MacJams.com - Song: The Golden Days by jiguma

The Golden Days
by jiguma

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Guest views: 1551
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Song comments: 56
Tokens: 0
Plays: 227
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Downloads: 83
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Submitted on: Aug 17, 2007 - 06:00:41 PM
Last Updated: Sep 03 2007 - 05:25:44 AM

Description Hmmmm .... well, this is one I've been playing around with while trying to get "the CD" sorted out (just about there btw). It's a strange sort of song really.

Lyrically, the various phrases came to me as I have been considering an offer to go back to my old job. So that's one take on them. Another is a reflection on the recent changes in personnel at MJ - people in disagreement and leaving, then coming back .... and leaving again. Finally it's about "what might have been". Other than that, I'm not much help really.

All instruments by me, except backwards guitar by Lien Retrop.

MacAudion has a very cool remix here

As usual, loud is best.

Lyrics Golden Days
© 2007 Neil Porter

The hours of the shortest shadows
Do their best to swallow up my time
The ink-black sky at midnight
Convinced me I was doing fine

I have to spend some time away
To empty out my mind
If I had the time
I’d talk to you of things I left behind

I’ve been dealt some inhibitious genes
That kind of slowed things down for me
I fought back with some auspicious schemes
Some were better than they seemed to be

I have to spend some time away
To empty out my mind
If I had the time
I’d talk to you of things I left behind

Golden days – you always told me
Those were golden days
The best years of our lives you said
Those were the golden days

When you’re running on adrenalin
I’m guessing you’ll be running out of time
But now you’re craving more attention
You certainly have mine

I have to spend some time away
To empty out my mind
If I had the time
I’d talk to you of things I left behind

I’ve been calculating angles
To determine which ones work best for me
I’ve been playing with equations
I’ve been shaking up the branches of my family tree

I have to spend some time away
To empty out my mind
If I had the time
I’d talk to you of things I left behind

Golden days – you always told me
Those were golden days
The best years of our lives you said
Those were the golden days

Hardware Seagull S6 acoustic
Fender® Telecaster
Fender® Precision Bass
Rode NT3 mic
Behringer UB802 mixer/preamp
Yamaha PSR300 midi keyboard (drums)

Software: LE7

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Ejh

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	said 510 days ago
	I'll get back... to this one later. Just wanted dibbs.

	perceptualvortex said 510 days ago
	Psychedelic I like this a lot, in all of it's details. It feels like an opium dream of exceeding grooviness. Way to paint a beautiful musical picture, Neil!

	jiguma said 510 days ago
	So that's ... ... what an opium dream feels like ;) Psychedelia probably sums it up pretty well - I didn't live through the 70s for nothing! Thanks for the visit and comment David. Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

lengold said 510 days ago

This is
an absolutely wonderful experience to listen to. The music seems relaxed and at the same time has an urgency about it. That Lien Retrop is pretty special. I remember reading that you now take more time over your songs and how it shows. The vocals are superb (some effect on them that really fits the lazy/urgent feel of it). The production is perfection and the lyrics reflect a wisdom of experience. I love this Neil. Thank You.
Cheers
Len

jiguma said 510 days ago

Thanks Len
That Lien Retrop was a real find - and he cost virtually nothing to hire :) The effect on the vocals is simply the "spreader" plugin in Logic plus my usual compression settings. I like that you hear the relaxed and urgent aspects of the song. It may be a bass player thing, but I love having the melody working at a different pace to the backing - almost tangential. In this one, it would have been easy to have the vocals running with the beat, but I like the lazy vocal. Singing and playing bass live (although I admit to being unable to carry it off so far) requires some adjustments to the vocals - this is kind of in anticipation of playing GD live someday.
Glad you enjoyed it Len.
Neil

---
GOLDEN DAYS

jgurner said 510 days ago

I think....
...every aspect of the lyrics you mentioned has been something I've pondered recently. It has a lot of resonance with me, especially when you're thinking are the Golden Days ahead of you or behind you. Is there any reason they can't be both?

