The old tin geetar...
Did this one sometime in 2009 on a Boss MBR. I'd recently joined what became Songcrafters.org and PJ (Wiley) posted a bass/drum track for us ubiquitous blues guitarists to solo over.
I decided to go a different route…
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 tale about a character in a novel that I fancied. Recorded in 2009 on a Boss MBR.
****
**Sooner or Later - A A J Russe**
Theres a crazy girl
Looks about my age
Hiding out on the second page
Waiting for the story to unfold…
THIS IS THE OLD YEURGH MIX - THERE IS ANOTHER ONE HIGHER UP THE LIST NOW, FULLY LOVED BY AR. THIS ONE IS LEFT HERE AS A MONUMENT TO SOMETHING OR OTHER (AND IN CASE YOU PREFER IT)
Acoustic ghost story. Recorded 2010.
Easter 2010 I decided…
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…
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...
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...
Acoustic love song. Written and recorded between Christmas 2010 and the New Year.
I'd just finished recording Elizabeth's Room and was tooling up to record a pop-rock song when this little beast popped out of nowhere, almost perfectly formed…
Haven't listened to this wonderful song in a while although I have it on my mp3 player (like all your other songs too).
Great to hear this beauty again.
One of my two contributions to a "Beatlesfest" we had over on songcrafters.org a few months back.
I still can't believe I covered this... having done it though, it feels like nothing is sacred. And, more worryingly, I feel I might possibly…
I usually do not listen to cover songs, but a cover done by one of my favorite musicians I could not resist. :)
Great adaption, Andy. Still I prefer your original songs by far.
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…
One of my two contributions to a "Beatlesfest" we had over on songcrafters.org a few months back.
I still can't believe I covered this... having done it though, it feels like nothing is sacred. And, more worryingly, I feel I might possibly…
One of my two contributions to a "Beatlesfest" we had over on songcrafters.org a few months back.
I still can't believe I covered this... having done it though, it feels like nothing is sacred. And, more worryingly, I feel I might possibly…
A few months back we had a "Beatlesfest" on songcrafters.org.
I contributed this and Yesterday.
This one's a bit of a departure for me. Not the song itself - it's been one of my favourites ever since I was tiny (I preferred Robin Gibb's…
One of my two contributions to a "Beatlesfest" we had over on songcrafters.org a few months back.
I still can't believe I covered this... having done it though, it feels like nothing is sacred. And, more worryingly, I feel I might possibly…
A few months back we had a "Beatlesfest" on songcrafters.org.
I contributed this and Yesterday.
This one's a bit of a departure for me. Not the song itself - it's been one of my favourites ever since I was tiny (I preferred Robin Gibb's…
One of my two contributions to a "Beatlesfest" we had over on songcrafters.org a few months back.
I still can't believe I covered this... having done it though, it feels like nothing is sacred. And, more worryingly, I feel I might possibly…
For Choir
Humility Do Not Come to You
Bet you do not know what I do
what I am doing what I m doing
Bet you do not understand
Yes I realize
that you think you think you are so big
and its hollow the night you stand
Humility…
I got nothing.
Insert some random post-apocalyptic sci-fi narrative here, involving Speak And Spells achieving sentience and taking over the world, only to be thwarted by the Amish.
Alternatively, "Based On A True Story" something something.
I've explained to Mrs R what Skynet is... Mrs R has explained to me what Speak And Spell is. We now count ourselves as enlightened... and sincerely hope it's not actually based on a true story!
I wrote this one yesterday. A little something to bring hope for the future.... there's always time to begin anew.
Thanks to Greg Connor and Mark Lofgren for their wonderful guitars and vocals on this one - recorded yet again around my kitchen…
A little celestial inspiration for this song.... I started it and Greg and Mark helped me finish it and then record around my kitchen table. Feel free to howl if you like it!
