Music
I've played music ever since I was a kid and learned to play keyboards and guitar. But I'm not really much of a musician. I have a good ear, but not much talent with an instrument. I have a good understanding of the principles of music.
In the past, all that would get you is a bit of strumming on your own and occasional jamming but only if the other guy wasn't very good either. If I'd really applied myself, I might have made it into a bar band or a local jazz group or some such.
Then along comes computer music software. Holy moley! I discovered Cakewalk first, then Acid, then FruityLoops, then softsynths and I've been in hog heaven. This is just too much fun for words. I put up music at MP3.com (of fond memory) and at IUMA (which is sadly neglected since it fell under Vivendi). I make my own CDs. Below are links that will tell the story in more detail.
CDs
Here they are in order, with commentary.
Daddy Served in the Space Patrol, 1997
Cover Art
I like this one a lot. The picture is a drawing by a child (obviously) of an American general bringing chocolate bars to the children of Berlin. I erased the wheels on the car and made a kind of ramp. With the title, it's not hard to see it as a UFO. But surely there could be few things more alien (yet more universal) than an American general bringing chocolate bars to young victims of war.
The interior art is the ganglia of a fly brain. No, seriously.
General Comments
This entire album was made with an Alesis QS7 keyboard. My son was in a band at the time and they'd bought this keyboard, but they seldom actually used it, so it sat in the room where my computer was. They wanted to hook it to the computer, so I undertook to do that and got my first introduction to the mysteries of MIDI.
Then I discovered Cakewalk and found I could record a take with one voice on the keyboard, then do something else, then something else. Hell, I had my own band! It was intoxicating.
You can hear plainly that I have not yet learned much about editing the MIDI events so as to fix mistakes in timing. It's a little embarassing in places. Nor did I yet know about drum machines, so I was just using the drums that came with
1. Deneb Disco
Basically I was looking to title songs to stay in keeping with the theme of the cover.
2. Hyperspace Police
This was one
3. A Minor Walk Among the Stars
Cuz it was in a minor key and it was spacey.
4. Deimos
I don't know.
5. Eno Ugh
One of the sounds on the keyboard was Eno something. I had called this track "enough" then got the idea to separate the word.
6. Nebula Wash
Another song title derived from names of instruments on the Alesis
7. (We All) Glow in the Dark
Again, I don't know. Seemed spacey, with a veiled reference to radiation.
8. 007 on Bass
Yet another derived from instrument names. The Alesis has a 007 Bass sound. This is the only title that I didn't connect to the album theme. I snuck in a small reference to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
9. Callisto Dawn
Just liked the sound
10. Daddy Died in the Space Patrol
The title track. It goes on too long and meanders, but I still like the core concept. There's a restatement of the melody from "Some Velvet Morning", an old 60s folk song.
11. Binary Star
Yep, there's an instrument with the word Binary in it.
12. Stars Like Dust
A classic science fiction title
Is Not Is Not Not Is, 1999
Cover Art
Nothing meaningful or unified, just strange pictures I had. I'd been collecting them because I was the one who made posters for my son's band.
General Comments
I had been making lots of songs in Cakewalk with the Alesis, probably a couple of years' worth. Then I discovered MP3.com. Whoopee! Only then did I start organizing songs into albums. The space theme was a natural organizer, and this CD was the best of the rest.The title is from a science fiction story by Keith Laumer. The line is a motto of a school (of sorts) that the hero, er, undergoes. Not important. Just one of those things.
1. New Stamboul
Wrote this around the time I went to Turkey. With the general tone of the song, the title was a natural.
2. African Tap
One of my oldest songs and it shows.
3. Monster
At some time, I must have thought it sounded creepy.
4. Ganja
There are a few phrases here that are okay, but lots of rough spots, too. As with many of these before I learned how to loop and edit, it takes a while before I get in the groove. What I really was doing is just recording takes!
5. 138
Yeah, well, when you can't think of a title, use the beats per minute.
6. Celeste
Not, for once, named after the instrument. I just liked the name.
7. X It
I have no idea.
8. Contortion You Can Do At Home
Ditto. But I do like the title.
9. Pizarro the Bizarro
Sometimes you get a title and you just slap it on a song.
10. Crash Corrigan Stays for Tea
Because ol' Crash ought to have his own song, don't you think?
