A Sunday Cover

Messing around with Garageband, thought I'd put something up here. I banged this out without actually practicing, counting on knowing the song already. Or maybe that's just me rationalizing. ;)

So here you go-- ELO's Sweet Talkin Woman, just me and my guitar, one take.

Crunchy Granola Girl (Four-Track Version)

Another old one, this graced ("graced") Do Not Tip Or Rock in its more recent form. But as with Joan of Arc, I recorded Crunchy Granola Girl first on my old four-track.

Unusually, I actually gathered up and played a bunch of instruments on this one: Jen's drums, Barbara's bass, and a couple of guitars. I recorded it in the front room at Camilla House (Jennifer's room at the time). It was kind of a hassle to record and overdub each track in turn, but having real instruments (and the random timing and tuning issues they carry) does give a certain something that all-synthesized stuff doesn't.

Anyhow, the song was written about Flagstaff and its denizens during the summer of 1995. The heroine isn't real, though perhaps she's a composite. :)

Love Or Limerance

I'm still vaguely on track to get the new collection ready by my birthday. My current favorite song on the new album is this one, "Love or Limerance". This is a first take with just me and my guitar, which I used as a starting point for the final, more orchestrated version.

For better or worse, this one has been a total earworm for me. So, be warned. The final version is better, though. :)

As for what "limerance" means, you're already on the internet so I'll just let you look it up yourself...

We Didn't Start The Science

Commemorations of Apollo 11's historic visit to the Moon occurred this week, with the astronauts' safe return occurring 40 years ago today. So it seems like a propitious time to post the geekiest song I've yet written: We Didn't Start The Science.

I don't make that claim lightly. I have written or had a hand in quite a few surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly) geeky songs: OBAFGKM, The Astronomers Song, U Can't Solve This... But I really can't think of one more extreme than this recounting of space history from 1969-1999. This version was recorded for a CD I made for a friend going down to Antarctica with ANSMET, though I rerecorded a version late last year. That version's got a more involved arrangement (such as it is), this is just me and two guitars, recorded in parallel (and with the flubbed lyrics). Science Diet actually played this at the Barn Party at least once, where it got a good reaction (at least the parts people that were intelligible).

Please don't sue me, Mr. Joel.

Dear Kate Bush (Instrumental)

I've been thinking about this one for a while, but I don't think I'm particularly close with it. The lyrics are taken from/inspired by Kate Bush songs, as is no doubt expected. And I do have a set of lyrics ready, but I really can't sing them, so this is an instrumental-only version. The music isn't quite what I want, but it's closer to right than the singing would be.

But I figured I'd put this up. I don't know if I'll actually get it right in time for the "album release" (I've got an unfortunate history of sticking songs on albums and almost immediately regretting them). While perhaps plodding, at least this version is not obviously embarrassing. :)

Joan of Arc (Four Track version)

I used to have a four-track recorder. It used normal cassettes, using the stereo tracks of both sides as the four tracks. It was plenty sophisticated for what I was doing and/or wanted to do. When I bought it I tried to do complicated things: I'd add real drums and bass (borrowed from Jen and Barbara, respectively), mix stuff down.

By 1996 I was much more lazy and much more willing to just record some acoustic guitars and vocals and call it a day. That's the treatment I gave "Joan of Arc". It was a new one at the time, sort-of inspired by a trip to France and a leftover song idea about being a famous figure's boyfriend before she was famous.

I've always had a soft spot for this song, and indeed this treatment of it. I rerecorded it for In-jokes, though didn't quite get the same je ne sais qua I felt with this version...

Another X, Another Y (demo)

Hi!

I've been doing some recording on my own for a while as a hobby. I've also been distributing collections to friends when I get "an album's worth" done. I'm hoping to get the next collection out to coincide with my 40th birthday in September, provisionally called The Cheese Stands Alone.

But with the whole 21st century thing going on, and the decline of the album format, and the rise of the intarwebs, I figured I'd also start a blog for fun. I'm not sure what I'll post here, or the frequency. And I'm not sure if I'll restrict myself to originals (probably) or if I'll post older stuff (probably).

The first song I'll include here is "Another X, Another Y". It's a bit goofy (as usual), and perhaps a bit contrived, but I always liked it. This version still needs some work, but I'm planning on including it on Cheese. Most of the song is synthesized, save the voice and guitars.