc. %u2013 but I%u2019ll be a meany and offer a few criticisms, which, given your well-deserved popularity here, will likely get me tarred and feathered by your fans, but what the heck! %u2022I think it may be too long. Your basic message is really straightforward, and the musical presentation of this message could be a lot more succinct. The danger in stretching things out too much is that you can loose the listener along the way, although it is a mark of the esteem in which you are held here that you could have made this twice as long, and I believe most of your fans would have been happy to stick with it! %u2022It would be more interesting (to me, anyway) to change the arrangement occasionally; the texture remains pretty much the same all the way through, whereas individual verses could occasionally get a different treatment. A modulation might come in handy at some point? Maybe a finger-picking pattern instead of a strumming one some of the time? Or, one of my favorites, thinning things down to a bare minimum for a verse, like just guitar and voice. %u2022I don%u2019t think all your guitars are completely in tune with one another. They are not hugely out of tune or anything, and the fact that no one has mentioned this would seem to suggest this is not something that people are noticing, or bothered by. But, for what it%u2019s worth, I noticed it right from the start of the instrumental intro. Okay, meanyness over! I hope you don%u2019t mind; none of my critiques get in the way of the fact that you have a very good song presented in a very attractive way, and I like it a lot. |
 | damiengh said 551 days ago |
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Great thoughts Ed, What a good tune. I came from a religious family, even have a Jesuit for a brother and though I'm not religious, certainly understand where your coming from. The lyrics are both kind and unscolding; your able to get your message across to those who need to hear, without them getting a tongue lashing. Imagine a choir singing this song at Regent Law School or Liberty University commencement exercises giving them something to think about before they went out into the world. Thanks for the great tune, I'll pass this one on to my brother. |
 | Brian Weiland said 550 days ago |
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Great Song! Funny smart beautiful touching truthful lyics, sung with a clear gentle voice. I loved the message, the playing, and the singing. It is true that some arranging "tricks" might spice it up a little, and as it first started playing and I scrolled down and saw how many verses there were, I was wondering what you were going to do to hold our interest through such a long song. But then there I was nearly eight minutes later - longer than "Like a Rolling Stone," longer than "Hey Jude," nearly as long as "American Pie" even - and still hanging on every word, and feeling the need to immediately download it and play it again! The mood you have set up with your arrangement just perfectly captures and complements the sentiment of your words. What I like the best: 1 - The lyrics, which tell a great message in a non-lecturing and even humorous way. 2 - The bed of guitars. I like guitars, and I like the way you play them. 3 - Every time your voice does that slighty raspy thing. As I said, great song. Thank you for sharing it. ~Brian PS- By the way, you might already know this, but Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land Is Your Land" out of pretty much the exact sentiment you said inspired this song, as a direct response to what he described as the "jingoism" of the song "God Bless America." |
 | Scott Carmichael said 550 days ago |
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It's like riding a bike I'm really enjoying this Ed... you have such a relaxed yet pointed way about you ... it allows you to insert little barbs that don't hurt at all... things presented in love will tend to hurt less... I'm telling this to a pychotherapist.... even though this is your recent writing there is a recognisable thread that runs from your older work... the most authentic folky at MJ... I'm sure someone must have said it, but this was worth the wait |
| dug said 541 days ago | |
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long time no hear recognized your voice...haven't heard it in a # of years...I liked this one... Dee liked it too...she says hi!! Karen just told me about this site a couple days ago. I'll have to figure out the submission process. Still in the process of listening to the rest of your songs...been a cool experience...it's been a pleasure working with Karen this past year should talk soon!! Dug Hatch |
guitar work. You have the touch. The backing tracks are perfectly placed in the mix, nicely played and panned. The lead adds some very nice touches - never intrusive or overwhelming. Your voice is outstanding. You sing the line "When he was making firmaments, dividing sea and land" with great nuance and subtle feeling (By the way, how wonderful to hear a song with the word "firmaments" in it!) and the tone works perfectly with the lyrics, which are excellent in that they are humorous and piercing at the same time ("He's a funny God that way" may be the line of the year so far....) Thought-provoking and meditative at the same time - this is terrific. Nice work. Thanks for sharing. Peace.