I didn't think it was quite up to par song-wise to make it to the album, but it's a funny little thing anyway, some of you might enjoy it:
http://bdblog.bdrak.com/february/
I didn't think it was quite up to par song-wise to make it to the album, but it's a funny little thing anyway, some of you might enjoy it:
http://bdblog.bdrak.com/february/
Who can afford to discard a gem like that? The song really picks up from the middle part onwards…classic BD, really. Do recycle it!
PS: Can’t wait for your new album. Your other CDs remain in heavy rotation at my place until then…
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
That second half has a genuine YES vibe ca. 1971-72. And how fresh it sounds...Originally Posted by at least 100 dead
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
Might be because of playing the bass (4001) melody with the Cry Baby wah wah pedal, which I've had since about 1973, even longer than I've had my 4001 (1974).
Oh and I played the bass through one of my Bassman amps from the 60's. So i guess the years average out to the early 70's.
I've already used the chords/melody from the "murky" sounding section (1:21-1:35) in a new song. I also do like the bit with the Farfisa organ (0:51-0:58) but it's not enough to salvage the overall song from the bin.
Note: when I played the the Farfisa part, I also had a microphone on the keys, that's what gives it that clattery sound.
This song is the Beardog's knees!
What exactly did you mean by the lyrics at the 1:20 mark, though? The intent seems different somehow.
There's an even funnier one I left off the album here:
http://bdblog.bdrak.com/a-song/
I LOVE the horrid opening section, but the rest turned out a bit unintentionally drab and too repetitive for my personal songwriting tastes.
It would be a crime, Max Brod, to not release this one. It's fantastisch.
Bob, have you ever thought of a "things left on the cutting room floor" compilation?
No, there aren't enough for an album, and I wouldn't want to release an album of rejects in the first place! I prefer just posting them on my website instead.
Lovely stuff! Thanks for sharing. Will Parthenon Replica make the album?
Ian Beabout
Mixing and mastering engineer. See ya at ProgDay !
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...m/bakers-dozen
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...-and-holland-3
colouratura.bandcamp.com
Man, this vocal is pure Captain Beefheart - "Pena"!
Ian Beabout
Mixing and mastering engineer. See ya at ProgDay !
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...m/bakers-dozen
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...-and-holland-3
colouratura.bandcamp.com
Definitely! That's one where all of my standards were met! The only other one I finished which won't be on the album is "I Should Have Listened To You", which, like the untitled "la la" song, I could sense as I was working on that it wasn't really happening, and that the trouble was the actual material, not an arrangement problem. I find that a song with a good structure, melody and chords can be done almost any way imaginable and it works, because the actual substance of it has "something".
Well! Not sure what he'd think about that! I had no one in mind and my goal when I sang that was to try and sing as if I had absolutely zero sense of timing or pitch, and as if I had no clue about how to use my voice at all, or even how to record it properly. I played all the instruments left-handed in the intro as well (I'm right-handed) to attain some genuine incompetence. I wish I could sing "left handed" but I haven't quite worked that out. I just have to trust my inner incompetent. I played that bit for a friend while I was still all excited about how horribly I'd managed to sing it, and she said it was obvious that I knew how to breathe...so I have to keep that in mind next time I want to do some idiotic singing!
BD
www.bdrak.com
Bob you are brilliant, there's no denying that. I wish you would not stuff so many ideas into one song. Did you ever consider stripping down the music? I feel like a pinball when I listen to your stuff.
I often hear similar comments along the lines of "each song has enough ideas for a whole album". which I don't agree with at all, in fact it's completely preposterous, unless the person wants an album of thinly-stretched ideas. The songs that make it to the albums have only what I feel they need to be a song, nothing more, nothing less. There are exceptions of course, a few songs from 13 Songs and a Thing for example, or most of Medallion Animal Carpet, but in general I don't think it's an accurate or fair description of my music. Every now and then I will do a song which I end up feeling does have too many bits and just doesn't work as a song because of it, such as "I Should Have Listened to You", which is why that one isn't on the new album. But really, most of the songs have just a couple of sections. Usually an "A" section, a "B" section, a bridge or chorus, maybe a "C" section, that's about it.
This could be fun - pick a song where you feel it has "so many ideas stuffed into one song" and we'll dissect it, and see how many parts it really has. To be fair, stick with the better "song" albums: Lawn Ornaments, Bob's Drive-In, Shunned Country and Skull Mailbox.
