Wah-Wah

I got my first electric guitar in 1986, I think. It was a Christmas present. A Hondo strat copy with one humbucker. It was a starter kit and it came with a little 5 watt (I think) Peavy amp.

The first pedal I bought was a Dod overdrive. The second pedal was the game changer. It was a Dunlop Cry-Baby Wah-Wah. Let’s just say that when it came to playing lead guitar, Hendrix and Trower and any other wah-loving soloist you can think of had nothing on me. I was out of control.

In 1990 that pedal, as well as every other piece of guitar gear I owned (except for that Dod overdrive pedal), including a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, was stolen out of my car. I replaced the guitar with a Les Paul Custom, my great big Peavy Chorus amp with a Fender Stage, and the Cry-Baby with another Cry-Baby. Exact same model. I still have it. It’s on my board at the band’s rehearsal space. It was relegated to the back up setup for a while, but I’ll get to that in the next paragraph.

In 2003 I bought my Marshall amp on ebay. The seller sweetened the deal by throwing a few pedals into the shipping box. I didn’t ask for them. I didn’t want them. I actually sold them all save for one, a Dunlop Cry-Baby Wah-Wah. I didn’t use it. I just kept it in the box. then in 2011 I tried to start a band. My 1990 Wah pedal was starting to sound a little worse for wear so I swapped them. The ebay wah was on stage with me for my first show with Lizardfish, but sadly not the second. During one of the last practices before the most recent show it fell apart. Did I write a post about that? I think so. the 1990 pedal went back into regular use, and the ebay pedal is being prepared for a Viking funeral.

Everything changes today though. The UPS man brought me a brand spanking new wah-wah pedal. For the first time in 29 years I won’t be playing a Cry-Baby. I bought a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe and it has way more bells and whistles than anything as simple as a wah deserves. Unfortunately, it’s probably going to be two days before I can actually play the sucker. There’s too much to do!

I expect it will make it’s debut on whatever passes for this years National Solo Album Month failure, and then it will be moved to the rehearsal space when our drummer comes home from his business trip. It’s going to be weird. I think I might feel like I’m cheating on the Cry-Babys…

For a second, at least. Then I’ll be over it and getting all acid rocky all over the place with my swanky new Clyde Deluxe Wah-Wah pedal.

Rock on, brothers and sisters.

Song Number Seven

I started noodling out this little rocker this morning after going grocery shopping. The lyrics were recorded while sitting in the car outside of my step son’s guitar lesson. Later, after going to my nephew’s 4th birthday party, I recorded the guitars. Then after a break for some TV time I mixed it.

Not that good, but it’s there.

49 Songs Down, One to Go

Another song in 7/8 time. There was one day when I just decided I was going to put together a ton of stuff and it would all be in 7/8. I ended up with three songs. This is the second one. The third one was the dump I posted earlier today. The first one was pretty good. The second one (this one) was okay. The third one sucked. That’s how it usually goes for me.

45 Songs Down, Five to Go

This isn’t the 50th song finished, it’s 45th, but it did start out as idea #50. I thought somehow that a goofy swing thing with sappy lyrics was fitting. Do you agree?

The Final RPM Challenge Post of 2014

Here it is kids, the (now) annual last official RPM Challenge post of the year. I have uploaded this year’s stuff to my official RPM jukebox page.

Robert Parker’s RPM Challenge Music.

So there it is folks. That page has three little flash playlists that contain my three officially submitted RPM Challenge projects. This closes the book on February 2014. I had a good time, despite being less than pleased with the end results. There are a couple of decent moments. One of the songs that I was really disappointed with is actually getting some love on alonetone. I find that very weird. Oh well.

I will keep plugging on more album-in-a-month zaniness, but RPM itself is over until next year.

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.)

Lizardfish

In November of 2011 I tried to start a band. I asked Mike the bass player, who has been one of my best friends since 4th grade, and he was interested. My beautiful wife Jennifer, who I love with all my heart, suggested her friend Kevin the Drummer and he was interested too. Steve the other guitarist from my last band joined up, as did Dave the singer. By February I was out. Eventually everyone but Mike and Kevin was out. They hired a new guitarist and a new singer and last night was their first gig.

They sounded great!

I planned to stay for about an hour or so. Catch a set, say hello, congratulate them, you know… Be a fan! During the first set, however, I got called away. It seems my step son heard noises outside of his window and got majorly freaked out. His attitude was contagious, and soon everyone was freaked out.

Super Step Dad to the rescue!

I got home, explained that I often hear noises outside the back windows on weekends and that they were usually the result of a neighbor having a social gathering. I offered to grab a flashlight and go check out the back yard, but was told that was unnecessary. Just having the old dude around was security enough.

I felt like the freakin’ king. Granted, there are issues there at need to be addressed or else step dad is never going to be able to go out at night without being called back by a scared kid, but we will address that in the future.

For now, congratulations to Mike and Kevin and the rest of Lizardfish on their first gig. You guys sounded seriously tight. I’m looking forward to gig #2!

Feeling Goofy

That picture I posted earlier today that got something like 70 hits out of the blue over on Flickr, along with thinking about what I need to do to get ready for the RPM Challenge which starts next week, has me feeling musically goofy. I went over to the ancient photobucket account that I stopped using when I joined Flickr in 2009 and found some Break Even stuff. hehe

My wife (and anyone else who was living in Salem, NH 10-12 years ago) will get a chuckle out of this.

Here are two of the three Les Pauls in the previous post in action. My sister took this at the Mammoth Road Club in Dracut.

This was our “press shot”. Taken at Burgundy’s in Derry, NH.

And finally… the fat boy singing. This is from J Rags in Tewksbury, MA, possibly at our first show. Laugh to your heart’s content!

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