Acoustic blues. Recorded in 2005. I was trying to record something else, can't remember what, and the missus was going out. She had cyclist Lance Armstong's book, or was talking about it. Sounded like a great title for a song as well as his book…
Rock instrumental. Recorded Christmas 2008.
I'd struggled with a DAW. I'd stopped recording. And then my lovely wife got me a Boss MBR for Christmas. I thought this little thing the size of a fag-packet would be a nice "scratch-pad" songwriting…
A cover of Larry Wallis's fine ditty (it's always been one of my favourite Dr Feelgood songs).
This was my second recording with my Boss MBR, recorded early 2009. It confirmed for me that I was a "standalone recorder" kind of guy, and there was…
Pop-rock song. Recorded 2009.
I wrote this several years earlier and rehearsed it with the last band I was in.
The recording was my first "serious" project on my Boss MBR, I was stunned that you could do something like this on a little silver…
Acoustic tale of revenge. Recorded 2010 on a Boss BR1600CD.
*****
**The Knife - A A J Russe**
A dark and star-less night
Probably driving rain
That's what they think became of me
A foolish walk along the cliff when he was drunk…
Haha! My mum wrote this in 2011: Andrew, welcome to Alonetone.
Oh love your sound.
Man, you’re really good.
A little gruesome lyrically, but brilliantly well performed.
:) I concur.
A cover of Justin Currie's Sleep Instead of Teardrops. Recorded 2010.
It has always been one of my favourite Del Amitri songs. I was strumming away at it one day and my missus said I should record it...
A cover of Justin Currie's Sleep Instead of Teardrops. Recorded 2010.
It has always been one of my favourite Del Amitri songs. I was strumming away at it one day and my missus said I should record it...
A cover of Justin Currie's Sleep Instead of Teardrops. Recorded 2010.
It has always been one of my favourite Del Amitri songs. I was strumming away at it one day and my missus said I should record it...
Recorded Oct 2010.
It was meant to be a full band pop-rock song. But I started overdubbing on the original exploratory demo I'd done to work out the arrangement (with no click track). I kept coming back to it intending to start afresh... but…
Acoustic tale recorded Christmas 2010.
I wrote it years ago. Even tried rehearsing it with the band I was in at the time. But I couldn't play it properly. It took several weeks of practicing DADGAD (never really used it in anger before) until…
A tale of keeping your head above the water, or not...
Recorded Jan-Feb 2011.
I wrote it many years ago, never thought I'd ever do anything with it.
I intended to record this with just an acoustic and my new EDB (electric upright bass…
New one from me. It's ended up as a bit of a "crying into yer beer at Bob's Country Bunker" sort of song lol...
I've been sat on these lyrics in some form or another for absolutely years. I first wrote them one very dark night a few years after…
First new one from me in a long time.
Kind of a love song, I guess.
Recorded in my new "studio" (3rd bedroom in the new house). Almost up and running now... shine and don't stop wondering!
****
**Shine - A A J Russe**
On my way…
Not enough is made of your talent for musical arrangement as it's taken for granted in the shadow of your vox. You have such a huge talent, Russe. More please.
A new original from me. Another one-voice, one-guitar, "live" performance in my broom-cupboard. This time it's the good ole tin guitar.
I wrote this one in 2002 during the "dark years" lol. I've ummed and aahed over the years on whether to…
One of the many things I love about your voice is that you can turn from low key rev to buttock-grabbing throttle in a split second. That's pretty fantastic.
So I was locked in the broom-cupboard, checking out some old songs that need recording.
I'd just picked one and then suddenly this thing came out of nowehere. It started with one of those guitarist doodles that other musicians love so much…
Well, here we go then...
****
**Cobwebs - A A J Russe**
Yeah you know what it is that I want
Oh you knew, didn't you, before I did?
How many times did you wonder whether I would dare?
Oh never mind...
Take off your underwear
Over…
Here we go.
This one started out one morning several weeks ago when the sun was still shining...
If it's as wet and dark as it is here, just close your eyes, I'm sure you can imagine it if you try hard enough...
