Got to see a good show by ZZ Top last night. The vocals got lost in the mix, but does that really matter when you know all the words by heart? Of course, that's pretty much old school rock and roll show. I don't think I heard ANY vocals at a show until PA systems started really improving in the 90s.
I don't currently have any ZZ Top stuff, but I burned through my "Eliminator" tape back in the day. Plus, it being the hayday of MTV, I must have seen the videos for "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed Man" thousands of times.
The band itself was just too cool. They come out with those huge beards and shades and you know you are going to have some fun. You also get the bonuses that take you back (in my case) to your teen years--yep, they played fuzzy guitars for Legs. If you are ZZ Top, could play Legs on anything else? (Note to performers out there -- if you aren't ZZ Top, don't attempt the fuzzy guitars, you'll look stupid. Unless of course, that's what you are going for).
What the mixing lacked in vocals was made up for by the great guitar work. I'm still amazed at how good all those riffs sound live. I've heard them a thousand times over, but hearing them performed live at volume...nothing beats it. It's also very inspirational. I'm going to try and go out and see more live music over the next year as part of my New Year's goals. I eventually need to get to monthly or weekly. I'm ramping up pretty good this year though. I've seen 4 shows this year...I'm pretty sure that's a record for me. I'll have to keep up the pace in 2008. I'll need to start checking out more of local scene though. The locals need support, and it's probably the only affordable away to enjoy live music.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Taco Hell
I must remember:
The idea of Taco Bell is much better than the reality of Taco Bell.
If I can remember that, me and my stomach will be much better off!
The idea of Taco Bell is much better than the reality of Taco Bell.
If I can remember that, me and my stomach will be much better off!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Getting Ready for the New Year
Well, Christmas has past. It was a good one. Had fun hanging out with friends and family. Got some nice gifts. My gifts seemed to be appreciated. So, now it's back to business and trying to figure out how to work Cakewalk. I'm doing the tutorials to try and get an idea of how stuff is working. It reminds me of how much a mystery a new and complex application can be. I haven't had this much struggle since I learned Photoshop back in the Stone Age. Still, it's not as bad as 3D graphics software, so I'm not really worried. I'm hoping to finish up the tutorials over my winter break and maybe even get some tracks laid down. Just some simple blues patterns just to get the hang of working the software...and getting it to make a halfway decent recording.
I'm also working on goals for next year. I have the usuals...I want to lose weight and exercise more, just like everybody else. I want to get more practice in on making music. Those are kind of "givens" that I always look to do more. I also want to pay attention to some of my other interests as well. I'd like to get in some more cartooning, maybe look at writing for different media (animation, video games, etc.). I have so much I want to do, I really have no time to waste.
Yet I have wasted lots of time. Most of my time waste is worrying about nothing while doing nothing. I'm really hoping to turn that habit around this year. I'm hoping that most days I can have a day like I did today. I went and caught a good movie created from one of my favorite books (Golden Compass). I had lunch, came home practiced guitar AND bass. Then I copied some cartoon figures for practice. A perfect day for me. I had lots of fun with all of that...all day. I need to do that more and web-surf less.
Of course, I'm on a break for the holidays. That helps. I'm hoping to make days like that more of an everyday occurence next year. Of course, I have to actual go to work, so that tends to put a damper on things. Most of my goals will hopefully help alleviate the energy drain of the work week so I can do more of the stuff I love. I want to be composing more, but not just composing. I would love to get a cartoon, graphic novel or animation going. Or maybe start writing and designing a video game. Sometimes I look at that and think, when am I going to have time to do all that and go to work? Other times I think, I have to do this...life is short and I need to make the best of it. I've spent so many years being miserable for one reason or another. Time to stop. There is more than enough misery in the world. Why add to it?
I'm also working on goals for next year. I have the usuals...I want to lose weight and exercise more, just like everybody else. I want to get more practice in on making music. Those are kind of "givens" that I always look to do more. I also want to pay attention to some of my other interests as well. I'd like to get in some more cartooning, maybe look at writing for different media (animation, video games, etc.). I have so much I want to do, I really have no time to waste.
