Over the Falls Liner Notes

Produced and Engineered by Tom Farley

 

 

After a long dry spell, the joy of songwriting and producing returned.  With the ability to engineer and produce at home, the timing was perfect.  With Tania and Steve Gallagher (as Recording Engineer) at my side, how could I lose....?

 

There's a new sound in the music....the dobro.  A retirement present from Tania, it has be my new musical passion.

 

Also....this album allowed me to re-establish an old but cherished relationship with guitarist Greg Ferris.  Greg lives in Lynchburg.  But with a strong musical connection and technology on our side, we were able to collaborate over long distance....and knock one out of the park.

 

I hope you enjoy this album....three instrumentals and four lyric songs....

 

 

Over the Falls Songs

 

Beggin for a Lead - by Tom Farley

Tom Farley: Instruments and Vocals

 

This is a great tune for a country band with a dancing crowd...or a bluegrass band (just leave out the drums)...

This song is unique in its creativity and development. There is only one live instrument that was recorded in my studio - my rhythm acoustic guitar. All of the other instruments...and the individual tracks they represent....were created from loops purchased from studio productions. These loop productions contain assorted passages and individual notes. Many of them have hundreds to choose from...in different keys....and with different styles.

For each of the instruments in this song, there is no single loop lead or rhythm....they are all collections of moments (or pieces) of the many passages played on the studio loops. Each note (and/or small passage) used to create the instrument's performance was reviewed, selected, chopped, edited, and engineered to make the individual instrument track. Some of the instruments...like the fiddle, banjo, and mandolin, have 20-30 passages each....spliced together to get the performance I was looking for...
Mixing them all together to make the entire recording was another part to the process.
Lots of time...but lots of fun...!

 

 

 

High School Heart - by Tom Farley

Tom Farley: Instruments and Vocals

 

Takes me back to high school....as a student and teacher.....

One of the few tunes I've recorded and published over the years that is totally mine....performance-wise. Steve Gallagher was the recording engineer; I was the mixing engineer. But the musical performances - live and looped - are all mine. The first shot at dobro lead...love the harmonies...the ending guitar lick was inspired by Gerry Herndon during a short session at the house...

 

 

 

Making Diamonds from the Coal - by Tom Farley

Tania Farley: Background Vocals

Greg Ferris: Electric Guitar

Tom Farley: Everything Else

 

After some serious waste and sewage spilling in the bay close to Chick's Beach, it seemed like it was time to make a statement. Think globally...and act locally...support the Save the Bay Foundation...!

 

 

DM Crazies - by Tom Farley

Tom Farley: Composition and Programming

 

This is the only song I have ever created that was soley comprised of loops.  Wierd not playing on it...but a great exercise in composing.

 

 

Over the Falls - By Tom Farley

Greg Ferris: Electric Guitar

Tom Farley: Everything Else

 

This song is the title cut from the "Over the Falls" CD.....the theme of which was inspired by my excellent trip to Niagara Falls with Tania. A great time for reflection...the physical nature that is the falls is spectacular. Everyone should take the time to be close to something in nature so powerful and moving....

The lead electric guitar was played by Greg Ferris of Lynchburg, VA. Greg played lead on "Snowdance" (from the "Songsmyth" album) about 30 years ago. We re-connected on a chance visit to Lynchburg in 2005. The leads he played were recorded by him in Lynchburg as overdubs to a basic mix I sent him on CD. He sent the leads back to me...I stripped them from the CD, added them to the recording, and mixed them into the final product accordingly. We never sat in a studio together on this song...but achieve a great result....and it's an excellent performance by Greg.

I love the organ solo....gleaned, spliced, edited, and created from about 20 different organ loops....took a while....but it's all part of the fun...!

Another part of the fun is creating the album artwork. This video represents a collage of pictures taken when Tania and I went to Niagara Falls. I graphically manipulated them and experimented until a final product (the front and back cd covers displayed at the end of the video) was developed.

 

 

The Way of the World - by Tom Farley

Greg Ferris: Mandolin

Tom Farley: Everything Else

 

This song has a history with a unique collaboration. The mandolin lead was played by Greg Ferris of Lynchburg, VA.

Greg played lead on "Snowdance" (from the "Songsmyth" album) about 30 years ago. We re-connected on a chance visit to Lynchburg in 2005.

The lead he played was recorded by him in Lynchburg as an overdub to a basic mix I sent him on CD. He sent the lead back to me...I stripped them from the CD, added them to the recording, and mixed them into the final product accordingly. We never sat in a studio together on this song...but achieve a great result....and it's an excellent performance by Greg.

 

 

Seventeen Times (The Cell Phone Song) - by Tom Farley

Tom Farley: Instruments and Vocals

 

Written in 2005...it's a bit dated, but the message still rings true...no pun intended. A great country or bluegrass tune in waltz time....