From the Office of Caveats, Qualifiers and Hedges: the audio in the post is what we call a demo - ie, a homemade first foray at an arrangement. If anyone's interested in tech details, I'm at your service.
I'm getting this when I try to play the audio: Failed to play this media: it may not be supported by this browser.
I've had no trouble playing audio on previous posts. If you're using the same audio format as before, I'll have to blame my iffy cell service and resulting slow download times.
Hi Georgette. So nice to see you here. I saw your other message. Will respond. As for this issue, it's exactly the same kind of audio file (mp3). Not sure what to tell you. Please let me know if you continue to have problems.
A bit of insomnia and another attempt to listen at 2:15am = success. The error message I got had been the result of wretched cell reception slowing the download rate.
- drum track: beat generated by a Radica Mattel Ucreate. Printed as audio. I love this gadget.
- rhythm guitar: electric baritone
- guitar melody line: electric 12 string
- vocal
Signal chain: SSL Six board > Centrance R4R interface > Garageband. Everything is going straight in (no amp, no pedals). Within Garageband the guitars received some reverb and compression. No modeling. The vocal got some verb too. I did a little editing then bounced it straight to mp3 (what you hear).
I’m a bit conflicted in my response to it, and I’ll explain why. The lyrics and backstory paint a picture of speed, danger, impending disaster. But the current arrangement doesn’t capture any of that. It’s slow, soothing, almost a ‘mellow jazz’ feel.
Transition to the chorus is much more interesting, but it’s fragmentary and unresolved. Who is this 113? How can it be both guardian and nemesis? Is it a recurring danger to our protagonist?
The final verse suggests an almost-crash (“he accelerates and swerves”), but there is no feel of it musically. The “near miss” is suggested but not delivered by the song.
The dynamic in the lyrics is building to an almost-accident, a narrowly-avoided disaster. I’d love to hear that in the song (I do understand that’s not the song you have shared with us).
I just want to make sure this is appropriately viewed as a creative response, not any kind of attack. In the process of writing down my response I must admit that my opinion solidified a bit.
It is appropriately viewed. Thanks for asking Bill. I'm grateful for your deep engagement, as always. The reason I deleted the previous message is that it avoided dealing with the real issue. To wit: I honestly don't know how I am going approach receiving negative criticism, given that what I'm offering here is brand new, raw, at its inception, in process, and thus still quite vulnerable to concepticide. I have to protect these ideas at all costs - not from you or anyone else, but... From. Myself. One of the reasons I started this thing is to develop certain muscles, and a structure in which flow might occur. In this little experiment in creative transparency, whether a particular poem or song or whatever is "liked" or "understood" or even "good" is less important to me than the process of doing it. On the other hand, I am human and susceptible (both from within and from without). I have to learn to navigate. This project is both exhilarating and terrifying. And I'm glad you're here for it. -R
Thank you for your candor. In responding to creative things I do sometimes find myself asking lots of questions (“what about this? Did you think about this?”). I’d like to think it’s about the process, and always intended to explore making things deeper, richer. Never intended to be negative or critical.
I think that despite the speed and chaotic risks, El Flaco has done this many times before and is in the zone…hence the measured pace. Love the creative arrangement and melody, with a subtle hint of tango.
Yes, El Flaco is in the zone. But I've seen some stuff. And all I have to do is look out the window. My office gives out onto one of those intersections.
I would have been lost without your explanation. I listened, then I read your words, then I listened again. The second time I had a clear visual in my head. I found the song haunting, dreamlike, and I would lose my mind driving around those streets as you described. However, I feel like El Flacko will be fine.
I think I got the overall picture before I read your notes, but the detail really helped. My daughter’s been to Buenos Aires, but not me. Yet. Would love to.
We saw you last at Cecil Sharpe house. Excellent gig. And several times before at festivals etc.
The number 113 seems to follow me around. It’s popped up many times in my life. Oddly.
I think I am doing something wrong. Why does it say "Writes Judy's Substack" after my name? I don't have a Substack, at least not that I know of. This is your Substack, isn't it? I am lost in the world of Substacks.
Hi Judy. When you subscribed to this substack you created a profile for yourself (even if it's just your name and email address). With that profile you may create your own substack - ie, you may "write judy's substack". But you don't have to "write" anything if you don't want to. For now you're just following my substack (and any others you find out there). I hope this helps.