Yet I have wasted lots of time. Most of my time waste is worrying about nothing while doing nothing. I'm really hoping to turn that habit around this year. I'm hoping that most days I can have a day like I did today. I went and caught a good movie created from one of my favorite books (Golden Compass). I had lunch, came home practiced guitar AND bass. Then I copied some cartoon figures for practice. A perfect day for me. I had lots of fun with all of that...all day. I need to do that more and web-surf less.
Of course, I'm on a break for the holidays. That helps. I'm hoping to make days like that more of an everyday occurence next year. Of course, I have to actual go to work, so that tends to put a damper on things. Most of my goals will hopefully help alleviate the energy drain of the work week so I can do more of the stuff I love. I want to be composing more, but not just composing. I would love to get a cartoon, graphic novel or animation going. Or maybe start writing and designing a video game. Sometimes I look at that and think, when am I going to have time to do all that and go to work? Other times I think, I have to do this...life is short and I need to make the best of it. I've spent so many years being miserable for one reason or another. Time to stop. There is more than enough misery in the world. Why add to it?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
My 5 Most Influential Songs
Krista challenged me to come up with the 5 songs that have had the most influence in my life. How can you limit that to just 5. The 5 song limitation does make you really think about songs and music that have made an impact on your life. The funny thing is, I realized that couple of the influential songs don't necessarily translate to favorites. In fact there are a couple that made my influential list that I don't even listen to any more. It seems they served their purpose, made the impact they needed to and then drifted off. Of course some remain favorite songs to this day. So, here's my top 5 influential songs:
1984/Jump – Van Halen
Kind of snuck one in here…1984 is actually the keyboard introduction to “Jump”. Much like “Eruption” is the intro for “You Really Got Me” on an earlier album. Or like We Will Rock You/We are the Champions from Queen. One just doesn’t sound right without the other. However, if we are being super-picky I’ll go with Jump. The significance of this song is it’s the first time I Iiked a song that didn’t come from my parents record collection. This song inspired me to get the album (well, tape actually). This was the first time I got my very own music with no parental influence.
Across the Universe – The Beatles
This was just a mind expander. I heard this song and it made me think. It still does. It reached me on a different level than most songs would…and I think that is one of the great things about a lot of other Beatles songs. I guess this song is the quintessential Beatles song to me. It’s catchy and heartfelt, but at the same time it makes you think. It’s unique but accessible, exactly like most of the Beatles catalog after Rubber Soul.
Centrifigal Forze – Frank Zappa
This track off the Apostrophe album (one of my favorite Zappa albums) has one of the wildest guitar solos. Although hard, heavy and rock, it was like nothing I’d ever heard. It started me delving deeper into Zappa’s catalog. The fact that he always seemed to come at the guitar from a different, unique angle just floored me. This selection barely won out over other unique musicians I listen to. Tom Waits and Sufjan Stevens are two examples of very unique musicians. Zappa was just the first to open up my listening past the limits of “everyday” rock music. It just opened up whole new perceptions on music for me.
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
The song that restored my faith in Rock N’ Roll. This I went to the nearest record store and found the album right after I heard it. I even picked up a copy for my sister I liked it so much. I just had to share the find. The intensity in the song was unmatched back when it came out. The blend of rock and punk would soon become the standard in mainstream rock music for the next 10 years at least. It was the opening round in a complete reinvention of hard, heavy music. Lots of bands during this period ratcheted up the volume and intensity. Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Faith No More are a few more of the bands that stood up as a rebuke to the excess and mediocre talent that heavy metal had become in the eighties. It also turned me on to punk music as I explored the bands influence. This lead to the discovery of some of my favorite punk bands. This song wrought a huge change in the music I listened to.
Sounds of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
As dark as it is, this is one of my first “favorite songs”. It told a story and presented a vision, but it also conveyed the emotions behind the song. I’ve never ever heard a better expression of emptiness and loneliness. It also perfectly captured my emotions at the time (about 6th grade) of being an outcast and outsider. This song shook my world to the core. This one narrowly edged out “The Boxer”. Also tells a story and generates huge emotion, but I could relate more to SOS. I felt a personal connection to that song. It was the first time I realized I could relate music to my own life.
