Eric Carmen Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Hello, ec.com members! At 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time ( High noon Pacific ) Legacy Records, ERICCARMEN.COM, and I, would like to start off Christmas with a special present. Use this link https://soundcloud.com/legacyrecordings/eric-carmen-brand-new-year/s-bUov9 to go to Legacy's website, and you will be able to download ​"Brand New Year," ( the WHOLE record ) free! That's only about fifteen minutes from right now!!!! Have a wonderful Holiday, wishing you all a happy "Brand New Year"! xoxoxo Eric 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Eric, You are the best (and hottest) santa ever!! <3 <3 <3 Love, love, love, M.E.The song is stunning!!! (swooning now...(-;...). xxxxxooooo... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Song sounds great. Once again it's the middle eight that does it for me. Welcome back, Eric, and I hope this is leads you down the road to an album full of new tunes. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. M Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Hello Eric, Thank you so much for this wonderful gift! I had to listen to the download a half dozen times before commenting on it. It begins with a bit of a melancholy tone, yet perfectly matches the lyrics. It quickly becomes so warm with the beautiful refrain. The song is full-bodied and the harmonizing literally rings in my ears. You sound 24 again in the bridge. The last few seconds round out the song and leaves me feeling like I've enjoyed a complete and balanced musical experience. The song isn't overproduced which works in your favor. Even with simple lyrics and music the message and the feel of the piece is stupendous. I think it takes a significant amount of talent to put so much meaning into a song and make it seem simple and effortless to the public. Simply put, it is just MORE of your BEAUTIFUL music. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. That is anyone with taste and an ear for true talent. I hope it won't be another 15 years or even another year before you bring more of your amazing talent to the public. This is a job well done and hopefully will become a standard piece for future New Years' celebrations. Thank you once again. Happy holidays and have a safe and blessed New Year! Dr. M 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlene Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Thank you !! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 I listened several times. It´s the real deal, IMHO. I love it. As good as the best stuff from the first 2 albums. A tinge of melancholy with an overriding positive theme and statement about resilience. Trademark Eric Carmen genius melody, hooks, harmonies etc. There´s also an organicness (I´m allowed to make up words) to it that I love, especially the piano. I love it. Ditto what Marvin said. Thanks Eric!.. James 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie Mississippi Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Wonderful! What an incredible holiday gift! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adelia215 Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Thank you. The song is wonderful. It is great to hear the whole thing since I've heard the teaser a gazillion times! This will make the wait until March much easier to stand. Much love, Beth 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ira Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Many years ago..Brian Wilson emerged with a solo LP from out of nowhere and we all...including the critics went.."Holy Shit...He's still got it"! This is so reminiscent..voice a little more world-weary..Doo-Wop chords..Beach Boys harmonies...and like Brian who is the "King of Hooks"...Eric is still the "Prince of Hooks". John Sebastian and me are singing in harmony.."Welcome BacK"... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kiwi Connection Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 YAY!!! Merry Christmas to us all!!!!! THANK YOU Maestro!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle4ec Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Thank you so much, Santa Eric! I've been listening to it over and over. It's beautiful, and as always, your lyrics never disappoint. Plus, it's a ballad. And, we all know how much I love your ballads! What a sweet Christmas surprise! Hope you and your family have a very special holiday and New Year. I have a feeling I know what song I'll be listening to around the stroke of midnight this New Year's Eve...It might even be the start of a lovely "New" tradition! Thanks again, Eric! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Many years ago..Brian Wilson emerged with a solo LP from out of nowhere and we all...including the critics went.."Holy Shit...He's still got it"! This is so reminiscent..voice a little more world-weary..Doo-Wop chords..Beach Boys harmonies...and like Brian who is the "King of Hooks"...Eric is still the "Prince of Hooks". John Sebastian and me are singing in harmony.."Welcome BacK"... Totally agree Ira!!! But don't we all sound a little more world-weary? It's nothing less than perfection! <3 <3 <3 M.E. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Carmen Posted December 25, 2013 Author Share Posted December 25, 2013 The "world weary" vocal delivery, during the verse, was on purpose. I'm not 22 anymore, and, for the same reason I love Johnny Cash's reading of Trent Reznor's "Hurt", I wanted my vocal in the verses to sound like someone who had "lived." I only did four vocal performances, back to back, on "Brand New Year." As I've said before, "believability" is the most important element of any vocal performance, to me. I've never used "auto-tune", or any of the other new, technological tricks, because I think every single one of them sucks the "humanity" out of a performance. And, to me, the only thing that "makes" a performance, is the listener's ability to feel what I feel, when I sing it. That's why the second line of the first verse, "Sometimes it felt like we might not make it," is hoarse, and raw and imperfect. It had to be that way to be "believable." Singing isn't about making a pretty sound, or hitting every note. It's about convincing the listener, you meant it. My favorite word, of my whole vocal performance on "Brand New Year" is the word "cold" in the second verse. "The world can be so COLD...." Somehow, the way I sang that word sounds as if I was shivering from the cold, when I sang it. That's why it's there. I wanted the verses to be "raw." I wanted you to feel the pain I felt. The soaring falsetto of the chorus's and the bridge, is because those two parts of the song are where the lyric turns "positive." The verse was never supposed to feel "positive." It has a sense of "foreboding," of having experienced the world....of having suffered. That's the whole point of the song. We all suffer losses, and injustices, and the pain that comes from experiencing life, but we can't, and don't give up. We hope for a better tomorrow. We somehow get through what life throws at us, and we go on, in spite of it. That is what "Brand New Year' is about. When I wrote this song, I was thinking about two people, specifically, that I know, that had both experienced the most horrific year I could ever imagine. They are two of the nicest people i have ever known, and yet, somehow, life dealt them both a terrible, terrible hand, last year. And then I began to consider the pain of my own four-and-a half year divorce, and how it has affected my children, and then I began to think about the countless millions of people in the world that had had a year at least that bad, or worse. When I write, my