Blood Wolf Moon
VERSE 1
Blood wolf moon this January…
I dreamed this song once, with Eddie Vedder on vocals. It stuck in my mind, and I've finally got around to recording it. Sadly, I can only sing it in my own voice! Ah well :)
Yeah, it works well, even without Eddie Vedder... I get exactly the same sort of problem- in the dream about my latest one, it was Taylor Swift singing - it took me quite a bit to get over the initial disappointment when I found that my own voice didn't have quite the same effect as the version I'd dreamt.
This one makes me really happy. Soothing and a little snappy. Guitar, bass, lyre, bongo, bodhran (brush), vocals.
Lyrics:
Life is a roller coaster
Just turn on the toaster
I know you're up and down
Just make a happy sound
Flying a dragon…
2021 50/90 S0ng Number 51
I listen to this song and I am struck by how little there is to it. It sounds simple and basic and un-special in every way.
Why then was it such an absolute nightmare to sing. I mean... I had to dumb down the…
Oh yeah, the guitarmonies here are definitely awesome - they sound really good. I'm with you, sucker for any guitar harmonies, but these have got a bit of that celtic vibe that kinda lifts them above others.
2021 50/90 Song Number 52
And that's all she wrote, folks.
The first time I finished 50/90 was 2014 and I had exactly 50 songs. The second time was last year and I had 51. Now this year I have 52. The bar inches higher.
There is a…
Cool track - love the solo at the end. You've got a Standard 50s?? Which colour? I've been oggling them. The guitarist from my old band got a 60s a few months back in "Unburst" which is my favourite but they don't do it on the 50s (and I want the fatter neck). Anyway, escapes me now, but for some reason I got a Flying V instead! (which I LOVE, actually)
I misread that as "tropical" ... I do need to get my eyes tested ... so I found it wasn't quite as cheery as I'd first imagined! Cool tune, and sentiments I share sometimes.
There was a band in Dublin when I was a teenager called Alien Comfort, not brilliant but some of the members went on to form Aslan, who are pretty awesome.
http://www.aslan.ie/
I always liked the name so this piece of pseudo classical music…
Having put together an orchestral version of this amazing song, the haunting composition by Michael Kiwanuka (theme from Big Little Lies, Sky Atlantic) here is my take on a conventional band arrangement, and featuring the lovely voice of my friend…
2021 50/90 Song Number 44
Another swing thing... sort of. Not as overt as the others, and I really wasn't planning on it. The GarageBand session drummer suggested it and I figured the session drummer knows best, right?
All of the fun of…
2021 50/90 Song Number 48
Not bad. I like the phaser on the guitars in the A section, and I like the wah on the rhythm near the end. That wash of noise underneath is actually a guitar solo that was sort of hiding the slow wah effect so I…
2021 50/90 Song Number 50!
WOOHOO! Success! 2014, 2020, and now 2021.
I kinda like this one. It's kinda swampy, in a good way. I like the strummy solos. I probably should have put more work into them but I think I can live with this…
Btw - I knew coming back from such a long break that there'd be "one or two" RJ songs to catch up with ... but, er.... !!! LOL (I might not be commenting on them all)
2021 50/90 Song Number 50!
WOOHOO! Success! 2014, 2020, and now 2021.
I kinda like this one. It's kinda swampy, in a good way. I like the strummy solos. I probably should have put more work into them but I think I can live with this…
Words by Geoff Matthews
A slightly odd structure, led by the lyrics, which has a very different intro verse the chords of which are not then repeated though the song.
Seems to work though.
As ever with @geoff61 the lyrics needed minimal…
I’ll Drive David L Graham
I never begged to have the power
I just need to be me
Don’t matter what you believe
Unless you want to run with me
Then we’ll see what we see
But I get to drive… I get to drive
Chorus…
Cause this is my…
Wow - lyrically, this touches me. Lyrics alone don't often do that for me, not personally anyway, but this one spoke to me (not a relationship thing in my case, more a harrowing work issue of the last weeks/months - thankfully almost resolved now)
Released as a single earlier in the year with the very lovely Erin Sullivan on vocals.