1984/Jump – Van Halen
Kind of snuck one in here…1984 is actually the keyboard introduction to “Jump”. Much like “Eruption” is the intro for “You Really Got Me” on an earlier album. Or like We Will Rock You/We are the Champions from Queen. One just doesn’t sound right without the other. However, if we are being super-picky I’ll go with Jump. The significance of this song is it’s the first time I Iiked a song that didn’t come from my parents record collection. This song inspired me to get the album (well, tape actually). This was the first time I got my very own music with no parental influence.
Across the Universe – The Beatles
This was just a mind expander. I heard this song and it made me think. It still does. It reached me on a different level than most songs would…and I think that is one of the great things about a lot of other Beatles songs. I guess this song is the quintessential Beatles song to me. It’s catchy and heartfelt, but at the same time it makes you think. It’s unique but accessible, exactly like most of the Beatles catalog after Rubber Soul.
Centrifigal Forze – Frank Zappa
This track off the Apostrophe album (one of my favorite Zappa albums) has one of the wildest guitar solos. Although hard, heavy and rock, it was like nothing I’d ever heard. It started me delving deeper into Zappa’s catalog. The fact that he always seemed to come at the guitar from a different, unique angle just floored me. This selection barely won out over other unique musicians I listen to. Tom Waits and Sufjan Stevens are two examples of very unique musicians. Zappa was just the first to open up my listening past the limits of “everyday” rock music. It just opened up whole new perceptions on music for me.
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
The song that restored my faith in Rock N’ Roll. This I went to the nearest record store and found the album right after I heard it. I even picked up a copy for my sister I liked it so much. I just had to share the find. The intensity in the song was unmatched back when it came out. The blend of rock and punk would soon become the standard in mainstream rock music for the next 10 years at least. It was the opening round in a complete reinvention of hard, heavy music. Lots of bands during this period ratcheted up the volume and intensity. Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Faith No More are a few more of the bands that stood up as a rebuke to the excess and mediocre talent that heavy metal had become in the eighties. It also turned me on to punk music as I explored the bands influence. This lead to the discovery of some of my favorite punk bands. This song wrought a huge change in the music I listened to.
Sounds of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
As dark as it is, this is one of my first “favorite songs”. It told a story and presented a vision, but it also conveyed the emotions behind the song. I’ve never ever heard a better expression of emptiness and loneliness. It also perfectly captured my emotions at the time (about 6th grade) of being an outcast and outsider. This song shook my world to the core. This one narrowly edged out “The Boxer”. Also tells a story and generates huge emotion, but I could relate more to SOS. I felt a personal connection to that song. It was the first time I realized I could relate music to my own life.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Thunder
My mood is shifting a bit now that I've got the studio somewhat running. I'm going to start doing some recording with it and hopefully dust off my bass. I love playing bass, but it sucks as a solo instrument. Now I can just laydown a track of rhythm guitar and I'm off to the races. I'm also looking forward to getting some drum patterns on there. One of the most fun for me is to get a drum pattern going and just start playing bass...not worried about anything. Just playing. Oddly enough, I feel that way when I'm messing around with drums as well. It feels good to just let it flow, to just make some noise. With both bass and drums, the sound is so deep and primal. Something about those low frequencies that just feels...mighty. When you are actually making some noise, you do get a whiff of the feeling of creation. You are on your mountain, thunder pouring from your hands and your fingers. One of my favorite things about going to a live rock concert is hearing that bass drum come to life. You feel very alive as that wall of sound hits you.
It's more than raw power though. There is also the groove. It's harder for me to experience on guitar and keyboard. Even drums I have a hard time feeling the groove. But a bass...the bass guitar is the essence of grove. Even someone as rhythm-addled as myself can feel that pulse. And a pulse, whether in music, or body, is life. It's the thump that ticks and lets you and everybody know that you are there, you exist. Love it...nothing like it in the world!
