In a move that is destined to upend the home recording industry, and possibly save music itself, I have recorded 16 seconds of purity using only voice and a few well-chosen percussive devices.

While some may argue that this piece will only further divide an already suspect industry, the forward thinking will come to full realization.

Choose your favorite player and put this one on repeat to reach a higher plane.

Why this: I was listening to a podcast where the interviewee said he liked funk because there was something a little wrong about it – that plus I was also inspired by a comment in the MyFive music discussion where a certain participant described Matthew Sweet’s “Divine Intervention” as a hot mess – albeit sexy.

Decided to have a little fun in the studio and say my goodbye to 2020.

Just in time for your New Year’s Eve virtual parties – I give you “2020 – Year Ended”

I’ve picked up a Schwartz-reconditioned guitar and dug back into Dangerous.

The demo I previously created is very clunky. I had to get back in and rearrange the lyrics as I had never updated my document with the changes I made with the demo version – poor configuration management 🙂

Trying to figure out how I am going to try to sing it was this morning’s mission.

Here is a snippet of the reentry:

I edited the lyrics for Inherit the Windfall and gave it initial voice. Tried not to fall into Amazing Grace.

Hear here:

They’re beating the drums again and I’m strumming the guitar in response.

Here’s a quick sketch of an idea I started putting together this morning.

After listening to what I thought was pretty decent when I recorded it last weekend, I realized it wasn’t good enough. I toyed with some midi drums midweek – which improved the situation.

This morning, I downloaded a midi keyboard app for my Android tablet (in the picture for this post). I added some simple keyboard notes and toyed with the reverb settings on the vocal tracks. I also removed the scratch acoustic guitar and the box drum I recorded.

Here is the first verse.

I will be re-recording the vocals for this one.

All analog in the dining room this morning (I did plug the bass in directly).

There are parts of this that have the feel I want. I started with a scratch acoustic guitar track to put down the song structure (which may be a bit too long), then I did the vocals – two tracks panned. Then some box drum and finally bass.

I may add/subtract/fix/re-record from this to finish this track as I need to get this record going. The second album will be better!

That said, here is this morning’s effort – I certainly had some fun doing it:

As I was waking a new song idea was in my thoughts. Started jotting down bits & pieces of lyrics while hearing a sound like Devo or Oingo Boingo, then it morphed into ska (think Specials, Madness, English Beat).

The theme, our information, is large one in scope of course. For some reason I’m focusing on the negative aspects of “big data.” I thought I had brilliantly come up with “Big Datty” (a play on Big Brother), but an internet search quashed that. 🙂

I know there are positive aspects for healthcare and in other areas, but it seems someone’s always trying to sell you something using it or use it for some ill purpose.

I recently saw Maple Mars (maplemars.com) and they covered The Five Stairsteps’ “Ooh Child” with lyrics… “It’s gonna get brighter.” That one can be a tough “sell” these days.

The Five Stairsteps – Ooh Child

Lyrical ideas below.

Here’s me “thinking out loud”:

-Ed

Informational Purposes
Our information
How will you get it
What will you do with it (our information)

My information tells you
Our records show

We’d like to inform you
Your account is overdrawn
You’ve expired
Actuarially

You think it’s hidden
You think it’s Protected
You can Encrypt it
Might as well project it

You think it’s yours
Struck gold
Your data? Mine

——-
Data mining
In the “I’ll show you” mine
What’s mine is yours

Social
Secure
Media
Hype
Data
Process(ed)

Big datty
Store/storage

Block
Chain
Link

It’s a Steal
Id theft
Who am i
To tell you

I needed to go back to the sketch “pad,” if not the drawing board, for Fool Play. I was trying to make an album version of a song that wasn’t fully fleshed out.

First I looked at the lyrics – I cleaned out some and tightened it up. (One change came from a mistake while singing. Changed “I’m perfect for the part.” to “Imperfect for….”)

I picked up my acoustic guitar and as I started play the bass part, an intro for the song appeared and a little different way of playing the chorus. I also reinstated the bridge that I had, accidentally, removed in my efforts to lay down the “real” bass track for the song. I so wanted to march forward with what I had, but in my attempts to sing over the bass with the drums I programmed, I just wasn’t feeling it.

Therefore, I submit a step way back to a sketch version. I think I can use this as a blueprint for the song.

Intro
Verse
Chorus (perhaps instrumental the 1st occurrence)
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
End

Here is the audio sketch (updated lyrics/chords below.)

Getting up and back – right on track (kinda terrible video, but I did some of my best dancing to this – back in the day)
Breakfast Club – Right on Track

-BustEd Move

Fool Play
G A
Stop your quiet
Stop, stop your quiet
Mmmmmm, mmmmmm
Stop your quiet
Stop, stop your quiet
G A D A G
I’ve had these original thoughts
G A D
You’ve heard them before
G A D A G
Imperfect for the part
G A D
Cast in stone, a natural
B C
Stop your quiet
Mmmmmm, mmmmmm
E D
Fool play
C B A G
It could be quite melodic
G A D A G
I know what I like
G A D
How I want it to sound
G A D A G
Even though I think I know
G A D
How can I put it down?
B C
Stop your quiet
E D
Fool play
C B A G
Even if it’s quite Quixotic/chaotic
D E A
Afraid of playing the fool
D E E
Scared straight and narrow
D E A
Shy of making my mark
D E C
Afraid of what I don’t know
G A D A G
I’ve been putting it off
G A D
Now I’ll attempt o pull it off
G A D A G
The notes are in place
G A D
A-chording to me
B C
Stop your quiet
E D
Fool play
C B A G
Even if it’s quite Quixotic/chaotic