Lollies, chips, and beer…
This song has been sat on the marvellous mechanical mouse organ in the broom-cupboard for well over a year.
A few weeks ago I got a bit of a scare - the mouse organ nearly broke down (in the middle of sorting out Delta Dawn). While I was fixing…
This song has been sat on the marvellous mechanical mouse organ in the broom-cupboard for well over a year.
A few weeks ago I got a bit of a scare - the mouse organ nearly broke down (in the middle of sorting out Delta Dawn). While I was fixing…
Finally, at last... I've got something finished...
Been working on this for a few weeks.
A bit of a rocker... (and an aging lecherous one at that)
I got it as close as I could and then mixed it loud... I've over-cooked it slightly - but…
I am not sure anyone will like this track but me, but I think I did a decent songwriting job here.
Lyrics:
16 hours a day upon my seat
Never walk a step I’m feelin beat
Temp me with a little food
Put me in a better mood
Waiting for another…
Wrote this after I was getting over an illness. I think it came out pretty good, and my guitar sounds good through that '64 Ampeg Reverberocket.
(Lyrics are approximate)
Sittin around like a bump on a log
walkin around like my head in a…
I predict that this will be one of the more popular tracks of the album, because the whole thing took about 45 minutes to create. It was COLD that day!!
Lyrics (approximate)
Doncha stand too close or you'll burn your toes
move your face…
I spent days obsessing over the baseline for this song, and it ends up being fairly unremarkable and will be barely noticed on most speakers.
Lyrics:
You're drivin home in your luxury car all alone now
Designer suit is the only thing…
It's tough to go wrong with a song like this. Not only is it wholly unoriginal, but I think I am exactly ripping someone off. I can't place the exact song, though.
Lyrics:
Time to introduce myself as the fount of creation
you mighta been…
I started listening to this album the other day but got dragged off to do make the dinner or something.
Glad I came back - this grabs me just as much as it did first time round...
This is a song I wrote this week, trying to capture that strange emotion you sometimes feel during times of great milestones in your life - good things happening, changes, moving on. Joy and melancholy all at the same time. Everyone feels it…
This one went through many iterations before turning into what you hear. A key breakthrough came when I stumbled upon that keyboard part for the verses. That opened the whole thing up.
Another SUPERB RPM from you Mr Fox.
As always, I'm stunned you achieved this level across all the tracks in such a short time.
Hats off to you sir. Five Stars. Etc.
There is no reverb on any vox parts in this one. I loved how I was able to get the tone of the voices to have that mid-60s sound. This was aided by the fact I am running through an emulation of the Abbey Road mixing desk. ;)
Again, listened to most of this before reading the blurb. And I was thinking "there's John, Paul, and George..." - aha, I see!
(And therefore I've just learnt something from this - might be stealing this technique in future!!)
No offense meant to my English friends. ;) I grew up there as a kid, so we have common cause. Anyway, this song is more about the struggle between the material and spiritual, doing the right thing when you are called upon, etc. Hope you enjoy!
Oh yes.
Guitar, especially instrumental, is reminding me a lot of Jimmy Page (been listening to Physical Graffiti a lot over the last few weeks). Don't know whether an "English rock" approach to the guitar was intentional, but it certainly works.
As you may have picked up on, there's a lot this year about soldiering on when your world has been destroyed. So, this is a song of hope. Have faith, have faith...
Awww... and this follows "Say Something" perfectly. Gorgeous heart-rending chorus.
We all bring our own baggage to a song we hear - but I'm feeling more of an "PLEASE accept who I am" as I'm listening to it - whether sung to oneself or another. Probably fits with what you wanted, anyway!
Brilliant.
This one was a hard one to nail. The Wurlitzer riff was something I accidentally played and fell in love with immediately, so I needed to write a song that enhanced the mood that the tone of the Wurly evoked. The sound is so empty and spacious…
I'd listened to most of this one (and faved it) before I read the blurb... glad I did - cos I can tell you that we think you nailed it.
LOVE that bare piano and the plaintive "Say something".
Defiance, self-doubt, hubris, failure, choosing...It's all here to hear.
