11.7.16

11.7.16

Up about 8, read 50 p. of Gerswhin book before breakfast. 

Peter Hughes came up from Charlotte, caught up while waiting for Mitch, stuck around until dinner - good to have another sounding board (and some confirmation that things seem to be going well). Tracked "Our Films, Their Films," w/ my guitar through an Orange-style amp, overdriven. 2 or 3 takes, used the chaos/no wave breakdown from an earlier one (slower by 4 or 5 bpm, which doesn't matter in this context). Re-cut "Old Currencies" (1 take + punches), and "Boring Postcards" (4 takes) from 1st day - "thicker" (in Mitch's word) and more confident on both.  Same gtrs as the first attempts, different 2-amp set up. Peter and I agreed that recording seems like so much less of a struggle against our own competency than when we started. Broke for lunch and a little bit of frisbee in the yard. Matt spent some time going through Mitch's percussion to change the kit for a junky/scrapheap sound on "Shovel-Ready." Brandon played 6-string bass for a change, I played a very strange 1964 Standell, a guitar I never heard of that Mitch brought out when I asked if he had a Mosrite. I think we got it in 4 - Matt says it's another stamina song, which I wouldn't really have thought. Also did another gtr pass on that, and a terrible, but kind of great-sounding solo w/ my MXR pedal.

Dinner at Clark's, the recommended barbecue joint, Lexington-style, which means chopped pork w/ a "red" ketchup/vinegar/pepper sauce, w/ slaw, hushpuppies, and greens. The real deal. Came back and had Pete play a picking/textural guitar track (Strat/Matchless) over "Currrencies," and several different solo ideas. Mitch brought out a mid-1960s Fender instructional manual, which advised never to play the guitar so loud that the amplifier makes an unpleasant distorted sound. Knocked off between 9-10, had our usual beer/decompression at the cabin, listening to various Weird Al songs.

My facebook friend Drew Boston writes: "there is no way Clinton is a two-term president. The fact that that hasn't been written about more shows the scary lack of foresight and thought of the Democrats. and the scrubbed-up, 'I actually support protestors' GOP candidate of the future is getting groomed in the wings right now. and their election will put the final nail in the coffin of the welfare state and any hope of even tepid social democracy.
nothing will be 'over' after tomorrow. the real horror is only beginning." Adding that here to check back in 4 years and see if he's right.

11.6.16

Daylight savings time ended, which made it easier to get started by 10. Didn't take notes through the day, but:

Sent Matt and Brandon to groceries for efficiency, started by redoing Pete's gtr on "Different City." Much tighter on the funk parts than last night, added a "no wave" pass at the ending as well. Tracked "Faith & Credit," probably played it through about 4 times, changed gtr sound at some point, Frankensteined a master from takes 3 and 4 - doable in large sections b/c of the long breaks. Matt and Mitch spent quite a while on that edit, while I chatted w/ Carl Schlachte, who dropped over from Greensboro where he's going to grad school. That took until 3 - of course, my guitar parts are still a mess, and I'm worried that my verse riff is too direct a swipe from EC's "Temptation" (which is of course nicked from "Time Is Tight"). After (late) lunch came back to work on "Enemies of Song," which was a bear as expected. Again, took ending from a different take. Brandon's part, once you actually hear it, is a monster, and I don't think he did a single punch. Did clean up my guitar on that.

Solid basics for our 2 longest songs: a day's work. Knocked off about 8, went all the way into Greensboro (20 min.) for Thai/Vietnamese, came back and hung out. I caught up on the daybook in the morning, didn't read substantially.

11.5.16

I was up first, around 7. Breakfast/coffee/showers, rolled into studio about 10:30. 

Started w/ "Cover Your Tracks!" - me on Strat/Ampeg, Pete Jazzmaster/Fender Super Reverb. [Stayed w/ those amps for the day.] Actually got the take fairly quickly, w/in 2 or 3, unfortunately the amp sound changed and was unrecoverable for my fixes, so I had to do a couple of complete passes. Also worked out some lines for Pete on the non-Stonesy part of the song. Might have taken until 3 or 4 in all. Started "Guesthouse," me on my Ibanez w/ tremolo and a direct channel, Pete on Tele (main). Took a few more takes than some, tried it w/ a click in the 110-115, neighborhood, as usual that made the takes -after- we shut it off more solid. I did some fixes, Pete doubled the pre-chorus on Rick. Dinner at local Italian, came back at 8 for "A Different City," me on Strat, Pete on Jazzmaster. Again, maybe 3 full takes? Was nervous about how to play this, but I found a (Bm) voicing I could do my Jimmy Nolan chank on throughout. Tightened up the part on some punches, will end up doubling the "mellow" bits. Mitch great throughout - had interstitial conversations about Roy Wood, trends in bass tones, and his and Stamey's high school music theory background.

