Peter Gabriel and Album Art
I stumbled on this quote by Peter Gabriel today: “I’ve always loved artwork and album art. I think it’s been a huge part of what people identify and feel about the music and the records. I used to love gatefold sleeves… when you would sit with a new record and open it up it was just a precious moment. Now we’ve gone into this digital world a lot of that has been lost.”
I feel exactly the same way. I went to a Borders the other day and I couldn’t believe how slim the once massive CD collection is. The world is going to have to stop making CD’s to get me to switch all digital. I would prefer the physical album every time. The art and the tangible product is part of the fun of experiencing an album. The only exception would be with a band only having a couple good songs, but the rest album is crap lame. Then buying an MP3 or two can be worth it.
In closing, the more I listen to Peter Gabriel my mind is blown. I would love to meet him someday, even better work with him on something.
Progress Shmogress: Rushing Art
“You can’t rush art -” is what I keep hearing in my head over and over again – The quote comes from Toy Story 2. Why I keep hearing it is a two fold booty: 1st booty fold – My first album when all is said and done is going to take a year longer than I wanted it to and the quote helps me feel a little better about it. Plus I know when I am finished I will be 99% happy with the final product, which is much better than sending music into the world that blows. 2nd booty fold – I recently saw the Toy Story 3D double feature with my wife for a date. Now that we have those out of the way on to the good news!! ….
All mixing and mastering is finished!! Anyone that has been working on something for a long time, whether art, a business, making babies, or whatever it is – will know what it is like to experience a positive end result/effect of the work. It was an exciting day! Now all the details of the album art need to be put together and I need to round up the funds to make all the CD’s and we are in business! After that look out for a release party! I plan on renting out a cool venue and having free food and stuff. Rock on amigos!
Shout Out and Album Progress
I would now like to shout out to everyone related to Billy Bob Thornton. This shout out has now concluded. Thank you. Now go home, dress up like Cindy Lauper, and cry your self to sleep. 
The album is rocking along – I am getting close to setting an official release party chank day. Aside from a few other little things that need to be recorded I’m now moving forward with the design of the CD which is fun. Andy Bean finished his painting of my man mug… that sounds weird.. and a friend and coworker of mine Josh Derosa is helping me with the design of the CD. With his design and a bunch of other art from friends the CD will make you all warm and tingly before you even listen to it. Rock on amigos!! P.S. if you’re asking “why the Billy BT shout?” – then let me tell you.. why not?
Done better see some live music son
If you are a music fan, particularly a live music fan then you must have your reasons for forking over $20-200 to see a group play. Now keep in mind when I say “live music” I don’t consider New Kids On The Block, or any other group where the lyrics say things like *”I’ve been waiting for you to get naughty” and song titles like **”Sexify My Love” as music. My next door neighbor is a die hard “Block” fan, so without trying to bash her or the group too much – for the purposes of this discussion lets focus more on live rock music and move on from talking about lame kinds of groups before I get into a rant.
Why would you want to go see a group play live? For me nothing can beat the experience of watching a musician pour out their craft in a live setting – blowing your mind, melting your face, and busting your guts. To be a part of the process of art, whether its watching a painter make something amazing out of what was before just a white canvas and colors on a pallet, a dancer practice, or a choir rehearse – it solidifies the art and makes it more personal. If you can’t be with your favorite bands when they wrote the music and recorded it in the studio, which is likely – then the closest you can come to the raw art is going and seeing them live. Plus if the band can wail live it will just make you love them even more. If they suck, oddly it still provides some sense of satisfaction that at least you now know they are only any good in the studio. It is simply just cooler to be a part of the process instead of only having the end product – the finished painting or the studio CD.
So go see some live music! The next time one of your favorite groups is coming to town save up and go see them!
*Actual New Kids On The Block lyrics
**Actual New Kids On the Block song title
Lions and Tigers and Bass Lines oh my.
Close to 4 years ago a group of buds and I (Cam, Wayne, Ryan) figured out that we all played something and figured we should be in a band. With two guitarists a keyboardist and a drummer we were missing the bloody bass player. I have always had a love for playing the bass, I first started picking it up in High School playing Ben Folds Five songs. Even though I loved it, we had too many songs that sounded cooler with two guitars. So we went on a hunt for a bass player. I think we must have tried on and off for a year. The first official addition was Andy Bean. Who at the time was playing the bass, but now appears to be a very talented artist -
Andy Bean Self Portrait - Awesome
But for whatever reason we didn’t really give the man a chance. Just one of those weird things. Eventually we ended up going with an old buddy of mine, Brad Elmer – we met out in Mexico. He was originally a tuba player, but he tweaked it up and was pretty rockin. After many many months of playing and after the following band names:
Salsbury Pudding, Canta Maleus, Spend a Penny, According to People, Good Company, The Standard, Beth (this one stuck for about 2 months) and finally Redd Spectre, we ultimately broke up. Some of the coolest names no one ever really considered – like “I used to be the head of pediatrics but now I’m a kitten.” And many others. I’ll have to ask the other guys to post their favorite weird names we came up with in the comments.
So now a couple years later I am going to be laying down the bass lines for the 19 songs we just recorded. And I tell ya what – I wrote the love sauced songs and I am having to work my tail off to come off with bass lines I will be happy with. I bought my friends 5 string bass off of him for the project, and it is blowing my mind. The low B is pretty much my mommy now. Sorry old Mom, still love you though.
My wifes Barbie in the corner seems to ruin the Bass-Blowing-My-Mindness. But I am representing in my Doba shirt at least.
