East to west

I was delighted to see the other day that this blog has been (and continues to be) read in far away places. Having a lot of good friends in the States I wasn't so surprised with how many views I'm getting from there. Less surprising was Germany - thanks to the legendary CDK (you know who you are) but four countries I never would have expected Venezuela, Canada, Poland and Russia have read this blog! 

I'm happy to share the what I'm sharing over such a wide area. The numbers aren't massive but I'm not blogging to stroke my ego so I couldn't care if numbers are big or small. I'll continue to get this music stuff out there on this adventure I'm on. I know I'm a newbie to blogging but it's so cool that so many people can get a look in at my adventure. Maybe one day myself and my music will reach you where you are live but for now London is the only world that I need. 

Thanks following my journey. 2 days to go!

Peace out.

The cold

It's more wet than cold right now in the UK, but here's a seasonal poem I wrote when it was cold.

The cold

it bites

with its teeth so sharp.

Nights are long and seem forever dark.

Still this time of year is a time like no other

For once, in this season, all men are like brothers.

The leaves have long fallen, golden browns now icy white.

When the snow hits the ground, it's a beautiful sight.

Jack Frost is here. He’s made his presence known

In the gardens, on our hands and as we are driving on the roads.

We sing loud our hallelujahs and our ho-ho-hos

Singing songs of Jesus

And of Rudolph's shiny nose.

The spices of cinnamon and good old nutmeg,

Are the festive aromas that tell our heads

That the time is coming to tell the story once more

For those who haven’t heard it and for those who've heard it all before.

The message of hope still remains, despite the cold and darkness

For there is a light, that forever shines

To direct us and to guide us.

The bells they jingle, all the day

And remind me of what the angels say

“Peace on earth and good-will to all men”

Is a message for now as much as then.

As families unite, war still rages on

And we can’t bring back the lost daughter and the lost son

So let us draw close to the ones we still have

And hold them and tell them of our tidings glad.

Long ago a child was born.

The reason for this season

The reason keeps me warm and gives me a hope to believe in.

Ye Olde Revival

A few weeks ago, I was asked by a family friend to try and bring to life an old song. A really  old song. The lyrics of which were written the best part of 300 years ago. The lyrics I’ve known from as small child. A traditional tune from north-western England (Wigan to be precise)  was put to it and I was asked to transcribe it from a recording in an attempt to keep it alive. Known more  its pier and meat pies than the birthplace of tunes, this is a further example of England’s rich musical heritage. I know plenty of people who are looking to revive old songs, whether they be hymns, folk songs, drinking songs. I share that passion. Yes, there are lots of great music adventures to be had and other countries music to learn from, but my England has such a rich heritage of songs going back centuries. I love the revival of music especially when something has been long forgotten or was close to becoming lost. Like some kind of raider of a lost ark.

One of my very favourite bands - the Futureheads -  on their most recent album “Rant” recorded all the songs in 4-part acapella harmony . In addition to some modern covers (Black Eyed Peas’ “Meet Me Halfway”and Kelis’ “Acapella) some proper old English tunes were revived and given the Futureheads’ treatment. On that album was a re-working of a 17^th century Medieval English folk song called “The Keeper” and even older song from the 13^th Century called “Sumer is Icumen In”. The latter of these two is the oldest documented song in the English language and is written in Middle English. Got a link to this very talented band singing “The Keeper” in casual 4-part harmony.

The Futureheads - doing some acapella from the past

Revival is exciting and hope to get in on some more in the future.

For now, here is the transcribed version of that old song I began with.  

four-lettered lyrics

The power of lyrics can stop you in your tracks. That happened to me the other day. Having loved Lana del Rey’s “Born to die” album I was excited to see what she would come up with on her next release “Born to die – Paradise Edition”. I gave it a listen and the opening line of one of the tracks made me react the same way as when I first heard that Liverpool Football club had agreed a transfer for Andy Carroll with Newcastle United for £35,000,000 – a real “did-I-just-really-hear-that?” moment. The kind that leads to body jerks and spilling of Earl Grey tea. True story. Just in case your are wondering what the track is, it's "Cola"

 Putting your lyrics out there really is putting a part of yourself out there in many ways. Something which you can’t take back, ever. Something which, however well you structure your lyrics, people are going to recant your lyrics in all sorts of ways and interpret them,  analyse them and sing them how they please. If you are lucky enough, you may be honoured a cover version or two. For everything negative that can come with it, the feeling you get when you hear people singing or whistling something you came up  is not far off priceless. What you must feel when you hear a whole stadium sing back to you a song you wrote – I can’t think of a higher moment than that for a song-writer That said, there is a risk you take when you let one of your songs out publically:, that it may be received in a way that don’t wish it to be received. So I respect and understand the occasional explicit lyrics. It makes things clear, kinda like lyrical exclamation marks.

When I say explicit I mean explicit in terms of being crystal clear and unambiguous, not necessarily offensive content. Of the many things I learnt on a song-writers program in Valencia, Spain recently, one was that your best work is going to come out of “writing and singing your truth”. My aim is to write and deliver songs which are emotive with a splash of explicit lyrics - without the expletives. I'm working on the mantra of, "if I won't say it, I won't sing it/write it". Hence not swearing or using expletives in songs. Thankfully, I've got a lot to say and have a lot of material from other people to write music about so I won't be short on content - original or otherwise.

5 days go to!

album of the year 2012

... my winner is..

 

 I find the songs of the “Born to Die” album to have a real openness that draws you in, both in the music and the lyrics. So lyrically strong and so honestly delivered that it is not surprising the songs on that album haven’t been covered much by other artists – similar to Amy Winehouse’s first album “Frank”. Brilliantly delivered and brilliantly produced – both my favourite and my best album of 2012. For me song-writing is at its best when you make the listener feel like you’ve let them into something comes from a deep part of you and for the next few minutes you have a connection of sorts. She masters that on every track for me. Doesn’t always have to be deep and intimate and pouring your heart out (pretty much all the songs on the album are) but the best songs make connections of some kind I find. Every single track, is beautifully crafted, everyone is a winner and by the end you feel like you’ve just been through a dark place but you enjoyed because it wasn’t your own dark place and somehow you know she's going to be alright .

Kinda goes without saying but the album is highly recommended. Would say it best listened to in album order uninterrupted.

Other notable albums of 2012 of mine

“2^nd law” by Muse

“Ill manors” by Plan B