This was an unsusual song-writing project for me. I was experimenting with some guitar chords and came up with an interesting progression. I often start a song by messing around with the keyboards or guitar and work out an arrrangement as a scratch framework for drums and other instrumentation. Then I record just the basic raw instrument with all of it’s flaws, but keeping as much of the ‘vibe’ as I can.
From this track I figure out the tempo I am using and get an idea of the arrangement. With ‘The Feast’, I started with a really slow tempo at first. This allowed time for the chords to open up to harmonies and musical tension. Then I usually archive the original track, and start building the song. After I worked out the arangement and had the basic rhythm tracks finished, I started playing with a melody line for my lyrics.
Often, I will just sing as I walk throughout the house and do regular chores when no one’s around. For ‘The Feast’, I had some ideas but nothing stuck. I decided to use the keyboards and a flute sound to noodle around with the melody line. Later I decided it didn’t work and changed the sound to an acoustic bass guitar part and it seemed to fit!
But when I added all the MIDI tracks, guitar and vocals, it seemed pretty dull. Yes, it had melodic texture, but did not have the feel I was looking for. As an experiment, I changed the tempo to make it much faster and this is the version below:
The lyrics were a bit difficult to fit into the much shorter spaces, but I got used to it soon enough and it seemed to work well enough for rock and roll. So I had to re-recorded all the tracks after the tempo change. Not the most efficient way to record a song, but as I always say – ‘any port in a storm’!
I had my 70th birthday last week. I am not sure how many more songs there are waiting inside me. I just get fascinated by almost every aspect of writing, recording and producing music. There are enough people on the planet now that there is a fairly large audience for almost any style of music. The recording software of today is MIND BLOWING compared to when I first started recording when I was 15 years old.
It is too bad that the music industry intentionally crushes novel styles and creative talent while pushing the same vanilla – overproduced – cookie-cutter garbage that is easy to sell (when there aren’t many options available). It is like going to the grocery stores now and seeing fewer and fewer products that are not the ‘store brand’. You can’t buy your favorite bread there anymore (because it is not AS profitable for them to sell), so you settle for what is there.
Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?
I was really hoping that these daily prompts would improve. The idea of inspiring someone to write is good but every topic is about personal habits. Do you do this? Do you do that? What’s your favorite this? What’s your favorite that?
There are so many important questions in life and so many more important topics that we can write about. That’s why I usually don’t respond to these. Practicing writing about topics that have no real value do not help anyone.
I also usually don’t read responses from bloggers. These are not interesting subjects to the bloggers and they’re not interesting subjects for me to read. Better luck next time.
I think I originally titled this I promise, until a real song from a real singer released one. That has happened to me before so on we go. But now I am positive about it. A simple pledge of better times when there is nothing left to hold you back. A point of no return.
There are things that will grow In the bottom of the well, If you let them. Angry monsters can live Deep within your heart Only if you them.
If I were given more time I’d probably throw it all away.
Nothing is guaranteed, Not in the least. Sometimes they go out hunting; But end up as the Feast.
Spent years building bridges, Should have started digging, A place to hide. Scraped together a fortune Now there’s nothing to buy. No place left to hide.
Nothing is guaranteed, Not in the least. Sometimes they go out hunting; But end up as the Feast.
If I were given more time I’d probably throw it all away. Until I’ve wasted my last dime Safe bet I’ll continue to play And throw it all away.
I don’t remember a time when these lyrics and the music were separate. It has always been a slow groovin’ piece I usually played when no one was around and I was just jamming. Learning how to play sing with more power, but controlled. I must like juxtaposition and odd perspective observations but the thought that someone would give you their love that you would give it back. It can be taken both ways. Is giving their love back in addition to yours or does the word ‘but’ in the Chorus mean it is a rejection and you are refusing their love or a meaningless phrase? You can be the decider on that one.
A poem about true dedication and devotion to your spouse. And unabashed confession of abandonment to love. I mean, come on. Read the title lol. More importantly than anything though, I will remain.
I am terrible with names and dates. I mention this often not as an excuse most of the time. Like driving on the same street over and over you start to feel a bit like the car is doing the driving and you are on auto-pilot. For me names and faces become a blur so fast. I remember voices but that isn’t much help these days.
I continue to look at the actions I see in crowds or parties that I become part of. The opening verse is part of a number of themes I have pondered for a while. How much is enough for wealthiest people on the planet? How can you measure when you succeed? And it applies to all. You know something is wrong and you don’t say anything….. She simply wasted what she had….. They never knew how good they had it until.
People who complain while they are fixing things, people who complain while they aren’t helping, and people who complain while they are making it worse.
MidiMike 