Talk About Anything But Donald Trump and Politics

[Lee Knight]

It's the 4th!

 

 

 

We spent the early part of the day starting a big project; ripping out our tropical pond and waterfall. Funny how what you get tired of changes. Away with you pond! It's not a one day endeavor. So... we then packed up the beach chair/backpacks and walked down to lovely Stone Steps beach and spent the afternoon in the water body surfing. 70 degree water temp. Overcast but nice anyway.

 

 

 

The girls are gone to Whole Foods getting guilty snackage, for me a small bit of prime blue cheese, crackers and some Kalamatas. And some nice fizzy water, the house brand Italian is good... then off to steal the Del Mar Fair fireworks view from a fave offsite locale. It's a secret.

 

 

 

If everyone crashes... I'll sneak into the studio and attack a list of minor mix change requests on the Skin and Bones DiFebbo project.

 

 

 

yah! Happy day everyone!

[bee3]

Attention oldguitarplayer: Ron Sexsmith has announced Australian tour dates.

 

November 20 - Mullum Music Festival, Mullumbimby

November 21 - Newtown Social Club, Sydney

November 23 - The Basement, Sydney

November 25 - The Rosemount Hotel, Perth

November 27 - Memo Music Hall, Melbourne

November 28 - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

November 29 - Queensclff Music Festival, Queenscliff

[oldgitplayer]

Thanks for the heads up.

Unfortunately, Adelaide is not on the list, but maybe a road trip and a music festival is on the cards.

[rhino55]

Any of ya'll in Tennessee?

[mbfrancis]

Playing a concert tomorrow night - we're doing an evening of standards to raise money for the music ministry at our church. I'm in the band, and, among other things, am playing this, which I believe to be the most pretentious page of music ever written:

 

 

[mbfrancis]

Here are a couple of tracks from last Saturday's show (mentioned above) where I'm playing piano.

 

Ladies Who Lunch / Pretty Women Sondheim Mashup

Miss Otis Regrets

 

My friend Kellee is the soloist on Miss Otis (plus the "off to the gym" line in the mashup). Fun.

 

I spent last week in Montana and among other things have been getting more into Sondheim. Everything I hear is lyrically astonishing and musically...interesting. I still think it's tragic that he stopped just writing lyrics for superior, hookier composers. Being Alive from Company is amazing though (I removed all the spoken bits):

 

Someone to hold you too close,

Someone to hurt you too deep,

Someone to sit in your chair,

To ruin your sleep.

 

Someone to need you too much,

Someone to know you too well,

Someone to pull you up short

And put you through hell.

 

Someone you have to let in,

Someone whose feelings you spare,

Someone who, like it or not,

Will want you to share

A little, a lot.

 

Someone to crowd you with love,

Someone to force you to care,

Someone to make you come through,

Who'll always be there,

As frightened as you

Of being alive,

Being alive,

Being alive,

Being alive.

 

Somebody, hold me too close,

Somebody, hurt me too deep,

Somebody, sit in my chair

And ruin my sleep

And make me aware

Of being alive,

Being alive.

 

Somebody, need me too much,

Somebody, know me too well,

Somebody, pull me up short

And put me through hell

And give me support

For being alive,

Make me alive.

 

Make me confused,

Mock me with praise,

Let me be used,

Vary my days.

But alone is alone, not alive.

 

Somebody, crowd me with love,

Somebody, force me to care,

Somebody, make me come through,

I'll always be there,

As frightened as you,

To help us survive

Being alive,

Being alive,

Being alive!

[LCK]

Playing a concert tomorrow night - we're doing an evening of standards to raise money for the music ministry at our church. I'm in the band, and, among other things, am playing this, which I believe to be the most pretentious page of music ever written:

 

 

Hah! You really hate Sondheim, don't you?

 

Not always a great composer, but certainly a great lyricist.

[mbfrancis]

 

Hah! You really hate Sondheim, don't you?

 

Not always a great composer, but certainly a great lyricist.

 

Haha did you read the post above, I'm getting more into him. Let me know what you think of the mashup....I'm on piano.

[LCK]

Montana and Sondheim? Talk about mash-ups!

 

Yes, I very much like your piano work on the piece you posted.

 

And I agree about his work with other, more melodically-gifted composers.

[bee3]

Well well well... look at that. We're active again!

 

[oldgitplayer]

Well well well... look at that. We're active again!

 

 

Now why did you have to go and kill it again by saying that…...

[LCK]

Montana and Sondheim? Talk about mash-ups!

 

Yes, I very much like your piano work on the piece you posted.

 

And I agree about his work with other, more melodically-gifted composers.

 

Just two examples:

 

"Cool." Bernstein, Sondheim.

 

"Small World," Styne, Sondheim.

 

[video=youtube;Np_UwCeXm-E]

 

 

 

[rhino55]

Spent the weekend in here doing some tracking. http://jtstudios.net/

 

All sorts of cool gear including a huge SSL board. The live room is pretty incredible.

[mbfrancis]

Well well well... look at that. We're active again!

 

 

Well, apologies, I did the most complaining and I've been dark. I had planned to spend the last week getting my new computer up and going and recording with abandon (my old machine keeps freezing from the workload), but I bought and returned two (2!) laptops and am waiting for what I hope to be the final.

 

In the interim I'm selling a bunch of suff, fixing my amp, and hopefully buying a new full scale bass. My Squier Mustang short scale is not working out for me, especially the low E string. No gravitas.

 

I do have a song about a dog I need to finish. Glad to see people jumping in.

