I have a need to pay automobile loan but thought I take care of a few thoughts and feelings on my mind.
I turned 54 on Saturday and celebrated it the usual way, going to junk stores to find records and 45s. Came up empty outside of a Steeleye Span Story. Most 45s were scratched up. Usually St Vincent De Paul's 45s are always scratched up.
This month I have remixed and remastered my two 1989 albums, Moonlight Chronicles and Floodlands and I can finally say it's great to hear the end result. The drums stand out much better, the highs were polished off (the early reissues the highs were way too harsh) and I could actually hear the harmonica on Gravel Road Memories. And the goofyness that is Miss Baloney Brain which is the only attempt at speed metal. The problem of the original 4 track was that the overdubs bled into the original vocal track and every attempt to correct it would have a wash effect on the vocals. Conferring with Martin Daniels was that I have to balanced the drum track to fit with the vocal part on the four track and try to find a happy medium. Originally messing around with it turned out to be a quick mix and mastering of it and I can finally say that these two important pieces of the puzzle albums are now back in print. I may attempt to do some more correcting of past projects for updating. Don't know which ones.
The pre 1989 stuff is still dicey and the early albums suffer from weak vocals and wild drumming but I'm itching to finally grant the Rock n Roll Made Me What I Am Today and the S/T album a divorce and let them have their own album space. But they were recorded on hour long cassettes and there's plenty of fat to be trimmed to make the records work. RNRMMWIAT was rushed out (I had a job offer to join up a bar band at that time) and the S/T album was really forced and labored. Town's Edge Rock, the songs worked well, but So Much For That was really the first effort I made to make a listenable rock album while trying to play like I did for Paraphernalia Tyrus, good intentions but it hasn't aged very well. Neither has Living In The Twilight Zone which the only decent songs came from said album was Be With Me and Bar B Q. The rest sounds silly. Which is why I never issued it via CD outside of my own listening pleasure.
Thanks very much for Deb Rasmussen for making the cookie dough treats and Steven Rasmussen for the best made maid rites too. I gave Steven production credit for 2007's Highway Home album for helping me out during the busy season but the this guy can cook up great food. He should be a chef.
Every album that is planned I consider it to be the last album. One never knows when your time is due and Forthcoming Trains was a fine effort. Fitting Finales, the next album will be conjured up eventually and I'll take about a couple weeks and then some to do the songs. I have gotten positive reviews from folks who have heard it. As I get older I tend to refine some of the earlier songs I have done, and covering myself is a compliment that the songs ain't so bad. But I really wanted to revisit Midnight Run, from the 1985 album. It's really not a tough song to do, although it's situated in a 1/2 beat. And Just Enough Love done the second time around is more polished and I didn't need to do all those drum rolls as before. But I still needed to do the cymbal accents at certain parts of the song.
Having a cat around the yard. Still awkward, still trying to make it feel welcome around here and tolerate it around the house but Callie seems to taken everything for strive. I do admit she's a very smart cat although she doesn't realize I came this close to taking her butt to the humane society after finding two of her buddies in our makeshift cathouse the other night. Haven't seen the other two but Callie remains determined to hang around.
I still think I have a couple years of good music left inside of me before hanging it up. I do not intend to be a bald headed goatee wearing old fuck trying to impress the young crowd, not that I have done that in the past, but I don't seeing growing a face full of steel wool singing songs at some dive bar 10 years from now. I don't know if Paul McCartney needs to but I do think Bob Dylan needs to retire if he's going around doing Frank Sinatra standards.
I was asked about the one that got away. Looking back into my life I have had a very poor track record of choosing the right girlfriends. It goes all the way back to 1975 and Jeanette Ratliff and then Janice Berns later, which really fucks things up for me. Amy in 1982, she was a trophy girl, petite and tight but she had a boyfriend and I was the other guy. Which wasn't about to work, she was with him 5 years later. If I was interested in somebody I'd write a song and give it to them instead of asking them out directly. Which explains why I wasn't with nobody most of the 1980s. And the lack of dating really hurt me when I did have girlfriends. And being set in my ways back then didn't help either. Hell, I was trying to impress a fucking stripper in 1990. That led nowhere. The thing with Isabella really soured me for dating ever after putting up with her antics, I won't say she was the worst I've been with but the worst relationships I had were with Gemini women (although Gemini guys make great bandmates). I can't say if the girl in my PR class at school was the one that got away, I've been looking for her ever trying to explain my situation to her. But I don't think we'll ever meet again. I think the best girls I been with was Belinda and Nicole. At least I wasn't competing with some other guy for their affections.
I don't know what it is about them or what the audience thinks but for the second time I asked the fans of what cymbals to use for the next album and the end result was Zildjian over Paiste again. I still have yet to use my Innovations Paiste cymbal (may have to do that on a live album) but Fitting Finales will have the cymbal lineup used for The Road Less Traveled and the snare that goes back to the bar band days. In other words vintage stuff.
I rarely tout this site outside of references and song lyrics but next month I'll clue in on some more vintage classics and the usual song writing lyrics and stuff. And post live in the studio shit if and when I get up there to record. Then till bills must get paid.
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
A Long Time Forgotten
We marked the 10th Anniversary of A Long Time Forgotten. Hard to believe time has flown by so quickly.
2005 was a new chapter in The Townedgers Music History, or yours truly. I ended up buying a new Guild Acoustic guitar from Bruce Stanley at Segal's Pawn Shop for about 400 dollars and it turned out that I have used that guitar more than the Yamaha acoustic that was the main go to guitar for acoustic songs. I also ended up selling my Yamaha drums to my best friend's son Matt who played them for a while and decided that this wasn't the way to go in life. I ended up blowing about 4500 dollars on a new DW set. All maple shells. The four track that I have been using died, so another 250 dollars was blown for a Made In China portastudio.
Originally the sessions started out in August of 2005 under the working title Mixed Blessings and done with Colin Richardson at a Ames studio on a couple weekends but I wasn't too impressed with the results and only Nevada Streets was saved for inclusion on A Long Time Forgotten. Another song Rolling And Tumblin was issued as a single only. I have no idea why I didn't include it on LTF. Perhaps it didn't fit the format although it would have been a decent album opener.
