White Album Thoughts
Douglas as Music
Apr|7|2009
So I was listening to the White Album last night, and as I’m apt to do, I was thinking about a one album version like Mojo magazine did in their Aug. 08 issue. I gave it way to much thought, and came up with the following list:
Side 1
Back in the USSR (2:43)
Dear Prudence (3:56)
Glass Onion (2:18)
While My Guitar Gently (4:45)
Happiness is a Warm Gun (2:44)
Martha My Dear (2:29)
I Will (1:46)
Julia (2:54)
Side 2
Birthday (2:43)
Yer Blues (4:01)
Blackbird (2:18)
Me and my Monkey (2:25)
Sexy Sadie (3:15)
Helter Skelter (4:30)
Cry Baby Cry (3:10)
Savoy Truffle (2:55)
My reason for even thinking about this is that the White Album turns some people off because of it’s lack of cohesion. Some people love the diversity of the tracks. I find myself wanting to skip songs that haven’t aged well, or seem like genuine filler. Revolution 9 is the top of that list, followed by Good Night (I wish Ringo had a stronger track on this album. He did quit the band for two weeks during the making?) Wild Honey Pie, Piggies, and I’m so tired. I’m so tired sounds like it should have come off Rubber Soul.
Now the big omissions are Ob-La-Di, and Revolution 1. In my mind, should be singles and not included on the album. I also kept the considerations for vinyl so the louder tracks are toward the beginning of each side and the side are well balanced. That meant that Blackbird had to go to side 2 too prevent a pileup of ballads on side 1. Other than that, the track order stayed much the same. Lots of lists I’ve seen try different openers, second-guessing the bands preference to begin with Back in the U.S.S.R. and Birthday.
Try setting this up in your ipod and see what you think.
ARP Pro Soloist
Douglas as Electronics, Music
Feb|25|2009
When an obsession makes it to your Facebook status it is time to post a blog entry about it. The ARP Pro Soloist was an early preset synthesizer made by Massachusetts company ARP. It was originally designed for the home organ market with a matching wood cabinet. The Pro was a revision which made it look more roadworthy and improved some of the switches and mechanicals. It featured single oscillator subtractive synthesis. Basic stuff even back then. It was thought that universities would buy an ARP 2500 or Moog Modular and consumers would buy the Pro Soloist.
Travis – Ode to J. Smith
Douglas as Music
Dec|12|2008
I haven’t done an album review in a while so here it goes:
Travis have been sliding as a band for a while now. I remember in 2001 how they seemed to be breaking big in the US. Their album Invisible Band was doing well here and was huge in Britain. Hailing from Glasgow, they have always been a Britpop type band but since that 2001 apex they have had a streak of sluggish songs to go along with their sagging album sales. All the while the material was good, just not great. I will say this new album is a change in direction. It recalls the strut and vibe of their 1997 debut and adds on to that in an exciting way. Read the rest of this entry »
Shreading
Douglas as Music
Nov|17|2008
YouTube is a source of endless fun but the shreading video really get me laughing. The premise is this, take some concert footage and replace the audio with random instrument sounds, synched to the video but sounding really bad. Hilarity ensues. This was a particularly good one. Creed had to be one of the most annoying bands of the late 90’s. Scott Stape + Crickets = Pure Gold.
Tracking Drums
Douglas as Music
Oct|29|2008
Working hard to finish up the Wilanders project. This was from a drum session ten days ago. I’ve been really happy with the drum sounds I’ve been getting from this Gretsch kit, Particularly the toms. The living room sounds decent too. It is a long L-shape which keeps things from reflecting in a bad way. You can listen to a few tracks at http://www.myspace.com/thewilanders
We start mixing tomorrow so I have to get to work.
John Lewis
Aug|16|2008
I’m working at Eugene Field Elementary this year and discovered a famous jazz musician is an alumnus. John Lewis, pianist and music director for the Modern Jazz Quartet. I’m sure only a handful of adults, and no children at the school even know who he is, so I plan to change that this year.
Kaosillator Kunstler
Aug|13|2008
For the new school year I’m add this to the technology unit. I played around with it this evening and the features are simple but very musical. This is basically a trackpad synth, and looping recorder that fits in the palm of your hand and runs off batteries. You can’t save the grooves and there is no midi and only RCA and miniphono out so it is definitely aimed at DJ’s with very little musical background. The quality of the sounds, taken from the Korg Radias Analog modeling synth, are great. The trackpad uses the X axis to contol pitch and the Y axis for velocity, filter, or LFO effects. The phrase length is limited to 8 beats or 16 if you disable the undo feature. This isn’t the main focus of the device anyway. Making music with a few swipes of the finger is why I hope to get younger children creating. I played around a bit, recording a sitar solo over a drum and bass type phrase. Everything was recorded live into Logic.
Kaossilator Raga Sample (ACC file)
Wurly fun
Douglas as Music
Aug|11|2008
I’ve added a really fun tool to my instrument palette. A Wurlitzer 200a Electronic Piano. It is really a Musitronic 214V but that is a long story. Read the rest of this entry »
Rush in Concert
Douglas as Guitars and Amps, Music
May|1|2008
I went and saw my first Rush show the other night. I admit I’ve always enjoyed songs like the Spirit of Radio, and Tom Sawyer but have never listened to a Rush album all the way through. To me there is an image of Rush fans being ADD drummers in marching bands bowing down to the font of Neil Peart. While most Rush fans now are boys who grew up in the 80’s, I was surprised to see as many women as I did.
As I expected, they were prompt, professional and unpresuming. The lights and pyrotechnics were cool, and the set list was pretty good. It did not blow my mind, but then again I didn’t expect it to. I was entertained, and for what I payed for the ticket, it was worth it.
Last night however, I finally got to test the bass amp out with a pounding drummer. This was with the 6SN7 tube in V1. It held up admirably. I actually turned down the bass on the amp because it was in a corner and was sounding muddy with the precision. It felt like culmination of why I spend so much time and energy building tube amps when I can let that thick tone drive a rhythm section.
Pit Posse
Douglas as Music
Apr|21|2008
Here was my view in the pit last night. I was directing a first dress rehearsal of the Pajama Game, which despite the amount of sight-reading going on, was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.
We have a twelve-piece orchestra this time around and of course there are moments where it feels like I’m the only one playing. Sometimes I am the only one playing. That is the fun part, the unpredictability of live theater. At the suggestion of my dad, I took pictures of the actors and got some great shots. You forget how good the view is for the music director until you look back and think “Was I really there?”