goal, as a songwriter, is to try to find what I call "The Universal." Something that resonates inside every human being. Something EVERYONE has felt. And that is what makes a song great. When you can capture, in music and lyrics, something everyone has felt, at some point in their life. That is why "All By Myself" is known in every, tiny corner of the world, and has been played seven or eight million times, worldwide, so far. Because everyone understands that emotion, everywhere. Not just in 1975, but in 1985, and 1995, and 2005, and, I suspect, in 2015, and beyond. As a songwriter, sometimes, you just get lucky. The night I wrote the verses and the chorus of "Brand New Year," there was a snowstorm that caused a power outage on my street, that shut off every outside distraction. No heat, no phone, no internet, not even the faint hum of electricity I can normally hear. My living room was a complete vacuum, with nothing but a roaring fire in the fireplace, casting a beautiful glow across the room. I sat there, reading a book, by flashlight, and, at some point, I glanced across the room at the piano, and I walked across the room and sat down, and put my fingers on the keys. I hadn't done that for a long, long time, but, that night, the music just spilled out of my head. I wrote the verse, "b" section, and the chorus in less than an hour, and the bridge a couple of days later. The lyric and title came a few days after that, and I wrote the lyric for the bridge the day I recorded the demo. It's one of the most "organic" songs I've ever written. Just like "Boats Against The Current."They both just kind of wrote themselves. I love when that happens! Anyway, it's late, and I've divulged far more than I probably should have about the "process" of songwriting, but if I ever discussed it with anyone, it should be you, the ones that "got me", from the beginning. Merry Christmas, and warmest wishes for a safe, healthy and happy "Brand New Year." xoxoxo e 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Thank you, Eric! Magic! This song is so...YOU! Kind of a Beach Boys meet F. Scott Fitzgerald moment in time- absolutely love it! The bridge is one of your best! Sometimes, I get lost in your middle eight, and it sounds like you modulate coming out of it- I know it's rare that you do- but, it absolutely soars in this application . Bravo!! Merry Christmas to you and yours, and best wishes in the 'Brand New Year'! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Michael Page Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Now THIS is how I like to wake up on Christmas morning - with a brand new Eric Carmen tune in tow. THANK YOU ERIC! And merry Christmas and a happy "Brand New Year" to all of you! BMP 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 The "world weary" vocal delivery, during the verse, was on purpose. I'm not 22 anymore, and, for the same reason I love Johnny Cash's reading of Trent Reznor's "Hurt", I wanted my vocal in the verses to sound like someone who had "lived." Eric most dear person, Your voice is splendid and your writing process is magical. I could go on and on here about you and how much you and your music mean to me, but I've already said and done everything I will here this Christmas morning. The best is yet to come I think. xxxxxooooo...M.E. God bless everyone here at ec.com too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggsherby Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Eric, the song is awesome and your commentary was fantastic....thank you for making a lonely Christmas morning, special! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Eric, As fans of your music, all of us here love your songs, but the ones closest to our hearts are the ones that say "Words AND Music by Eric Carmen." And the way you described writing your latest is just one of the reasons why. Thanks for sharing your songwriting process and your latest composition. Here's to a "Brand New Year!" Bernie 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angloberry Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Eric, if you ever wondered to yourself whether you "still had it" then you needn't have. I know you were concerned that you you wanted to come up with something that "didn't, suck". Well "Brand New Year" is proof positive that you still "have it" in spades. I just played it to my family before our Christmas dinner and we are all humming it! Thank you so much for your Christmas gift. Your new album is going to be a massive success. Love and peace to all Gary 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LC Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Eric, thank you, and bravo! It's great to hear something new from you, and also to read your insight into the creation of "Brand New Year." Your notes about its inspiration make it even better --- the support for close friends who have had to persevere, and (as a number of us can attest) the weight of a long and pained breakup.... I'm also looking forward to a brand new year. Encore! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raspathens Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Eric, I've heard this from creative people before - something moving or inspiring in their lives triggers their gift. You must go to some pretty special places to have a song like this roll out as a result. Reminds me of your account of the magazine cover that inspired "Let's Pretend", another organic tune. Thank you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catnip Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 x 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adelia215 Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 I enjoy reading about your inspirations and processes of creating your music. My family has had struggles since 2005 when my husband was injured at work and finally, eight years later, (this past week) everything has been resolved with all the government entities that were bickering back and forth. For us it is a "Brand New Year". Kudos. xoxoxoxo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 I haven't read through all the comments yet, so I'm not sure if this has already been stated. I can't speak for everyone here, but there is only ONE thing that makes me truly happy about this release; it's the fact that Eric sat down at the piano, and felt inspired to write a new song. I realize that there are many, many people out there who are not familiar with Eric's music. We are a privileged few who continue to do our part to help open the eyes of many to the 'berries and Eric's music. It is a constant challenge, and is part of that road of life that Eric speaks of, that we've all been on that takes many twists and turns. With this new song, part of me feels vindicated that Eric Carmen in 2013 (2014) has decided that maybe it's time for the world to reacquaint themselves with one of the finest songwriters we've been blessed to have in our generation. Good luck with the tune, Eric, and from this long-time fan who'll always be in your musical corner, I hope that there will be a few more power failures in your area, directing you to the piano, and that the musical inspiration continues to find you. p.s. I should also add that there is NOTHING like new music or new news from Eric's camp to bring back many of the 'old' contributors / posters. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okstevens Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Still, "getting" it, Eric. Thanks so much buddy. As a famous advertising Guru may say "Got Carmen"? yep, we do here. And thanks for that insight on song writing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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