I struck up with a conversation of a dude at the pawnshop named Rhett Morrison, a twenty something that had his eye on music production. Rhett and Martin manned the recording. While I listed Jack Orbit and Mark McClelland as the other participants, it was basically myself doing all of the guitars and drums. McClelland would leave after a disagreement about band direction. Martin Daniels and Geoff Redding helped with backing vocals. The main recording of LTF was done during Thanksgiving weekend and ended two weeks later. Drums were added on December 8 and on the 9th. With a new four track it was hard to get the right drum sound and it shows on Jeanette 30 Years Later, A remake of the song originally done in 1990 on Nice Weather We're Having. Desolation Angels, another remake from 1992 Drive In Blues sessions was also tacked on. While I didn't care much for remakes, it seems that when I did revisit a past song that the new versions were a lot better the 2nd time around. Three songs from Mixed Blessings were redone and I think all three were a lot better as acoustic songs rather than the electric songs. Please Don't Leave Me was picked as a single and did so so on the local college radio station and some net radio stations as well. Man Out Of Time, originally known as Elizabeth Greene, was written about a co worker that I had a crush on but of course she had a boyfriend, so much for that. The electric version was done as a slow brooding grunge number but the acoustic version was stripped down and more to the point.
Everyone's Agreed was a cover of the Stealer's Wheel song and done with a strange effect sound. While the loud drums seemed like a good idea at the time hearing it now really is distorted and in need of a mix. When Gareth Cullers mixed it, he took out all the bottom of the guitars and added more treble. The only time I liked the big drum sound was on To Understand The Sun. It's been noted that when I hear the playback on the mix, that there's an extra sound at the end of it. I've heard that our house might have spirits and that a odd vocal can be heard or a odd sound. But rest assured we have friendly ghosts around here.
Diggy Kat, my good friend and music colleague has always said that A Long Time Forgotten is his favorite Townedgers album ever, at least from him. I think it's a good record but some of the songs I have problems with. Easier Said Than Done was a anti Bush/Cheney protest number about the forthcoming of Wal Marts taking over (in fact they were building two Wal Marts in this area) and the flood of Made In China crap but it should have been done better or had better lyrics. Teen Dream Nightmare, is another oddball song that Geoff Redding wrote the lyrics in the style of Pictures Of Lily by The Who or Girl In A Magazine by The Brains. But not as memorable as either one.
Despite that the best songs was A Touch Of Gray which was about turning fifty and seeing our hair going south and expanding elsewhere and our body and mind winding down. I wouldn't say it's a song about death but a song of seeing ourselves no longer young and the things I used to do I can't do anymore. Which is also suggested in The Things I Used To Do, which was yet another song about missing a chance to find the girl to settle down with. Which begs the question who was the one that got away. The answer may surprise you. There was a girl that I had in Public Relations class at a junior college who had her eye on me and I never thought much about it, till I saw her with a friend at a bar one night and she smiled at me for a while. But I smiled but never made an effort to do anything about it, till she got frustrated and walked out with her friend almost in tears. I remember she said that he wouldn't do anything about it. Well, next day I decided to see if I could find her at the college and hopefully get a second chance. To which I never saw her again after that.
I also enjoyed One From The Heart, which may have been another rewrite of Things I Used To Do. But the last verse instead of hoping for another chance with the one that got away, basically life has turned me this way and that perhaps I wasn't cut out for an relationship with anybody. Or in other words, be careful what you wish for.
Troy Paiva's colorful night photography was perfect for the album cover, whereas the inner Cd book had a picture of some old drive in speakers at an abandoned drive in. The album was issued in January of 2006.
I didn't intend for the album to be mostly acoustic, but I figured it was much more easier to record than the mess that was Mixed Blessings and only Nevada Streets was good enough the make the final cut. But strangely, I would start to do more songs with acoustic guitar for later albums, namely The Townedgers Christmas Album which was done a couple weeks later but issued in 2006 since it was too late to put a Chrsitmas album at that time. So I guess you can say that A Long Time Forgotten is The Townedgers' Unplugged. And for better or worse it would be a start of a new era.
Songs:
Everyone's Agreed (G.Raffery/J.Egan) 2:50
Jeanette 30 Years Later 4:30
The Things That I Used To Know 3:38
Love Me Like You Used To 2:45
Touch Of Gray 4:40
Lateness Of The Hour 3:52
Desperation Angels 3:40
Nevada Streets 5:10
Please Don't Leave Me 3:33
One From The Heart 3:14
Easier Said Than Done 4:41
Teen Dream Nightmare 3:00
To Understand The Sun 5:35
Man Out Of Time 3:20
Songs written by R.Smith
Recorded 11-25 through 12-9 2005 Lake Wandu Studios aka The Hoarder House Springville IA
Recorded by Martin Daniels, Gareth Cullers and R. Smith
Produced by Rodney Smith with Rhett Morrison
Nevada Streets Recorded Aug 2004, Produced by Rodney Smith and Colin Richardson
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2005 was a new chapter in The Townedgers Music History, or yours truly. I ended up buying a new Guild Acoustic guitar from Bruce Stanley at Segal's Pawn Shop for about 400 dollars and it turned out that I have used that guitar more than the Yamaha acoustic that was the main go to guitar for acoustic songs. I also ended up selling my Yamaha drums to my best friend's son Matt who played them for a while and decided that this wasn't the way to go in life. I ended up blowing about 4500 dollars on a new DW set. All maple shells. The four track that I have been using died, so another 250 dollars was blown for a Made In China portastudio.
Originally the sessions started out in August of 2005 under the working title Mixed Blessings and done with Colin Richardson at a Ames studio on a couple weekends but I wasn't too impressed with the results and only Nevada Streets was saved for inclusion on A Long Time Forgotten. Another song Rolling And Tumblin was issued as a single only. I have no idea why I didn't include it on LTF. Perhaps it didn't fit the format although it would have been a decent album opener.
