Music was the ideal way to kick off 2014, in my opinion anyway. Furthermore, that is all that happened today. Jag was over and we added seven new songs to the list. I’m more than happy, in a way I’m enthused by our sound. There is nothing like it in this town. We are up against tough, entrenched competition. We cannot play what they play the way they play it and expect to succeed. But at least initially we will be the best “country” band around. And the only one.
Now, let’s get something clear first off. I have not invented anything new musically. I’m not that good. What I’ve done is arrange music in different style according to a theory that I indeed did invent in the sense that I’d never heard it before and got not a lick of help along the way. Like all theories, there were pre-existing conditions galore but that does not detract from the accomplishment. So I’m not even saying my theory is unique. But if anyone else did the same, that would be the strangest of coincidences that they’d bring it up now.
Choosing what to play is not easy, you don’t just pick a bunch of songs you like. Even with the pressure to get out there, each piece of music is still carefully pondered for audience effect. The most difficult part of arranging each tune is the “capture” of its basic musical essence with our only two instruments. But we’ve been remarkable successful at this, I must say. Jag, who has never heard most of this music, is now able to crank out a proper rhythm just by listening to my queues on the bass. This is not mere following along, but the result of many devoted hours of musical theory.
So what does it sound like, this “integrated guitar” method, as I call it? Ha, you’d have to hear it. It is two simple parts, almost like you’d expect to hear two amateur musicians play something that is beyond their abilities. Yet that is precisely the point. We don’t have a single melodic instrument in the band, just rhythm guitar and electric bass. Then how come people walking past almost instantly recognize every song we play, no matter how uncommon the tune? Synergy.
As you’ve heard me state, a lot of it is “Johnny Cash” presentation. We serve it up zesty on a user-friendly platter. It’s a band that draws you into the music, the only kind of band I really like because it appeals to everyone, not just other musicians in the audience. Glen. I’ve also gone through hoops to avoid having a band “sound”, opting for diversity. That means there are some songs which are a better fit and we are working hard to find them. Other bands tend to emulate certain artists or styles rather than individual particular songs. I consider such bands to be foolish.
Jag and I will often run through a quick list of potential material to find the winners. Good news. Today one antique tune rose quickly to the top. It fit all parameters, including being one of the last songs anybody would figure two guys like us would even try to play. Yet, if you analyze it, it has all the ingredients including a great dance beat and plenty of fancy chord changes, stops, and a lilting melody. Patsy Cline’s “Back In Baby’s Arms”. How well do we play it? It is a show-stopper, I’ll tell you that.
By the way, Jag actually likes that Elvis tune I barked about last day, “All Shook Up”. That took me by surprise. Another astonishment was when I suggested we try a type of guitar-bass interaction that emulated the drums in certain country rock sounds. I meant it experimentally but be damned if we didn’t get it right first try. I failed to comprehend how completely the guy has learned my method of taking each song apart and putting back together. And now this, I say this, almost amazing development. Once we polish it up, there will be zero competition from solo guitarists, trust me.
ADDENDUM
Security for the year is off to a fine start. Who recalls that I contacted BMI (Nashville) to find out more about this musician licensing affair? What I omitted to say was that I have a method about such activities because you never know how many ass-clowns are out there. I fired off several simultaneous inquiries, the old good cop/bad cop trick. What I’m looking for is reaction.
I was right and it is a good thing I was ready for those pricks. These music licensing people flagrantly use their contact line to develop a “suspect list”. They figure is you are asking questions, you are automatically crooked. In a Canadian-like fashion, they treat your questions as de facto proof that you are up to something and they want your ID on file before they can “determine your needs”.
My single need was the price of the license. If you try to politely back out once correspondence has started, they treat that as an admission of guilt. And, of course, they can’t help you until they know enough personal information about you to get you sued or arrested if anything ever goes wrong in the future. (Did you stop to think that if you ever get “caught”, they would have it on file that since you once asked, you cannot claim you didn’t know about the license? Wake up.)
This is how the entire system works in Canada. They start building a case against you from day one. Why should they help you when you won’t “cooperate”?
