My post-RPM Challenge plan is to just keep going. Here's my first March 2020 Challenge song.
I am trying to go much more raw and low-fi than usual. One guitar straight into one amp. No doubling, not extensive overdubs. Same with the vocals…
No one ever rocks in 3/4 time. This is a cheesy attempt to do just that. I woke up one morning with the music for this pretty much complete in my head. I recorded the rhythm guitars and vocals over a simple drum and bass loop. When I went…
I forgot to write an ending for this one. That's why it fades out. Lots of squawky saxophone. I must have been running out of gas when I recorded it. The lower vocal part has a lot of iffy pitches. I'm sort of glissing between notes and I…
I waited until RPM Challenge song #20 before I used a 12-bar blues. This was a guitar noodle that happened when I finished everything I had planned to work on that day but wasn’t quite ready to stop playing. I like that feeling. The lyrics are…
My ears are turning to mush tonight. I’m not sure if this sounds okay or not. It’s another ghost story song. This time about a house where the ghost of a previous resident made friends with the new kid in the house. I struggled with a lot of this…
The second of three (so far) songs for the 2019 RPM Challenge with lyrics inspired by a ghost story. This time a woman who was executed for witchcraft (yup, I live in New England) who cursed her accuser. Years later his family built a memorial…
A few years ago I was working on a 50/90 and I was stuck for lyrics. While hunting for ideas I Googled “New England folk tales” and found a few stories that I was able to use as a loose idea for a song lyric. I was trying to write lyrics for this…
A simple 12-bar in 6/8 time. I almost like it.
The guitars are all Les Paul.
Turn the page again
It's time to start anew
From the top this time
don't think we can make it
Don't see there's much chance
Round and round and round we…
Eh.
I thought it would be cool to write something in drop D and then play it on a 12 string. Then I could drop two D's! HarHarHar.
The lyrics are about how scary some of Donald Trumps followers are. If he wins in November I'm moving to…
Eh.
I thought it would be cool to write something in drop D and then play it on a 12 string. Then I could drop two D's! HarHarHar.
The lyrics are about how scary some of Donald Trumps followers are. If he wins in November I'm moving to…
This one had throw away written all over it from the first moment I thought of it. It's my second entry in the Ice Cream Chords challenge over at FAWM.org. I kept this one in Major and it's just as fruity as one would expect. The lyrics are…
I'm really disappointed in this one. I don't like it. I wrote it last night and recorded it today. I think if I changed the lyrics to be about hookers I could probably sell it to Poison or Motley Crue. I feel dirty and ashamed of myself…
I wrote a blog post about Donald Trump. The gist of the statement was that every four years we joke about how if the Republican Presidential Candidate wins the general election, where are we going to move? Canada? UK? In the post though I…
Written in pieces back in 1994 and 1995 during my "arrangements that are to complicated for humans to actually play" phase. Recorded in January 2015 during my "Ancient History Revisited Volume 2" phase. Mixed in September 2015 during my "I actually…
The final RPM Challenge/FAWM song for 2015! I'm done! Garageband has this running at 66bpm in 6/8 time. It probably should be 132bpm in 3/4, but you live with what you have, right? I didn't really plan on saving this for last as it was one…
Have you seen the movie The Theory of Everything? I highly recommend it in a "I hate these damn movies that make me ball my eyes out" kind of way. The lyric to this song is sort of inspired by Dr Hawking's diagnosis. He's given two years to…
He was diagnosed at 21, told he had 2 years left -- 3 years at most -- and now he's 73! Glad the story inspired you. Good topic for a song. Good lyrics, good music, and the vocals does it all great justice, sung with feeling.
This song has been the biggest mess of the month. It was the second idea I had, the first that wasn't dropped. I have fought with it more than any other song I've ever recorded. The drum parts have been recorded twice. They rhythm guitars have…
This song has been the biggest mess of the month. It was the second idea I had, the first that wasn't dropped. I have fought with it more than any other song I've ever recorded. The drum parts have been recorded twice. They rhythm guitars have…
This song has been the biggest mess of the month. It was the second idea I had, the first that wasn't dropped. I have fought with it more than any other song I've ever recorded. The drum parts have been recorded twice. They rhythm guitars have…
I personally believe this to be your best February contribution. Good lyrics, nice rifts, vocals are slick and smooth, and talk about a choice, juicy lead break!
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
they sure are.....
Chambers brothers for a new age! So great!
The acoustic guitar sounds great on this. Good work, Robert.
This is shaping up to be quite the Halloween party play list!
Digging those harmonies!
You've got quite a Santanaesque sound to your guitar. Very cool! Nice slinky track.
Nice, authentic rock sound with a fab hook. Great opener!
Oh yes those are LP's allright. Sound great!
You'd be very welcome in Europe Robert but believe me we have our own problems. Nice work
Another cool track
Nice one
Like it dig the vocals
Nice one
Like this
Great topic for a song! Good lyrics, kick ass guitar. Rock on!
Great track mate
He was diagnosed at 21, told he had 2 years left -- 3 years at most -- and now he's 73! Glad the story inspired you. Good topic for a song. Good lyrics, good music, and the vocals does it all great justice, sung with feeling.
Slammin' guitars man. Solid and full.
Awesome rocker!!!!
I personally believe this to be your best February contribution. Good lyrics, nice rifts, vocals are slick and smooth, and talk about a choice, juicy lead break!
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!