I tried things a little backwards (for me) tonight. I wrote the drums (or drum loop in this case) and then built the song around the beat.  I've actually done this before, but not in a few years. 99% of the time I write songs on acoustic guitar.  Nice to remind myself that I am still capable. This is obviously a rough draft.  Currently it is only 1 1/2 minutes.  The fun thing is that wrote the drum loop on my iPad. See the pic above.  It is the Korg IS-50 analog synth.  Really cool app... and i think it was cheap.  LOL.  I added some live performance to the gig (bass, acoustic gtr, keys).   DOWNLOAD HERE Well, I am tired.  Hope you dig this little ditty...  it is sure to show up somewhere on another tune. :)

I didn't write anything tonight.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I did come up with a chord change, but i never got to the recording stage.  I'll take care of that tomorrow.  But, tonight, I was talking to a friend of mine about some tunes from the past... and then I went WAY into the past... listening.  I found this almost forgotten gem that 18 year-old Bob Smith recorded.  It is as good, and weird, as I get.  There are at least three bass guitars in this song, all harmonized.  Granted, Spinal Tap did it first, but here I made it kinda pretty.  I play around with tape speed (one low vocal is obviously a product of that).  And I wrote some awesome lyrics.  I feel comfortable bragging about my past self from 24 years prior... he's not me anymore.... but, I am allowed to feel like a proud father.  LOL.  Honestly, it's a stupid song.  But, a pretty good stupid song.  I am impressed with my young self.  18?  WTF do we know at 18?  But apparently we knew enough to say things like: "It's been nine months Father since my last sin.  I can see you kept your mind clean, I don't know why I have to say goodnight Irene" "Invisible, inedible, intelligence, an all time nothing... it drives by and laughs.  At our messy hands, and the tired eyes of the boys in Eastern garage bands" Nice job 18 yr-old Bob. DOWNLOAD HERE The tune... from what I remember, there were multiple basses (all direct, with no DI), at least 3... one direct input guitar, and a really shitty mic for vox  (before I could afford the $100 SM57). The title was a reference to a poison food scare.  Two grapes were found in 1988 to have something nasty that would kill us all.  The song was obviously a metaphor for the young me to ramble about the fragility of our society.  24 years later, I don't disagree with young Bob's take on things.  I just make more money now.

If you read last night's post (and I trust that you did), you'll know that I am writing songs for a new project.  I am writing moody songs for a moody girl to sing (her descriptor, not mine.  LOL)  In any case...this is the second entry.  And, I think I like it.  As often is the case... I wrote and recorded this one quickly.  This time about 90 minutes.  The tune will change over time, but I dig the germ that I have planted.  I tend to listen to these little monsters obsessively for an hour or so after I write them.  I did so this evening.  Sometimes I hate them when I am done.  That's not the case here.  I think I really dig this one. DOWNLOAD HERE The tune... much like last night, I recorded a single acoustic first, then played essentially the same progression on the second guitar with different voicings.  I didn't have time to add other instruments... cuz it's like 2AM.  So I added a percussion loop.  This time, a tiny bit of bongo.  Cuz... who doesn't love bongos?  ;) Anyway, enjoy.

I am taking on something new.  I'm writing songs for someone else to sing.  Of the hundreds of tunes I've written (I'm not bragging, only a small portion neglect to suck), I've only tried to write for another singer a couple of times.  But, this new project I am a little excited about.  So I am putting in the effort.  I have one directive from my new collaborator... she said,"moody".  So, this is "moody" take 1.  I am not sure if it is moody.  It's nice.  It's slow.  And I am sure that a lyricist could write some moody poetry on top of it.  I could (...again, not bragging.  Not necessarily good poetry.  See previous reference to songs that sucked). DOWNLOAD HERE The tune... there is so little to say technically.  I wrote a chord progression.  I played it and recorded it at a ridiculously slow tempo (70 BPM).  I then played another track of the same chord change but with very different voicings.  I stuck a rim shot loop underneath because it sounded better than the click.  I hope you like it.  It will sound even better when the pretty girl with the pretty voice sings on top of it.

Alright, I'll just come out an say it.  I love this one!  Again, like all others... it's not finished.  At the moment it is just a rhythm track (no leads, no vocals).  But, it is a pretty groovy rhythm.  If Shu is ever to record new music again (and we may), this will be a Shu song.  If not... well then, it's mine dammit!  LOL DOWNLOAD HERE The tune... I gave myself a two hour deadline on this one.  10:30 PM to 12:30 AM.  That's from the time I started writing to the time I mastered the rough mix.  I wrote a bassline on acoustic guitar and recorded it.  I then built the other tracks around it.  Eventually I added a real bass, but I liked the way it sounded with the acoustic double so I kept both.  There is an acoustic rhythm guitar, a couple of drums loops, and three keyboard tracks.  A real keyboard player would only have needed one, but (as it has been established in previous blog posts) I am no keyboard player.  But gosh darn it, don't I keep trying?  The chorus has a neat analog keyboard doubling the bass.  I usually fade the unfinished instrumentals out after about a minute.  But I just like this groove so I kept it going for most of the 4 minutes it occupies on my hard drive. Anyway... hope you dig it.  I do.  Thanks for coming out to the Kit Cat Club.  I'll be here all week.  Tip your bartender.

