7/8 time and the song form is A-B-C-D-A. Just a goofy little attempt at not repeating sections. This is the second time this RPM I've done that. Sort of.
I don't know where the idea for writing about Darwin came from, but for me when an…
I woke up this morning and looked out the window at all of the snow. The endless landscape of blank, frozen emptiness, and I just felt sick. I wanted nothing more than to go back to bed and sleep until May. So what did I do to combat this depression…
I woke up this morning and looked out the window at all of the snow. The endless landscape of blank, frozen emptiness, and I just felt sick. I wanted nothing more than to go back to bed and sleep until May. So what did I do to combat this depression…
The guitar work out in this one is particularly tasty. Intriguing topic. "Hiding from the white" -- for real! Keep it real, Man. The drums and bass and lead guitar and rhythm and chord arrangement and vocals and mix down and mastering -- all of it ROCKS!
50/90 is over. What do I do now? The plan was to do the same thing I did after RPM and FAWM ended... just start another album in a month project.
Well I started it, but it's going really slow. There are only five songs in the works, and…
I liked this one a lot more before realizing (after all of the tracks were finished) that the guitar part is awfully similar to a Throwing Muses song from the brilliant House Tornado album.
My plan to double all rhythm guitar and vocal parts…
The first song completed for the 2015 RPM Challenge. This is historic for me in that it's an RPM song that used a real amplifier instead of a software simulator. It's not my cool Marshall, it's my Fender who once took a bath in gasoline (long…
The first song completed for the 2015 RPM Challenge. This is historic for me in that it's an RPM song that used a real amplifier instead of a software simulator. It's not my cool Marshall, it's my Fender who once took a bath in gasoline (long…
As a warm up for the RPM Challenge I have gotten into the habit of digging up old mostly forgotten songs from my carefree youth and recording new demos. This year seems to be mostly focused on a band I played in between 1997 and 2000. This song…
Within the first 15 seconds I was sold. GREAT RIFT! I dig the lyrics and the vocals, the drums, the bass -- "it's almost like magic!" ;) Yep, all good! Sweet lead guitar workout at the break too.
I had declared the NaSoAlMo project complete after starting the eighth song. Then I had some free time and started this cheese ball. Later I added a 10th song too. What a nitwit.
This marks the end of both of my mini-goals for November…
I had declared the NaSoAlMo project complete after starting the eighth song. Then I had some free time and started this cheese ball. Later I added a 10th song too. What a nitwit.
This marks the end of both of my mini-goals for November…
It wasn't until I was sitting in front of my computer trying to write lyrics to this one that I realized it is very, very similar to a song from last year's NaSoAlMo. Sorry about that.
If I told you that the lyrics to this were based on…
Song three of (probably) 10 for NaSoAlMo. I'm still going with the plan of longer(ish) songs that feature at least a little bit of 12-string guitar. So far so good.
I sort of like the chorus on this one, but the verses aren't all that hot…
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…
Less than an hour after declaring my bluesy October project at an end I came up with this. It's almost like I don't even listen to myself.
The guitars are all Stratocaster and the lyrics are about raking leaves. No, seriously.
October Music Continues with a second song with a bit of a swing to it. The guitars are all Stratocaster and the lyrics were written off the top of my head in about 3 minutes. I think this one is a tad too long, but otherwise I don't loathe it.
50/90 is over. What do I do now? The plan was to do the same thing I did after RPM and FAWM ended... just start another album in a month project.
Well I started it, but it's going really slow. There are only five songs in the works, and…
Groovy, really! Very impressed with your sax work -- the first rift reminds me of the sax player in the break on Floyd's "Money," and the 2nd sax rift reminded me of Quarterflash. Choice guitar rifts!
Unless my math skills have failed me, this is song #50 and 50/90 is complete! WOOHOO!
This song broke my one 50/90 rule... sort of. The rule was that all ideas get used immediately. Nothing gets dropped and everything I try stays. The idea…
Unless my math skills have failed me, this is song #50 and 50/90 is complete! WOOHOO!
This song broke my one 50/90 rule... sort of. The rule was that all ideas get used immediately. Nothing gets dropped and everything I try stays. The idea…
Unless my math skills have failed me, this is song #50 and 50/90 is complete! WOOHOO!
This song broke my one 50/90 rule... sort of. The rule was that all ideas get used immediately. Nothing gets dropped and everything I try stays. The idea…
Unless my math skills have failed me, this is song #50 and 50/90 is complete! WOOHOO!
This song broke my one 50/90 rule... sort of. The rule was that all ideas get used immediately. Nothing gets dropped and everything I try stays. The idea…
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
Love it, and the lead guitar break is especially juicy!
Love this!!!!!!!!!! Appropriate for your Minnesota listeners...
The guitar work out in this one is particularly tasty. Intriguing topic. "Hiding from the white" -- for real! Keep it real, Man. The drums and bass and lead guitar and rhythm and chord arrangement and vocals and mix down and mastering -- all of it ROCKS!
Awesome !!!! Cool guitarwork, love the vocals
Sweet lead guitar break, nice vocal mix, interesting arrangement of chords.
Classic rock and roll man. It's a keeper :)
I really, truly dig this rift! Choice lead chomps! I good with the lyrics too -- Rock on!
Within the first 15 seconds I was sold. GREAT RIFT! I dig the lyrics and the vocals, the drums, the bass -- "it's almost like magic!" ;) Yep, all good! Sweet lead guitar workout at the break too.
Cool retro sounds
Killer riffs, really love the searing tone...
Like it
Nice one great guitar
Brilliant!
Nice one great sound.
Damn, you're good!
Groovy, really! Very impressed with your sax work -- the first rift reminds me of the sax player in the break on Floyd's "Money," and the 2nd sax rift reminded me of Quarterflash. Choice guitar rifts!
pretty cool. IAA
Nice rift. Trolls -- what a great idea to sing about. Choice lead guitar chops. Rock on!
pretty cool! IAA
Nice one. Like the riffing. Fine ending to this 50/90 thing.
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!