I struck up with a conversation of a dude at the pawnshop named Rhett Morrison, a twenty something that had his eye on music production. Rhett and Martin manned the recording. While I listed Jack Orbit and Mark McClelland as the other participants, it was basically myself doing all of the guitars and drums. McClelland would leave after a disagreement about band direction. Martin Daniels and Geoff Redding helped with backing vocals. The main recording of LTF was done during Thanksgiving weekend and ended two weeks later. Drums were added on December 8 and on the 9th. With a new four track it was hard to get the right drum sound and it shows on Jeanette 30 Years Later, A remake of the song originally done in 1990 on Nice Weather We're Having. Desolation Angels, another remake from 1992 Drive In Blues sessions was also tacked on. While I didn't care much for remakes, it seems that when I did revisit a past song that the new versions were a lot better the 2nd time around. Three songs from Mixed Blessings were redone and I think all three were a lot better as acoustic songs rather than the electric songs. Please Don't Leave Me was picked as a single and did so so on the local college radio station and some net radio stations as well. Man Out Of Time, originally known as Elizabeth Greene, was written about a co worker that I had a crush on but of course she had a boyfriend, so much for that. The electric version was done as a slow brooding grunge number but the acoustic version was stripped down and more to the point.
Everyone's Agreed was a cover of the Stealer's Wheel song and done with a strange effect sound. While the loud drums seemed like a good idea at the time hearing it now really is distorted and in need of a mix. When Gareth Cullers mixed it, he took out all the bottom of the guitars and added more treble. The only time I liked the big drum sound was on To Understand The Sun. It's been noted that when I hear the playback on the mix, that there's an extra sound at the end of it. I've heard that our house might have spirits and that a odd vocal can be heard or a odd sound. But rest assured we have friendly ghosts around here.
Diggy Kat, my good friend and music colleague has always said that A Long Time Forgotten is his favorite Townedgers album ever, at least from him. I think it's a good record but some of the songs I have problems with. Easier Said Than Done was a anti Bush/Cheney protest number about the forthcoming of Wal Marts taking over (in fact they were building two Wal Marts in this area) and the flood of Made In China crap but it should have been done better or had better lyrics. Teen Dream Nightmare, is another oddball song that Geoff Redding wrote the lyrics in the style of Pictures Of Lily by The Who or Girl In A Magazine by The Brains. But not as memorable as either one.
Despite that the best songs was A Touch Of Gray which was about turning fifty and seeing our hair going south and expanding elsewhere and our body and mind winding down. I wouldn't say it's a song about death but a song of seeing ourselves no longer young and the things I used to do I can't do anymore. Which is also suggested in The Things I Used To Do, which was yet another song about missing a chance to find the girl to settle down with. Which begs the question who was the one that got away. The answer may surprise you. There was a girl that I had in Public Relations class at a junior college who had her eye on me and I never thought much about it, till I saw her with a friend at a bar one night and she smiled at me for a while. But I smiled but never made an effort to do anything about it, till she got frustrated and walked out with her friend almost in tears. I remember she said that he wouldn't do anything about it. Well, next day I decided to see if I could find her at the college and hopefully get a second chance. To which I never saw her again after that.
I also enjoyed One From The Heart, which may have been another rewrite of Things I Used To Do. But the last verse instead of hoping for another chance with the one that got away, basically life has turned me this way and that perhaps I wasn't cut out for an relationship with anybody. Or in other words, be careful what you wish for.
Troy Paiva's colorful night photography was perfect for the album cover, whereas the inner Cd book had a picture of some old drive in speakers at an abandoned drive in. The album was issued in January of 2006.
I didn't intend for the album to be mostly acoustic, but I figured it was much more easier to record than the mess that was Mixed Blessings and only Nevada Streets was good enough the make the final cut. But strangely, I would start to do more songs with acoustic guitar for later albums, namely The Townedgers Christmas Album which was done a couple weeks later but issued in 2006 since it was too late to put a Chrsitmas album at that time. So I guess you can say that A Long Time Forgotten is The Townedgers' Unplugged. And for better or worse it would be a start of a new era.
Songs:
Everyone's Agreed (G.Raffery/J.Egan) 2:50
Jeanette 30 Years Later 4:30
The Things That I Used To Know 3:38
Love Me Like You Used To 2:45
Touch Of Gray 4:40
Lateness Of The Hour 3:52
Desperation Angels 3:40
Nevada Streets 5:10
Please Don't Leave Me 3:33
One From The Heart 3:14
Easier Said Than Done 4:41
Teen Dream Nightmare 3:00
To Understand The Sun 5:35
Man Out Of Time 3:20
Songs written by R.Smith
Recorded 11-25 through 12-9 2005 Lake Wandu Studios aka The Hoarder House Springville IA
Recorded by Martin Daniels, Gareth Cullers and R. Smith
Produced by Rodney Smith with Rhett Morrison
Nevada Streets Recorded Aug 2004, Produced by Rodney Smith and Colin Richardson
Friday, 9 January 2015
Dear Lisa
Dear Lisa it's me again
The truth is that I don't understand
What you look for in a man
And the time we spent back in the past is now long gone
And there's nobody such as you
But you know this is what I do
Playing in bands to make a living
And possibly giving.
Dear Lisa, it's you know who
Here I am your biggest fool
I'm at the front door let me in
It's good to see your living again but living in sin
I know someday we're going to pay
On the day of reckoning
I try to fight it but really
I was more than willing
(really)
Dear Lisa, one more night
Before the train comes down the line
Takes me back to the other side
It'll be the last time I'll see you smile
(the last time we'll smile)
I don't like being the odd man out
But I figured this is about
You were the best girl I ever had
For a day and a half.
C2008 Townedger Music Emporium
Sometimes writing a song can take on new meaning, be it from the past or a relationship that ends too soon. This is from Pawnshops For Olivia, an album that took shape after reconnecting with a west coast girl and talking of the times that we spent together. The record itself is an emotional roller coaster of feelings of love had and lost and even if the results would have been different, we were doomed to fail. Especially if she never experienced a winter in Iowa which she ended up getting phenomena for about three months.
Some variations between truth and fiction. I thought the line about Plane flying into the sky was a bit personal and didn't fit the song well, so I changed it over to Train coming down the line. The line on the second verse Here he is the biggest fool was changed to Here I Am Your Biggest Fool and I think the original line it's good to see your face again but changed to see your living again. To fit the but living in sin part. (I could have used But we are living in sin instead now that I think about it now). But the final verse concludes that I was the odd man out and for that time spent together was the best girl I ever had. For a day and a half but in reality it was more like a week and a half, maybe longer. We'll never tell.
