"Simple Minded"

I might as well get this post started. It's inevitable that I am going to write this song. Things have been working out very well for me with this Cd and I am very thankful. It's hard, sometimes, not to think that higher powers are guiding me. I can tend to be a bit mischievous with my songwriting (mafia, vampires, ghosts, doppelgangers, voodoo, etc.), but underneath it all, I am proud to be one of the good people. I currently am not a member of any religion and I don't attend church. I did, however, attend Catholic schools when I was younger. There are many problems with the Catholic Church leadership, just like with our government. This, in no way, reflects on the hard working people who are believers in both. From my experiences the Catholics were always cool down to Earth people, just like the majority of Americans. Well to cut to the quick, I think that the powers that be allow us to be unique and original and we are all blessed with different talents. Sometimes in return the powers that be may ask that you give something back. In my case, I think it is this song. This is my way of saying thank you to the powers that be, and to all my friends and family who are believers.

5-3-10, I have about 2 weeks, or so, until the storage facility where I am recording my vocals will be ready. That gives me 2 weeks to work on this tune. Once the drums are worked out it should only take 3-4 days to finish everything else. So ... I guess this means I have some free time to get out and enjoy the warm weather. I have earned the down time !

5-6-10, How quickly things can change ! I got the storage unit sooner than expected. This song will have to sit on the back burner for a while.

5-18-10, I am still recording the vocals for my first 12 tunes (only 2 left). Once the vocals are completed, I am going to work on "Wilderness Of Mirrors". After that, I will tackle this song. If all goes well, I will be back to this post in about 2-3 weeks. This will be the final song that I work on for my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. If all goes well, I will be in an excellent mood when I return. I have the storage facility through the month of June, so that will leave me with about 2 weeks to nail this tune. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed, and hope that my luck continues.

6-5-10, I just finished up "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight, so this is the final song that I will work on for this Cd release ! I made it back to this post in 18 days, so I guess I am right in the middle of my 2-3 week prediction. Oh, and yes ... I am in an excellent mood. I technically have the storage facility until July 4th, which sounds like a perfect day to celebrate having all the recording done for this Cd. I think I should have this song done within 2 weeks. It is going to be nice to get back to using the acoustic guitar, which I am thinking about recording at the storage facility. All the natural reverb in there should work out real well. So basically I just need to record the drums, bass, lead guitar and a scratch acoustic track here at home. I am also contemplating trying my hand at some slide guitar on the lead track. Composition wise, I do still need to work out some lyrics and a bridge section. No ideas at this point, but I am sure something will come to me.

6-6-10 (3:30 a.m.), Well so much for waiting. I have already started to put the drum track together. I didn't think it would be overly complicated. A nice straightforward, romping, Rockabilly beat is all that is needed. The groove will pretty much drive through the entire song. I am still not sure if the song needs a bridge section, or not ? I also have all the lyrics for the verses, and choruses, worked out.

6-7-10 (3:00 a.m.), While working on the drum track, my headphones began zonking out on me !! Here all along, I thought the input on my recorder was messed up (after dropping it at the storage facility). Now that the same cutting in and out problem is occurring with the drum machine, it is obvious that it was my headphones all along. I am relieved that the problem isn't with my recorder. I have had this set of AKG Monitor headphones for about 10 years now and they have more than earned their keep (used on all 3 Cd's). I guess I will have to make a trip to Sam Ash today, and buy another pair. Luckily, it's just a minor setback. Hopefully a good pair won't be too expensive. Maybe I will get lucky and they will have my studio monitors in (I currently have their floor model). I have been patiently waiting for about 1 1/2 months for them to arrive. Maybe if I play this right, I will be able to work a deal for the headphones ? We'll see .... (5:30 p.m.) My monitors weren't in yet, but I did a get a nice new pair of Samson CH700 Studio Reference Headphones ($50) !!! I autographed and dated the old pair of AKG headphones and packed them away. You never know ... they may end up being a cool collectible someday. (11:00 p.m.) Alrighty then ! I am having a really productive day. I am almost positive that I have the drums worked out. I came up with a simple change part that should work out alright. Since I am on a roll, I might as well hit the gym and put in a good workout. I will give the drums another listen when I get home. If I like what I hear, then I will record them tomorrow. The new headphones seem to be working well !!!

