Blue Eyes
September 30, 2010 1:47 PM
Freshly mixed at The Gin Palace by head bartender Alphonse, a Bombay Sapphire cocktail with the merest suggestion of smokey jazz. Niiiiice Not, btw, a cover of the Elton John song
Interesting how lyrics develop. The orginal idea for this was about quitting smoking (I quit 2 months ago). I had a few lines and the title "Nicotiana". The track started to develop and, unsurprisingly in hindsight, that title and theme just wasn't happening. Listening to the music developing it reminded me of Hall & Oates, blue-eyed soul etc. Blue Eyes as a title emerged out of that thought and the rest of the lyric was put together in half an hour or so. Of course, it doesn't sound anything like blue-eyed soul. But it's a strange old process that leads to these things coming to life, isn't it?
Main instrumentation: Fender Stratocaster and Gibson ES-335.
Interesting how lyrics develop. The orginal idea for this was about quitting smoking (I quit 2 months ago). I had a few lines and the title "Nicotiana". The track started to develop and, unsurprisingly in hindsight, that title and theme just wasn't happening. Listening to the music developing it reminded me of Hall & Oates, blue-eyed soul etc. Blue Eyes as a title emerged out of that thought and the rest of the lyric was put together in half an hour or so. Of course, it doesn't sound anything like blue-eyed soul. But it's a strange old process that leads to these things coming to life, isn't it?
Main instrumentation: Fender Stratocaster and Gibson ES-335.
posted by MajorDundee (4 comments total)
comparisons are odious........
I was anticipating the Larry Carlton one - anyone playing anything vaguely jazzy on the neck p'up of a 335 may as well record a syrupy American pre-announcement for insertion in the turn-around before the solo starts "and now, ladies and gentlemen, the Larry Carlon tribute guitar solo, sponsored by Converse". But XTC and Sting - huh?? I suppose the Sting one falls into the "it's a bit jazzy and there's a couple of odd chord progressions, it must be a Sting". The last XTC record I heard was 20-odd years ago, but I don't remember them sounding like this.
My grouchiness aside (I quit smoking recently, and I'm still prone to the occasional snarl) - thanks for listening and for the comment Zenabi!
posted by MajorDundee at 2:34 AM on October 3, 2010
I was anticipating the Larry Carlton one - anyone playing anything vaguely jazzy on the neck p'up of a 335 may as well record a syrupy American pre-announcement for insertion in the turn-around before the solo starts "and now, ladies and gentlemen, the Larry Carlon tribute guitar solo, sponsored by Converse". But XTC and Sting - huh?? I suppose the Sting one falls into the "it's a bit jazzy and there's a couple of odd chord progressions, it must be a Sting". The last XTC record I heard was 20-odd years ago, but I don't remember them sounding like this.
My grouchiness aside (I quit smoking recently, and I'm still prone to the occasional snarl) - thanks for listening and for the comment Zenabi!
posted by MajorDundee at 2:34 AM on October 3, 2010
nice job, Dundee. So clean, crisp, pristine. Like how your percussion programming didn't include any snare drum. That's refreshing. Gives the whole feel more of a... continuum, an easy flow. Not chopped up into 4-bar measures. This also lets the syncopated guitar parts drive the rhythm in a more sophisticated way. I get sick of always hearing snare drum on the two and the four, it's the knee jerk thing to do, but damn, not every song needs it.
I quit smoking recently
Congratulations!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:05 PM on October 3, 2010
I quit smoking recently
Congratulations!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:05 PM on October 3, 2010
it's the knee jerk thing to do, but damn, not every song needs it. True. And so easy to just slip into. Funnily enough there is a snare drum on parts of this, but it's barely audible (deliberately). I also very nearly didn't have a hi-hat either - only overdubbed one under parts of the track at the last minute. I think I'll continue to strip out unnecessary or thoughtless - as you say "knee-jerk" - percussion. Might lead to unexpected places.
The other thing I really need to do is stop uploading stuff before I've allowed it to marinate for a while. Listening now, this is just a wee bit dull and flatlining. Could have done with a tweak on the varispeed and some more textural colour here and there.
Thanks for the helpful comments, flapjax.
posted by MajorDundee at 11:37 AM on October 4, 2010
The other thing I really need to do is stop uploading stuff before I've allowed it to marinate for a while. Listening now, this is just a wee bit dull and flatlining. Could have done with a tweak on the varispeed and some more textural colour here and there.
Thanks for the helpful comments, flapjax.
posted by MajorDundee at 11:37 AM on October 4, 2010
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XTC (Andy Partridge) + Sting + Carlton (Larry) = "Blue Eyes"
Hear hear!
Great stuff.
posted by Zenabi at 5:00 PM on October 2, 2010