11. Moonrise in F Minor
One of the effects is called moonrise. And it's in F minor. Duh.
12. Drive On
I remember even at the time I thought the title was lame.
13. Zombie Stroll
The song sort of feels like a stroll and sounds a little creepy.
14. Saint Ana
Well, if you don't recognize the style, then the reference to Carlos won't mean anything. Then again, if you don't recognize the style, you probably don't listen to music anyway.
Stray, 2000
Cover Art
I like this cover. First of all it looks good, but it also works well. This album is made up mainly of songs I'd left over by the time I was done with the first two. The songs were strays, get it? Then I found this picture of a carousel horse and so it's a stray from the merry-go-round. Get it? Yeah, ok. I did doctor the picture up; the original isn't red.
The interior images come from elsewhere. I thought the devil picture was pretty neat until I started seeing it on posters all over the place. sigh. The other is from a French movie poster. This time, "stray" can be read as a verb rather than a noun.
1. Chaser
2. Cato's Prowl
Named after my cat, for no good reason except that the song sounds kind of prowly.
3. Snap
4. Heart Torn Apart
Like the title, but the song's a mess
5. Dip in the Road
6. The Heart of This World
Maybe I shouldn't like this one, but I do. The vocal is taken from the sound files of a computer game.
7. Tick Zero
Ditto here.
8. Now You've Done It
Free-form improv that goes on much too long in the middle and takes too long to develop, but which has some nice progressions here and there.
9. Sex With A Capitalist
I had this song in my head, and a great title, but it didn't come out sounding anything like what I heard. I may try again some time. It's supposed to be hard, even industrial.
10. Scary Mouche
Puns. Had an instrument with a name something like this, thought the song sounded a little scary, then made a name that sounded like Scaramouche.
11. I See Dancing
One of the few songs that has my voice. "Looking through the void" is from that computer game (extra points if you recognize it). "I see dancing" is me.
This Young Modern Giant, 2001
About the art
This is a propaganda poster from South America somewhere. I already had the title, from a sample of a speech by Amelia Earhart. This fellow looked sort of like a giant, and he seemed to be promising that radio was a technology giant to change the world (which it did), so it all seemed to go together.
1. This Young Modern Giant
The title track, explained above.
2. Be Careful, Caleb
A great line from an unknown movie. The original said "be careful, Caleb, there's something at the door." I took old Caleb out. This one I did in Fruity Loops.
The Malevolent Universe Premise, 2001
By this time I was wholly in the computer sample world and had nearly abandoned the Alesis. I was composing mainly in Acid, with some songs done in Fruity Loops. I still had not learned much about mastering yet, though.
The cover art is a great poster from the war in Bosnia, warning children not to play with any munitions they might find. I didn't have to do a thing except remove the text and add my own.
1. Malevolent Universe Premise
The voice samples here are all from Ayn Rand, from some talks she gave. I was really struck by her voice, plus she had this talent for coming up with memorable phrases.
2. FaDeR
One of the last I did in Cakewalk. The vocals are Roosevelt and Eisenhower. Mostly these are samples, using Cakewalk strictly as a sequencer, but there's a little bit of keyboard work as well.
3. Secret Squadron
Great vocal samples here. You can tell by the unimaginative drum line that I did this one in Fruity Loops and programmed the drums myself. The "perfectly ordinary Americans" line is Robin, from the Batman show. The others are commercials. The "secret squadron" line sure sounds like Peter Graves.
4. What He Said
Typical of me, I take a nice jazzy tune and put too much bass in it. Otherwise a pretty good tune. I was starting to learn how to take advantage of the little things in Acid. This was still before you could integrate soft synths and effects envelopes; before the chopper, too.
5. Deep Relaxation Process
Also one of my last songs in Cakewalk. Again, mostly samples, but a few drum hits and the synth lead is mine. I really like this one, though I was never able to get the mix quite right. The vocal samples are all from some self-improvement stuff that I found on the Web.
6. The Truth
A great set of samples. I found this very weird set of files from some guy who thinks he's some sort of evangelical preacher. Except he obviously doesn't have a congregation because he's obviously just sort of ranting into a microphone at home. Very fervid, he seemed to trying to work himself into a state of talking in tongues but not really getting there. Anyway, I really liked taking this foaming-at-the-mouth set of samples and putting clips into this laid-back groove. And if you don't know the background on the samples, the tune still works. Sound is muddy, alas.
