This one came together really fast. I had spent most of my Sunday forcing two other songs out of my head and I was tired and not feeling all that pleased with the day's work. I figured I'd give it one more shot and went to my binkie. My security…
This one came together really fast. I had spent most of my Sunday forcing two other songs out of my head and I was tired and not feeling all that pleased with the day's work. I figured I'd give it one more shot and went to my binkie. My security…
FAWM's 50/90 starts on July 4th, Independence Day in the USA, and wouldn't you know it New England got hit by the remnants of a hurricane that night. Hurricane Arthur was pretty much just a rain storm by the time it hit us, but it was still song…
I've had a very productive three day weekend kicking off 50/90. I have nine songs at various stages of completion. Now the question is, how badly do they suck?
I have pretty much fallen in love with the sound of my Strat's neck pickup. Clean…
A little mini-suite. I had my 10 songs underway for my June album in a month project and like a doofus I threw together an extra song at the last minute, and made it three songs in one. (I then added two more, because I'm dumb).
Mostly this…
A little mini-suite. I had my 10 songs underway for my June album in a month project and like a doofus I threw together an extra song at the last minute, and made it three songs in one. (I then added two more, because I'm dumb).
Mostly this…
So lead guitar wise, this was not a good night. Mix wise it is an attempt at not burying the bass guitar. That probably means the bass is super loud. Life goes on though, am i right? I have no real idea what the lyrics are about other than…
As I was finishing up the March and April music project thingies back in the end of May I acted silly and wrote an extra song. This is that song. Just a dopey 12-bar blues that was really just an excuse to write something on my new Stratocaster…
I had high hopes for this goofy 12-bar. I don't know why. It doesn't live up to my expectations. The vocals are fuzzy again. I'm mad. It does mark the return of the wah wah pedal. I had half a mind to not use it at all after over using it…
Tempest Fero Lives again!
My first real band was called Tempest Fero. We shoulda rethought that name. Anyway, this was one of the first four or five songs we wrote. There should be keyboard, but I don't have the skill or the patience to…
I have loved this song for eons. Any time I've found myself in a cover band I've tried to get it into the set list but I have never once succeeded.
I've never actually recorded a cover before. Prior to buying a Strat I had no desire to, but…
Yup, @floridaman again. This time a couple stole money for crack and told the cops they were kidnapped and forced to steal the money. No way anyone will see through that story, eh?
This mix feels mushy. It's made worse by the tons of sauce…
Yup, @floridaman again. This time a couple stole money for crack and told the cops they were kidnapped and forced to steal the money. No way anyone will see through that story, eh?
This mix feels mushy. It's made worse by the tons of sauce…
Tempest Fero Lives again!
My first real band was called Tempest Fero. We shoulda rethought that name. Anyway, this was one of the first four or five songs we wrote. There should be keyboard, but I don't have the skill or the patience to…
This is an April song. It's bad enough that I think it might be completely ripped off of a 2013 RPM song, but the mix turned into a sloppy mess. I might remix it, but then again I might just give up. The lyrics are about our failed attempt…
This song marks two milestones in my silly little music recording existence. First it is the very first time I recorded a song that used electric guitars that only used a Fender guitar. When I bought the Strat last weekend this was the only…
I was listening to the two Jack Bruce/Robin Trower records from 1981. I was sort of digging the whole aging-white-guys-making-a-show-of-being-funky vibe and decided to steal it. The result is this cheese ball of a 12-bar.
In GarageBand…
I was listening to the two Jack Bruce/Robin Trower records from 1981. I was sort of digging the whole aging-white-guys-making-a-show-of-being-funky vibe and decided to steal it. The result is this cheese ball of a 12-bar.
In GarageBand…
This one dates back to 1992 or 93 or so. It falls in the wasted years between the end of the band I started playing with in high school and the band I started playing in after leaving college. It was played by a bunch of short lived bands in…
So, what do you think... could it use more wah-wah?
This was written for the 2014 RPM Challenge. The chromatic thing at the beginning had been rattling around in my head for years and years but had never found a home.
The lyrics here…
That plinky little sound in the verses is an organ with some distortion on it. I wanted Jon Lord to play the part but he wasn't available. It's playing eighth notes in the verses and a sustained pad in the chorus. If I remix this I might bring it up. I haven't decided yet.
The sound at the end is actually a grunt of frustration. This is the easiest song every written in all of the history of music and it took me 700 takes to get the rhythm guitars right. I was going to cut it out but when the time came I thought it was funny so I left it there.
The first song completed for the second round of re-recorded Quarantine Tunes. This one was written on the last day of the 2016 RPM Challenge. I had written a bunch of songs saying that people who think the Earth is flat are somehow defective…
It's not a cocked wah, all of those mids are coming from the Klon pedal. I was a scooped mids guy for 30 years before I finally figured out that if I just boost the mids a little the rest of the band can hear me without me cranking my amp until it hurts. Now I overdo it in the other direction. heh
(Remastered 22/10/2021)
And here we go - Edith FINALLY gets it...
