Not working that extra hour, or hour and a half, last night meant that Mark Miller and I both arrived early and significantly less exhausted than had become the norm. We listen to Will’s ‘Quine’ takes and take notes. We are almost finished comping when Will arrives around 11. We almost have it right but Will correctly notes that we have ignored the main part too often, so we revisit the the first two and it’s easily remedied. The main body of the song is done, one piano and it will be complete.
Next we look at the playout – Schwaber’s chiming melody is what I want to be the focus, but how to get to this and how to segue from Will’s Quiney lead into this? There is much discussion and I seem to be out numbered. My original idea is shown to be weak and eventually I concede this… but elements of my concept can still be applied to make the scenario better… so we have Will play some more and it’s a little like shooting into the dark but at least I know what I’m hoping to get and and 90 minutes later I’m content and Will is probably exhausted. Mark Miller certainly is after all the edits I had him try for me…
A rough mix is made and Mark and Will move on to an idea Will has for Period Piece. I hear the concept and OK it. While they work on it I revisit the Logic file for No Truck, which we must start today if we are to have Will play on it. I find a drum machine sound I like, and then a part (at least a part to track to) and then I lat down a guide electric piano and make markers for the song. It should come in just under 3 minutes.
Re – Will’s ideas for Period Piece – I like his ethereal harmonic ideas, I’m less sire about his riffy guitars, but all are working well and we need to move on. Decide later.
On to No Truck – the oldest song on the record, or at least the first one I finished writing – As much I wanted there to be no acoustic guitars on the album I cannot see a way to play this on all electrics so I play my nylon strung Guild (The Music IAFL guitar). Just sitting in the booth making a bit of a hash of the first take I note that however awful that was, I’m still much more comfortable on an acoustic guitar, these days, even a wide necked nylon strung one… WE work a while one how simple the part can be and I’m happy that it can be even simpler than I’d thought (I sing a guide vocal to check). Why happy? Because Will’s part is somewhat busy, and needs space…
It’s time to eat, and Blair has arrived, so Will and I head home and we have Pizza with Blair and the family and then bring him back. he listens to rough mixes in the small room as we continue on No Truck…
We move on to Will’s part, which was written when we played the song in our acoustic set. 50% of the part is great, the rest doesn’t work so well on electric (we’re going for the Jackson Browne on Chelsea Girls sound). So we need to spend some time working on the part. Eventually I suggest a capo and as Will works on that I drive home and bring a couple bass guitars in. As he hones the part I practice the bass. A simple J McVie part seems appropriate. When Will takes a break I record the bass (Gibson EB-3 direct into Universal Audio Mic-Pre/DI to Distressor compressor). Will then plays on last pass for the day and it is not quite there yet, but it’s close and we know we are on the right track. Blair, listening, hears an ‘Undressed’ type organ part (I don’t remember Undressed having organ) and a possible glockenspiel…
Day 27 – Both Ends Burning