7. Cosmolingua
These files have provided vocals for two or three different tracks, but here they take center stage. I found a site that consisted of audition tapes for people who wanted to be voice actors, mostly for commercials or announcing. This site had international voices, so I snagged a bunch of them. Song done in Fruity Loops.
8. What Would You Do with a Brain?
I shouldn't have to explain the main sample here. This was the first song I tried to upload to MP3.com that they refused to accept because of copyright violation. Oh well. The "anything new" sample is from an old Arthur Godfrey radio show.
9. We Have Grown in Power
A variety of samples here, but the main ones are Eisenhower ("we have grown in power", "the future shall belong to the free") and FDR ("put away many evil things"). Wish the strings worked better, but I just didn't know how to build tension at that time. Still learning.
10. Redemption
I actually had the groove first, then I discovered the vocal sample. This is another one from those announcer auditions. The "halleluia, brother" line is actually from another song, which itself said it was a remix. I was able to get the voice without any music behind it, then pitched it down to make it sound darker. A Fruity Loops song, when I'd learned how to bring drum samples into it.
11. Starry Eyed
This is one of my favorite songs. It really shouldn't be, because I didn't pull it off, but I can hear it in my head. I've got most of the pieces and parts, so I may come back to it. It's just a happy tune and I don't make many of those.
The "starry eyed" line is from a radio show and is part of an introduction to a Benny Goodman tune. "As long as it's good music" is actually said by Benny. Most of the melody is from the Alesis.
12. Landing in Water
A pretty good song done in Fruity Loops. I sure don't know how to make drum loops! But the rest is good. The "landing in water" line is from a speech by Calvin Coolidge.
Remembering the Future, 2002
I really like this CD. It's the only one that's really held together with a concept. The cover art is from old book illustrations from the 50s and 60s. The title is my own: it expresses how I remember as a child picturing how the future would be. Turns out, the future pretty much blows.
1. Duck and Cover
Vocal samples from a great movie, Atomic Cafe. That movie, in turn, was made up of video from the "Atomic Age"--which lasted about eight years--and included hilarious (now) footage of people reassuring us how to stay safe in case of nuclear attack.
2. The Implications
A great sample of someone talking about aliens living among us. I give the whole sample, then through the song I put in clips that begin and the end and move back to the front.
3. OneFiftyTwo
Just sounds.
4. Easy Money
It's easy money. That's what the vocal says.
5.
6.
7. Snakes Creep
I found these two great samples from the Vietnam War era. One is a U.S. broadcast and the other is some clown from Hanoi. Because they were pretty scratchy in themselves, I tossed in some radio static noises looped throughout in order to disguise where the voice samples cut in and out.
8. Why Don't We All
Ah, Timothy Leary. Nuff said.
9. You're Delirious
I wanted the track to carry tension, but it verges on annoying instead. The voice sample is Agent Scully.
10. Scotty Won't Beam
11. Commonly Known as the Groove
I'd long wanted to do this, to take some sort of extended monologue and put it over the top of some loops to create something new. I found this track on the old mp3.com site; someone earnestly talking about perceptions and self-awareness. Deconstructed and laid over a nice groove. Serve chilled.
12. What's Left
The spoken sample is from the test tracks for my old Soundblaster card. But repetition can make anything sound significant. Just ask Daft Punk.
13. Saving the World
My one and only vocal. That's me delivering the line and my wife, Debra, asking the question. This exchange just dropped on me out of the blue one day and it seemed like it should get used somewhere. Sounds like something from a movie. The song that comes after is less successful, alas.
14. Hot Mahatma
A nice sample from Mahatma Gandhi takes on slightly sinister overtones, if you lay it into the right music.
15. Monkeys
A bit of wisdom from Terry Gilliam by way of Brad Pitt.
Dancing to Destruction, 2003
The cover art on this one is from a propaganda poster from Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Those people aren't dancing, they're running in stylized terror from bombers. But when I first saw it, they looked like they were dancing, so the title came really easily. I mucked it a bit in Photoshop.
1. Ah Yeah
Just a nice groove, with a lovely suggestive voice in there.
2. Palms
What a great line. From a movie, obviously, but I don't know which one.