I hear some melancholy in there. Whether it's just me or if it's something you intended, I guess only you can say. I guess it's a good tune to make you kind of pause and reflect.

Excellent all around as always. And I'm looking forward to the CD!

jiguma said 510 days ago

Joseph
Thanks for the listen and comment. I was unsure of the meaning of the lyrics - I guess they are the sort of lyrics that create a mood/make you reflect rather than having any direct "story" attached. To me, the "Golden Days" are what you make of them, and, from my experience, most periods of my life have later become "Golden Days" (with a few notable exceptions). One interpretation of the chorus would be that the golden days don't necessarily have to be in the past - just make the most of them all. What you hear as melancholy, I see as confusion - lots of things I don't quite understand sometimes :)
Cheers,
Neil

---
GOLDEN DAYS

	Moviz said 510 days ago
	Really great sounds all round on this one. Love it all and the soft vocal works well along with it all too. Just so good all round. Reminds me somehow of a Simon and Garfunkel number but I can't recall which, M

	Roxylee said 510 days ago
	I love the rhythmn in here and the chords, and the vocals and the lyrics and the delivery and the drums and well, Everything! Intriguing lines..."shaking up the branches of my family tree" I hope the furte is even more golden than the past. :-)

	Vic Holman said 510 days ago
	turn off your mind cool Neil. I like the somewhat ambiguous lyrics. That always serves up personal interpretations. The music and the spreader on the vocals adds a dream state while still grounded. Empty the mind......boy, could I sure use that!

Macaudion said 510 days ago

These are the golden days...
As I'm listening, w/ such flowing wonderment, passing between my lobes...

This is my favorite sound of yours, Neil - That more soulful flow of thought...

That more soulful flow of "notes", being played... - Guitar - bass- drums and perc - all playing to your captivating thoughts... Of which, I love how your voice renders them, on this.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the backwards g'tar.

The whole thing comes together and flows like a sweet, sweet 'live giving' nectar, flowing plentifully.

A wonderful gift you're sharing with us!

Cheers! - my friend! Dion

	Macaudion said 510 days ago
	P.S. Neil - that's a great shot of you on the CD cover - the one that shows up on my itunes. And I like the dare... Dion --- I just love music!

jiguma said 510 days ago

:)
Dion (ahem, I mean Mr Macca) I just love getting your comments - especially when there's 2 of them. Seems you like this one :)
It was difficult to get Lien Retrop to come out of retirement to do the backwards guitar thing, but I just presevered, and I really like what he came up with. Seems he only plays backwards stuff thesae days. I really like the photo of me and the Tele, although it's not on the CD (ready in a few weeks I hope) - but then again neither is this song.
Hope all is well with you my friend - really pleased that you liked the tune.
Cheers,
Neil

---
GOLDEN DAYS

echoroom said 510 days ago

Big decision
What a track Neil - the production is crystal clear - really top quality. A really pensive lyric - a guy I used to work with has the same dilemma, so it put me in mind of him... but it also struck me about how we can get sucked into things like work, and miss the best years of our lives.

This is relaxed, but the guitar gives it a kinda rockin' feel - a great tension in the track.

Aces all round

Steve

jiguma said 510 days ago

What did I do without Logic?!
Although it's really clean production-wise, this was a song I was definitely not sure about - it's been hanging around for a few months now in various degrees of "readiness" - a very long time for me. One of those songs that would probably never get finished because I didn't really know where I wanted it to go. Most of the time it was waiting for a solo. Anyway, seems to be going down OK.

"Tension" is a really good word for it - hadn't thought of that, but that's the feel isn't it.

