Memorial Day

Tonight, I have a boatload of newfound admiration for Kevin Anthony, and every record producer I’ve ever know.

See, I’ve been wrestling with ProTools, trying to get a new song down to share with you, Dear Reader. I’ve had the software/hardware for almost two months and haven’t produced a thing. For a guy who gets off on achievement and accomplishment, it’s been frustrating. True enough, up until this week I’ve been all about live performances: The Smith Family, Cockfight and I have filled most every free non-MTV hour. Still.

So I tried to hack my way through something new after dinner (West Side Sushi, yum) tonight. I cribbed the time signature and key from Wilco’s ‘Summer Teeth,’ but that’s all. I started with a shaker, added a guitar part (EG#mC#mA), wrote some lyrics, added a rimshot and snare, then the vocal.

What a mess!

I have some fantasy of recording and releasing Beck-caliber work with just me, some pretzels, headphones, and my laptop. But people, lemme’ tell ya’, I have a long way to go.

Problem is, Kevin makes it look easy. But it so ain’t easy. It get’s pretty dizzying pretty quickly: all these tracks and waves and effect racks and time signatures and all these IDEAS I can’t quite make so…

And so… And so, Dear Reader, someday you might hear it. For now, though, you’ll have to read it, and imagine what it sounds like. Its called ‘Memorial Day.’
For now, though, it’s back to Keane’s ‘Hopes & Dreams.’ And come fall, when it’s time to record a new CD in ernest, it’s back to Kevin’s Control One Studios.