3. That's All Right
Just another song.
4. What Life Would Be Like
Another sample from those radio auditions. Wonderful resource. The original was something like "did you ever wonder what life would be like if..." something about the product being sold. Chopped off, it sounds downright mystical.
5. Wrapped in Plastic
My homage to Twin Peaks. Probably too many samples in here, but I couldn't resist.
6. And Now (Today's Program)
A simple sample from a television announcer. Chop it severely enough and it's pretty cool.
7. First Words
Thomas Alva Edison, there in the middle. Those really were the first words spoken into a phonograph. Practical poetry, indeed.
8. Sin Thetic
Deep groove.
9. Remorse
Charles Manson on this one. In real life he's just a tired old man, but he sounds creepy enough on this one. The line about the drugstore cracks me up. Who the hell walks to a drugstore any more? Charlie's been in jail a looooong time.
10. Sea of Moons
Done in Fruity Loops. The vocal was created there with the voice generator. Loads o' fun.
11. Dub Loon
Another jazzy groove.
12. The Clock
I really did want this to be a sort of techno-dance tune, in part because of the subject matter. It sounds weak to say it: the sample is John Travolta, from Swordfish. Or Broken Arrow. I forget. Works in the song well enough.
13. Pillars of Heaven
This, on the other hand, is one of the all-time great movies: Big Trouble in Little China. All the samples are from that. My attempts to create structure and movement are still ham-handed, but at least I'm trying!
What a Pretty Girl Wants, 2004
Once again I already had the title from a sample, this time from Marilyn Monroe: "how do you know what a pretty girl wants?" And, once again, most songs were done in Acid.
1.What a Pretty Girl Wants
Title track.
2. I'm the Moon
I really like this song. I don't write many happy, bouncy songs. The vocal sample is from a cartoon, but I don't know which one.
3. Doodlie Doo
Just a little doodle, really.
4. Medically and Legally
How could I resist? Jack Webb warns us of the dangers of cannibis sativa
5. O Lord
Got this sample a long time ago. Pitched it way down and slowed it down; the original sounds quite different.
6. Military Readiness
This vocal sample came from a radio announcer in the '50s. I liked putting in this dire warning stuff into a laid back groove.
7. Ease It Down
No vocals for once. That piano at the end is a sample I found. It technically doesn't go with the rest of the song, but it almost functions as a break-plus-outro. By steadily easing down the bpm, but keeping the piano at its original tempo, it creates a rather nice mood.
8. Strange Things
The opening sample is great. Comes from a cartoon, but I don't know which one. The other sample, from which the title is taken, is Keanu Reaves in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" when he says that strange things are afoot at the 7-11.
9. Thumper
Just a nice groove.
10. Static
Wish this mix were a little stronger. I like its structure and I like the vocal sample (origin unknown). I don't like static, either.
11. S1
For some reason, this sounds like some background music for a movie. The bass sounds really good; unfortunately, I obviously had no idea where to take the song.
12. Damaged Goods
Vocal sample is from a movie; wish I knew which one. This one I intentionally left in this short version. I wanted it to act as a kind of bridge, fading in then fading out.
13. Do You Know What It Is
Good old Pokey and Gumby. What a great sample. It really deserves to be in a better song.
14. Magic Man
Probably could have mixed this better, but I do like the vocal sample. Again from an unknown movie.
15. Save the Guitar
Not a very good title. I like the song, though. It's cowboy techno.
16. Vital Bodily Fluids
Good song. The vocal sample is from Dr. Strangelove. Hence the title. Don't know? Watch the movie.
17. Welcome Gentlemen
I really like this song. I took the original vocal sample, then I used the vocoder in Fruity Loops and programmed the same words, letting the computer generate them. Pitched stuff all over the place and there you go. Nice groove, too.
18. You Make Me Feel
This one must be from a movie, but I don't know what. The vocal sample really is the star; the music is there just to deliver the line.
Update, spring 2007
Haven't done much of anything for ever so long. In part I've hit a creative brick wall. In part, I got a copy of Sonar 4 (plus Project 5) for my birthday last fall and I want to learn how to use this tool. I have fallen into a rut of just grabbing loops and dumping them into Acid. I want to do something different. Trouble is, by the time I've tended to other business, most nights I don't much feel like doing music at all. So there it sits.