6-8-10 (3:30 a.m.) Another awesome workout ! I think I was there about 3 1/2 hours. I have started to work a 1/2 hour of cardio into my usual routine. I am listening to the drum track right now, and I think it is good to go. All in all, it is kind of a "simple" song (no pun intended). I will record the track later today, when I wake up. The acoustic, with a capo on the 1st fret, isn't going to be problem at all. It's just a bunch of straightforward strumming ... without a pick (my preferred way of playing the acoustic). I am definitely going to record the track at the studio, because I want to experiment with running 2 recording lines (1 direct and the other through the microphone). This will give me 2 versions of the same guitar track to work with. I am anxious to hear how the acoustic sounds through the microphone, with all the natural reverb in the room. I will just have to be careful not to move around much while recording, so no extra noises bleed through the mix. Before I do this, I am going to record a scratch track, which will make it easier to record the bass line. Since the acoustic has a capo on the first fret, I will have to tune the bass up 1/2 step. This is also cool because it will smooth out the dead frets that I have been having trouble with. Once the bass and acoustic are finished, I will move onto the lead guitar. I am very excited about attempting to play some slide guitar. I have never tried this before, so it will be a new experience. I am positive that I am not going to use any keyboards on this song. (3:00 p.m.) I just got the drum track recorded (my last drum track for this Cd). I also did a scratch acoustic track. After this, I tuned up the bass and did a quick test run. As far as the tone goes, everything sounded good. So, basically I am ready to roll with the bass line. Before I do this, I will need to work out the song keys (I don't want to hit any boner notes). My friends from Illinois left me a text earlier today, so I will probably be getting together with them over the next few days. We might catch a Rays game tomorrow (we're still in 1st place, and Price is pitching vs. Toronto). Anyway, I'm going to go and hit the beach for about an hour or so.

6-9-10 (3:00 a.m.), On a roll ! I just got the bass track recorded. I did raise the tuning up 1/2 step (G#, D#,A#,F). The song operates around 2 keys (F Major during the verses and G# Major for the choruses and change). The bass track makes for a very nice backbone to the song. The tune actually has a danceable beat, which is cool. Religion, when it's done right, should have a celebratory vibe. Well, this was my last bass track for this Cd ! I am sure that whenever I get around to writing another Cd, I will be playing a new bass (hopefully a Ibanez). I have had this Aria Pro (with custom pickups) for about 22 years now. It is one of the few, surviving remnants from my Illinois days. Shortly after moving to Florida (1991), I sanded it down and gave it a custom paint job. Someday I will have my own custom studio, and I am sure that this bass will be hanging up on the wall somewhere (probably next to my AKG headphones). Well, the acoustic guitar track is next ... then the lead guitar. The acoustic is going to be no problem at all. The lead guitar, on the other hand, will be a challenge. Playing slide is a bit tricky. (12:00p.m.) I just found out that my dad (birth dad) is in town. I am going to go over to my brothers house tonight to visit with him, and maybe go fishing tomorrow. (2:00 p.m.) Yes, I am going to the Rays game tonight with my brother and dad. Left field bleachers, Price vs Marcum ... should be an awesome game. (11:30 p.m.) Rays Win !! I had a good time. My brother, dad and I are going to go fishing at Fort DeSoto tomorrow. Should be another good time.

6-10-10. I went fishing today with my birth dad, brother, sister-in-law and their grandson at Fort DeSoto. after that I hung out with my Illinois friends. It was a fun day ! I have to admit that when it comes to fishing I am not very good. All I ended up catching was a good sunburn. I did, however, see a 3-4' shark and a dolphin swam by about 50-75' away from where we were fishing. It was a fun day and a much needed break from the music. My friends from Illinois were also doing well. It was good to see them again.

6-12-19 (5:00 p.m.), I took it easy yesterday, and stayed home in the nice cool AC. It is really hot out ! I might get together with my brother and dad later today. Tomorrow we are going to an art show in St. Pete. On Monday (2 days), I will resume my work on this song. I am thinking that I may just record the lead vocals on the same day that I do the acoustic. This would leave me with just the lead guitar track left to finish. Once the lead track is finished, all I will have left is .... one vocal for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" and 2 possible vocal redo's for "Coming For You" and "Best Days Of Your Life". By Monday, I will have about 20 days left to accomplish all of this. I actually think that I will have it all finished and still have about 2 weeks left to play with. I may then use some of this time to do some mastering. It will be very hot in there, but if I walk away with any final mixes it will be worth it.

