Having recently roughly recorded in order to capture ideas for future new song considerations, it has been a good move. Below are three examples of this process.
Scratching my head at considerations for a new approach has been a ‘long ruminating exercise’. The last 18 months of learning how to use the Apple Mac M2 ‘home studio’ recording equipment has been a bit of a slog really. Simplicity and a different approach to seeking a different vibe has been the essence of the ruminating exercise.
Listening to other influences, four artists found their way into my regular go to for sound. Mazzy Star, Cigarettes after Sex, Devendra Banhart and the genius who is Sir Paul McCartney. Especially his time just after The Beatles split up. Beautiful songs singing alongside Linda.
I want an intentional very slight echo on my voice for new recordings. Added to this the simplicity of my Guild acoustic guitar, some percussive inclusions as opposed to a full on drum kit, spasmodic orchestral instruments to intersperse a gentle melodic lift and work out proper harmonies to sing. I need to really get at that aspect. Harmonising is definitely not a natural gift! I am not musically trained whatsoever and understand nothing of those rules. Lastly, I will take my Hohner Les Paul electric guitar to a guy who will set it up. Even when I play one song on it whilst recording….it goes out of tune. I have been also listening to Marc Bolan’s Beard of Stars and the T.Rex ‘brown album’ with huge interest at the way he uses electric guitar over his acoustic base to songs. Beautifully melodic vibe.
And so. Here below are:
Firstly. An M2 serious capture of an intentional sound awaiting small layering. But……it developed into the second song below. However, this vibe of acoustic standing out to the fore is my future intention for new songs.
Secondly. Building on the first one above this was developed into the full sound intentional and the steep learning to come to grips with technophobia and understanding how to capture my songs over 18 months.
Thirdly. How most ideas have been captured over the years. Turn on the iPad, open up the Shure MOTIV audio app and capture ideas from sleepy time wake ups to full on songs for experiments. All of the captures sound flat, but the melodies are at least there. The most frustrating thing? Not saying what the chords or little tuneful guitar captures are. I listen back at times and don’t know how to replay the guitar captures.
BELOW I STARTED WRITING THE LISTS FOR AN AIM TO RELEASE 3 COLLECTIVE CD’s LATER THIS YEAR. A TRIPLE GATEFOLD IN ESSENCE. I HAVE LAST YEARS SONGS ALL DONE REALLY. I HAVE NO INTENTIONS TO TRY TO IMPROVE THEM ANYMORE. THE INTENTION IS TO BURN THE SONGS TO CD’s FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO OWN. I WILL SIMPLY BE GIVING THEM AWAY.
Gray Summers 
Gray,
You have such a good heart. And yes, I’m familiar with the quick captures that I couldn’t decipher later. I started adding clues in the title or even as part of the recording. Sometimes even that wasn’t enough to re-capture the vibe.
The ballad is my favorite of the 3 here. The vocal and the guitar are just the right mix of smooth and raw.
While I adore the idea of giving away CDs to family and friends, after a few years of doing that and never receiving a thank you or comment of any sort, I stopped. I will make music no matter what. Occasionally, it is nice to get some feedback.
Keep it going,
Stan
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Cheers Stan. Thank you for this insightful feedback. I am going to see family from today and my brother, a guitarist, is going to show me his new Gibson Les Paul. My family are around 140 miles away, so it is only a few times a year I get to visit. Why say this? I would love Steve (my brother) to play some lead/rhythm riff guitar on some of the gentle new songs. Even some acoustic too. He can recognise the intricacies of tunes I caught that I never can.
The CD idea came to me last year and I bought a burner tool. I will reflect on your thoughts regards the family and friends re:CD’s. My wife and myself tend to have the ideal of sharing by giving away our possessions that we no longer use. Even things like automobile cars, bikes, etc. Hence my thoughts on the CD aim. Now retired it is more calm in my mind and therefore a ‘go with the flow’ has materialised.
Your music? Always an admirer of your capabilities Stan. Such an eclectic nature within your soul.
Cheers and all the best.
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My spouse and I have similar aspirations. We just took a carload to ReUse center earlier this week.
I gave away about 1,000 CDs over the years. I know because 700 of these were my first album release (Disappointment and Delight). The rest were from a CD burner attached to my recording studio computer.
I’m looking forward to retiring from at least one of my 3 jobs within the next 12 months. That should free up some time!
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That is a serious amount of CDs! I can totally emphasise with work Stan. Retired now for almost five years has completely changed the agenda for commitment to the type of artistic activities I can now enjoy. Hopefully the freedom you find will bring a certain calmness to life.
Cheers.
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your songs are beautiful, Gray. there’s something about them that feels earned, like they’ve been lived through, not just written. sing us more, please.
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Cheers cookie. I am struggling with lyrics presently. But will get there eventually. You say regards ‘lived through’ and lots of lyrics are indeed connected to the past. The present is now being considered but is far less vibrant than back in the youthful days. So has taken on a more maudlin approach.
I wish I had your observational and poetic mind. I can’t describe in the way you do so, so wonderfully. One line from one of your songs can say so many things. I am simply going over my new songs by listening back to the sample and example naive captures at the moment and am already forming both interspersed melodies and some lyrical formations too.
Not sure if you have heard these on my Samples and Examples blog from a few ago, but there are all the current ideas in the different audio bars. Thing is….I do chunter on a bit. I try to warble out a bit of background noise so to capture possible little tuneful slants of hitting singular words differently. I don’t know if you do this yourself when writing your own songs. Sing or hum over your own voice. It can give you a very soulful lift when you find unexpected harmony alongside your own expressive sound. I’ve done this from my first ever song written back in my teenage years.
So good to hear from you cookie. Hope life is going onwards and upwards towards peaceful Springtime vibes. All the best. 💫✨
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