Always interested in tech details! What guitar? What platform, software, mics… Huge POI but really how many artists appreciate the geek out and offer a peek behind the curtain… I love it! This song is so different, with a Latin feel and a beautiful hook that at first puzzled me but after a few listens it’s all clear and it’s a visit to an unfamiliar place where we’ve never been or maybe there’s a balloon man nearby. Great imagery and subjects. Richard you continue to amaze me and I thank you once again for what you do. So happy with this platform.
Thank you Gary. I'm glad it's working for you. Glad you're here. The baritone electric is a three pickup Neptune (Jerry Jones). The 12 string electric is a Nash with a Thinline tele type body. Microphone is a Neumann 102. There may be some gear content here at some point. I'm obsessed! And yes, part of Balloon Man's circuit coincided with the 113's route. By the way, he hasn't been seen since the pandemic.
Sorry to spring it on you like that. Our paths never crossed that much to begin with, so it took a while for his absence to register. Once it did I started asking the shop owners along his route. Everyone knew and loved him. But no one had any idea where he'd gone. I'll report back if I find anything.
That would be a kindness, thanks. Isn’t it funny that a song was so well written that the title character has an identity so real I think I glimpsed him at the intersection of Progress and Mortar? I love this venue!
Next time I’ll read all comments before speaking. Two eyes, one mouth. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying this platform. To fully engage with someone I’ve followed for decades and reading thoughts on how you deal with possibly negative comments, reading how eloquently another follower hears your melody, this is deep stuff! Killer reading! The repeated line is a perfect piece of the puzzle and is so very easy to listen to. Great work, maestro!
Your willingness to share your works-in-progress, whether they’re actually ready for prime time or not, reminds me of this poster I’ve had sitting over my computer for about 25 years:
The process is what matters, not the product.
Feeling empty inside, we often want to reassure ourselves by creating something other people can admire. But what we’re really hungering for, whether we know it or not, is a sense of aliveness, of deep contact with the sacred mystery of our lives.
The goal is not to produce a masterful painting, story, poem, song or television script. The reason to create is the sheer pleasure and power of doing it, the vibrant aliveness that comes when we’re contacting and expressing our true self. In this view, the product is simply a by-product, a relatively harmless side effect of the creative process.
For too long every day I scroll and I skim. I scroll and skim so much I worry about how little lands in my brain. But not when I come here. No skimming. Only necessary scrolling. I read the lyrics first. I had no idea what they meant, but I loved the movement, the sense of urgency and motion. I wondered why "The" was capitalized the second time ("the 113, The 113"). Then I read your notes that were written so lyrically as well, especially this list: "At night the streets drone with two-stroke motos bringing ice cream, xanax, foreign exchange, emergency binkies, Fernet Branca, and of course pizza, the ne plus ultra of deliverables [though around here empanadas take the cake].) Then the song. That was a surprise. Not what I expected and yet .... actually perfect for El Flaco. Because it is El Flaco's song, not my song or even your song as you watch from your window. And El Flaco isn't scared out there in the night making his deliveries. His song is a song of the night, what he might hear as he weaves through traffic and passes bars and buskers on his runs. So I read the comments and then I listened again and I was riding with El Flaco in the city night, no pasa nada. What a lovely vivid window into another life.
I'm sorry to hear about balloon man. This is one song of yours I sing myself and people are so intrigued by it. (I hope you don't mind. It's just informal.) I hope he just found another way to make a living. A lot of us had to do that during the pandemic.
Thank you for this space where I have to slow down. And for your courageous sharing of your new, raw work. It's a lovely place to stop and visit.
Thanks for this JoJo. I'm glad you were able to connect with Flaco. The lyrics dramatize the situation... the menacing 113 vs. Flaco on a moped. But the music is intended to convey affection and compassion for him. In other words there are three subjects in the song: the 113, Flaco, and me. And no, of course I don't mind if that you sing Balloon Man. I'm thrilled!
From the Office of Caveats, Qualifiers and Hedges: the audio in the post is what we call a demo - ie, a homemade first foray at an arrangement. If anyone's interested in tech details, I'm at your service.
I kinda like “Progress & Mortar” if you’re looking for an actual name for the newsletter.
You might have a point Ron. I'll think about it.
I'm getting this when I try to play the audio: Failed to play this media: it may not be supported by this browser.
