It's been a long time since I composed anything original and posted it up here - and I'm not sure I've ever just done an acoustic number before....
But here it is!
The background to this was that last week I was playing at an acoustic club with friend of mine, Chris.  We've done a couple of gigs together with mostly covers, but a couple of our own songs too.  So as a laugh, he set me a challenge.... to write a song about ants!
This is a fairly quick recording - mostly to make sure that I can remember it.
Played on a (new) Martin DCX1E and my old Takamine.  I've overdone the reverb a bit on the vocals, and should have changed the EQ on the main guitar, but I know that.  Oh, and this is the first song that I've ever faded the ending - I do have an ending for live, but wanted to hear the way it sounded with a fade.
Comments gratefully received
Cheers
Jim AC

Man, Cat Stevens! You sound definitely like him, specially at the beginning.
I liked it. It's a nice tune with some interesting lyrics .
The guitar sounds is really good and vocals too. Really liked the harmonization. The guitar needs some tweaking in the execution, but just details.
One thing: I just thought it's a bit too long for being just an acoustic song.

             > Iszil

You're right about the "tweaking" Iz, there are a fair few dodgy notes where my fingers didn't quite go where they were meant to!  I expect I'll re-record it some day but it was a one-take wonder so I'm not overly concerned.
As far as the length - it is quite long, you're right; actually longer than intended, but it just ended up that way.  What would you suggest as additional instruments to lift it slightly?

I also meant to add something in my description of this song.... you know how Robert Plant says "this is a song of hope" at the start of the live version of "Stairway..." - well, I was going to say that this is NOT a song of hope! lol

Jim A

I dont know about the lyrical/poetical content....'ants' made me smile all the way through though.
You get more into it as you go along, I find the vocal a bit shaky to start with but then all of a sudden your swinging and in the flow.
As I said I dont know about the lyrical content, I cant really imagine sitting in the pub with me mates all singing "Ants" over a pint ! lol 
But it was a challenge, and you succeeded
The recording production may not be perfect but as a song it really does get swinging...ants an all.

Cheers Kings... well, it may get people in the pub singing "Ants"; you never know! I may find out on Thursday if I choose to sing it - but I'll have to know the words a bit better than I do now.

I've now set a reciprocal challenge for Chris... he has to write a song about car parks!
 
Jim A

Car parks.....yes thats a good one

........sheep ?    

Great sound, clean guitar recording, I like this song. Voice track is kinda saturated, maybe run vocal track through an Eq or limiter and lower the mid band a bit. Or maybe lower mid and raise high's just a bit for a crisper sound. Just and idea. Ah the vocals stay directly center through whole song, maybey try stereo processing to give a smoother feel . This song is worth the time to master and it's so very close.

Great Work!



Aarondeager

Jim..how have you been, Buddy?...I think this is the first time that I have heard you use a fade.. I know  generally you stay away from it...I like the chorus a lot...Who would have ever thought that a song about ants could be/is so, cool...lol...like your voice here..as always...good job

Nice rating

Wow... revisiting this one after it's been played live for a year or so just shows up how it's developed in that time.  This version sounds like it drags along, it's now played much faster, and the picking only lasts for 1 1/2 verses.
And I've learned to record the acoustic a bit better in that time too.
Oh well, onwards and upwards!