The title is a nod to my love of a certain guitar player and singer from a late 60's act; who's solo records were even better. The vibrato guitar is inspired by him…
It is easy to mock and ridicule, but much harder to learn and understand. Overcoming our own pig-headedness may be our biggest personal challenge. This song thinks about that. I also was rather happy with how my Telecaster sounds in the rhythm…
The song that led the way. I came up with the guitar sound first, and needed a song that evoked the pure energy that was coming from that guitar sound. It needed to be fast and intense. And it needed harmonies. We're full abandon 'cause it's time…
Girls aren't like guitars.
They won't just sit around waiting for you to come up with something interesting to do
Girls aren't like guitars.
If you're having problems maybe it's because
Girls aren't like guitars
(C) 2015 Royal T Music
I have been wanting to do some Cream covers for awhile now and with the passing of Jack Bruce it seemed an appropriate time to record some sort of tribute to him and the band.
Comments on Andrew Russe's stuff
Authentic and shamelessly cool.
Cool jam!
Super fine cover.
E-P-I-C, A-N-T-H-E-M-I-C.
Haha! My mum wrote this in 2011: Andrew, welcome to Alonetone. Oh love your sound. Man, you’re really good. A little gruesome lyrically, but brilliantly well performed. :) I concur.
Ooh no - I can't claim credit for this one. Justin Currie of Del Amitri wrote it. The original is absolutely GORGEOUS :-) (even makes me cry)
World class song-writing.
That melody is rip-your-heart-out gorgeous. Tear-jerking evil man.
BANGS IT HARD AGAINST THE WALL. Dude.
My first middle name, thanks.
Enjoyed!
Just spectacular song-writing (oh, and performance, SHOCKER!!).
Not enough is made of your talent for musical arrangement as it's taken for granted in the shadow of your vox. You have such a huge talent, Russe. More please.
One of the many things I love about your voice is that you can turn from low key rev to buttock-grabbing throttle in a split second. That's pretty fantastic.
Beautiful vocal - beautiful.
OK. I'm up for it.
Sauce.
"And when you wonder..." gets me every time.
There's magic in your words...
This is absolutely brilliant, Andy.
Comments made by Andrew Russe
I'm with you - good song, nice one. Enjoyed your RPM, well done.
Yep, this one came out good. It's the driving bass that I'm digging here.
Ha! Ha! I like the sounds you get with your acoustic guitars.
Digging the relaxed "roll" of this one. And that harp is spot on.
I started listening to this album the other day but got dragged off to do make the dinner or something. Glad I came back - this grabs me just as much as it did first time round...
Well that works. Lovely stuff guys.
Another SUPERB RPM from you Mr Fox. As always, I'm stunned you achieved this level across all the tracks in such a short time. Hats off to you sir. Five Stars. Etc.
Again, listened to most of this before reading the blurb. And I was thinking "there's John, Paul, and George..." - aha, I see! (And therefore I've just learnt something from this - might be stealing this technique in future!!)
Oh yes. Guitar, especially instrumental, is reminding me a lot of Jimmy Page (been listening to Physical Graffiti a lot over the last few weeks). Don't know whether an "English rock" approach to the guitar was intentional, but it certainly works.
Yep :-)
Awww... and this follows "Say Something" perfectly. Gorgeous heart-rending chorus. We all bring our own baggage to a song we hear - but I'm feeling more of an "PLEASE accept who I am" as I'm listening to it - whether sung to oneself or another. Probably fits with what you wanted, anyway! Brilliant.
I'd listened to most of this one (and faved it) before I read the blurb... glad I did - cos I can tell you that we think you nailed it. LOVE that bare piano and the plaintive "Say something".
Loving the guitar...
Well (and bear in mind, I was *quite* looking forward to this album) ... I'm not disappointed so far :)
And it's a fine fine guitar sound - it would have had me going too. Love it, nice opener.
Nice one. It's got a bouncy walk to it.
This is superb. Even the girl in this house laughed.
How did I miss this?!! I'm with JMT - coulda fooled me... Classy job sir
She's just a hoochie coochie cutie from the state of... misery Yes :-)
Yep, that's the stuff :-)