It's more than raw power though. There is also the groove. It's harder for me to experience on guitar and keyboard. Even drums I have a hard time feeling the groove. But a bass...the bass guitar is the essence of grove. Even someone as rhythm-addled as myself can feel that pulse. And a pulse, whether in music, or body, is life. It's the thump that ticks and lets you and everybody know that you are there, you exist. Love it...nothing like it in the world!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Modern Inconvenience
Well, I thought I was doing good. Got a sound card to "solve" my latency problems with the MIDI controller. That shut down Sonar. Yipes...since I've about had it with goofing around with this thing, I hooked up the Toneport again. I'm going to stick with that. I hope switching to the ASIO drivers will solve the latency problems I've been having. This whole adventure has opened my eyes to the possiblities I have for making music. It's also opened my eyes to how painful this technology can really be. It's taken me about one-two weeks to get this stuff up and running...two weeks I could have been practicing or writing music. I might be limited to only four tracks, but at least my four-track tape recorder is ready to go when I fire it up.
OK, need to quit whining. The computer studio will be good once I get things settled. I'm going to try using it with the Toneport interface. I'll get another one for my guitar practice setup eventually...or just use my headphone amp (sucks down batteries like no other though).
OK, need to quit whining. The computer studio will be good once I get things settled. I'm going to try using it with the Toneport interface. I'll get another one for my guitar practice setup eventually...or just use my headphone amp (sucks down batteries like no other though).
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Loving it all
I've been having a blast with music again. I came (once again) to the realization that I love music. Not only that, I love everything about it. I used to have endless debates with myself about just focusing on one instrument.
"What instrument should I play?" I always wondered that...to the point of obsession. So much obsession that I lost sight of the main goal, making music.
When I picked out one instrument (granted I mostly stick to instruments with frets), inevitably I would want to fool with the another one. Then I would feel guilty for not sticking with my decision. This cycle has played out over and over and over again.
The easiest solution would seem to be just do it all. Or rather, just do what you feel like. I don't know how many times my sister and Krista have given me this advice. Unfortunately, I would fall prey to the "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" problem. I would think to myself, "I'm having enough trouble learning to play guitar, playingwon't work."
Things have been changing lately though. I've really been wanting to compose and get the music bouncing around in my head out into the air. As I've started to take steps to set up a little studio/music lab based around my computer, I've solidified some of my feelings about making music.
Personally, I don't think any musician hears hears just one part...even if they are composing for a single instrument. However, that was the position I kept placing myself in...use one voice, forsaking all others until perfection was acheived. Or so I thought.
Of course, there are other problems inherent in placing arbitrary limits on yourself, whether due to societal expectations or self-imposed boundries. I don't want to dwell on them anymore. I've shot myself in the foot with limits for far too long. All I know is I'm starting to feel freer in my approach. This freedom is allowing me to explore different musical territory. I am enjoying this immensly. I'm back to enjoying music because I'm not limiting myself. Now I just need to remember this when doubts and constraints cloud my judgement and obsure my path.
"What instrument should I play?" I always wondered that...to the point of obsession. So much obsession that I lost sight of the main goal, making music.
When I picked out one instrument (granted I mostly stick to instruments with frets), inevitably I would want to fool with the another one. Then I would feel guilty for not sticking with my decision. This cycle has played out over and over and over again.
The easiest solution would seem to be just do it all. Or rather, just do what you feel like. I don't know how many times my sister and Krista have given me this advice. Unfortunately, I would fall prey to the "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" problem. I would think to myself, "I'm having enough trouble learning to play guitar, playing
Things have been changing lately though. I've really been wanting to compose and get the music bouncing around in my head out into the air. As I've started to take steps to set up a little studio/music lab based around my computer, I've solidified some of my feelings about making music.
Personally, I don't think any musician hears hears just one part...even if they are composing for a single instrument. However, that was the position I kept placing myself in...use one voice, forsaking all others until perfection was acheived. Or so I thought.
Of course, there are other problems inherent in placing arbitrary limits on yourself, whether due to societal expectations or self-imposed boundries. I don't want to dwell on them anymore. I've shot myself in the foot with limits for far too long. All I know is I'm starting to feel freer in my approach. This freedom is allowing me to explore different musical territory. I am enjoying this immensly. I'm back to enjoying music because I'm not limiting myself. Now I just need to remember this when doubts and constraints cloud my judgement and obsure my path.
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