Category: Generic

RPM2018 – Day 2

Day two was a little more productive, at least in terms of sketching out initial ideas. Just after writing last night’s update I started working on a riff in 5/8 time. I’ve never used that particular time signature before.

Today I took one of yesterday’s ideas and worked out a song form. I also started working on four new ideas. Two on my Mac, and two on my iPhone.

I’m hoping that tomorrow I will at least be able to work out a couple more song forms and start putting down some rhythm guitars. I am going to use my new Vox MV50 amp’s direct output into my computer. We’ll see how that goes.

RPM2018 – Day 1

I had such big plans for today. Ask me how many of them worked out. Go on, ask me.

None.

I managed to piece together a few bars of bass and drums in 5/4 time. That’s all. Better than nothing, and all progress is good progress, but overall it was a little disappointing. There were incredibly important reasons for my plans falling through, of course, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. It’s just not as much RPM’in’ as I’d have liked.

Tomorrow is another day.

Where is Greg the Bunny?

This is bad, oh this is so bad.

I searched for the Fox version of the Greg the Bunny show on commonsensemedia.org today and it says it is recommended for ages 15 and up.  In a very short time, both of my step kids will be ages 15 and up.  Oh happy day!

I have the one season of the show that was actually made before it was cancelled despite being one of the greatest shows in history on DVD, but they are kinda old and they might be a little skippy.  I know, I’ll get the season from iTunes.  It’s not available.  Well, it must be on Netflix.  No.  Hulu?  No.  Amazon Prime Video?  Well, the Greg the Bunny Movie Parodies are there but that show is rated R with a capital R.  Is the Fox show there?  No.

Uh oh.  I hope those discs aren’t too skippy!

 

Addendum:  The whole series is on youtube!

Yesterday’s Practice

Yesterday we had our first band practice with all four of us since October.  Two weeks ago, three of us had a short get together.  I test drove my new Russian fuzz clone.  It sounded great.  I was happy.  Last night…  the curse of the Big Muff fuzz pedal, I guess.

We started playing the first song, and that magical nasty fuzz tone that I love so much just vanished.  I was playing, but none of us were hearing it.  I ended up turning my amp up louder than I set it for gigs.  No kidding.  I turn the fuzz off, too loud.  I turn the fuzz on… and I’m gone.

But I do so love the way it sounds.  It’s fat and huge and mean and viscious and awesome and nasty and scary and amazing and it cuts out the mid range so much that it gets buried by all the high end noise coming off the cymbals and all the low end noise coming out of the bass amp.

I can work with it though.  I can figure this out.

Oh yeah, and RPM is two days away.  Mid cut or no, there will be Russian fuzz on the RPM.  There will be a ton of it.

Band Practice Tonight

I just made a command decision.  I am keeping the stay at home pedal board at Mike the Bass Player’s house until the RPM Challenge is over.  The gig pedal board will be used for the recording.  I will take the as-yet-untested Vox Wah pedal with me tonight and that will get me through February band practices.  The Wren and Cuff Russian Big Muff clone and the Keeley D&M Drive will be my RPM Challenge dirt pedals this year and it will be majestic.  The amps will be my 15 watt Fender Bassbreaker and (I just ordered this one yesterday) one of those tiny Vox MV50’s with the NuTube pre-amp stage that I am currently obsessed with even though I am almost positive that it’s just a gimmick.

One thing that won’t be appearing on my RPM project this year is an Electro Harmonix reissued Op Amp Big Muff pedal.  It’s on back order at musiciansfriend.  The shipping date was early February when I ordered it.  It’s now February 27th.  Thanks for nothing.

Now if I can just manage to not fall asleep during practice tonight… That’s a tall order, kids.

Back on the Wagon Again

Yesterday my wife hit the wall.  She got fed up with her weight and said enough is enough it all changes right now.  It was amazing.  She was like Patton during the Battle of the Bulge.  She was like the Spartans at the Battle of Whatever the Hell it was Called and I Couldn’t Pronounce it Even if I Could Remember the Name.  We are going to eat healthier, we are going to plan meals, we are going to stop with the junk, and we are going back to Weight Watchers.  I felt like the Hanson Brothers during Reg Dunlop’s pre-game speech to the Charlestown Chiefs.  I felt like the Scottish soldiers in Braveheart when William Wallace gave the big pre-battle speech.  I was on board.  100%.  Let’s do this thing!

Today we went to a Weight Watchers meeting and had our first weigh in.  I’m still on board 100% and I’m still gung ho… but I’m also depressed and ashamed of myself.  That number is soooo much higher than I expected.  So very much higher.  So unimaginably higher.

We can be successful in this because we are going to work together.  She’s amazing and she inspires me.  I have further to go than I thought, but I can still get there if she is on my team.

Let’s do this!  For old time hockey!  For Eddie Shore!  For FREEEEEEEDOMMMMM!!!!!!!