Category: Guitar

NaSoAlMo

Every January I get psyched up for the RPM Challenge in February, and for the last two years I’ve actually finished. Every October I get psyched up for National Solo Album Month in November and I lose interest after a day or two.

Why? It’s essentially the same project. Why can’t I keep my focus through both? I don’t know.

This piece of crap is the only thing I’ve ever started during a NaSoAlMo that has ever been finished. Of course it wasn’t finished on time.

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I have this vague idea of doing something with all of the rhythm guitar parts being played on my 12-string, but the action is so high on that guitar that playing is painful. I don’t think I would get very far.

I want to do it. Maybe I will. I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see.

A New/Old Song Called Thoughts

This was written at the same time as Laughing. The plan was to try writing songs that I could sing while playing the guitar. I think I played my first bedroom recording of this (with me playing my brother’s drums, gasp!) to Mike the bass player but he passed on it. This song should be brand new to everyone else on Earth. I always liked it, but never pushed anyone to play it. I don’t know why. As for the meaning of the lyrics? I have no idea at all.

A New/Old Song Called Laughing

I don’t remember a whole lot about this one. I wrote it along with two others in my bedroom at my parents’ house, probably in 1993 or 94. I know the idea was to write stuff that I might be able to sing and play at the same time. This was played by at least one of the short lived, unnamed bands I was in during the mid 90’s, but never to an audience. As for what the lyrics are about? I haven’t a clue.

Lunch Break when Working from Home

Here’s today’s telecommuting lunch break breakdown.

First, pet Patches the HipstaKitty.
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Second, grill up a burger and a hot dog for lunch.
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Third, add lead guitar parts to two songs on GarageBand.
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Forth and finally, post to WordPress.

Just a Dream

That’s right kids, it’s 1989 all over again.  I was getting ready to graduate from High School and I was co-writing some major prog rock with the guys in Tempest Fero.

Dig the crazy little bits at the end of the quiet sections where the time signature changes from 4/4 to 3/4 to 6/8 all in the blink of an eye.  Dig the pseudo 3/4 groove that Jeff used to do under the 4/4 riff Jim, Mike, and I used to play during the heavy verses in the middle section.  I think that groove evolved out of him actually playing in 3/4.  Polyrhythms, kiddos.  Dig it and rock until your brain melts and leaks out of your cranium.

 

2007 is Finished at Long Last

Well now, you all have been looking forward to this moment, I’m sure.

I just finished mixing the seventh of the seven unfinished songs from my failed attempt at the RPM Challenge in 2007.  Six years later, and it’s finally done!  (well… if it were done there would be 10 songs, because that’s the rule for RPM, right?  So it’s not done really, it’s just the seven unfinished songs that are done.  Yeah, whatever)  It’s Miller Time!

The Time Will Come ’13

Oh good, thinks everyone reading this, another crappy song from the 80’s.

You guessed it!

The Time Will Come as written by Tempest Fero (aka me and my band back in high school).

I don’t remember much about how this came about. I know the lyrics and the melody came from Jeff the Drummer but that’s about all I remember. Hell, I couldn’t even remember the title until I found a cassette tape labeled Tempest Fero.

I have one more T.F. song planned. There are still two more that I will add to the mess if I can just find a tape. One of them is our 10 minute marathon song.

Wish me luck.

Toilet Water From Hell

It lives again!

Tempest Fero’s instrumental magnum opus, Toilet Water From Hell!

If I remember correctly, this one dates back to 1987 and it was the second song we wrote. I thought about making the keyboard solos guitar solos today but that just seemed wrong. Somehow my awful keyboard playing just seems to enhance the cheese factor here. Also note that I managed to fudge with Garageband enough to allow the occasional bars of 5/4 time into the 4/4 project. Yeah, I am pleased by that.

100 bonus points if you can name the Blue Oyster Cult song that we “borrowed” (read, stole) liberally from. Bass solo and everything.

Rob’s blog, where the 80’s live forever!

(note: more 80’s Tempest Fero songs to come. At least one more, maybe as soon as tomorrow.)

One More Sham of a Song

This is #6 out of the 7 leftovers from 2007’s failed RPM. I wrote the lyrics and the melody on Tuesday May 28, 2013 at about 7:30am. Just minutes prior I heard a recording of a conversation between Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alex Lifeson of Rush. Rush has been my absolute musical idols ever since I was 10 years old. In the interview, Alex Lifeson talked about how easy it is for mediocre musicians to use Garageband and make decent sounding records and how that was leading to the watering down of the entire music industry.

Alex didn’t mention me by name, but I know in my heart he was talking about me. Musically speaking, me and all of the songs I’ve writen are just a big fat sham.

Not that that is going to stop me, of course.

Two More Songs

I was hoping there would be three songs to post tonight, but I’m way too tired so you’ll have to settle for two.

These were both started in 2007 when I first tried and failed the RPM challenge. This makes five of those seven songs that have finally been finished. The lyrics to the first one are about nothing, hence the song title. I was trying to make a point in the lyrics to the second song, but I can’t figure out what that point was. Typical.

These two files will eventually be deleted, someday, when I finish recording all of the songs that I consider to be part of my leftover songs project. Once they are all done I’ll move the whole thing over to bandcamp. But I’ll put these here for now.