The FRAIL AUTUMN project from now on…..Get Serious in a Different Way.

JANUARY 1st was supposed to be the start of re-recording at least 10 of my self written songs. December illness of dizziness (possibly inner ear infection or crystal shift in the semi circular canals of the ear) followed by a nasty bout of hard hitting influenza (still lingering today, although very much subsided) led to inactivity musically.

Last night, with a bit more spirit and gusto, I shoved on some headphones, opened this ‘Plans Ahead…..’ blog collective, published last October, of intended songs for an album/CD, picked up my bass guitar and began to play bass patterns and riffs (off amp) that have been intentional future add ins/ons for each of the songs. I can also hear in my mind more melody and interweaving rhythms to add that are not there currently. A few need a completely new rhythm pattern. One or two are crying out for violin, cello and other considered ethnic strings.

The songs need a massive overhaul to achieve a cohesive ‘Frail Autumn’ sound. Lyrics, verse/chorus/bridge/middle 8 add ons, total rearrangement, dynamics by actually mixing the sound, etc. No small task. But definitely an exciting and achievable one.

What did surprise me was that, after not listening to any of them in earnest for a few months, I actually found I fell in love with the songs all over again. That sounds like bragging. Or pride. In myself? I despise those traits, so try hard to avoid such presentations. Then I realised a lightbulb moment. ‘Love?’ These songs are all an inherent part of ‘me, myself, I’. Summersville. You have to find something to love about yourself. It’s essential.

Also. When you choose to pursue something…..anything…..you have to enjoy and find interest in what you are setting out to do. Any undertaking would be really difficult, in order to accomplish the realisation of finality, if you suddenly found you had no desire for the task. A nurse lecturer taught me that valuable lesson when I was choosing a subject for a dissertation. Choose wisely she said. You have to live with your subject for a long time. Ain’t that life in a nutshell!

So, over the coming weeks to months, now with health coming back, I will focus purely on the Frail Autumn project. Music recording with additional supporting artwork (photography/penmanship/video) for the intentional CD and online music platform presentations.

So, yes, a break from blogging (so frequently) is still on the cards. I just didn’t want to leave my blog adventures with the last blog being about negativity in illness. I would rather someone new ‘happenstance’ onto my site and see the positivity in a project being undertaken to realise one’s dreams.

SO IF YOU ARE ‘HAPPENSTANCE’ NEW TO MY BLOGS? THE SONGS ARE ON AUDIO BARS BELOW.

PLANS AHEAD……

Bullet Points.

i) Get the whole FRAIL AUTUMN vibe consisting of a more unique sound with driven, cleaner, clearer, brighter songs. Lose the current muddy sound, my playing apathy and frustration due to lack of my instrumental playing skills, elongated non-changing start to finish dirge born from a consistent GarageBand drum beat and lack of vocal emotion that I create on many occasions.

ii) I simply can’t play all of these instruments I have been applying to songs. So don’t play them then Gray! Okay, I’ll take my advice to me. Electric guitar, keyboards and drums are totally out my skill’s capability. So need to use my bass guitar, acoustic guitar, one straight forward vocal of verse and chorus and the GarageBand drums’ choice from their library (as a needs must choice). This allows a strong base to build on. Any additional layering on top can be done properly as time goes by. This Apple system allows an easily applied future additional change. Anything can be added to improve each song. No analogue tapes anymore thank heavens. But each song has to sound decent with just my own contributions. If it is only acoustic guitar, bass, vocals and GB drums…… then so be it.

iii) Vocals. Sing with conviction. Don’t just capture a tune and sing blandly. Get self harmony’s sorted properly too. Also. Find a singer or singers to do extra tone and textures too. For both lyric harmony to my main vocal, maybe a duet? Or give a song to someone else for singing a main vocal. And the ‘Oooh/La La’ type backing harmonies have to be done for warmth and dynamics provision.