My good friend Diggy Kat continues to play this song at regular intervals on Lucky Star Radio from time to time and I always get a kick out hearing this on the radio. And slightly over 2 minutes it gets to the point and fades out. One of the more hook driven acoustic numbers I ever done. And suggests to me that perhaps I should keep most of my songs at 2 minutes long..
2019: Lisa still looks as beautiful as ever and has gotten better with age. As of this writing she has found herself a new love and lives out somewhere on the west coast. She was one of most exciting blind long distance dates I ever had, But I think she knew I wasn't the one as she took me to a couple of the Portland record stores up there. And she knew that the midwest wasn't for her when she came to visit, she certainly didn't like the cold and snow. The dead giveaway was her look on her face when she saw the music room, and the drumset and the guitar and all them cymbals. Despite another trip to Portland in 2000, I knew I lost her. We did keep in touch off and on before she decided she wanted to move on and close the chapter to our friendship. It's never easy but I think in the long run, it was the right decision.
She still has her long red hair. I'm still losing mine.
The truth is that I don't understand
What you look for in a man
And the time we spent back in the past is now long gone
And there's nobody such as you
But you know this is what I do
Playing in bands to make a living
And possibly giving.
Dear Lisa, it's you know who
Here I am your biggest fool
I'm at the front door let me in
It's good to see your living again but living in sin
I know someday we're going to pay
On the day of reckoning
I try to fight it but really
I was more than willing
(really)
Dear Lisa, one more night
Before the train comes down the line
Takes me back to the other side
It'll be the last time I'll see you smile
(the last time we'll smile)
I don't like being the odd man out
But I figured this is about
You were the best girl I ever had
For a day and a half.
C2008 Townedger Music Emporium
Sometimes writing a song can take on new meaning, be it from the past or a relationship that ends too soon. This is from Pawnshops For Olivia, an album that took shape after reconnecting with a west coast girl and talking of the times that we spent together. The record itself is an emotional roller coaster of feelings of love had and lost and even if the results would have been different, we were doomed to fail. Especially if she never experienced a winter in Iowa which she ended up getting phenomena for about three months.
Some variations between truth and fiction. I thought the line about Plane flying into the sky was a bit personal and didn't fit the song well, so I changed it over to Train coming down the line. The line on the second verse Here he is the biggest fool was changed to Here I Am Your Biggest Fool and I think the original line it's good to see your face again but changed to see your living again. To fit the but living in sin part. (I could have used But we are living in sin instead now that I think about it now). But the final verse concludes that I was the odd man out and for that time spent together was the best girl I ever had. For a day and a half but in reality it was more like a week and a half, maybe longer. We'll never tell.
My good friend Diggy Kat continues to play this song at regular intervals on Lucky Star Radio from time to time and I always get a kick out hearing this on the radio. And slightly over 2 minutes it gets to the point and fades out. One of the more hook driven acoustic numbers I ever done. And suggests to me that perhaps I should keep most of my songs at 2 minutes long..
2019: Lisa still looks as beautiful as ever and has gotten better with age. As of this writing she has found herself a new love and lives out somewhere on the west coast. She was one of most exciting blind long distance dates I ever had, But I think she knew I wasn't the one as she took me to a couple of the Portland record stores up there. And she knew that the midwest wasn't for her when she came to visit, she certainly didn't like the cold and snow. The dead giveaway was her look on her face when she saw the music room, and the drumset and the guitar and all them cymbals. Despite another trip to Portland in 2000, I knew I lost her. We did keep in touch off and on before she decided she wanted to move on and close the chapter to our friendship. It's never easy but I think in the long run, it was the right decision.
She still has her long red hair. I'm still losing mine.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Donnellee
Donnellee
Driving on the highway I’m heading nowhere
I feel somewhat a bit rejected
Of thinking of someone that I’ll never see again
From a day long ago and forgotten
She never told me of her intentions
Of if she’s going stay or if she’s going
Or what she really wants or what’s she know
And I feel like we’re going in circles
Circumstances beyond our control
Ain’t nothing we can do about it
But sit back, sit back and wonder
Donnellee, Donnellee
Can’t you see, can’t you see
What you mean, mean to me
Donnellee, Donnellee
I know that there’s something here to address dear
So many years of hit and misses
It takes so long just getting to this
Liking someone just to take the risk
And I do hope that the feeling’s mutual
Of a connection that is actual
And don’t you think that this could be a wonder
When we’re together late at night
Holding you as we turn out the light
In sight it must be right
To even think we can take this to flight
And so it comes down to the final scene here
Of what you feel inside and still believe in
You seem to think that you’re the victim
Giving up and then abandon
It’s not that I quit caring anyhow
Or share the fact that it’s always something
But I sense the fact you and I are grounded
In our ways so set that they can’t be changed
Same old reasons that can’t be explained
But all we do is go through the motions
Why can’t you for once mean just what you say?
C2007
Sometimes changing the words to Donna Lee when I play this live but this comes from the Highway Home album (2007) and basically a combination of two songs combined into one. I had a co worker that was actually named Donnellee but that song isn't about her. I was trying to write a perfect country song with an acoustic slant and this was the end result. The final verse may have been referenced to Isabella, the woman that I based a half year relationship of mostly downs and not ups on. The more I sang out the words, the more bitter they become to the last verse, unlike the first two verses of a promising love. I may have based this on a E harmony or Match dot com commercial of finding true love but in knowing myself, I tend to be the biggest savatager of relationships. History has shown that quite well.
Driving on the highway I’m heading nowhere
I feel somewhat a bit rejected
Of thinking of someone that I’ll never see again
From a day long ago and forgotten
She never told me of her intentions
Of if she’s going stay or if she’s going
Or what she really wants or what’s she know
And I feel like we’re going in circles
Circumstances beyond our control
Ain’t nothing we can do about it
But sit back, sit back and wonder
Donnellee, Donnellee
Can’t you see, can’t you see
What you mean, mean to me
Donnellee, Donnellee
I know that there’s something here to address dear
So many years of hit and misses
It takes so long just getting to this
Liking someone just to take the risk
And I do hope that the feeling’s mutual
Of a connection that is actual
And don’t you think that this could be a wonder
When we’re together late at night
Holding you as we turn out the light
In sight it must be right
To even think we can take this to flight
And so it comes down to the final scene here
Of what you feel inside and still believe in
You seem to think that you’re the victim
Giving up and then abandon
It’s not that I quit caring anyhow
Or share the fact that it’s always something
But I sense the fact you and I are grounded
In our ways so set that they can’t be changed
Same old reasons that can’t be explained
But all we do is go through the motions
Why can’t you for once mean just what you say?
