The week in demos has been the best possible introduction. Thanks, Sal.
2017 was a rough year for me. One reason being the band I'd played with for 18 years fell apart and burst into flames.
When I brought all my gear home from our rented studio, it had nowhere to go except the living/dining room.
"Use it or lose it" I thought about all the real estate it took up, and began recording what became this album.
I'm not going into what else made it a difficult year, all I can say is making this music is what kept me from having a nervous breakdown. No exaggeration.
It's my personal blues.
I have vivid memories of mowing the lawn when I was 13, in 1970, while daydreaming of someday having a recording studio and creating music by playing all the instruments like my hero Paul McCartney. The only problem being I didn't know how to play anything except school band trumpet. It's taken me 48 years to get here.
My plan was to make an ambient record, but it went where it wanted to. All I could do was hang on for dear life and ride it out. A few tracks come close.
At various times I play: Electric and acoustic 6 & 12 string guitars, "Loog" guitar, octave mandolin, bass, fretless bass, Vietnamese moon lute (Dan Nguyet), autoharp, bass pedals, Hammond organ, mellotron, piano, toy piano, glockenspiel, strings, modular synthesizers, rhythm machines, Drums, Gongs, bongos, conga, hand claps, sleighbells, misc percussion, trumpet, mellophone, sound effects, loops, samples, and a church pipe organ.
It's all instrumental. It's probably better that I didn't put anything into words or it would have been rather dark.
I think of these as sound paintings.
Here's the first "single":
And here's another possibility:
I had a band in North Carolina in the late '80's named The Crack. We rehearsed at my house, which we dubbed The Crack Palace. All my home studios have been called that ever since.
It was during my Crack years I became known as Baby Jesus.
I liked to introduce the band from stage:
"Over here on bass, we have Thumbs, on cello, Killer, On vocals we have Cousin Daisy, and Golden Throat, behind me on drums is, The Black Stallion, and I'm Baby Jesus".
When I moved to Jersey City, and formed what would become Foglizard, "Buzz" was added because I usually had one.
I finished "CLOSE INC" last week and knew this chapter was complete.
2018 is a vast improvement so far.
Greetings From The Crack Palace
-Enjoy!
BBJ
9 comments:
Looking forward to listening to this. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
As one who cannot play any instrument or sing, I'm extremely jealous. I would have a blast doing that. Thanks for sharing!
Randy
does have a little cherries on the table quality to it.
Yes! Yes it does! There's a part in 'Free Throw' that is reminiscent of "Why/Why says the junk in the yard..."
BBJ, I enjoyed the two songs you posted links to - I'm drawn to "Free Throw" which is both poppy and hypnotic, interesting combination. Looking forward to the whole mix - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the share, BBJ! Really enjoyed the first tune - multiple repeat listens. Additionally, listened to many of the others found on your YouTube channel. Well done, sir! Well done indeed.
Really like this. Especially Cut To The Chase and Mel's Grand Opening. Thanks.
Thanks for the kind words everybody.
Well done, and I know the feeling.
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