I've had no trouble playing audio on previous posts. If you're using the same audio format as before, I'll have to blame my iffy cell service and resulting slow download times.
Hi Georgette. So nice to see you here. I saw your other message. Will respond. As for this issue, it's exactly the same kind of audio file (mp3). Not sure what to tell you. Please let me know if you continue to have problems.
A bit of insomnia and another attempt to listen at 2:15am = success. The error message I got had been the result of wretched cell reception slowing the download rate.
Love it! Curious how you recorded it.
There are 4 tracks here. In order of execution:
- drum track: beat generated by a Radica Mattel Ucreate. Printed as audio. I love this gadget.
- rhythm guitar: electric baritone
- guitar melody line: electric 12 string
- vocal
Signal chain: SSL Six board > Centrance R4R interface > Garageband. Everything is going straight in (no amp, no pedals). Within Garageband the guitars received some reverb and compression. No modeling. The vocal got some verb too. I did a little editing then bounced it straight to mp3 (what you hear).
Thank you for the song, Richard.
I’m a bit conflicted in my response to it, and I’ll explain why. The lyrics and backstory paint a picture of speed, danger, impending disaster. But the current arrangement doesn’t capture any of that. It’s slow, soothing, almost a ‘mellow jazz’ feel.
Transition to the chorus is much more interesting, but it’s fragmentary and unresolved. Who is this 113? How can it be both guardian and nemesis? Is it a recurring danger to our protagonist?
The final verse suggests an almost-crash (“he accelerates and swerves”), but there is no feel of it musically. The “near miss” is suggested but not delivered by the song.
The dynamic in the lyrics is building to an almost-accident, a narrowly-avoided disaster. I’d love to hear that in the song (I do understand that’s not the song you have shared with us).
I just want to make sure this is appropriately viewed as a creative response, not any kind of attack. In the process of writing down my response I must admit that my opinion solidified a bit.
It is appropriately viewed. Thanks for asking Bill. I'm grateful for your deep engagement, as always. The reason I deleted the previous message is that it avoided dealing with the real issue. To wit: I honestly don't know how I am going approach receiving negative criticism, given that what I'm offering here is brand new, raw, at its inception, in process, and thus still quite vulnerable to concepticide. I have to protect these ideas at all costs - not from you or anyone else, but... From. Myself. One of the reasons I started this thing is to develop certain muscles, and a structure in which flow might occur. In this little experiment in creative transparency, whether a particular poem or song or whatever is "liked" or "understood" or even "good" is less important to me than the process of doing it. On the other hand, I am human and susceptible (both from within and from without). I have to learn to navigate. This project is both exhilarating and terrifying. And I'm glad you're here for it. -R
Thank you for your candor. In responding to creative things I do sometimes find myself asking lots of questions (“what about this? Did you think about this?”). I’d like to think it’s about the process, and always intended to explore making things deeper, richer. Never intended to be negative or critical.
Concepticide...fascinating.
I think that despite the speed and chaotic risks, El Flaco has done this many times before and is in the zone…hence the measured pace. Love the creative arrangement and melody, with a subtle hint of tango.
Yes, El Flaco is in the zone. But I've seen some stuff. And all I have to do is look out the window. My office gives out onto one of those intersections.
The song’s story makes me think of the sirens outside the window in “Gray Green”
You've got it. That's the place.
I would have been lost without your explanation. I listened, then I read your words, then I listened again. The second time I had a clear visual in my head. I found the song haunting, dreamlike, and I would lose my mind driving around those streets as you described. However, I feel like El Flacko will be fine.
I think I got the overall picture before I read your notes, but the detail really helped. My daughter’s been to Buenos Aires, but not me. Yet. Would love to.
We saw you last at Cecil Sharpe house. Excellent gig. And several times before at festivals etc.
The number 113 seems to follow me around. It’s popped up many times in my life. Oddly.
Lovely track.
I think I am doing something wrong. Why does it say "Writes Judy's Substack" after my name? I don't have a Substack, at least not that I know of. This is your Substack, isn't it? I am lost in the world of Substacks.
Hi Judy. When you subscribed to this substack you created a profile for yourself (even if it's just your name and email address). With that profile you may create your own substack - ie, you may "write judy's substack". But you don't have to "write" anything if you don't want to. For now you're just following my substack (and any others you find out there). I hope this helps.