Thanks for listening Steve,
Neil

---
GOLDEN DAYS

	Feter said 510 days ago
	The Golden Days Man .Neil this is an awesome arrangment and I have to tell you this is a typical G Nash's style and its straight to my heart you got ways with acoustic setting thats top classic ..what an incredible idea to let the lead play backward ..give a real imagen of getting back with memories ..another gem Neil well done !! p.s cool pic !!

	stevel said 510 days ago
	Nice one This definitely has the 'classic Jiguma' acoustic guitar sound.. which is always very nice to hear Steve

	dolby said 510 days ago
	Like the way... ...it builds throughout. Really nice laid back groove. Nothing I don't like about it really:-)) If this tune didn't make the CD then there must be some shit-hot stuff on there! Enjoyed, Cheers, Phil

	Tadashi Togawa said 510 days ago
	Is this a money? The art work is a design like old money. The timing of your song is exquisiteness. Swing. The rhythm of ..playing.. is wonderful.

	said 510 days ago
	MIXING IS GREAT ! AWESOME PIECE ! Mr. Neil this is Awesome ! The bass line sounds great to my ear and the acoustic is so nice, for the vocal, as always so so nice !! Much enjoyed this piece and this is another great work from you, so nice to hear you back ! Take Care ============== Yeman Auf Al-Rawi

	said 510 days ago
	Psychedelic ruminations.... Nice work Neil. This piece takes me back. Really good lyric-writing here. Very easy to feel involved....to identify. We all run in/from time in a variety of ways, don't we? Lovely soundbed. Your stuff always reminds me of some of Pink Floyd's early acoustic stuff. Good feelings. Golden sounds! Be well bro!

Ejh said 510 days ago

Nice meandering lope to this song...
...aided by the signature jiguma fingerpicking-pattern-against-loping-bassline...

As with pv, I can imagine the video for this one involving nice big colorful psychedelic opening and closing kaleidoscope images...

And, having had some contact with old friends lately, I'm relating to the lyrics even where I don't fully understand them... They sound okay by me anyway...

Plus, you have backwards guitar, and that makes everything better...

My only little nit, since you're working on the CD, is that this song, as with some of your other ones lately, seems to have a sort of crackly crispness up somewhere in the treble range...it's hard to describe, but it puts a hint of sibilance in the voice and a bit of extra bite or ping into the acoustic guitar that doesn't sound quite natural... Seems, among other things, to put a little extra metal in the strings... I like your sound, and wouldn't quibble at it, except that it's the one element in the mix that seems to announce to the listening ear that it's a homegrown CD...I find myself wondering if you're using a little more EQ or exciter or something than it really needs... And I want to emphasize that this is a LITTLE thing, albeit, to my ears, an audible one...

Gratefully downloaded though...

Ed

jiguma said 509 days ago

I can rest now
that you've left a comment Ed. I've recently become aware of the same problem you mention regarding the treble excesses I've had recently - a result of too enthusiastically embracing Ozone's capabilities. Just this week I went back over the final mixes for the CD and adjusted things so that there was a slightly more rounded sound while maintaining a fair degree of crispness. I'm much happier now with how everything is sounding. "Golden Days" missed out on this adjustment for some reason (probably because I was focussed on the mastering for the CD), but I'll remember it for my second CD (only joking).
As usual, I really appreciate your comments Ed, and the accuracy of your aural observation in what is a fairly subtle discrimination in sound is both admired and appreciated.
Cheers,
Neil

---
GOLDEN DAYS

	timothy devine said 510 days ago
	Nice sound I gotta come back latter to check it all out more carefully. I 'm sad about the s*#t i've been reading bout people leaving and coming back etc its so slow round here... latter Nice backwards guitar stuff or are you playing with the volume

jiguma said 508 days ago

Sure seems to be ..
..slow around here Tim - I'm glad someone else has noticed too. Not sure where everyone is - hopefully just on summer vacation somewhere relaxing - but it does seem very quiet. Yes, the backwards guitar is actually backwards, not volume controlled - I just bounce all the tracks from the solo section into a new Logic file and then reverse it and play the soloso it coincides with start and end points (the solo needs to start high and end low so it fits in dynamically) as well as chord changes.
Glad you liked it.
Cheers,
Neil

---
GOLDEN DAYS

	michael2 said 509 days ago
	nice song almost reminds me of a more modern CSN&Y. cool stuff.

	said 509 days ago
	Excellent! Fabulous track, Neil. The mix sounds pro! (as usual) I listened to this without reading the lyrics- everything was crystal clear. Hey, and that backwards guitar was a nice touch. Props to that "Lien" dude :P

	said 509 days ago
	Damn.... good. If you were 20 years old, you would be on the road playing gigs and building a wave of fans that would surf you onto the shores of success as a singer/songwriter. (and, of course, if it were still the early 1970s) ;) You have my admiration.

	thetiler said 509 days ago
	you really Get into a great groove and the thing is. Every tune you have have been doing is really quite catchy. This is terrific! Love that reversed sound, almost like ala Beatles. You singing really blends quite well. Love how you make all your sounds count! Very cool ending as well,. Way to go!