I tend toward the cynical and self effacing in these blog posts.  Before I get there, I would like to say that I think this is a really good tune.  And a pretty cool performance.  Okay... that being said.. continue Bob (you cynical and critical bastard!)..... _______________________ Well... I wrote lyrics.  And a melody.  Both had an actual direction and purpose... so I guess that's progress.  This is probably my fave tune so far of the new ones.  I mean, this is rough.  No doubt.  It was me, a guitar, a mic, a foot stomp, and my hippie idealist/defeatist attitude.  A couple of the other new ones win as far as intricacy of composition and production go.... but this is a better song.  There is a lesson in there i am sure.  But, i am old and tired.  Sick of learning lessons. DOWNLOAD HERE The tune... not much to say.  I wrote the words and music simultaneously.  I didn't really want to go through the whole rigormaroll of making a multitrack recording.  So, I livened up a mic, stomped my foot on the floor, and played the tune.  And I like it.  I can only hope that the final (new) recording has some of the flavor of this one... but without the flubs at the end,  LOL Anyway... make love, not war.  Hope you dig the tune. For those keeping score at home... here are the lyrics: WAR DRUM check your boxes take your seat your orders say to come down on me beat your war drum grab your gun the losers fought the winners won an eye for an eye and another a kick for the sake of a punch you get what you give and then some we lose on a hunch we're one too many too many far gone too little at stake to stop our horn so grab your war drum beat your gun the losers fought the winners won an eye for an eye and another a kick for the sake of a punch you get what you give and then some we moved on a hunch we lose on a hunch (after this point i sort of ramble all previous lyrics)

Tonight's song is essentially the A Major scale, harmonized.  A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, G#dim7.  Not in order, that would be boring.  There are some variations in there; a couple of Major 7th's, a couple of Minor 7th's, a couple of 9th chords.  But the tune is essentially every note and chord of A Major.  Not for any particular reason other than I was bored so I started messing around.  For the non-musicians (and guitar players, heh heh) in the house.... the point is that every note, in every chord, is in the A Major scale (A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#).   DOWNLOAD HERE No fancy multi-track production tonight.  I was strumming my guitar and came up with this pretty little tune.  I didn't have the wherewithal to add a bunch of instruments, or even use a click.  I just plugged in the mic and recorded a single mono track.  If I use this one... and I may... I'll have to re-record the guitar track.  But then again... I could always sample it and loop it.  :)

If I was feeling Kurt Cobain last night, tonight I was feeling Neil Young.  Fortunately with much better results this time. I did this one fast... really fast.  One hour of writing, recording, and mixing.  Despite that, I like it.  It is definitely rough.  Most, if not all, instruments will be re-recorded. The lyrics are essentially non-existent.  I just wanted to capture a decent melody idea.  These exercises are not about completion, they are about germination.  I might use one or two of the words in the final version.  I think this one will have a final version.  Good tune... maybe. DOWNLOAD HERE The tune... acoustic gtr was doubled.  One vox track in the verse, a different one in the chorus.  I like the spacey reverb effect there.  It deviates from the obvious Neil vibe of the rest of the song.  The words, will change.  Obviously there is a bass in there (which screws up the second chorus, but is otherwise okay).  Simple drum loop for now.  The only lead guitar is me fiddling with my acoustic on the same track as the lead vox.  One of these days I'll need to plug in my amp and record some electric gtr.  LOL

Well, here's something stupid. If I could take the hour back that I put into this, I gladly would. LOL. Alright, it was fun, but pointless. This will absolutely never be a real song. I played my worst Kurt Cobain impression on an acoustic guitar, then ran it through a Sans Amp plugin to make it "rock" (term used loosely here). Added the most innocuous drum loop I own (apparently) and then played a lame bass line, with a pic! Cuz, I figured... if I am going to sound like a bad Kurt... I might as well sound like a bad Kris too. DOWNLOAD HERE I have only subjected you to 1 of the 3.5 minutes that this "song" actually occupies.  So, if you choose to listen, you are only wasting 1/60 of the time I wasted.  Of course, if the universe holds true to previous patterns, this turd will ironically turn out to be my one and only hit.  ;)

It was late when I started, 11:00.  But I picked up the guitar and wrote a nice little ditty that I liked.  So, I had to record it.  Due to the time constraints of sleep deprivation, I presented to myself a challenge: accept the first take of every track.  No matter what.  Once the red button was lit up, I was going to keep whatever I did... and post it.  Well, the results don't suck.  I kept the first take of everything... even bass and keys (which is usually impossible).  You may say, "what keys?".  They are low in the mix, because I suck, and because I did not use the computer to fix any flubs. Total production time, from the first strum (writing the tune) to mix, 2 hrs. DOWNLOAD HERE Still no vox.  I just can't seem to find the desire to write lyrics at the moment.  But, it'll come.  Just happy to be making tunes again.  Anyway... the track; the acoustic rhythm gtr is doubled, one lead gtr, bass, one track of keys, and two drum loops... one of a hand snare, the other (in the chorus) a standard half time 4/4 beat, buried in reverb.  If the song is a keeper (and it may be)... it needs lyrics, the lead needs to be re-done, Todd will play a better version of my bass line, and Mato will play drums.  The doubled L/R guitar can probably be final.  I mean, guitar is the one instrument I actually know how to play.  LOL Well, bedtime for Bonzo.  I hope you enjoy.  I think this is the good one of the three I've done this week.  Many more to come.  Maybe not many more good ones, but plenty of noise there is to be recorded.