Always interested in tech details! What guitar? What platform, software, mics… Huge POI but really how many artists appreciate the geek out and offer a peek behind the curtain… I love it! This song is so different, with a Latin feel and a beautiful hook that at first puzzled me but after a few listens it’s all clear and it’s a visit to an unfamiliar place where we’ve never been or maybe there’s a balloon man nearby. Great imagery and subjects. Richard you continue to amaze me and I thank you once again for what you do. So happy with this platform.
Thank you Gary. I'm glad it's working for you. Glad you're here. The baritone electric is a three pickup Neptune (Jerry Jones). The 12 string electric is a Nash with a Thinline tele type body. Microphone is a Neumann 102. There may be some gear content here at some point. I'm obsessed! And yes, part of Balloon Man's circuit coincided with the 113's route. By the way, he hasn't been seen since the pandemic.
That last line literally took my breath...I pray he simply moved to a less windy town.
Thank you.
Sorry to spring it on you like that. Our paths never crossed that much to begin with, so it took a while for his absence to register. Once it did I started asking the shop owners along his route. Everyone knew and loved him. But no one had any idea where he'd gone. I'll report back if I find anything.
That would be a kindness, thanks. Isn’t it funny that a song was so well written that the title character has an identity so real I think I glimpsed him at the intersection of Progress and Mortar? I love this venue!
No pasa nada ( I googled that) and it’s actually appropriate!
Next time I’ll read all comments before speaking. Two eyes, one mouth. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying this platform. To fully engage with someone I’ve followed for decades and reading thoughts on how you deal with possibly negative comments, reading how eloquently another follower hears your melody, this is deep stuff! Killer reading! The repeated line is a perfect piece of the puzzle and is so very easy to listen to. Great work, maestro!
Emergency bunkers is a term I’ve never before seen in print. It makes such immediate perfect sense!
Binkies!!!!
Your willingness to share your works-in-progress, whether they’re actually ready for prime time or not, reminds me of this poster I’ve had sitting over my computer for about 25 years:
The process is what matters, not the product.
Feeling empty inside, we often want to reassure ourselves by creating something other people can admire. But what we’re really hungering for, whether we know it or not, is a sense of aliveness, of deep contact with the sacred mystery of our lives.
The goal is not to produce a masterful painting, story, poem, song or television script. The reason to create is the sheer pleasure and power of doing it, the vibrant aliveness that comes when we’re contacting and expressing our true self. In this view, the product is simply a by-product, a relatively harmless side effect of the creative process.
Amen and also bingo.
2 am. Not a binky in sight. Taking apart the couch. How is this possible? We bought a 12-pack YESTERDAY.
Beautiful, Richard. Felt a bit like “Vuelta” in mood, which raised mine.
For too long every day I scroll and I skim. I scroll and skim so much I worry about how little lands in my brain. But not when I come here. No skimming. Only necessary scrolling. I read the lyrics first. I had no idea what they meant, but I loved the movement, the sense of urgency and motion. I wondered why "The" was capitalized the second time ("the 113, The 113"). Then I read your notes that were written so lyrically as well, especially this list: "At night the streets drone with two-stroke motos bringing ice cream, xanax, foreign exchange, emergency binkies, Fernet Branca, and of course pizza, the ne plus ultra of deliverables [though around here empanadas take the cake].) Then the song. That was a surprise. Not what I expected and yet .... actually perfect for El Flaco. Because it is El Flaco's song, not my song or even your song as you watch from your window. And El Flaco isn't scared out there in the night making his deliveries. His song is a song of the night, what he might hear as he weaves through traffic and passes bars and buskers on his runs. So I read the comments and then I listened again and I was riding with El Flaco in the city night, no pasa nada. What a lovely vivid window into another life.
I'm sorry to hear about balloon man. This is one song of yours I sing myself and people are so intrigued by it. (I hope you don't mind. It's just informal.) I hope he just found another way to make a living. A lot of us had to do that during the pandemic.
Thank you for this space where I have to slow down. And for your courageous sharing of your new, raw work. It's a lovely place to stop and visit.
Thanks for this JoJo. I'm glad you were able to connect with Flaco. The lyrics dramatize the situation... the menacing 113 vs. Flaco on a moped. But the music is intended to convey affection and compassion for him. In other words there are three subjects in the song: the 113, Flaco, and me. And no, of course I don't mind if that you sing Balloon Man. I'm thrilled!