[Note. As I said last week, we’ve begun work on a new record, tentatively entitled Monochrome. This post is the first in a series which will (loosely) document our progress. Today’s post was supposed to have been a mix of paid and unpaid material. But I don’t know how to do that, from a technical point of view. So then I thought I’d send out two posts: one for free subscribers and the other for paid, the only difference being that the latter would get access to some audio. But that option seemed messy and confusing. So I’m back to square one: one post, no pay wall. I really need to figure this out. In any case, enjoy.]
The Show of Hands farewell concert from Exeter Cathedral a week ago, yesterday. And Steve told that story about you not being able to pronounce Loughborough, again.
I thought after I had tipped you off about this spreading of fake news at Shipley that this story might have been killed off. Apparently not!
All's forgiven. Stage banter is in its own category: whatever works. But for the record, I think I pronounced it correctly at their show in Nottingham back in March.
What a great post. I so envy you. It’s like a voyage into a frontier with family and friends. At a place where you’re stopping for a while but you’ll continue further . So exiting. I wish you the best of times and unending resilience. I can not wait. I hope you can fix the site to manage the paywall as desired.
Next time you tour the U.S., please consider heading a bit further north to Vancouver, British Columbia, so my wife and I can see you perform for the first time since we moved here (from the Northeast U.S.) in 2008, and you can gain a whole new contingent of fans. Here's a perfect venue: https://www.roguefolk.bc.ca/.
Considering the slang meaning of cooch in the U.S., I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to react so benignly to 800 Cornish men and women yelling it at me from the audience. I thank you profusely, over and over, for allowing us to hear the progress of the recording. I love the song, and I love Sir Clavelito. Oh, and you, of course.
Nice to hear the song in progress - and your blow by blow of setting up the studio made me laugh more than once! (and I too am warming up for Infinite Jest -for about ten years now . . . I look at it and I love DFW but - it's hard to begin . . . )
Sir Clavito is most assuredly a couch chiller, or perhaps a couch warmer.
As others have commented, I am most grateful to be allowed to follow your process of musical creation.
My cell service has been terrible for weeks now--because of leaves, no doubt--so I never get to listen when you post. I will do my best to listen if work allows tomorrow.
I love it Richard! Yeah! And I love that you used "Infinite Jest" for one of the speaker foundations--I made it through 240 pages of that book--the only person I know of that got that far. And I love the cat being part of the environment--I am that beautiful sleeping fur helped the sound!
Estimado Richard: William Hudson, si no me falla la memoria, estuvo también por allí, en San Miguel del Monte. En ese libro nostálgico y magnífico que escribió (me refiero a "Far away and Long ago") cuenta que siendo el niño conoció a Don Juan Manuel de Rosas, cuya estancia Los Cerrillos estaba ubicada en esa zona.
Hola Santiago. "Far Away and Long Ago"... que libro hermoso, tanto como "Idle Days in Patagonia". La prosa de Hudson es una belleza--tan natural y directo. Gracias por el mensaje.
Wow! I am impressed. And how about Norman Mailer's --"The Executioner's Song"--at a 1,000 pages? I made it most of the way but I had to quit eventually.....
I used to live in a trailer park in Davis, California, which was a chain link fence away from the Amtrak rail station. I always knew the California Zephyr was coming in because it was never on time. One gets used to a certain regularity living at a train station, and a train out of the ordinary was either the Zephyr or the Coast Starlight. Thanks for the memories. Beautiful track, I look forward to the new album.
I've taken the CZ a few times. Highly recommended, but it can be maddeningly slow. BNSF and Union Pacific own the tracks. Freight usually takes precedence. Meanwhile the Zephyr has to wait.
Living on the other side of the Atlantic, at first I took the Zephyr to be a breeze that gives relief to those living outside in the heat of the sun. Then I read Chris’s comment above and it made so much more sense! Love the song.
Hi Michael, I'm in Merseyside, and did exactly the same - it all makes sense now! It's doubly great news, as there's a beautiful song by 'Dolly Varden' titled 'California Zephyr', so now I know what that's all about as well.
It will be nice to return to Atlanta. And my daughter says the same about Infinite Jest. I'm sure you're right. I just need to work on my attention span.
OMG, that mosquito photo just gives me the chills ... seems like those swarms could be a sound backdrop for your wonderful work somehow ... and the demo of Zephyr ... if that's a demo, well, the real thing is gonna be really something. Neat that another Shindell is working with you (and your other talented engineer as well ... plus the unbounded energy of Sir Clavelito Couch-Chiller).