TobinMueller said 509 days ago

Dreamed memories mixed with current musings
Another wonderful track. Nice laid back groove. You aren't pushing the compression, which is good, since many of your earlier tracks are too saturated, but this is just right. The drumming is very real, all playing of other instruments is wonderful. I like the artwork a lot, is that an original design? Golden Days' memories commenting on present realities, without saying it, works well.

jiguma said 508 days ago

Thanks Tobin
I'm glad you noticed the change in saturation levels - it's been a long while coming, but after many months of trial and error I'm a lot closer to how I want tracks to sound now. All the tracks on the CD have been remixed and remastered to take advantage of (my own personal) advancements in technology :)
The songart (unfortunately I've gotten out of the habit of posting songart origins) is from http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries/is/enroom/juvenile/golden.html and is the header for a "children's periodical" - "Golden Days for Boys and Girls" from the late 1800s.
Thanks for listening - glad you enjoyed it.
Neil

---
GOLDEN DAYS

	Mcboy said 508 days ago
	one of your better mixes for sure.....the smooth jiguma voice just renders stress to the background.....your music seems as if it were meant for sunday mornings.....peace...

	Peter Bauckham said 508 days ago
	Interesting arrangement and lyrics. Nice laid back vocal delivery and distinctive acoustic guitar sound coupled with clear smooth production make this a real winner. Peter

	Doadars Uncle said 507 days ago
	Hey Neil The vocals are very special, here! The tune has a golden feel. All in all, very dimensional. Doug

damiengh said 506 days ago

We are livin 'em
...those Golden days.

Well, we've got experience now, which is supposed to let us be more efficient (worked out those angles), but sometimes, we get a whole lot of new problems we've never experienced before.

I'm also doing the genealogy thing too, what fun that is along with the time that uses up that I need to do music. Oh well.

Hey Neil, nice tune with nice flavors of our past.

	said 506 days ago
	Very cool allways a pleasure to just sit back and listen to your music! I have many MJers in my Ipod but when your music comes on it allways like saying hello to an old friend is that strange.. I guees your music does that.. Oh by the way another great one thanks for sharing

sloparts said 504 days ago

Different, but very good
This is really a very good piece of work. The mix is excellent as is the choice of instrumentation. The vocals are crystal clear and the lyrics are thought provoking. You use an unusual chord progression and melody line on the Golden Days breaks that's completely unexpected and had me wondering where you went the first time I heard it.

All and all a very good song and as I said, an excellent mix. I like it a lot, thanks for sharing it with us.

Ed

John Stebbe said 504 days ago

Great track!
Jiguma, this is really a terrific track. Your vocals are very listenable. Your voice reminds me of Peter Noone of "Herman's Hermits" of the late 1960s British Invasion.

Love the repeated melodic themes. Really helps the whole thing to hang together.

This is sort of a cross between 'Brazil 66' and 'Herman's Hermits.'

The backwards guitar makes a thoughtful, reflective contribution. Nice choice.

Beautiful work here, Jiguma.

I've got an old keyboard like yours -- it's a Yamaha PSR-500. From around 1991. Still works, although one speaker is dead.

	gail60 said 503 days ago
	Very nice! This is an awesome song. Gosh, I love your voice. This reminds me of a lot of the music I listened to growing up. Nice to see that it just keeps getting better and better! You are very talented and I am looking forward to listening to more of your tunes. Thanks for sharing!

