Love won’t set me free

This song is an old one that we used to play in The Fins  around 1980/81.

If I remember correctly, it was written by Derek Marshall but I think we all had a hand in how the song eventually turned out. This is my version, not too different from the original idea but a bit more rockier.
I recorded it at home about three or four years ago on my old Fostex VF80 (the one without the built in CD burner) digital recorder. All the keyboards sounds and drums were played on my Technics KN800 keyboard and the guitar parts were played on my Fender Esprit. I think I get a nice raw sound which I’ve seemed to have lost on my more recent songs. Using the computer and programs such as Reason have made things a bit too clinical and it is so easy to get things cluttered with wonderful but unnecessary sounds.

When I compress the file to a MP3 the sound that is produced via the web seems thinner and tinnier – I still can’t find out a way of doing something about that. If anybody knows please leave a comment.

UTSAVAS

‘That which drives away sorrow’ taken from William Dalrymple’s superb book – Nine Lives: In search the Sacred in Modern India.

In this book there are ‘Singers of Epics’ who have whole villages entranced by their musical stories, many of which can last the whole night long. The epics tell the story of the Gods, village life, murder and intrigue and they attract pilgrims from all over the state of Rajasthan.  

We have no equivalent in this country – I wonder why?

A Coachman Ranted Here

It’s just an anagram of my latest song – Romance and Heartache

I started to write this a few weeks back when I was off work with some sort of flu thing that people like to pass around at this time of year. I have been reading a book about someone’s disastrous lovelife and the thought came to me as I was looking out of my music room and watching the beautiful orange/red leaves of the Cherry tree in the front garden fall in the wind, that everything has to come to an end eventually. So I wrote some words that were analgous to autumn and the end of a relationship.

If anybody reads this and listens to the music and is interested, for this song I tuned the guitar to G and played in the key of C. I always tune to G when I play slide guitar.

Everyone has had their heart broken. Just like when there is a gale everything eventually calms but the memory of the storm remains. These words come from all the storms of my past.

Words:

I have a notion, I feel it’s over

I’ve seen the sky cry, tears of blue

If I took your hand, and follow the wind

How would we know, how far to go?

Romance and Heartache, just sail on the breeze

We are just lovers, who will fall like Autumn leaves

There’s a question and answer, all wrapped in one

It’s how did we get here from the heights we begun?

It’s a tragedy,

a mistake

But my friends tell me,

We reap what we make

The Last Ride

I know it’s a title of a song by Todd Rundgren but that’s what came to me when I was thinking of a title for my recent piece of work.  The backing was created on Reason with the guitars and the pianos recorded via Sonar. The slide guitar & the lead work was all done on my old faithful 1975 Fender Starcaster which I bought new in Cornwall from a shop in Truro called Minns Music, probably doesn’t exist now.

I am never really totally satisfied with the sound of any of the stuff I do but maybe it’s a case of too much familiarity and being too close to the project. Anyway I enjoyed writing and playing it.

Comments always welcome.

My band Rhythm House is playing at the Bowling Green Pub on Higher Hillgate, Stockport on November 28th.

Who Do I Love

I am grateful to Andy Gough who works at MMU for providing me with the lyrics to my latest song.  We have never met but it seems to work. Cheers Andy.

Words by Andy Gough.   

I asked myself this question, at least
a thousand times
In the hours of darkness
when the sun no longer shines,
You’re in my dreams but
they never come true,
Who do I love
If I don’t love you?
I waited hours at the station
Taking shelter from the rain
A sad voice on the Tannoy
slowly started to explain,
That the train that I’d been
waiting for, had been derailed
just south of Crewe,
Who do I love
if I don’t love you?
I paid a visit to a psychic
She gazed into her crystal ball,
She said your future’s filled
With jeopardy, you’re heading for a fall,
So I paid and thanked her kindly
Saying, can’t you tell me something new
Who do I love
If I don’t love you?
Requiring some assistance
because I didn’t have a clue,
Called in upon some friends
of mine, to get a different
point of view.
They each questioned my sanity
they screamed and screeched
and away I flew,
Who do I love
If I don’t love you?

 Licenced under Creative Commons – copyright Andy Gough

Two good websites

Try Carols Vault for all types of Freeware and Open Source and Soundcloud as a host for your music.  I have used Carols Vault a lot in the past and all the stuff is good. I have just been introduced to Soundcloud (thanks Adrian) and it is free for five music uploads, there are other options to carry more  music but they are not particularly cheap.

I have not put any new music on the site for a while. It will materialise eventually as  I have about twenty half-finished tracks – I might even put some on half finished nobody will know!!!

Jazz guitar alive and kicking in Southern Crete

It is strange how when you are not expecting anything something happens.

This happened in Paleochora recently when I was there on holiday. I came across some superb playing which I did not expect in a small coastal village.

