I got some music in today. Surprised? I am!
I recorded rhythm guitars for two songs, worked out the arrangement for the most recent iPad thingie that was just three separate riffs, and started another couple of riff ideas on the iPad. So there are 9 songs (about 30 minutes) that are actually underway recording wise. There are now three that are just in the rough idea stage.
Again, no way this gets done by April 1st, but all of this crap will get done.
I don’t see myself finishing my March music project by the end of the month. I’ve got nine songs in progress. Three have rhythm guitars and one has vocals. Hopefully I’ll be able to add one to each count by the end of the day.
My USB interface wouldn’t connect on the new MacBook today. Not sure what’s going on there. Hopefully I only need to reboot. I used the iMic thingie (which makes TONS of noise) while recording some guitars this morning. Hopefully I can get the Lexicon thing working again. We’ll see.
Something happened last night that sort of sums up this year’s challenge for me. I went to bed after finishing the lead guitars on the last two songs. While sleeping, I had a dream. I was digging around in my ear for ear wax. I found something else though. I was able to grab it and pull. What came out? Dust. A dust bunny about the size of a quarter. When I woke up my first thought was, so that’s why everything sounds like crap this year.
I mixed two more songs before work this morning. There are only two left. I will finish them both tonight if it kills me. Then I need to figure out a running order, burn a CD, and mail it off.
Here is one of this morning’s mixes. It’s the 7/8 rocker with the terrible leads.
http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/bad-guy.mp3%20
The other song is in 6/8. It was an eighth note kinda morning. It was supposed to be the big quiet/loud/quiet thing but the loud parts are kinda pointless.
http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/that-certain-someone.mp3%20
It is February 27th. The end is upon us.
I have finished recording all of the parts I need. I have four more songs to mix. I’m going to finish on time and have something in the mail by noon on Saturday. It just won’t be all that good.
The music is repetitive and clunky, the lyrics are crap as usual, the singing is worse than ever, and the lead guitar playing (which is normally weak at best) has been at times dreadful. I just don’t have it in me this month. I could probably take four or five of these and combine them with three or for from November and end up with a decent collection of songs, but this one on its own is pretty pathetic.
I mixed two more last night, for a total of 10 finished songs. I’m not going to post one of them because the vocal performance is the worst of my life, and despite recording the whole thing multiple times (dumbing down the melody each time) I still can’t pull it off.
The second mix from last night is better though.
http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/yes.mp3%20My hands are too tired to perform, my voice is too tired to perform, and I think my ears are too tired to perform too. Everything just sounds sort of… mushy.
Usually it’s my singing that is so bad it makes me want to vomit. Today it was the guitar playing. My hands are torn to shreds, my strings are so dead they are all but unplayable. Urgh.
We are going for a drive today in the hopes of getting desks and desk chairs for the kids. When we woke up we had a very small window of time for anything other than getting ready to go. I used that time wisely and recorded the leads for song #5. It was far from perfect, but far from my usual terrible. What was weird was that I nailed each part on the first take. Woah! I must be in the groove. (that is sarcasm, the groove and I never see eye to eye, let alone meet up)
Even weirder is that I recorded a 16 bar guitar riff that will become song #15. Now that is weird! Here I am convinced I won’t have time to finish 14 songs and I go and start a 15th. Somebody stop me!
Both of these kiddos got a serious work out today.
All the rhythm guitars are done. Time to go food shopping. Then I’ll do the leads on the two songs that are ready.
I have enough cowbell. I need more 12-string.
I don’t know why, but for some reason whenever I do one of these music challenges I pick one electric guitar and use it exclusively. In November I used my Les Paul, so this month was going to be all ES 335.
Until this morning. Songs 1 and 2 are all acoustic so far. Song 3 is the 335. I worked on 4 and 5 today, but I used the Les Paul. Weird, huh?*
*I warned you there would be a lot of lame posts this month.
Inside the Red Head's Head 