C2007
Sometimes changing the words to Donna Lee when I play this live but this comes from the Highway Home album (2007) and basically a combination of two songs combined into one. I had a co worker that was actually named Donnellee but that song isn't about her. I was trying to write a perfect country song with an acoustic slant and this was the end result. The final verse may have been referenced to Isabella, the woman that I based a half year relationship of mostly downs and not ups on. The more I sang out the words, the more bitter they become to the last verse, unlike the first two verses of a promising love. I may have based this on a E harmony or Match dot com commercial of finding true love but in knowing myself, I tend to be the biggest savatager of relationships. History has shown that quite well.
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Thoughts Of The Townedger December 2014
I hope 2015 will be a much better year than 2014. 2014 sucked from day one.
I have no idea what musical projects will be forthcoming. Acoustic Favors was done on the cheap and impromptu form. It's interesting to put up an album of new songs and take a day to do it. It may lead the way for more songs that will compile the next effort.
I tell Russell in our last get together that whatever we do will be not The Townedgers. The TEs are a controlled democracy with me dictating how things will go and sound. The TEs are Rodney Smith, just as Vufcup is Diggy Kat. It's called working for the man. Of course the biggest question is time to get together since nobody is on the same page and I admit I'm guilty just as the rest not to get together. Jam sessions are always encouraged. Russell says he knows a few musicians and I continue to tell him to get a couple and let's have some fun with it. Nothing more to say about this.
For the past three weeks I have a visitor in the year, a stray gray lap cat that nobody knows where it came from. I call it Callie Rustbucket, Callie was a name of Donna's cat (Brooksie) that I thought was a nice name, Rustbucket due to all the orange and brown spots on it's coat. I am not a cat person so it stays outside but she gets fed quite well by the neighbor next door or me sneaking snacks out there. I'd say she's about four to five months but is very very friendly, even to old crabasses like myself. I don't plan to keep her, my brother don't want her in the house either but she has free rein of the yard. She must have ESP, when I go out to get the mail, you don't see her, but coming back to get the mail, she's on the walk laying down. She knows when the door's open, she'll peek in and she knows the car well enough to run to it when I get home. Speaking of the devil, she's peaking in.. BRB.
One thing I do notice is that Callie not a big fan of the waterbed. Nor anything water.
But I would love to give her a good home, she's a good kitty cat.
Townedger Radio on Lucky Star has been a fun show and quite different and it's nice to play music that I want to hear. It's a month by month experiment and I have shows till March. It's the third Wed of the month at midnight CST. In other words, another show nobody listens to. I don't play Free Bird or Killer Queen or any overplayed garbage on Corporate Radio.
I guess the band highlight was the reunion of Paraphernalia in Facebook in January to which just about everybody that played in that band got together to remembrance the past and although we didn't play too often when we did, we were pretty good. Especially when fumbling through Free Bird on our last show, a song we never did beforehand. And never will again. The 30 year statue of limitations past this December with our final show in 84 so the band is now officially broken up. I hear rumors about Mike wanting to know when we're going to get together again from Russ, but coming from the source, he may have heard that in his dream. And I suspect that Russell will continue to think that way for another 10 to 20 years from now.
Forthcoming Trains is a better album than 30. There was more focus and we didn't labored too hard on the songs. I come to find it's best to revisit songs and see if they can fit better on a new album and I think I picked the right songs, which will be the norm for the next album. Nobody buys albums, nobody listens to albums and nobody cares about albums anymore but if I'd buy my albums if I seen them in stores. If I didn't have that mentality, then it would be pointless to tout the music. My albums are my diaries of that certain time, there's no throwaways, it's like chapters in a book. If it keeps you interested, then you keep listening. And that's what I want to do make music that people will continue keep listening to, like a book. If it don't work, you put it back on the shelf and go with something else.
I guess that's it for now, work beckons. On behalf of Martin Daniels, Russell Swearingen, Michael Swearingen, Geoffery Redding, Callie Rustbucket and the rest of the Townedgers crew I bid you all Happy New Year 2015.
I have no idea what musical projects will be forthcoming. Acoustic Favors was done on the cheap and impromptu form. It's interesting to put up an album of new songs and take a day to do it. It may lead the way for more songs that will compile the next effort.
I tell Russell in our last get together that whatever we do will be not The Townedgers. The TEs are a controlled democracy with me dictating how things will go and sound. The TEs are Rodney Smith, just as Vufcup is Diggy Kat. It's called working for the man. Of course the biggest question is time to get together since nobody is on the same page and I admit I'm guilty just as the rest not to get together. Jam sessions are always encouraged. Russell says he knows a few musicians and I continue to tell him to get a couple and let's have some fun with it. Nothing more to say about this.
For the past three weeks I have a visitor in the year, a stray gray lap cat that nobody knows where it came from. I call it Callie Rustbucket, Callie was a name of Donna's cat (Brooksie) that I thought was a nice name, Rustbucket due to all the orange and brown spots on it's coat. I am not a cat person so it stays outside but she gets fed quite well by the neighbor next door or me sneaking snacks out there. I'd say she's about four to five months but is very very friendly, even to old crabasses like myself. I don't plan to keep her, my brother don't want her in the house either but she has free rein of the yard. She must have ESP, when I go out to get the mail, you don't see her, but coming back to get the mail, she's on the walk laying down. She knows when the door's open, she'll peek in and she knows the car well enough to run to it when I get home. Speaking of the devil, she's peaking in.. BRB.
One thing I do notice is that Callie not a big fan of the waterbed. Nor anything water.
But I would love to give her a good home, she's a good kitty cat.
Townedger Radio on Lucky Star has been a fun show and quite different and it's nice to play music that I want to hear. It's a month by month experiment and I have shows till March. It's the third Wed of the month at midnight CST. In other words, another show nobody listens to. I don't play Free Bird or Killer Queen or any overplayed garbage on Corporate Radio.