Your comment about feeling "like a pinball": I don't make relaxation music, I'll be the first to agree with that, and would not recommend any of my albums as background or meditation music, for example, haha!
Hope you're enjoying the music in any case!
BD
PS - I forgot to add: if a song has 1 section or 1000 sections, as long as it sounds like a good song or whatever it's supposed to be, if anything, it's good!
Last edited by Bob Drake; 02-25-2016 at 01:27 AM. Reason: Added post script.
Congratulations on finishing the new album, Bob! Can’t wait to spin that thang…
Actually, there are enough tracks. For example, this nifty “Unreleased Tracks” playlist (made strictly for personal use, mind) clocks in at about 48 minutes:
The Pshent of a Skunk
I Should Have Listened To You
The Isotope The Isotope
Going Nowhere
It Wasn't Meant to Be
Badgered
Trashcan of Love
Someday
The Unused Announcements
Pleasant Valley
Muranda
The Roger Variations
Untitled Banjo Tune
Post-Shunned
This makes for a very trippy “parallel universe” listening experience if you’re familiar with & love the “official” albums, since there are bits and pieces that were reused (“It Wasn't Meant to Be”).
BTW: I just found out that “I Should Have Listened to You” (love that one) is part of the “Antiques” box-set, so I ordered that this week, despite having all the “regular” CDs it includes. What the heck…the artwork is cool and apparently there are other goodies on the bonus CD which are unavailable elsewhere.
Last edited by at least 100 dead; 03-12-2016 at 04:46 PM. Reason: Grammar and stuff
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
It's scheduled to come out in late Summer 2016, but if the artwork is done sooner than expected it could be earlier.
I agree there is a suitable "quantity" of material, but etc etc etc. It's all there on the website for anyone who wants to hear them.
Wait till you hear my album re-make of what was then called "Trashcan of Love"! It still stars the hungry badger, but the arrangement (and the badger's adventure) is a bit different.
The box was Chris Cutler'"s idea, as a way for people who aren't familiar with my work to get a sort of overview. And my brother Dave did the painting for that, it's perfect! Let me know how the printing looks - Chris or Dave Petts at ReR will priint the cover and glue it on the box if/when someone orders a copy, so I don't know how that's going to look! Chris asked me to include something "extra", so I used "I Should Have Listened To You" which, as you say, I left off the new album, also another song "Acting Bears" which at the time I THOUGHT I was going to leave off because it just didn't feel complete somehow, until I realized it was the little talking bit after the song itself ends which was the culprit. As soon as I cut that out, I loved the song and it will be on the album after all. The version in the Box does have the talking, which is funny, but somehow unbalanced the tune for me.
Then I made a mix of all the songs which were finished at that time, all playing at once, the longer songs edited so they'd all finish more or less around the same time. So you get a slightly messy "preview" of most of the album!
Hopefully, the badger still meets the racoon of his dreams!
A commendable rationale, but wouldn’t it be a lot less labor intensive to reel in newcomers with a single, budget-priced “Best of” CD? If the tracks were hand-picked by yourself, Chris Cutler and, say, Kavus Torabi (you know…appeal to authority), it might make it even more enticing to the novice. The way you describe it, there appears to be quite a bit of work involved before the box can even be shipped. Plus, the thing is only available via Recommended Records’ webstore - you won’t find it on amazon or Wayside and it’s not even listed on Discogs.
A white noise penalty track, then, in the fine tradition of “Building w/ Bones”!
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
The box arrived today. Mine appears to be #2 of 15. They actually did just print out the artwork and paste it to the box…very DIY. This is what it looks like:
IMG_2452.jpgIMG_2454.jpgIMG_2456.jpgIMG_2458.jpg
Listening to the “preview” track right now. I thought it would be unlistenable, but it’s actually quite enjoyable!
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
Incidentally, my order also included this:
IMG_2459.jpg
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
That looks OK, I was concerned about the possibility that their home printer may not be very good, but it looks fine, at least in your photos. I printed the black and white "extra item" myself, I wanted those to look a bit shabby.
I'd forgotten that the "preview" track was also playing backwards!
Oddly enough, ReR just asked me for more "special items", that means they've sold (or nearly sold) all 15 so far!
The package also included a half-eaten egg sandwich, expired Tesco coupons and a very fast rodent named "Croydon Ripper", so I’m happy with it. Congrats on selling the first charge!
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
On repeated listens, that experimental track keeps getting better & better. Top-shelf head-phone ear-candy that repays replays in spades.
"Dem Glücklichen legt auch der Hahn ein Ei."
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