A concept album based on the album genre

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Yes, I have a habit of over-complicating and thinking things through a little too much. But, and yes here I go again, I have a plan for FAWM. The plan with FAWM is to write an album of 14 songs in one month. So I thought I would play around with this. I have the concept of a perfect album in my head, not the tunes or the songs, but what the perfect album should contain. This has been created and inspired by my favourite bands, predominantly through the 80s but also before and after then with nods to Bowie and later bands who have, in their own way, sung along with my mythical vision.

You’ll need to bear with me with this for the next month or so as I begin to explain exactly what I am on about. The thing is I am going to create a concept album that is based on what I believe the perfect album should be. This will be my primary inspiration for each song I write for FAWM. I may, or may not, have another concept to inspire the actual lyrics and sound, that is tomorrow’s task.

I know that this could all fall horribly apart but I am also very excited about the whole concept. It is interesting because I had also penned in this year to be the year of genre breaking (that’s another post). And yet here I am actually using genre as my framework. Okay, the whole thinking behind FAWM uses the genre of the album, so I am already part of the machine.

So what exactly am I on about. Here’s what I mean, well, just a short selection. For me the perfect album has the following:

  • ‘the perfect opening track’ – this is a builder, it introduces the general sound of the rest of the songs, and draws you in to what follows, it never quite peaks… as we say, always leave them wanting more.
  • ‘the single’ – the song that everyone knows by the band, the one that gets played everywhere, all the time
  • ‘the ballad’ – the slow(?) love song, that will be played as ‘the first song’ at ‘fans’ weddings’
  • ‘the anthemic closing track’  - for me track 10 should be the song that pushes the artist, both musically and lyrically

These are only my initial thoughts and there are a whole lot more on my mind map. However, if there are any ‘songs’ you think should be included on the perfect album let me know in the comments, you never know you could be my muse. I have 14* tracks to write over the month, so thoughts are always appreciated.

*14 tracks, but you said track 10 was the closing track. Yes, the other 4 are the b-sides or tracks that don’t quite make the album. I’ve thought of everything… almost.

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Looking forward to a musical February with FAWM

January 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

One of the biggest challenges for me is to realise how much I actually do. I am constantly beating myself up for not being as creative as I could be, without realising what I have achieved. That is one of the reasons this little creativity blog is here, to record what I have done. I am also using, as part of a general what have I been up to craze, I Done This a neat little site that enables me to record anything that I did the day before. The cool idea behind this is that it sends me an email the following day and I reply, listing anything I have done on a new line and voila it records it for me. Just having to think back over the day before has shown me I do a lot more than I think.

Guitar practice

I have been practising my guitar. Or more specifically lead guitar lines (or licks as we say in the guitar jargon world). I’m not great at this sort of thing as I am primarily a chords man, but I thought it was a good habit to get into to stretch myself. So if you see me struggling over playing a few notes here and there you’ll know why.

F.A.W.M

I am going to attempt to write 14.5 songs in 29 days. Yes, I have thrown my hat into the ring for FAWM, the February album writing month. The aim is to write 14 (and a half, seeing as it is a leap year) songs in 29 days. I don’t normally struggle writing songs, but the time limit will help me get over the perfectionist in me that so often stops an idea coming to fruition. I’ll be updating here and various other places with my progress, so any cheers appreciated. In the meantime I have a blues riff to master.

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Stepping out of our musical comfort zone

January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It feels like I’ve been spending all my time recently planning the next five years. And to be honest I have. But I have also been writing some songs away in the background, and I should be recording that here. (Did I really just start two sentences with and and but? I break conventions)

Okay, back on track. I have been writing a song that is outside my comfort zone, is about a subject I would not normally write about. I’ll get some rough demos out as soon as possible, but as the song is specifically for someone else they will probably get to hear it first.

So, in summary, it has been good to do something I wouldn’t normally do.

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I can do the 80s now

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When I bought John Foxx’s The Garden I was both happy and sad. The happiness came from an admiration and love of the songs. But my sadness was because there was something missing from this his second solo release. His first, Metamatic, was a unique futuristic album that captured the sparse, urban, digital world we had entered, it was 1980.