Dinner at local Italian, came back and hung out over beers for an hr or two before bed - Matt's playlist of choice included Half Man Half Biscuit, "Styx Gig (Seen By My Mates Coming Out of A)."

11.4.16

Up for a while around 4:30 am, listened to a Dragnet. Up for real 8:30, coffee/breakfast in cabin. In studio abut 10:15.

Peter Hughes wrote about coming today, but I think it will be the weekend and/or Mon. Got a sound, my gtr through a Vox AC30, amp of choice for the day, tracked "Believe in Ghosts." Maybe 4 takes, w/ a replacement ending. A few bass punches, I had Brandon change his part in the bridge. Matt overdubbed a cymbal wash intro, I tried to have him play something looser in the long break, wasn't quite happening (half-assed idea). Spent some time doing the guitar part in section, w/ Mitch's coaching. Tracked "Illusions," not sure how many takes. Redid that guitar as well, on Mitch's Rickenbacker, hard to get some of my arpeggiation right. Matt went to pick up Pete Galub from the airport somewhere in here, had lunch when they got back. Tracked "Untimely Beggar" as a 3 piece - amazingly, given the trouble we've had with it, in one complete take, outside of the usual bass punches, which Brandon is very adept at. I will have to work for a while to get my gtr part where I want it. Called Bree somewhere in here, talked about John Wriggle's show/book event. We showed Mitch the early-90s (but very 80s) promotional video for Paisley Park studio. Had one beer. Filled out my absentee ballot. Set up for "Still In Error," me on my Ibanez w/ a fairly dark sound., Pete on Tele through a Matchless. Matt used a click, which I didn't listen to. Maybe 3 takes? Left my gtr as is (thought I blew an augmented chord but it sounded fine in the track), Pete redid the out and doubled the part on the Rick. 4 masters, can't complain about that. Knocked off around 8:30, dinner in town (tapas, better than I would have guessed), split some sangria. Stayed up for an hr+ trading terrible, half-remembered cover songs on the electric harpsichord in the cabin. Clear highlight: Pete's unrecognizable "Once In a Lifetime." I read 50 p. of the Gershwin book in bed - lights out 1, probably should have turned in a little earlier.

11.3.16

Up 5:30. Weight up from yesterday, probably won't be able to weigh myself for a week.

Called car just after 6 am, at Laguardia about 6:30, met Brandon and Matt. Nothing eventful about the flight - got our gtr and bass on board w/o gate check, did inflight crossword, started Rodney Greenberg, George Gershwin. At Greensboro about 10, got baggage and car, weren't expected at the Fidelitorium until 11, so stopped for donuts, coffee, toiletries; got to studio before noon, met Mitch. Very easygoing - talked about Game Theory for a while later on. Hard to describe the vibe of the studio - photos may be better. Several hrs. on the expected drum set-up/micing, got the bass up quickly. I alternated between hanging out, reading Greenberg, and starting Arlo Quint's book through most of this. Eventually tried my Ibanez through 3 or 4 gtr amps, settled on a Princeton (his first amp, as was mine) for "The Old Currencies." Started trying some takes around 5 pm. Wasn't feeling the headphone mix at first, turning the amp up a bit helped a lot. I think we got a better-than-fair master (1st/2nd half from two separate takes), a couple of punches. Went into town (barely - really just the highway) for dinner break, decent Mexican, and groceries. Came back and tried "Boring Postcards," w/ a Strat through Pro Jr. 4th take pretty solid. I was pretty dead by 10 from getting up so early. We'll start w/ a couple of bass punches tomorrow. We could go back to either of these songs once we're used to playing, but 2 acceptable takes for a 1/2 day is not a bad start.

Retired to the adjoining cabin, read a bit of Quint, started poetry daybook (w/ fewer lines/smaller pages than the last one; also brought some Clark Coolidge, Solution Passage, to get a short-poem vibe).