Monday, October 13, 2008

Old' Yeller


Less than 60 days before recording and I'm freaking out. And I'm freaking out over a variety of things too numerous to list here. Most are trivial. One isn't. 

I can't sing. I lack "on-key" unless flat is a key. Talk about surprised. I had some vocal abilities in a previous life, where did they go? I made a comment to Bob that I used to sing in a band. Hearing this remark, my wife immediately corrected me and said "You didn't sing...you yelled". Admitting you have a yelling problem is the first step. Okay, I admit it. I was a yeller. So...I am pulling out all stops and if necessary a checkbook to have a few personal voice coaches see if I can at least get back to "yelling on key". Roland comes over tonight. He gets free pizza, beer, and nightmares for my vocal assessment and prescription.

Lyrics finished. Music finished. Final touches being worked out. Getting closer. And Getting Better All the Time.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Rehearsing In Tacoma

It's seventwentyfiveam on octoberseventh. I am just waking up for the second day of rehearsals for our December 8th recording date at Abbey Road. 

I flew to Tacoma after a busy few days in San Francisco attending the AES show, where I picked up a minor cold. But the excitement of these rehearsals has been keeping my cold at bay.

Yesterday, Tim and I got together at his studio and worked on vocal arrangements for his song, 'Don't Blink.' I believe we have the song in very good shape, so we put down the basics for a scratch track. This morning, we'll put down those basics for my song, 'It's Girls' and then we'll start an actual dry run of recording both songs. Since we have to record and mix both in one day at Abbey Road, this will be a good test and a challenge to stay focused on what we have to do.

Our voices are a little rough, but are better than I thought they might be. I think we've both been singing more this year than we have in the past 20 or so, so voices are getting stronger. And the songs have really come together. They are strong, and have strong arrangements.

So, now the challenge is to practice them to the point that they are second nature to allow us to not have to worry about the parts at Abbey Road, but let us just relax into playing them.

Easy, no?

Anyway, I fly out tomorrow morning, back to Rochester until we convene in London 4 days before we are scheduled to record. Plenty of time to practice all of this.

And you know what? It'll be on us in no time at all and it's entirely possible that Tim and I will be sitting at this very table having lunch...