Ironically the sound that was missing, as I later worked out, was a drum machine. The Garden, whilst using drum machines had moved into the realm where the aim was to make it sound like a real drummer. And the irony was, it was an analogue sound that had made Metamatic sound so wonderful. Anyway, I have found myself a VST instrument to play with. Yes a CR78 drum machine VST, which, I’m pretty sure was used on Metamatic and certainly on other futuristic albums of the time… and for those who aren’t familiar with Metamatic just think of the opening beats of Enola Gay by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and you’ll know what I am talking about.

CR78 drum machine

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Playing with the journal

December 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’m just trying out a post to twitter plug in. I have a plugin on my other sites but can’t remember and have little patience to try and work out what one I am using. I am on a mission, not enough time, so trying this out.

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A little post-Christmas mixing

December 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Well apart from saying Happy Christmas to you all… Happy Christmas… I have been a naughty boy with regard to keeping this my creative journal up to date. I could use the excuse that I am choosing to do it with renewed vim and vigour next year but that’s not a great or creative excuse.

So I have been writing a fair bit, blog posts here and there. I have also been doing a lot of guitar playing and singing. The Ukulele is getting regular strumming and so I am keeping up with practising. I have even begun implementing aspects of my 2012 life choices. More of that on another blog but it will have implications to what I get up to here.

I’ve just spent a couple of hours mixing a track to send out to someone. I’ve offered, and will begin to offer, my music with pretty much no strings attached for people to take and use and simply enjoy. Again more of that next year but that is what will happen. I’ve also spent a while doing the entropicon homepage of which this is part of, and I’ve also been researching information to be able to redo the design of this particular journal.

I have a work free week and so if I don’t update here, you’ll know I’m already slacking… or I’m just being very, very creative.

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A little playtime

October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I often spend time with the guitar and the ukulele, strumming through songs both old and new. It is a way of both writing and refining the songs themselves. It is also something I really enjoy. It is a form of performance and even though no one is watching and listening, apart from those in the house or the neighbours through the walls, it generates similar feelings to having an audience.

Last night though I spent a time playing old and new songs on the keyboard. I’m not as good on the keyboard as the guitar but that doesn’t matter. I can play the songs and that is the main thing.

It was a good time. I tried a couple of different sounds and arrangements for songs. If I can get a few moments without distraction I’ll try and record them, perhaps even video recordings. I think this is one way forward, not exactly lo-fi but unpolished. I am really looking forward to getting these songs out and about onto the net.

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Ukulele song

September 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Spent sometime re-working the first verse of the Ukulele song and I think I’m there, or as close as, before it is honed in the big wide world.

Now it is time for a title, although Ukulele song is nice and cute, it doesn’t really convey everything that the song is. I mean, I may even play it on the guitar sometimes. So a title is required. It could then even get its own page and such.

I’m toying with the title the day today because of a theme that is running through the song. However do I really want it linked to a very funny TV series? It does work, and it would add to the memorability of the song. I don’t think it will be the final title but one never knows. I’ll let that marinate in my mind for a few days and see if I am happy with it or not.

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The first ukulele song

September 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I wrote my first song on the ukulele the other week. It isn’t particularly ground-breaking but it was brought together on the tiny little thing. I was limited with the chords I knew but it has worked out quite nicely. There is a distinct feel and vibe that working on the ukulele brought and it fitted with the slightly whimsical lyric.

I have played it since on the guitar and also the piano, and that brings out a much richer sound, but perhaps loses the folky nature that inspired it. So, when I do get around to recording or playing it for a wider audience it will be ukulele led.

I’m now re-working the lyric so that the scanning is the same for each verse. This means working on the first verse again so should take too much time. And then it will be ready to be released onto the world. You dear friend.

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Creativity back on track

August 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Spent an hour or two today writing a song. At times I tend to give up a little early, as in have an idea and then put it down. But today I kept going and didn’t stop. And have ended up with a written song. One or two bits that need a little work on, but on the whole it is done.

Of course it isn’t recorded but it is in a state where I could put it down without any humming or blah blah blah on it.

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