iv) Instrumental layering ‘out in the field’ and away from The Den. Buy an external hard drive to use. I can carry this about. The small M2 Mac computer, microphones, headphones, audio interface and Akai MIDI keyboards are very easily transportable. As are the small Bluetooth Apple keypad and mouse. All can be put in a bag. I can then record others’ contributions. Also, airdropping songs to others to add to.

v) Truly consider keeping my playing of ‘one note melodic’ keyboard playing for additional dynamics to the base melodies. Many bands do this very effectively. It will add texture and tone. *And really important….* is to set up the key of the song in GarageBand when starting a new song. Generically they use C major. Not all songs are in that key. So of course they end up sounding weird because external and internal key structures aren’t synchronised. One huge mistake I have done in all these songs recorded so far! I may have got away with a couple. But play in E, A and D a lot.

vi) If some of this additional instrumentation is not possible over the coming months? Don’t beat myself up about it with frustrations. Just re-focus to reality, live with the limitations and do my best. Others have commitments and lives to lead. I’m retired and can apply time more freely.

BOUGHT AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE. A 2TB ONE WHICH WILL HOLD PLENTY OF THE PROJECTS.

USEFUL SONGS……

1: 18 YEARS WAS 50 YEARS AGO. (First line: It’s the season where the reason is to chase your dreams. Blow your blues away).

(It’s essentially about FRAIL AUTUMN as a project and philosophy. So….is there anything in this introductory lyric that impacts? Nope. So how to become a better phrased opening lyric? Set the song up to tell the story of how I am feeling about life now? This is a personal story of my own current feelings. Some of the lyrics do stray and sound muddy on the choice of library voice in GB. Remember! Don’t do maudlin if some lyrics are changed!! Positivity is key in this. No looking back on these lyrics and saying to myself ‘Get a grip!’ Acoustic version so much preferred for my current emotional considerations though. But by changing and dropping out the percussion ‘fills’ to basic beats after recording the song, it sent the acoustic guitar strumming out of synch. REMEMBER TO WATCH FOR LATENCY ON EXTERNAL INSTRUMENTS TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE INHERENT ONES. Must watch this type of mistake. Really evident at the start! Also an electric version alternative, already recorded but really rough, could be cool too.

2: EDDIE JUST LOVES TO DANCE. (First lines: We saw him on the dance floor. Loved the moves).

(Thought of changing Eddie the Dancer to a female. But then why not promote guys dancing on their own with aplomb, beautiful body rhythms and total abandonment….akin to Northern Soul competitive fashion. But do not change the rhythm of this one to a Northern Soul vibe. Prefer a Latin laid back coffee and cigars rhythm to Soul. A dude lost in the trance of drum/percussive rhythm. Think Kid Creole and the Coconuts first album. Change some lyrics though to create a stronger sounding word inclusion for singing. Lyrics are coming across muddy and realise I’m not singing with purpose on any of these songs).

3: YEAR ONE. (First Lines: We smash the clock faces and try to turn them all back. Wipe out all traces. But tick tock….the clocks keep ticking).

(I have rewritten this as a completely new version from the XCerts’ rendition, with my own melody and lyrics. But.. I don’t want to save the bouncy nature/vibe as I recorded it recently. I have written extras not included here. It has haunting inclusive harmony in both chorus and verse. It changes the songs vibrancy completely. So. Give it the more driven backing melodic version in my mind with guitar riffing and swooping keyboards prominent. A more solid drum presence too. I have the bass guitar melody I haven’t used yet too. Actually, the bass lines should anchor the whole vibe to build on. It drives nicely).

4: STOP THIS HEARTACHE. (First lines: How many years did it take to find your dream. Crawling on your hands and knees. Crazy days? Indeed…).

