- Recording and Instrumentation:
- This marks my very first recording using an actual drum set for the drums. I'm pretty happy with the sound, though since my drumming capabilities are marginal, I had to keep all the beats very simple. It started out without the accordion, but I decided the accordion was necessary just to get some good bass sound in there. I would have used an electric bass, but I do not have one of those. Also I think the accordion harmonies fill in the song well. I also have mixed feelings about all the falsetto use in this song. On the one hand, I'm really proud that I can hit all those notes and they are usually pretty in tune. But on the other hand, the tone of my falsetto leaves a bit to be desired I think. Oh well, this recording is what it is, I'm going to keep working on my falsetto. The biggest problem I have with this recording is how messy it is, not musically, but just in terms of the basic recording. The guitars and vocals are clipping all over the place. I guess I should sit down and really learn something about recording techniques if I want to keep recording myself.
- Drums
- Guitar
- Accordion
- Vocals
- Tambourine
- Piano
- Cell phone
- Lyrics:
- Midway through the journey of our lives
In a village of La Mancha
Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead
Woa woa!
Find your way around the quay
The secrets lay at the bottom of the bay
Far out of the way
Hallelujah!
No no no no no no no no no no!
*ring*
Hello?
Oh hey, how's it goin'?
Sure, that's no problem.
Could you speak up? I really can't hear you.
- Song History:
- It is hard for me to say exactly where this song came from. I kind of feel that it is a musical stream of consciousness. I started out basically just messing around with power chords and various musical ideas thinking that I would make it into a coherent song later. But that never really happened. I had a bunch of vocal parts that I thought I would write lyrics to, but that I just left as random noises. And the lyrics that I did write don't really relate to each other or make any sense. The first three lines of the songs are the opening words of Dante's Divine Comedy, Cervante's Don Quixote, and James Joyce's Ulysses. The middle "build up" section basically is my attempt to play with a single power chord drone and a melody that switches the chord between major and minor. The phone conversation is partly my homage to the early work of They Might Be Giants, in which they phoned in a lot of their recordings. Also, I didn't decide on a name for this song until it was completely recorded. Before that I was going on the working title "Anthem." I feel like its current title kind of represents a new found committment I've been feeling lately to embrace the crazy illogical emotions that go along with being human.
- Recorded on: 4-6 May 2007
Return to Forotoo Ayem page.