	Cori Ander said 503 days ago
	DIG IT A LOT I dig this one a LOT Neil!

dajama said 502 days ago

Very nice groove
beautiful guitar sound and playing here. I love the changes on the chorus. The bass works really well here too - a nice juxtaposition with the "faster" guitar work. The production overall is crisp and crystal clear - very nicely done. The lyrics are great - almost sad and regretful, melancholy maybe, mixed in with simple reflection and some nice insightful ideas. I love the line "When you're running on adrenalisn, I'm guessing you'll be running out of time". Very cool. Great song. sorry it took me so long to get round to listening - sometimes life gets in the way of art!

	thoddi said 501 days ago
	finally I've got my ears moved in this direction... I like the repeating pattern you do on the acoustic. Together with steady bass, the tight drums with the conga groove... it floats like the waves you probably can watch from your porch:) Good and tight production. Great lyrics.

	bud said 497 days ago
	Missed this in the summer heat Great tune - very chill vibe. Nice playing and production. I dig the vocals here too. Reminds me a little of John Martyn.

estellie said 493 days ago

great!
I love the instrumentation! I love the acoustic, forwards moving, I think, guitar, as well as the backwards one ; )

I like that you write that some of the schemes were better than they seemed to be, rather than that they were worse (which would have been clich�) - adds a clever, positive feel to the lyrics in a song that seems to be about running out of time and feeling more or less melancholy and/or overwhelmed. and that line: "You certainly have mine [attention]" is a sweet one, too, an oasis. Great writing.

	MrsCurry said 318 days ago
	Nice... Curry recommended this amongst other songs of yours. I really like it! Since I�m new here I can say that there is A LOT to listen too! And good stuff! There is so much creativity out there. Glad Curry showed me your music! Would be nice to sing this song... pushing the repeat-button again and again Be blessed!

	jiguma said 510 days ago
	Thanks Roxy I don't know where the lyrics come from sometimes - deep in the subconscious somewhere perhaps - but I really enjoy getting them down. The one I'm working on at the moment is even more oblique, but really interesting to me. I'm really pleased you enjoyed this - I have such a good time writing and recording this stuff. Cheers, Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	jiguma said 510 days ago
	relax and float downstream Gald you enjoy a certain degree of ambiguity Vic. I've only just started using the spreader, and used in moderation, it can give a nice effect. Hope you found an interpretation of the words that worked for you - or not ;) Thanks for the listen. Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	jiguma said 510 days ago
	Feter! Glad you liked the sound - Graham Nash has always been a favourite of mine, since his days with The Hollies. Thanks for listening and leaving a comment - always appreciate you visiting. Peace, Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	jiguma said 509 days ago
	:) Cheers Steve. Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	jiguma said 508 days ago
	Phil, thanks for the listen and for the comment. The only reason this one won't make the CD is that said CD was kind of finalised before I finished writing Golden Days. I'd quite like to include GD, but even more, I'd like to include the one I'm working on at the moment - maybe I can re-jig the machinery :) Cheers, Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	jiguma said 508 days ago
	Not money ... ... it's a header from an old US newspaper for kids (from the 1890s). It took my fancy when I image-googled "golden days". Glad you enjoyed the sounds - it seems to me to be a step back into my earlier style when I first joined MJ. Thanks Tadashi, Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	jiguma said 508 days ago
	Yeman! Glad you enjoyed this one - I was pleased with the mix too. Peace, Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	jiguma said 508 days ago
	Floyd! One day I'll have to have a listen to Pink Floyd (other than Dark Side Of The Moon, which I actually own) - they were always just outside my sphere of influences musically. Yes, time is an interesting concept, and gets even more interesting as you get older. Always appreciate you listening and leaving a comment Mike, Cheers, Neil --- GOLDEN DAYS

	cthayes said 509 days ago
	Not much... ...else to say that hasn't already been said. Very cool vibe you've got here. Spot-on arrangement. No surprise that I dig your bass tone and bass line (as a fellow Fender bass-er). Great stuff!

	Ibstrat said 506 days ago
	Great track I listened to it 3 times in a row just to hear how you varied the background.This is extremely well done.I love the A7 riff and the way the vocal rhythm fits over it.You are playing with a capo on the 1st fret right?

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