So Long! (Updated for Warren)

So Long!
 
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=850571&content=songinfo&songID=10128358
 
3 minutes or so.  Please crit
 
Encouraged greatly by Wookie and Warren, I've reposted this country-ish love song (updated version). 
 
Written and Produced: Philip
Cover: Caleb (of my band, That Heavenly Choir)
 
Instruments and backing vocs (Trilian, S2, EW Voices of Passion, BiaB ('some' stereotypical Pedal Steel, grooves, and acoustic), EW Hollywood Strings, TruePiano, Rhythm (Les Paul) and (Les Paul) lead guitars + Ax-fx processor: Philip
 
Note: I love only a few country songs, Jimmyman's, Haggard's, etc. to whom this is a tribute to.  If I dishonor them, I apologize in advance.  This is probably a once-only 'country' invasion.  Currently, I love this song about more than 'the best' thats out there ... I just don't want to dishonor anyone.
 
Please crit (contructive or destructive), lurk, comment, etc.!  Thanks!

I didnt get a county feel at all till 1:40ish when the slide came in...and even then it felt stchickish... but beyond that I think its a quirky tune with some fun-ness sprinkled on top. It didnt at all draw me in as a love song nor a county tune....which is a good ting for me as I'm not really a big fan o either ;)

fun project!

Man, I missed it too.  Philip, we all do some music that we like and no one else appreciates.  That's because it's just ours.  I find it difficult to believe you did anything bad.  I guess I won't do my song about steak called, "Eat Me",.  Sounds like a bad tune and..... it is!  LOL.  Sorry I didn't get up in time to hear it, buddy!

The music is cool but the vocal seems a bit stiff

Sounds just like a Philip tune with a pedal steel added... very nicely done too...
I like the vocal harmony as well...

Philip. This came out very good.  The biab elements give it a nice polished sound.  The changes you made since I heard it last create nice interest.

It sounds more Beatle-esque than country, but you did a great job with the recording!

I like the song Phil..but, I'm scratchin' my head, womdering why you said 'country' genre...(maybe cause of the added pedal-steel)

I have to agree with with Scotty about it sounding 'Beatle-esque' too.

You and Rick (No-How) have a very,very unique musical identity and that,to me, is always a good thing!!

I like the way the bass pops out on this.

MGH & Pogue: This was meant to be a 1-dimensional 'country' song focused on simple non-precocious fun for the simple folk.  Most of my music is too complex for the minimalist ... so, going simple is extremely difficult for me.  But thanks for your excellent thoughts and invokings.
Thanks for your faithful listen and patience on this one.  I probably won't invade this genre for awhile, as its too out in the swamps (I'm more of a composor/producer ... not a performer).
 
Mstodge:  The lead vocal is Caleb.  I chose him over moi for 2 reasons:  He has (1) the baritone bass registers and (2) He sings with Jimmyman lushness that I've tried to emulate. IOWs, my vox is too tenor-wild and brashy for this.  Thanks for the patient listen.  Again, per MGH, I don't expect this song to top any British-charts.  I felt it was a necessary departure from my 'complex dribble'.  I'll check/fix the 0:48ish drops. 
Your 'overture' pieces are becoming my favs here, TBH.  I'm seriously into rhythmic orchestral romps ... as the funnest and greatest.  Interestingly, "We'll Raise Again" is also my fav-child, so to speak.  It means an aweful lot to me that you continually validate it.  Once I've finished my 3rd album, I'll slip it to #1 or #2, or such, hoping to re-kindle it.  Currently, I'm just trying to make the present do-able.
 
NotNat:  Thanks for validating my persona, which I shan't escape.  The voc harmony was a last ditch effort to 'enrich' the doleful simplicity
 
Janet: Thanks for validating the arrangement.  I'm still looking forward to your vox on a piece or 2.
 
Marcos69: You know I'm hoping for your guitar in a future song and/or solo (or at least take one of your prior guitar pieces and make a vox-production with it).  The biab elements (pedal steel and a couple of acoustic counters) helped me stick to the simple genre (which I'm weak at).  Thanks so much for validating.
 
Philz:  The key if C, was the only key I could work with on this.  Db was too high for the chorus.  Caleb's vocals have replaced my own (tenor-head-register vocs), as I struggled to emulate Jimmyman's diaphram-baritone lushness.  Your keen ears picked up on this.  I had hoped to redeem the bass registers (1st half) with doleful instruments and such ... but that ended up as biab pedal steel ... of which I sort of 'slap'd on'  Caleb offered more samples to thicken this 1st half, but I felt that would violate the country-simplicity I was seeking.   The kids may join in to redeem this, later.  However, 2 future songs feature the kid-choirs shortly ... and one with a special vox artist (a secret for now) -- haha!
I'll stop rambling.  Thanks so much for your keen listen and crit.
 
Scottytunes:  That is actually a compliment; because I struggle with today's stereotype country music ... though your fiddle outshines them all!  Yet I think it was Reckless Rick that capped my worries about Robert Plant and Jeff Lynne (a bit Beatle-esque) going total-country.  Like them, I just don't have the sweet honest country passion that my preacher has.
 
Clean:  Thanks so much for your encouraing listen and thoughts.  I'll probably sneak the biab pedal steel (audiophile edition) into another piece or 2.  You know I envy your excellent timbre-filled pieces.
 
SlowMarchingBand: Larry, thanks for validating the bass-lines (which I desperately struggled with).  I realize this is not Honky Tonk proper, but I did study Jimmyman, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and the biab performances ... concurrent with this.
 
Pug-Warren:  It was your pm that encouraged a re-fix on this.  There remain some country songs I desperately love, whose titles elude me.  So perhaps we'll re-invade the swampy lands after re-grouping.
 
 

I have never heard the original, but great job on this one.  Not quite a country song, but what do I know?!  Great production and instrumentation.  I agree that the vocal are bit stiff and in some places you could do some inflection to show some emotion.  But it is a fun song anyways!