6-14-10, I just got done bringing my birth dad to the airport. We had a fun week. Our relationship has always been a bit on the rocky side. There is no doubt in denying that he is a dedicated alcoholic. This has been his lifestyle for a very long time and it has really begun to take a toll on his body. It is sad seeing him in a deteriorating state. That being said, I am not a hater and I don't want to live my life thinking that I am any better than anyone else ... we all have our demons. I have my days where I like to party too. I just don't want it to be something that controls me. Despite all the adversity and bad times that I have had to endure with him, I am still thankful that he is my dad and I do love him. I am also thankful that I had a chance to spend some time with him and share some good memories. Sometimes the greatest lessons in life can be learned by watching other people's mistakes. If his health does take a turn for the worst (which is inevitable), I have the peace of mind to know that we are on good terms with each other. I am also very proud of my mom for riding with us to the airport. She has many reasons to be bitter with him, yet she found the strength to turn the other cheek. I know when he left Tampa, he did so with a smile on his face ... and that is a memory I will never forget. (6:30 p.m.) I am going to put in a good workout tonight ! Tomorrow It is back to work for me. I am going to hit the studio and lay down the acoustic for this song, and possibly the lead vocals too. If I pull it off, all that will be left is the lead guitar track. (11:30 p.m.) I am just too burned out, the workout is going to have to wait.

6-16-10, Finally feeling better today. There is some thundering going on outside, but no rain so far. If no bad weather develops I am going to hit the studio later, and finish up this song (acoustic and lead vocals). With my birth dad and friends visiting last week, I kind of got blown off course for a bit. I only have about 2 weeks left now, and I absolutely need to step up and get this song done. It is possible that I may hold off on the lead guitar, until all the vocal work is done ("Wilderness Of Mirrors" and the 2 possible redo's). The storage unit contract ends on July 4 and I really don't want to have to rent it for another month. So, finishing the vocals is my priority right now.

6-17-10 (2:30 a.m.) Yes !!! I am back on top of the game. After about 5 1/2 hours in a grueling hot storage unit, I am proud to say that I have completed the acoustic track ... and the lead vocals !!! Of course I will have to listen back tomorrow before I give my final approval, but I think it will be good to go. I did do a dual recording of the acoustic (1 mic'd the other a normal line in). I am positive that both tracks are perfect. It's cool because I have 2 versions of the same recording to work with. I also ended up using a pic, the finger strummed approach just wasn't working. The results are excellent. This song ended up becoming a bit of an upbeat rockabilly religious tune. If everything sounds good tomorrow, all that is left is the lead guitar. Awesome !!! (4:00 p.m.) I did it !!! The acoustic and vocal tracks are perfect. The song actually sounds great without a lead guitar track ! Despite this, I am still going to record one. A few tasty leads, or simple rhythmic slides, should add a whole new dimension to the tune. Well, that was my last acoustic track for this Cd. Of all my instruments, my Ovation is definitely my favorite. The approach I used last night to recording the acoustic worked perfectly ! I will continue to use this approach with all my future Cd projects. I ran out of CDRW's, so I wasn't able to backup the song data. I am going to make a run to Office Depot in a couple of hours, when I got back home that will be priority #1. I know I don't have the lead finished yet, but I don't want to lose what I've already finished.

6-18-10, I have started to mess around with some lead guitar parts. I am going to use a slide guitar tuning (F,C,A#,F,C,F). The verse parts are in the key of F Major and the chorus/change parts are in G# Major. The open strings F,C and A# are common notes in both keys. It's just a matter of getting familiar with the tuning, then I will start playing along with the recording and see what develops. I am not going to use the slide all the way through, some parts will be picked. I have never used a slide before, or this tuning, so I am excited to see what happens. I guess this qualifies as another creative moment ... I love it ! I am determined to elevate this tune to another level !! If I get it right the slide parts should add a bit of a swampy/bayou southern vibe to this religious rockabilly song. I am the only person I know of who could come anywhere close to pulling this off. Though not stated directly, the lyrics in the song do kind of pertain to the suffering in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and both wars. I can do this !