On Monday 22nd June, my 55th birthday I came across a band that were incorrectly advertised as the Ethnic Jazz Trio. No Greek enthnicity here – I recognised tunes from Herbie Hancock, Ronnie Jordan, Pat Metheny and Paco Pena. The keyboard player and the guitarist were tight as a drum, the drummer was OK but I think  the  drummer and the band would have been enhanced further by the inclusion of a good bass player. The excellent Dimitri Koliakoudakis (guitar) informed me that really good bass players did not exist in Chania.

The following Monday at the Skala Bar Paleochora more quality music from a jazz guitar trio: Manolis Hatzogiannaes, Giorgos Limakis & Dimitri Koliakoudakis. Dimitri was concerned that it was their first gig and that they were not rehearsed enough. The reaction from the audience proved otherwise and only the lonely purist would have criticised their performance. For me it was an excellent night – they looked as though they enjoyed playing together. My only criticism is that they never introduced any song or gave any background to what they were playing. The performance could have been enhanced by some interaction with the audience, e.g name of the song, who wrote it etc., a small criticism but I think a worthy one. If you are ever in Western Crete look out for these guys, you will not be disappointed.

Pev Pevitt & John Martyn

Last night we went to a gig to celebrate the life of Stuart ‘Pev’ Pevitt who

sadly died on January 6^th 2009.  He was the lead vocalist for the Purple Gang but he also sang with other bands and I was fortunate to play with him on a few occasions. Pev was a good singer with a gentle manner and will be greatly missed.

It must be an age thing but more and more of the musicians that I have played with or have been influenced by are leaving us. One of those is the immensely talented and complicated John Martyn who died on January 30^th. His early albums Bless the Weather, Solid Air, Inside Out and Sundays Child, I have enjoyed and still enjoy today. They were very much a kind of ’spiritual’ inspiration to me as a young man as well as a musical education. His music took me took another place, sometimes a quite a sad place. Like many musicians I love to play his songs: ‘I don’t wanna know about evil’ and ‘May you never’ are particular favourites.I wrote and recorded my last piece  ‘Goodbye Boys’ in true John Martyn fashion in the middle of the night.  Listen to John and Eddi Reader from the Transatlantic session recorded in 1998.

Todd Rundgren

Last night I went to see Todd Rundgren at Academy 2 in Manchester. The last time I saw him was about twenty years ago when he was solo at the Apollo. He has probably been the most influential musician for me over the years. I bought the ‘Something/Anything’ album in the early seventies and along with his ‘Hermit of Mink Hollow’ and ‘Liars‘, all rate as true inventive works of near perfection. Todd is an enigma, he produces glorious stuff which is then followed by a piece of work that is just plain bizarre. I am not into listening to lyrics much, but he is, along with artists like Niel Young, Joni Mitchell & John Martin a great song writer.

The gig last night was the first gig I have been where I have paid to see a performer for years. The last time was about eight years ago when I went to see Sting at the MEN. I paid about £25 for the ticket and I felt ripped off. I was so far from the stage that Sting was about an inch tall, it was a poor gig with very little atmosphere and I vowed never to go to a concert again. However, I just could not resist the lure of Todd. He sort of lived up to my expectations. His voice and playing were fantastic and his band were ‘tight as a nut’ and produced excellent harmonies to his vocals. However, the material from his new album Arena was OK but not outstanding. I will have to buy the album to give it further listening, like much of Todd’s stuff it grows on you. I would have preferred that Todd instead of nearly showcasing all the album did more of a mixture of old and new. Admittedly, he did some old numbers: ‘Just One Victory’ and ‘I Saw the Light’ were top. On first hearing, the set from ‘Arena’ seemed ‘heavier’ and to have little light and shade but on the other hand, it certainly showcased great guitar playing from Todd and Jesse Gress.

The Academy is a good place to see bands and I think I will be returning, hopefully soon to see another Wizard A True Star.

If only I believed, life would be so much simpler…..

We have just come back from the pub where we had an interesting conversation with Kieran and Annie about travel and the vagaries of life.

It’s been a good day today even though I was woken early by my wife who was having one of those hot events that happen to women of a certain age. Anyway at around 5.30 this morning I was editing the guitar I had put down on my latest tune entitled ‘The Prize’.

What is The Prize? Muslim suicide bombers expect a room full of virgins.  Douglas Adams came up with the definitive figure of ‘42′ , I’m not so sure it is as clear cut as that.

I hate religion and the power that it has. I detest the intermediaries: the priests, vicars, bishops, imams and rabbi’s that use their power to control their small but faithful followers.

I recently have been suffering doubts about myself and the way I look at life. I think it’s an age thing.  My song is about doubts, getting old , forgetting where I have been and who was there with with me but I think maybe I have come close to the true answer to the Prize. It was written in 1793 by Thomas Paine,

 

I believe in the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavouring to make our fellow creatures happy………..

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My mind is my own church.

            All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

 

This was written over two hundred years ago yet I fear we are no closer to a world of harmony.

What is it about the total belief in God, the Bible, the Quoran and the Torah? If believing in god is so harmonious why do the different faiths think that their religion is the right one? I just think they are all totally deluded.

Does anyone know the truth?