A song about a woman facing up to the fact she is dying and trying to reconcile the life she lived.
VERSE 1
Sweet life
Something that you take for…
Comments on Andrew Russe's stuff
A fine little blues. When I hear you do such vocals I'm always afraid you'll lose your voice! ;)
You tell me I can handle different styles? It's you who really can! Great guitar playing!
We owe your wife something. :)
I don't know the original, but this one is pretty good.
Great 70s vibe to my ears. Give us more! :)
Impossible not to love this song. Definitely a song to be proud of.
Simply Great, Andy. You set the bar high.
BTW - I've just looped this songs three times. :D
bliss !!!
Oh heavens...what a vocal!!! Great cover!
Hey, I must have missed this one. Downloaded! :)
Haven't listened to this wonderful song in a while although I have it on my mp3 player (like all your other songs too). Great to hear this beauty again.
I usually do not listen to cover songs, but a cover done by one of my favorite musicians I could not resist. :) Great adaption, Andy. Still I prefer your original songs by far.
Very classy work! What a pro.
I hope Sir Paul gets to hear this, I don't know who you are but you sing this equally as well if not with more passion
Great job mate very cool cover.
Brilliant .
Agree with Bethan great cover
My word, this is fantastic. Wonderful vocal, makes it compulsive listening.
What a performance! Most excellent cover.
Comments made by Andrew Russe
Wow!
I've explained to Mrs R what Skynet is... Mrs R has explained to me what Speak And Spell is. We now count ourselves as enlightened... and sincerely hope it's not actually based on a true story!
Oh yeah. Lovely song. "The right person will arrive on time..." yep :)
Cool song. But, if you've been sat on it for a few months, she's probably forgotten you! OR.... yes! ...maybe she's sat on a similar song herself?
I'm playing a slow catch up game here... oh wow... my goodness... this one is gorgeous.
Yeah, it works well, even without Eddie Vedder... I get exactly the same sort of problem- in the dream about my latest one, it was Taylor Swift singing - it took me quite a bit to get over the initial disappointment when I found that my own voice didn't have quite the same effect as the version I'd dreamt.
Yep, made me happy too. I LOVE the lyrics. I hit fave just for the coaster/toaster thing, made me smile... then the two lines that followed... superb
Oh yeah, the guitarmonies here are definitely awesome - they sound really good. I'm with you, sucker for any guitar harmonies, but these have got a bit of that celtic vibe that kinda lifts them above others.
Cool track - love the solo at the end. You've got a Standard 50s?? Which colour? I've been oggling them. The guitarist from my old band got a 60s a few months back in "Unburst" which is my favourite but they don't do it on the 50s (and I want the fatter neck). Anyway, escapes me now, but for some reason I got a Flying V instead! (which I LOVE, actually)
I misread that as "tropical" ... I do need to get my eyes tested ... so I found it wasn't quite as cheery as I'd first imagined! Cool tune, and sentiments I share sometimes.
Yeah, that works for me. Cool track. And yeah, a great title.
Don't know the original, but I'm digging this. Mighty cool vocal.
Digging the space on this one.
Aw yeah - this is killer. Loving the Robin Trower / James Dewar vibe in the guitars and bass.
Btw - I knew coming back from such a long break that there'd be "one or two" RJ songs to catch up with ... but, er.... !!! LOL (I might not be commenting on them all)
Oh yeah, dig those solos - big time - definitely live with them! And I'm liking that Univibe tone on the rhythm tracks.
Oh and this one too. Yep, I've hit the follow button :grinning:
Oh yeah, love this one
Wow - lyrically, this touches me. Lyrics alone don't often do that for me, not personally anyway, but this one spoke to me (not a relationship thing in my case, more a harrowing work issue of the last weeks/months - thankfully almost resolved now)
This one too. Assuming you're the piano player on these - you can "muddle along" on it far better than I can!!