Actually, she's been getting it ever since I wrote it on the 29th May. I thought it would take a week or so, but it proved to be more of a fight than I was expecting.
On…
RPM 2k15
vocal by Gregg Todt
is it the medication
that makes her stare off into space?
those little pills in the bottle
grab your collar
smack you in the face
i want to make an appointment to see
that drug, so he will give her back to…
I thought going into 50/90 that I would need to do some quick recordings of really simple arrangements. Maybe just acoustic guitar and voice. Nope, not really.
This isn't meant as filler. This idea is something I noodle on almost every…
So 50/90 is an unnatural forcing of a crap ton of songs in a relatively short period of time. We're half way though and I've learned one thing. I've learned how easy it is to repeat something you've already done. This one sounds a LOT like…
I appreciate wanting to bring the vocals out in the mix more but that would mean someone might hear my awful voice and nonono we can't have that. Not to mention the terrible lyrics. Urgh. Bury those vocals!
I also like having the excuse that as I am a guitar player first and foremost, I naturally want the guitars to overpower everything else.
In all seriousness, I agree the vocals need to come up... I just can't bring myself to do it.
Opening song by Kent Good. We played pretty good in Feb. We are not "chops" players, but i think we rocked this one pretty good.This song will evolve a bit as we break it in live.
Apologies to Peter and the rest of Genesis - from back when they were good - 1974
And the lamb lies down on Broadway.
Early morning Manhattan,
Ocean winds blow on the land.
The Movie-Palace is now undone,
The all-night watchmen have had their…
"Stupid Punk Song" is... well... stupid. I woke up one morning and the entire song, lyrics and all, was stuck in my head. I let it rattle around for a few days before putting it down on my new 8-track. I played it for Break Even once but they…
This is a pre-release of a song from my new album. The song still needs some polish and rubbing. I will change it out once i get done with the final version. The lyric was written a long time ago, of what could or couldn't have been:) Thats the…
Comments on Robert James's stuff
Ooh cute little boom tish at the end. :)
Funky jazzy goodness.
Good luck with 50/90 - sounding great so far!
Yeah it sound warm and smooth. Bethan
Classic Rock and Roll!!
Nice flow to this number. The 12 string is awesome. Perfect addition.
Love that riff!
Tight as a drum - another great performance.
I like goofy and I like wah wah.
It's Robin Trower! I like.
Kind of Pink Floydish.
Was well worth the effort.. thoroughly enjoyed that n didnt know the song
Hi Robert, Sauce does it for me! Cheers Bethan
Rockin'......
glad you shared that.. thoroughly enjoyed it. Pretty epic all told. Love the main riff and the solos are spot on. Up the TF!!!
Or maybe you won't! (Sell the Gibsons)
Like it. You know you're gonna sell your Gibsons, don't you?... hehe
Works for me! (aging-white-guy)
Great guitars, solos are nice, enjoyed!!
Nice one. It's quite amusing, I'm a life-long strat user, but I'm playing an ES 335 and an SG most of the time now!
Comments made by Robert James
That plinky little sound in the verses is an organ with some distortion on it. I wanted Jon Lord to play the part but he wasn't available. It's playing eighth notes in the verses and a sustained pad in the chorus. If I remix this I might bring it up. I haven't decided yet. The sound at the end is actually a grunt of frustration. This is the easiest song every written in all of the history of music and it took me 700 takes to get the rhythm guitars right. I was going to cut it out but when the time came I thought it was funny so I left it there.
It's not a cocked wah, all of those mids are coming from the Klon pedal. I was a scooped mids guy for 30 years before I finally figured out that if I just boost the mids a little the rest of the band can hear me without me cranking my amp until it hurts. Now I overdo it in the other direction. heh
Love the slide! What a great song. No one warns us that vowel sounds matter when writing lyrics, but you nailed it.
Damn it man, each song is better than the one that came before. Nice work. Really loving it.
The acoustic bass sound comes from GarageBand. I haven't been using it much lately, but every once in a while I feel the need.
I appreciate wanting to bring the vocals out in the mix more but that would mean someone might hear my awful voice and nonono we can't have that. Not to mention the terrible lyrics. Urgh. Bury those vocals! I also like having the excuse that as I am a guitar player first and foremost, I naturally want the guitars to overpower everything else. In all seriousness, I agree the vocals need to come up... I just can't bring myself to do it.
I love everything about this song.
Live music! Sounds great.
Have I mentioned that this is the BEST! SONG! EVER!!!!? Because it clearly is the BEST SONG EVER!!!
BEST! SONG! EVER!!!!!
Syd would be proud. Thanks!
Put on a fox head mask and channel Peter Gabriel. Nice!
Hey Steve, I don't think you were there that night. I know i played it for at least Jeff and Dave and they both sort of looked at me funny.
I like both of these songs a lot. Thanks!
Great song! Here's to hoping you add some more.
Some excellent guitar playing! Thanks
I'm so impressed that I can't think of anything complementary to say. Thanks!
Wow!