6-19-10 (2:30 a.m.) I have been working on putting together a really cool slide guitar track. I pretty much have the the intro/interludes, verses and 1/2 the chorus worked out. The change section is going to be the only challenging part. I am still not totally comfortable with the slide, but it is a lot of fun ! It really does add a cool southern vibe to the song. I can do it !

6-20-10, I just nailed the lead vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight. That means that all I have left is the lead guitar for this song, and 2 possible vocal redo's. I technically still have 2 weeks left with the storage unit, so I am now way ahead of schedule. Things are going very well with this Cd. Tomorrow (today) is Fathers Day's so I will take a break a break from the music to spend some time with my dad. I am also going to call my birth dad and wish him well.

6-22-10, I have put this song aside for a couple of days while I worked on designing the front cover sleeve for the Cd. I did, finally, buy some CDRW's so I will be able to backup this songs data ASAP. I don't want to lose the tracks that I have already worked on. Once the lead guitar is done, I will overwrite the data

6-31-10 (3:00 a.m.), I have put the lead guitar track aside while I was working on the graphic design for the Cd. To break the monotony, I went to the studio tonight to take shot at recording it. Well, it didn't work out. On the brighter side I did manage to get a good mix for the song. Maybe that will make future recording attempts a bit easier. For what it is worth, I am really not overly concerned about when I get around to recording the lead guitar. It isn't like I'm sitting idle and not getting anything else done. After listening to the song, it is possible that I may also scrap one of the guitar tracks. The one that was recorded through the mic has a very muffled low end tone that seems to muddy up the mix. If I do so, then I will have another extra track to work with. It is possible that I may even lay down some keyboards on this track. Keys and a lead guitar would make this a very big sounding song. For whatever reason, I seem to do very well with big sounding songs.

7-5-10 (4:30 a.m.) I decided to change from the slide tuning (F,C,F,A#,C,F) back to a 1/2 step up approach (F,C,G#,D#,A#,F). The catchy rhythm slide part I came up with only uses single notes and I think it will be less complicated in this tuning. Besides, the majority of the slide part is played on the high F and C strings, so nothing changes there. (9:00 p.m.) I am starting to put the guitar track together. It's nothing overly dramatic, just some nice melodic rhythm leads. I might open it up a bit during the musical change part, which I will work out when I am recording. I am also going to need to enhance the outro. Maybe I can get it to have an uplifting vibe. That would be a fitting ending to the song, and the Cd.

7-7-10, The lead guitar is really starting to take form. I am experimenting with an alternate approach for the outro. If all goes well, I will probably have the track recorded within a week. The slide parts that I came up with are very catchy, and fit the song perfectly. For the most part it is Slide Guitar 101 ... but it works !

7-8-10, I got the intro, verse and chorus sections recorded today. I was getting tired of putting things off, so I decided to put my head down and get it done ... haste is waste ! I still need to fine tune the change part before I lay it down. I am also working out a cool melodic outro solo. The first half of the chorus, and the outro, are the only parts of the track that don't use a slide.

7-9-10, The outro solo is almost worked out !! I still have to add a few finishing touches, but it is pretty much good to go. This is probably one of the most melodic solo's I have ever put together. I still need to work out something for the change section. It's not going to be anything flashy, just a few slides to accent the rhythm section. I am confident I will have the entire track finished tomorrow.

7-11-10 (1:30 a.m.) Yes !!! I am finished ! This is one of the tastiest lead tracks I have have ever recorded. I ended up alternating between the slide and finger picked parts in the outro (played without removing the slide). The slides I came up with for the change section are perfect ! I am absolutely positive that this song has the potential to be a hit. It is also one of the more danceable tunes on the Cd, and one of the longest at over 5 1/2 minutes. I am sure that the higher powers will be very happy with my efforts. The song turned out to be a southern rockabilly swamp boogie hip shaker with a religious theme. It is such a relief to finally have this tune finished. There is only one word I can think of that is suitable for the end of this post .... Amen !

*** It is also fitting that I finished this song on a Sunday morning ***