(I like the arrangement. And the tune inclusions of keyboard parts. Needs a back beat to prominent guitar drive though. Didn’t put my bass line in this though. Why? I believe it jarred against the other inclusions. Couldn’t be bothered to rewrite the whole bass vibe again. Need to rewrite a new bass melody then. Also. This is a drudge on listening again. As with all these songs this has to lose the muddy recorded, the pathos of struggling efforts and emotional tired nature and become so much brighter….and so much clearer and cleaner. Could be a decent song).

5: WIND OF SORROWS: MOVING TO THE RHYTHM OF LIFE. (First lines: I don’t know why I’m living in a sea of heartache. I should be high living up and having a party).

(Wind of Sorrows lyric at odds with Rhythm of Life vibe. Need to change the chorus lyrics accordingly. Chorus born from the Move into the Rhythm single I wrote anyway. I have left the past behind now. I do like the disco type Heart of Glass Blondie undercurrent. But the whole song sounds flat though. Maybe the wrong key. Or not set up properly by having the C major song key inherent. But as I keep telling myself….this is borne from my lack of skills playing unfamiliar instruments can also produce flatness in sound).

6: OLD MAN. (First line: Old man, your life’s been wasted. Too bad it crumbled round you).

(Update older lyrics and add more interruption instrumentation to this. Tell a story. Yes….Ideal for one off interruption melody. It has two augmented chords in the verse leading to a melodic chorus. Augmented chords that provide the weird lilting nature. Can I feed off these with Wurlitzer/Fairground pathos? I can’t play keyboards!! Also. I keep thinking of mimicking early psychedelic 1960s sounding songs. But that’s just silly! Far more likely a Muswell Hillbillies sound by The Kinks is a better vibe. Probably gave me the inspiration to write it in the first place to be honest).

7: NO LONGER HAUNTED OR ACHING WITH THE MEMORIES. (First lines: There’s a million with shotguns. Pointing right between my eyes. They don’t seem to understand. When it’s three in the morning and ghosts keep calling me, back to my past experience. Where I’m bleeding all over again, with my friends).

(A million with shot guns. I can’t add much more lyrically to this first verse of the song. I do have second and third verse lyrics and need to see if apt or relevant. Like the change of tune I created from the original one. So keep it. More easy to sing. Do love the keyboard inclusions on this. Make sure to photograph the GB settings when I tweaked the individual instrumental sounds).

8: NOVEMBER, THE STEREO AND YOU. (First lines: November, the stereo and you my friend. I’ve still got that photograph showing us kissing).

(Base the whole song around the bass tune I have written. It has a complete mood all on its own. I have recorded this song completely wrong from the style I really have in mind. I want interspersed cello and French horn on this one too).

9: OUT OF TOUCH. (First lines: Living in a World with no imagination. Living in a World where there’s nothing to shout about. I don’t wanna know What if? I don’t wanna know What if’s? I just don’t wanna know).

(At present only linked to the chords of a quirky little be-bop instrumental because it was a GB experimentation. Nothing like the acoustic version I sing. Bass line sounds good enough though. Quite a nice rhythmic drive on it too. A whole rethink on this one needed. Have a complete song though other than a middle 8. Nice chorus…, but questionable high key melody to reach).

10: LIGHTEN UP. (First lines: I could be the one to seize the day. Live my life in impossible ways).

(It’s a weird experiment this one. But do like the possible catchy dance rhythm to this. Add key changes and a chorus hook. Lyrics too. May work nicely).

11: STARS ABOVE THE DUNES. (First lines: I remember stars above the dunes. That September rain when we got soaked through. All those summer days and the lazy, hazy, crazy afternoons).

(Really fond of the guitar riff on this one. Just may need a different melody that suits the instrumentation.

EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA.

LITTLE EXPERIMENTS WITH GARAGEBAND LAYERING.

ONCE UPON A TIME (MUSIC). THE INSOMNIAC’S SONG……..

ONCE UPON A TIME (VOCAL).

TODAY. DRUMS AND ODDITIES EXPERIMENT.