The Show of Hands farewell concert from Exeter Cathedral a week ago, yesterday. And Steve told that story about you not being able to pronounce Loughborough, again.
I thought after I had tipped you off about this spreading of fake news at Shipley that this story might have been killed off. Apparently not!
All's forgiven. Stage banter is in its own category: whatever works. But for the record, I think I pronounced it correctly at their show in Nottingham back in March.
What a great post. I so envy you. It’s like a voyage into a frontier with family and friends. At a place where you’re stopping for a while but you’ll continue further . So exiting. I wish you the best of times and unending resilience. I can not wait. I hope you can fix the site to manage the paywall as desired.
Next time you tour the U.S., please consider heading a bit further north to Vancouver, British Columbia, so my wife and I can see you perform for the first time since we moved here (from the Northeast U.S.) in 2008, and you can gain a whole new contingent of fans. Here's a perfect venue: https://www.roguefolk.bc.ca/.
I haven't been to Vancouver in many years. Lovely place. I'll alert the authorities.
Considering the slang meaning of cooch in the U.S., I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to react so benignly to 800 Cornish men and women yelling it at me from the audience. I thank you profusely, over and over, for allowing us to hear the progress of the recording. I love the song, and I love Sir Clavelito. Oh, and you, of course.
It was all I could do to keep from leading them in a chant!
🤣
Nice to hear the song in progress - and your blow by blow of setting up the studio made me laugh more than once! (and I too am warming up for Infinite Jest -for about ten years now . . . I look at it and I love DFW but - it's hard to begin . . . )
I can't wait for the new album. And what a privilege to meet you in Milton Keynes when you toured with Show of Hands in 2019!
Sir Clavito is most assuredly a couch chiller, or perhaps a couch warmer.
As others have commented, I am most grateful to be allowed to follow your process of musical creation.
My cell service has been terrible for weeks now--because of leaves, no doubt--so I never get to listen when you post. I will do my best to listen if work allows tomorrow.
I love it Richard! Yeah! And I love that you used "Infinite Jest" for one of the speaker foundations--I made it through 240 pages of that book--the only person I know of that got that far. And I love the cat being part of the environment--I am that beautiful sleeping fur helped the sound!
It's my daughter's copy. She read the whole thing. The gauntlet has been thrown down.
Estimado Richard: William Hudson, si no me falla la memoria, estuvo también por allí, en San Miguel del Monte. En ese libro nostálgico y magnífico que escribió (me refiero a "Far away and Long ago") cuenta que siendo el niño conoció a Don Juan Manuel de Rosas, cuya estancia Los Cerrillos estaba ubicada en esa zona.
Hola Santiago. "Far Away and Long Ago"... que libro hermoso, tanto como "Idle Days in Patagonia". La prosa de Hudson es una belleza--tan natural y directo. Gracias por el mensaje.
Wow! I am impressed. And how about Norman Mailer's --"The Executioner's Song"--at a 1,000 pages? I made it most of the way but I had to quit eventually.....
I used to live in a trailer park in Davis, California, which was a chain link fence away from the Amtrak rail station. I always knew the California Zephyr was coming in because it was never on time. One gets used to a certain regularity living at a train station, and a train out of the ordinary was either the Zephyr or the Coast Starlight. Thanks for the memories. Beautiful track, I look forward to the new album.
I've taken the CZ a few times. Highly recommended, but it can be maddeningly slow. BNSF and Union Pacific own the tracks. Freight usually takes precedence. Meanwhile the Zephyr has to wait.
Liking the ‘Balloon Man’ thing in the studio☺️
Living on the other side of the Atlantic, at first I took the Zephyr to be a breeze that gives relief to those living outside in the heat of the sun. Then I read Chris’s comment above and it made so much more sense! Love the song.
Hi Michael, I'm in Merseyside, and did exactly the same - it all makes sense now! It's doubly great news, as there's a beautiful song by 'Dolly Varden' titled 'California Zephyr', so now I know what that's all about as well.
The train is named after the breeze!
Love the background on the recording process. BTW, Infinite Jest is worth it. Also, we already have tickets to your Atlanta show - can't wait!!
It will be nice to return to Atlanta. And my daughter says the same about Infinite Jest. I'm sure you're right. I just need to work on my attention span.
I wish I had that ability to create songs as you do ! Instant hit in my mind 🕉️
OMG, that mosquito photo just gives me the chills ... seems like those swarms could be a sound backdrop for your wonderful work somehow ... and the demo of Zephyr ... if that's a demo, well, the real thing is gonna be really something. Neat that another Shindell is working with you (and your other talented engineer as well ... plus the unbounded energy of Sir Clavelito Couch-Chiller).