If you’d like to hear the results, download a ZIP file here. Otherwise, I think they’ll eventually have the songs up at the RPM site.
Also — please note the guest musicians there at the bottom. Those guys took everything to a level I couldn’t have: Ian did his finest James Jamerson (he may have been lying on his back while tracking, even). Matt and Brien provided arrangement elements that I couldn’t have played and couldn’t have thought up. The three of them are generous, awesome people.
1. I finally own a tambourine.
2. I finally own a guitar stand.
3. I purchased some fun music software.
Well, I managed to not update this since beginning the project, but that’s because I WAS TOO BUSY. First off, work conspired to prevent me from even beginning until mid-month. After that the combination of work and rock-work prevented me from meta-commenting on said rock-work as it occurred. You see?
But anyway, after a flurry of writing and recording, somehow we crossed the finish line. Yesterday, 2/29, the last day of leap-year February, I mailed our eight-song CD to RPM headquarters. Victory was ours.
Another failure besides blogging was documenting via photography. I did, however, snap a few cell phone pics of the process:
Studio B. Blurry.
How to play guitar properly.
How to properly create music.
We are winners.
Studio A is also known as the northwest corner of our bedroom. Participating in this challenge requires access to instruments and such. Mine were buried in an odd assortment of laundry, books, cds, etc.
I can’t work like this:
After a quick cleanup, Studio A is ready for unending creative genius:
Also, it looks better with my beloved Burns and some mood lighting. Shortly after the “after” photo was snapped I had fleshed out a substantial part of the first tune. Success!
I need a guitar stand. Add that to the RPM-inspired shopping list.
The RPM Challenge begins. I have committed to making an album in February. That’s either 10 songs or thirty minutes, whichever comes first. Of course, I could make a single thirty-minute prog rock magnum opus, but that would be too fun. This is like a penance. I need to make a focused something or another. I have dragged the ladyfriend into this. She’ll be offering vox at the very least. We will be shooting for something inspired by Motown, Eccentric Soul compilations, with a healthy (inevitable) dose of amateurish psychedelia and noisiness. Or something.
I was inspired to do this by several friends on a message board who were taking part. They’re all over there in the links section. It really seems a great way to get back into making music on my own. I’ve been in bands forever, and have made more music for its own sake than you could ever want to hear. The past few years, however, I’ve been complacent with the band stuff (which is always a thrill, but a collaborative one by definition), and haven’t done much on my own. Back in the day, I was a four track and ADAT maniac, always at it. And while there was plenty of throwaway stuff, it was always worthwhile. It’s the old cliche — “it’s about the process, not the product.” I’ve had neither for awhile. The solution? The RPM Challenge. Horse Blankets will soon rule the world!
I’ll sporadically document my progress here.
Oh shit. What have I done.