I guess the band highlight was the reunion of Paraphernalia in Facebook in January to which just about everybody that played in that band got together to remembrance the past and although we didn't play too often when we did, we were pretty good. Especially when fumbling through Free Bird on our last show, a song we never did beforehand. And never will again. The 30 year statue of limitations past this December with our final show in 84 so the band is now officially broken up. I hear rumors about Mike wanting to know when we're going to get together again from Russ, but coming from the source, he may have heard that in his dream. And I suspect that Russell will continue to think that way for another 10 to 20 years from now.
Forthcoming Trains is a better album than 30. There was more focus and we didn't labored too hard on the songs. I come to find it's best to revisit songs and see if they can fit better on a new album and I think I picked the right songs, which will be the norm for the next album. Nobody buys albums, nobody listens to albums and nobody cares about albums anymore but if I'd buy my albums if I seen them in stores. If I didn't have that mentality, then it would be pointless to tout the music. My albums are my diaries of that certain time, there's no throwaways, it's like chapters in a book. If it keeps you interested, then you keep listening. And that's what I want to do make music that people will continue keep listening to, like a book. If it don't work, you put it back on the shelf and go with something else.
I guess that's it for now, work beckons. On behalf of Martin Daniels, Russell Swearingen, Michael Swearingen, Geoffery Redding, Callie Rustbucket and the rest of the Townedgers crew I bid you all Happy New Year 2015.
Sunday, 14 December 2014
The Acoustic Route
Since it was 12/13/14 I figured I would come up with a few songs to work on, but in the end, it became another finished album. Recorded, Produced, Mixed and Mastered in one day by me and perhaps the only time I have done this with workable songs. The echophonic years are different, the old man had a reel to reel, tapes were cheap and I had some percussion and knocked a lot of them out. Most are unlistenable but I was in my early teens.
The Townedgers themselves, Geoff and Martin have taken to other tasks in life and the band has not recorded much together since 30. Martin continues to go into production and helping other bands get going, Geoff has his daughters and I have myself to contend with.
Like anything else, the Saturday recording session had problems right from the start. Somehow channel A on the four track is not working anymore and the six songs recorded had to be scrapped and recorded on another channel. And of course the other problems (Flubbed words, missed guitar chords etc etc), so basically I did a lot of improvising and came up with the songs of note.
Shooting Star
Star!
Better Days
Avenues
Still Strangers
Cocaine Train (R.Smith/R.Swearingen/D.Lancaster)
Somewhere Down The Line
Realitesville
Country Life
Wolfie
Dear Lisa
Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever (R.Smith/N.Passmore)
And a bonus track (Track 14) The Road You're On
I really didn't get too deep into the catalog, but rather on the songs that I could find the lyrics. Except where noted I wrote the songs. The idea was to simplify some of the longer versions of songs (Shooting Star and Star!) from their previous arrangements. Star! was the first time I attempted to do the song in about 20 years and basically I would have forgotten all about the song had I not stumbled upon the lyrics. The person in question was Melissa, a strip dancer that I was friends with when she came into town in 1990 and like any other naive person thought this would go somewhere. It didn't and this song came about after a falling out over something trivial. I would see her one more time in 1991 which the song Sweet Melissa was written. A much more fonder farewell than Star!
But there's song that I wanted to redo. Somewhere Down The Line was one of them with a tagged ending that differs from the original. And of course Wolfie which was the hit single from Forthcoming Trains. Somewhere Down The Line i had to redo four times, the third got erased by accident. Two songs were helped by other folks, Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever came from a set of lyrics and some words that Nicole Passmore, thought up when we met in St Louis around 2009 and started to see each other. She's not musically inclined but she does have a habit of thinking some lines up for song ideas. She helped me on a couple more songs. Cocaine Train, on the other hand goes way back to 1983 as a filler track for Living In The Twilight Zone and I didn't think much of the song till my BFF buddy Russell Swearingen picked it out, (to the fact that it had Cocaine for it, I donno) and Dennis Lancaster thought up of the guitar riff, I think he added another chord in there somewhere, but whenever I performed this song, I usually do the arrangement to what I know. The words are all mine, but Russ and Dennis gets credit for the music.
12/13/14 is the working title. A couple more songs come from the 1980s. Since I have a catalog of more than 20 albums from 3 decades to choose from, a few songs come from the early 90s since I have the notebooks of the lyrics from that time around. Some albums were left off, Town's Edge Rock was one, Modern Problems In Reflected Living another, so was The Road Less Traveled or Long Time Forgotten. I did pick two from Pawnshops for Olivia and two came from Diamonds In The Skies. The recording (when the recorder would work) was fairly easy, and the new CD Recorder that I did the mixing and mastering on, took about an hour to make it sound presentable. It was easy, I recorded into one channel with guitar and some delay effects to sweeten up the sound. It's a mono recording but I did pan things off to the right to give it somewhat of a stereo sound. No drums were used, no backing vocals or other guitars. Just me and my Guild Acoustic unplugged and stripped down arrangements. No hassles with outside producers or band members either.
I am not comfortable about using my name as a solo artist, I prefer The Townedgers be it me incognito or with other guys in tow but this is a solo record and I don't know if it's going to lead to the next recording as Rodney Smith. The Townedgers are owed one more album under that name. We'll see what the future holds.
But for now 12/13/14 is what it would be like if I played an coffee house or solo. It's not perfect but it's an presentation of how I would sound with guitar in hand and a few songs to sing. But I can live with the results.
The Townedgers themselves, Geoff and Martin have taken to other tasks in life and the band has not recorded much together since 30. Martin continues to go into production and helping other bands get going, Geoff has his daughters and I have myself to contend with.
Like anything else, the Saturday recording session had problems right from the start. Somehow channel A on the four track is not working anymore and the six songs recorded had to be scrapped and recorded on another channel. And of course the other problems (Flubbed words, missed guitar chords etc etc), so basically I did a lot of improvising and came up with the songs of note.
Shooting Star
Star!
