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Finally, new tune!  This one works in some harmonica (be kind, I just started learning it this week).  I’ve actually been playing a *far* more upbeat version of this for the past month, but am not really feeling like I could carry that off with any conviction at the moment, so you get the tension-strung edition instead.

American Girl – MP3 download

Of all the Dance Hall Crashers tunes to not be transcribed, I can’t believe this is one.  Was one.  I worked out the album version the other day, still trying to put together a decent acoustic arrangement.

Intro:
C G Dm x2

Verse:
C            G                   Dm
It's morning two and you haven't called me
C           G                   Dm
It's like a thorn burning in my side
C        G                        Dm
Open the blinds, but something is different, can't put my finger on it
C                G                  Dm
The bright clean air makes me wanna hide
Am     G       F
'Cause now, oh now, this is how it ends
Am       G        F
Based on promises that we'll still be friends 

Chorus:
C                 G            Dm
But ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, I know it'll never be the same
C             G            Dm
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
C             G            Dm
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, I know it'll never be the same
C             G            Dm
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know I'd still do anything for you 

Verse:
Where is the day you used to inspire me?
Where is the time I used to depend?
On the relief of your anchor I thought I'd never need
Now that it's gone, will I slip away?
So now, oh now, this is how it ends
Based on promises that we'll still be friends

Chorus:
But ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, I know it'll never be the same
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, I know it'll never be the same
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know I'd still do anything

Bridge:
F       C
This is only a letter
F       C
Jumbled words, no false pretense
F        C
And it's not a true confession
G
'Cause you've cost me much more than you'll ever guess
F                C
But I'm not your fallen hero
F           C
Someone who came to your defense
F                 C
And when it's all done and over
G
I'll make it, I'll make it, I'll make it, I'll make it make sense 

C G Dm x2

C          G
Know it'll never be
Dm
Know it'll never be
C          G
Know it'll never be
Dm
Know it'll never be

Chorus:
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, I know it'll never be the same
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, I know it'll never be the same
Ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know I'd throw it all away

Two songs in one night!  Incredible!

Actually I’m cheating: just like with Ol’ 55, the guitar on this tune was recorded a while ago.  Tonight I just redid the vocals.  Unlike Ol’ 55, these vocals were done post-martinis, though at the moment I’m not certain if that makes any obvious difference.  I suppose we’ll see in the morning.

Update: Oh god.  Oh god. Yeah, gin makes a difference.  I’ll try redoing this one some other time, I’m removing it for now.

Glisterine – MP3 download

I recorded the guitar track for this over the summer.  It was the first piece I recorded in Cubase that I was really happy with, but somehow I got distracted from recording the vocal track and left it alone for a couple of days.  By the time I came back to it, my computer’s monitor had died a tragic death, just a few months shy of the warranty expiration.  Kudos to Viewsonic for promptly shipping a replacement, but it didn’t arrive until I’d left for a two-week trip to visit family in Detroit.  The day I returned to Corvallis was moving day… I spent the next month living out of a suitcase, and by the time I finally had my own place again, Twinkle was sick and I was in no mood for recording.  So this has been sitting on my hard drive for months, waiting for the inspiration to come back and finish it.

Last night I went out with Erica and her friends to catch a bluegrass show at Fireworks, and by the end of their first number I had my inspiration back.  How that woman could sing!  This evening I finally loaded up the old project and finished it off.  The original Tom Waits demo of this tune is one of my favorite songs, and I know I can’t do the original any proper justice, but I think it’s an appropriate tribute to the man whose music inspired me to really focus on song-crafting again.

Ol’ 55- MP3 download

It’s nearly 1 in the morning, and instead of prepping for tomorrow’s 9am user study, I can’t seem to pull myself away from my guitar.  This tune has been ringing in my head for a few days… I tried to record it yesterday, did about 20 takes but there didn’t seem to be any feeling behind any of them.  Today I got what I wanted almost straight-off.

So here’s my second try at recording in my new home studio.  This one is (intentionally) a lot rawer than my last attempt, just me and an acoustic guitar.  I’ve been learning how to use the EQ in Cubase, which was able to knock out the hum of my furnace in the background, plus (I think) make the piece sound a little richer.  Comments and suggestions are more than welcome.

Romeo and Juliet – MP3 download

For a host of reason’s I’m not about to discuss here, last Friday night was a pretty bad night.  The evening ended with me drinking alone in my apartment and watching X-Files DVDs.  Not one of my better days, but these things happen.  One of the episodes, however, was  The Post-Modern Prometheus, and even inebriated, I was keenly aware that it was the finest hour of television I’d ever before seen.  The show ends with Mulder and Scully dancing to the tune Walking in Memphis, which I suddenly found myself so in love with that I had to learn how to play it right then and there.  It was about 1 a.m. by the time I’d figured it out, so I decided against recording it that night, but I meant to come back to it.

Tonight I finally found the time to lay down the tracks and mix them into something that, at the least, I’m not entirely embarrassed by.  Feedback is completely welcome, though I should point out in advance that I’m not a good singer and am very much aware of that.  I’m still working on it.

Walking in Memphis – MP3 download

P.S. – My new neighbor totally rocks!  She knocked on my door while I was recording this and I thought it was to tell me hey, it’s late, keep it down over there, but no: she was just bringing over cupcakes!

Last week Eric posted about memorization, and our culture’s general lack of it.  He was specifically referring to storytelling and poetry.  I only had to memorize a couple of [very short] poems in high school, but I recall even that was nearly beyond me, I had a terrible time of it.  I do really well with plot lines; the general series of events in a film or novel or history book  stick with me for ages, but the specifics never do.  Unlike some people, I have no idea when the Treaty of Ghent was signed.  I’ve often wished for a mind able to trap these details and hold onto them until they become useful, but I’m afraid that’s not my lot.

Music, however, is a different story.  It seems to be the combination of words and melody that does it for me… I’m no good at recalling either until I’ve memorized both, but that usually only takes listening to a tune a couple of times.  Seeing lyrics written by themselves doesn’t help me at all, they slide right through my mind.  Melodies, by themselves, are the same way.  When I was playing classical guitar, I had lots of trouble memorizing pieces for performances.  Once I even got halfway through performing a piece before realizing I had no idea what came next, and just stopped (this actually happened twice: the same song, at the same spot, at the same competition.  Tres embarrassing.).  Once you combine the music and lyrics, however, I’m fine.  I’ve recently been playing a lot of tunes that I learned 5 or 10 years ago and haven’t even thought of in years… remarkably, they’re all still up there.

I’m not sure why I have an easy time memorizing these two concurrent vectors when simply one vector alone is very difficult, though I suspect it has something to do with the music reminding of associated lyrics, and vice-versa.  No complaints, though.  It’s allowed me to build a formidable repertoire of cover tunes which, some day, will be as useful (to me) as knowing the signing date for the Treaty of Ghent.

[Just to be clear, that last bit isn't sarcastic.  Chris got a great laugh out of an audience by mentioning that little tidbit, which I'd say is pretty awesome.]