Originals
The answer to the title is probably yes if anything is needed at any kind of pace. A crippling issue of self confidence has kept me locked in thinking I need others to help fuel my original musical endeavours. Another problem is linked to writing 100 slithers of songs and chucking 99 of them away.. I remain my own worst enemy.
Thankfully I have finally pushed through to other side, these three songs have stuck with me long enough to get to the point of me:
A) Not being completely sick of them;
B) Finally finishing the production on them.
A Summer Theme
2022 had the hottest summer on record but this isn't about then, this is about summers past - the rubbish ones.
The original version of this was on my now very defunct myspace page. It is the only song that I have written that has lasted this quite silly amount of time (2007) without me forgetting, hating or discarding it.
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It Was Never For the Best
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Reflections on past mistakes, a level of thankfulness that mobile phones with cameras weren’t a thing when I was a lad.. long overdue apologies for tedious, stupid behaviour. Get it all out in a song, it’s cathartic, innit.
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Control
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The pandemic lock downs didn’t put me in the best place mentally. Battling the same cretinous demons in my head but without a change of scenery was difficult. Pretentiously I leaned on a lot of stoicism to try and help, some of it was useful. Focussing on control does make sense..
Covers
Some slightly different covers for you here, a bit heavier, a bit off kilter, a bit of a mash up really.
I did acoustic versions of a couple of these but when I went to record them kept adding different things, changing things until they got to their current form.
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Sick Home Subterranean Blues - Bob Dylan
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Covered it for Bob Dylan’s birthday celebrations, fast paced lyrics? Saves me from singing, innit.
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Bullet In The Head - Rage Against The Machine
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One of my favourite bass lines opens this monster of a track from Rage Against The Machines eponymous debut album. Covering the issue of government use of media to control the population - it is an absolute work of art, I have strived to write songs with this kind of social commentary but can’t get anywhere near it - have a listen over here (under Hours and Minutes)
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Glycerine - Bush
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A song about a breakup. Sounds great with just vocals, guitar and some strings (as per the original). I decided to throw everything I had at it to counter that spartan approach, definitely not because I am scared of my own voice.
'Use what talents you possess - the woods will be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.'
Henry van Dyke Jr.
I use this quote because I’m lazy, slap dash and struggling to recall the exact reasons why I picked these songs to cover. I’m a singer with more confidence than ability so I might as well help contribute to the overall noise, Mr Dyke Jr helps reinforce to me that I don’t have to be the best, thanks Henry.
These are great songs from great bands, they take me back to different times in my life and this will always be, to me, one of musics most powerful gifts. What better way to return the favour than to bash together a few lockdown covers for the sake of keeping me sane.
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Olympia WA - Rancid.
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From the seminal …And Out Come The Wolves album. Possibly the best pop punk album ever. I hadn’t considered covering this song until I heard the rather wonderful Molly Tuttle do a version, I nicked a bit from hers and great chunks from the original to make this one.
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Away From Here - The Enemy
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We are in mid to late 00’s, big indie rock tune, still holds true, sing along chorus, loadsa fun.
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Sorrow - The National
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From the album High Violet. The production on this album and overall haunting quality of the songs still amazes me a decade on. Matt Berninger’s amazing voice, just so thick, low and full of emotion is incomparable so it makes excellent sense that I gave it a go.
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Open Road Song - Eve 6
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On the tail end of the late punk / pop type movement came this 3 piece band from California. Signed to a record label whilst still in high school (swines!) released a brilliant self titled first album which included this song, always puts me in a good mood, some of the lyrics really paint that open road picture.. "I love my broken side view mirror" shouldn't work, but it does.