Better Days
Avenues
Still Strangers
Cocaine Train (R.Smith/R.Swearingen/D.Lancaster)
Somewhere Down The Line
Realitesville
Country Life
Wolfie
Dear Lisa
Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever (R.Smith/N.Passmore)
And a bonus track (Track 14) The Road You're On
I really didn't get too deep into the catalog, but rather on the songs that I could find the lyrics. Except where noted I wrote the songs. The idea was to simplify some of the longer versions of songs (Shooting Star and Star!) from their previous arrangements. Star! was the first time I attempted to do the song in about 20 years and basically I would have forgotten all about the song had I not stumbled upon the lyrics. The person in question was Melissa, a strip dancer that I was friends with when she came into town in 1990 and like any other naive person thought this would go somewhere. It didn't and this song came about after a falling out over something trivial. I would see her one more time in 1991 which the song Sweet Melissa was written. A much more fonder farewell than Star!
But there's song that I wanted to redo. Somewhere Down The Line was one of them with a tagged ending that differs from the original. And of course Wolfie which was the hit single from Forthcoming Trains. Somewhere Down The Line i had to redo four times, the third got erased by accident. Two songs were helped by other folks, Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever came from a set of lyrics and some words that Nicole Passmore, thought up when we met in St Louis around 2009 and started to see each other. She's not musically inclined but she does have a habit of thinking some lines up for song ideas. She helped me on a couple more songs. Cocaine Train, on the other hand goes way back to 1983 as a filler track for Living In The Twilight Zone and I didn't think much of the song till my BFF buddy Russell Swearingen picked it out, (to the fact that it had Cocaine for it, I donno) and Dennis Lancaster thought up of the guitar riff, I think he added another chord in there somewhere, but whenever I performed this song, I usually do the arrangement to what I know. The words are all mine, but Russ and Dennis gets credit for the music.
12/13/14 is the working title. A couple more songs come from the 1980s. Since I have a catalog of more than 20 albums from 3 decades to choose from, a few songs come from the early 90s since I have the notebooks of the lyrics from that time around. Some albums were left off, Town's Edge Rock was one, Modern Problems In Reflected Living another, so was The Road Less Traveled or Long Time Forgotten. I did pick two from Pawnshops for Olivia and two came from Diamonds In The Skies. The recording (when the recorder would work) was fairly easy, and the new CD Recorder that I did the mixing and mastering on, took about an hour to make it sound presentable. It was easy, I recorded into one channel with guitar and some delay effects to sweeten up the sound. It's a mono recording but I did pan things off to the right to give it somewhat of a stereo sound. No drums were used, no backing vocals or other guitars. Just me and my Guild Acoustic unplugged and stripped down arrangements. No hassles with outside producers or band members either.
I am not comfortable about using my name as a solo artist, I prefer The Townedgers be it me incognito or with other guys in tow but this is a solo record and I don't know if it's going to lead to the next recording as Rodney Smith. The Townedgers are owed one more album under that name. We'll see what the future holds.
But for now 12/13/14 is what it would be like if I played an coffee house or solo. It's not perfect but it's an presentation of how I would sound with guitar in hand and a few songs to sing. But I can live with the results.
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Thoughts Of The Townedger November
I have been enjoying my second career as a DJ on Lucky Star Radio, hosting Townedger Radio on the third Wednesday of each month that begins at midnight CST. But here we go with the latest installment of what I give my opinion and nobody gives a shit?
Since the weather has been shit, I turn my attention to recording what will be the last chapter of The Townedgers as a music collective. But we have no songs to speak of, and basically haven't thought much of putting new songs down, even though Radio Maierburg Records would like to have something for 2015. Really pointless to make albums outside of my own enjoyment. But I continue to promote the songs via Townedger Radio. Nobody else will promote them.
Don't look for a Tyrus reunion anymore. We have two extreme right wing viewed guitar players. They will still remain brother and arms but if I hear one of them bitching about Obummer they might get decapitated with a 22 inch swiss knocker. One plays whammy bar and the other a one note lead. The more reliable is making a decent living flying airplanes. He's moved on.
As I sat down to a Mexican dinner with Russell for the first time in months, we discuss ways of making one last attempt to get together and jam. When we stick with bar tunes, we are one and the same, not much so when it comes to my own stuff. It's a difference in styles that clashes with the simple melodies of The TEs. Then again I tend to really shy away from those who disagree with the melody philosophy of The Townedgers, they're not progressive rock, it's simple melody concurring with the thoughts of my mental state at that time. Some albums are very much a diary and I rather not have them being altered. And the personal nature of Pawnshops Of Olivia make it hard to revisit some of those songs. But Forthcoming Trains was, for the first time in years, an album that I just went on flow and feelings and what was written on the spot.
I do admit this, that paying more attention to see what I can find in the pawnshops or dollar bins at thrift stores took priority over my drumming and band activities and had I proceeded to translate that into my drum playing that perhaps I could rival Neil Peart or Gavin Harrison but I was a record collector first and musician second. Therefore The Townedgers were just that, a curio band that hardly anybody heard outside of friends and a couple fans. A hobby but it's a hobby that I happy to play from time to time and be happy with the results. Not all of it works but the ones that do stand out sound good on the radio when played. Perhaps I'll put the best together to make a decent best of. Hopefully I can find the right 12 songs for that. Maybe somewhere down the line I might get some faraway fans to seek me out for a comeback, just like they did with Rodriguez.
When you reach the 50s, time becomes more precious than when you were 30 or 40 and that there's no guarantee that you'll be around tomorrow. I don't think I am punishing Russell or blowing him off when talk of getting us back together to jam, shit happens in life and it has happened in bunches this year. We have work, he has golf on the weekends when the weather is over 40 degrees and basically lives a full life with his wife, doggie and cats. I'm not much of a cat fan and even less so when I'm around cats with attitudes. I'd love nothing more to wall Louie up in the bass drum and get a double bass petal and do Slipknot solos. There some cats I like, Bud and Lovie up at my brother's work place, Cosmo a few examples, but Louie creeps me out half the time. Which explains why I don't show up much over at my best friend's place. Plus he lives way across town.