[oldgitplayer]

Nicely observed:

 

[mbfrancis]

So stroked - after 2 failed attempts my new laptop arrived today. First one (Lenovo) I bought but hatred and the second (HP Envy Refurb) was DOA. But I hated the form factor. Just got my Dell Precision refurb, i7, 16GB RAM, 17" screen, great form factor (jacks on the back). W7, zero bloatware...zero. So far so good.

 

I basically stopped doing music I was so frustrated with my old system creaking and shutting down as I tried to add parts. I was unable to mix and record at the same time. Happy to finally have a system again, fingers crossed.

[nat whilk II]

So stroked - after 2 failed attempts my new laptop arrived today. First one (Lenovo) I bought but hatred and the second (HP Envy Refurb) was DOA. But I hated the form factor. Just got my Dell Precision refurb, i7, 16GB RAM, 17" screen, great form factor (jacks on the back). W7, zero bloatware...zero. So far so good.

 

I basically stopped doing music I was so frustrated with my old system creaking and shutting down as I tried to add parts. I was unable to mix and record at the same time. Happy to finally have a system again, fingers crossed.

 

So much Dell-bashing has become routine, but I've purchased probably a dozen Dells over time and have been happy with every single one.

 

So mb, what DAW do you record on anyway?

 

nat whilk ii

 

 

[mbfrancis]

 

So much Dell-bashing has become routine, but I've purchased probably a dozen Dells over time and have been happy with every single one.

 

So mb, what DAW do you record on anyway?

 

nat whilk ii

 

 

I'm on Reason 8. I got S1 last year to handle multi-track drum editing, melodyne, and to mix/master but there hasn't been a good time to jump. I've been using melodyne, but just the standalone and pulling back into reason. Will probably send out to mix, so won't really even need the mixing and mastering stuff...TBD.

[mbfrancis]

Hey just pulled this out of storage...anyone know what a 1977 Rhodes Stage piano is worth. One bum key (low Bb), otherwise good shape.

 

[video=youtube;I9q-3ZLNwI0]

 

 

[nat whilk II]

 

I'm on Reason 8. I got S1 last year to handle multi-track drum editing, melodyne, and to mix/master but there hasn't been a good time to jump. I've been using melodyne, but just the standalone and pulling back into reason. Will probably send out to mix, so won't really even need the mixing and mastering stuff...TBD.

 

You're in a different world DAW-wise, than me. I've been using Cakewalk products all along except for about a year on Logic when Logic still ran on PCs. Eons ago, now. There were about three years on a Roland VS-1680 (which I still have in the closet). Trade you the 1680 for the Roland Stage Piano he he he.

 

Are your synth parts all Reason? You have a good feel for synth stuff - I'd like to hear more.

 

What's your master plan, musically? Not really assuming you have one, but if you do.....

 

Appreciate you hanging in with the forum, just to say.

 

nat whilk ii

 

[bee3]

Hey just pulled this out of storage...anyone know what a 1977 Rhodes Stage piano is worth. One bum key (low Bb), otherwise good shape.

 

 

 

[video=youtube;I9q-3ZLNwI0]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't sell it!

[Lee Knight]

There's talk! Of a new, cheap mic, that doesn't suck. No Chinesemicitus with that harsh top end.

 

 

 

Roswell Microphones first offering. Seems we could all use a decent U47 knockoff that doesn't suck for 250 bucks.

 

 

 

http://www.frontendaudio.com/Roswell-Mini-K47-Microphone-p/1836.htm

[oldgitplayer]

There's talk! Of a new, cheap mic, that doesn't suck. No Chinesemicitus with that harsh top end.

 

 

 

Roswell Microphones first offering. Seems we could all use a decent U47 knockoff that doesn't suck for 250 bucks.

 

 

 

http://www.frontendaudio.com/Roswell-Mini-K47-Microphone-p/1836.htm

 

If you test one, let us know what the audible difference is from say a RODE NT1 which has become a sort of songwriter / recorder's standard for vocals.

Both similarly priced.

[Lee Knight]

 

 

 

If you test one, let us know what the audible difference is from say a RODE NT1 which has become a sort of songwriter / recorder's standard for vocals.

 

Both similarly priced.

 

 

 

I love the old original NT1. The one with the grey painted body. Though that also spit a bit. Not a fan if the newer metal body ones. I may just pull the trigger on one of these guys here soon. If i do, I'll report

[Lee Knight]

As I traveled back home (long days journey) from Monterey a couple days ago I decided to load my phone's player with some cool podcasts. The standout being a Fresh Air episode with Dobro player Jerry Douglas. He became one of my favorite musicians back in the mid-80s and remains so today. Find that podcast.

 

 

 

Backstory: a couple years back I bought a cheap old Kay acoustic hoping it might deliver some of that Lenny/Stella awesomeness. (Said in Robert Plant concert voice, "does anybody remember Lenny?).

 

 

 

the guitar was too far gone in the neck to body joint to offer anything playable and it has hung on my wall looking cool and making no sound. Very expensive repair so I'll pass.

 

 

 

Now, that Douglas interview had him playing to demo his instrument live during the interview. As I listened to his wonderful musicality it hit me...

 

 

 

Buy a real steel players slide bar, a beginning technique book, and a nut extender to convert that old Kay into a... ready for it?

 

 

 

... a Fauxbro.

 

 

 

sorry. I've always played acoustic slide lap style in my recordings. I'm not great but you only need to get it right once for a recording. But... but... why not learn some real technique? Create an appropriate instrument? And while I love the resonator sound, I actually prefer to create something unique to me and my voice. Not that it's never been done before. It has.

 

 

 

the goods are in the post. Wish me luck.