I sold Matt, Russ's son my old Yamaha drum set to which Russ mentioned that they're now over at his place since Matt has gotten married and living a full life of work and school and no time for drums. So actually I'll be playing my old set that was a big part of the classic record years of the early 90s up to 2003's 20 before the DW replaced that set. So at least I won't have to tote my drums down there. The question remains of finding time from our busy life and playing together. But while my best friend continues to dream about a world tour and big recording career just like the old days, I'll be content with just getting together and jamming and perhaps maybe get to the corner bar for a fun filled evening and having a good time. And picking the best 3 cymbals instead of the usual 49 that I used on the last Tyrus show. I still have to haul these things without any help and I'm 53 now.
The Townedgers themselves, Martin continues to produce and record up and coming acts, Geoff is playing in his daughters band and we have not done much communicating since Forthcoming Trains wrapped up. Geoff played all over 30 but not as much on Forthcoming Trains which left me to do a lot of the guitar parts. But I have done that in the past as well. A band collective means anybody shows up gets credit for the album but I don't really reveal who played what on the songs. But we all know who did what on them.
It's a been 15 years when I first met Lisa and it was a year ago that we last emailed each other. Things happen in life and you either grow together or grow further apart. But I do give her credit for inspiring me to write a great album based upon our time together. We were not destined to grow old together but all the same I enjoyed the time we did spend with each other.
My favorite albums of 2014? Not a very long list but the ones that stood out was the Dylan Basement Tapes Raw album and The Strypes Snapshot. The worst one? Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence, I didn't get that one at all.
Going to St Louis was a fun time and I went there between the Ferguson riots but my place of sanctuary The Chain Of Rocks Bridge has been neglected once again. Some fuckers defaced and tagged up the fire engine and the once pretty Route 66 sings. Can't have anything nice down there. Nobody cares anymore.
The future of the TEs after the next album, I can't say. One day at a time.
Since the weather has been shit, I turn my attention to recording what will be the last chapter of The Townedgers as a music collective. But we have no songs to speak of, and basically haven't thought much of putting new songs down, even though Radio Maierburg Records would like to have something for 2015. Really pointless to make albums outside of my own enjoyment. But I continue to promote the songs via Townedger Radio. Nobody else will promote them.
Don't look for a Tyrus reunion anymore. We have two extreme right wing viewed guitar players. They will still remain brother and arms but if I hear one of them bitching about Obummer they might get decapitated with a 22 inch swiss knocker. One plays whammy bar and the other a one note lead. The more reliable is making a decent living flying airplanes. He's moved on.
As I sat down to a Mexican dinner with Russell for the first time in months, we discuss ways of making one last attempt to get together and jam. When we stick with bar tunes, we are one and the same, not much so when it comes to my own stuff. It's a difference in styles that clashes with the simple melodies of The TEs. Then again I tend to really shy away from those who disagree with the melody philosophy of The Townedgers, they're not progressive rock, it's simple melody concurring with the thoughts of my mental state at that time. Some albums are very much a diary and I rather not have them being altered. And the personal nature of Pawnshops Of Olivia make it hard to revisit some of those songs. But Forthcoming Trains was, for the first time in years, an album that I just went on flow and feelings and what was written on the spot.
I do admit this, that paying more attention to see what I can find in the pawnshops or dollar bins at thrift stores took priority over my drumming and band activities and had I proceeded to translate that into my drum playing that perhaps I could rival Neil Peart or Gavin Harrison but I was a record collector first and musician second. Therefore The Townedgers were just that, a curio band that hardly anybody heard outside of friends and a couple fans. A hobby but it's a hobby that I happy to play from time to time and be happy with the results. Not all of it works but the ones that do stand out sound good on the radio when played. Perhaps I'll put the best together to make a decent best of. Hopefully I can find the right 12 songs for that. Maybe somewhere down the line I might get some faraway fans to seek me out for a comeback, just like they did with Rodriguez.
When you reach the 50s, time becomes more precious than when you were 30 or 40 and that there's no guarantee that you'll be around tomorrow. I don't think I am punishing Russell or blowing him off when talk of getting us back together to jam, shit happens in life and it has happened in bunches this year. We have work, he has golf on the weekends when the weather is over 40 degrees and basically lives a full life with his wife, doggie and cats. I'm not much of a cat fan and even less so when I'm around cats with attitudes. I'd love nothing more to wall Louie up in the bass drum and get a double bass petal and do Slipknot solos. There some cats I like, Bud and Lovie up at my brother's work place, Cosmo a few examples, but Louie creeps me out half the time. Which explains why I don't show up much over at my best friend's place. Plus he lives way across town.
I sold Matt, Russ's son my old Yamaha drum set to which Russ mentioned that they're now over at his place since Matt has gotten married and living a full life of work and school and no time for drums. So actually I'll be playing my old set that was a big part of the classic record years of the early 90s up to 2003's 20 before the DW replaced that set. So at least I won't have to tote my drums down there. The question remains of finding time from our busy life and playing together. But while my best friend continues to dream about a world tour and big recording career just like the old days, I'll be content with just getting together and jamming and perhaps maybe get to the corner bar for a fun filled evening and having a good time. And picking the best 3 cymbals instead of the usual 49 that I used on the last Tyrus show. I still have to haul these things without any help and I'm 53 now.
The Townedgers themselves, Martin continues to produce and record up and coming acts, Geoff is playing in his daughters band and we have not done much communicating since Forthcoming Trains wrapped up. Geoff played all over 30 but not as much on Forthcoming Trains which left me to do a lot of the guitar parts. But I have done that in the past as well. A band collective means anybody shows up gets credit for the album but I don't really reveal who played what on the songs. But we all know who did what on them.
It's a been 15 years when I first met Lisa and it was a year ago that we last emailed each other. Things happen in life and you either grow together or grow further apart. But I do give her credit for inspiring me to write a great album based upon our time together. We were not destined to grow old together but all the same I enjoyed the time we did spend with each other.
My favorite albums of 2014? Not a very long list but the ones that stood out was the Dylan Basement Tapes Raw album and The Strypes Snapshot. The worst one? Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence, I didn't get that one at all.
Going to St Louis was a fun time and I went there between the Ferguson riots but my place of sanctuary The Chain Of Rocks Bridge has been neglected once again. Some fuckers defaced and tagged up the fire engine and the once pretty Route 66 sings. Can't have anything nice down there. Nobody cares anymore.
The future of the TEs after the next album, I can't say. One day at a time.
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