Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:58:36 +0200 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ en-EN contact@hearthis.at contact@hearthis.at https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ https://img.hearthis.at/o/c/3/_/uploads/22365/image_user/w1400_h1400_q70_ptrue_v2_----cropped_75edacec57c7cebd106dab487d8596761554302639021d61bee3co.jpg no no https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/take-a-moment/
I’ve been using AirPod Pros for mixing over the last week or two and it shows. The bass is off all over the place. Those little suckers just don’t fit my head very well. I keep jamming them deeper into my ears to improve the bass response and after a while it kinda hurts. Maybe I’ll go back to my Bose headphones next month.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s into my Vox AC15. The pedal on the rhythm is a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini. I like that pedal, I’m just having a hard time getting it to play well with others. I think I need to run it at 18 volts instead of nine, and use an amp with more than 15 watts of headroom. The lead parts used a Crybaby wah into a Ryra the Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

A
I can tell by the way that you look at me
Not good this time
I can see by the way that you scowl like that
bad times ahead

B
take a minute and think it through
you can tell by the way that I’m confronting you
take a moment to catch your breath
you can sense my feelings know what you have to do

A2
its a feeling I get when you come around
go run and hide
there’s a change in the air when I see you there
I died inside

C
cheap attack
in the black
take it back
through the crack
no escape
no mistake
lucky break
on the take]]>
I’ve been using AirPod Pros for mixing over the last week or two and it shows. The bass is off all over the place. Those little suckers just don’t fit my head very well. I keep jamming them deeper into my ears to improve the bass response and after a while it kinda hurts. Maybe I’ll go back to my Bose headphones next month.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s into my Vox AC15. The pedal on the rhythm is a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini. I like that pedal, I’m just having a hard time getting it to play well with others. I think I need to run it at 18 volts instead of nine, and use an amp with more than 15 watts of headroom. The lead parts used a Crybaby wah into a Ryra the Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

A
I can tell by the way that you look at me
Not good this time
I can see by the way that you scowl like that
bad times ahead

B
take a minute and think it through
you can tell by the way that I’m confronting you
take a moment to catch your breath
you can sense my feelings know what you have to do

A2
its a feeling I get when you come around
go run and hide
there’s a change in the air when I see you there
I died inside

C
cheap attack
in the black
take it back
through the crack
no escape
no mistake
lucky break
on the take]]> 5956820 no no Mon, 31 May 2021 21:52:25 +0200 2021-05-31T21:52:25+02:00 3:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-surprises/
I think the lyrics are about waking up? Maybe?

The guitars are all my shiny new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s. The amp for all of the guitar tracks is a Vox AC15. The pedals for the rhythm tracks was just a Ryra The Klone. The leads for all but the end were the Ryra and the Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The little thing at the end was an MXR Univibe and the Ryra.

A1
Lay awake listening to the darkness
half asleep sensing all the calmness
close your eyes waiting for the sunrise
hold it back hoping that it never comes

B1
Pre dawn moonlight - Always feels right
morning in site - Always so bright
come on morning - tired of waiting
time for waking - get on with it

Chorus
No surprise no say in what comes after
close your eyes and feel as it all shatters

A2
In the sky subtle changes coming
right outside everything is waking
Sense the light before you can see it
brighter sky creeping impercepibly]]>
I think the lyrics are about waking up? Maybe?

The guitars are all my shiny new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s. The amp for all of the guitar tracks is a Vox AC15. The pedals for the rhythm tracks was just a Ryra The Klone. The leads for all but the end were the Ryra and the Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The little thing at the end was an MXR Univibe and the Ryra.

A1
Lay awake listening to the darkness
half asleep sensing all the calmness
close your eyes waiting for the sunrise
hold it back hoping that it never comes

B1
Pre dawn moonlight - Always feels right
morning in site - Always so bright
come on morning - tired of waiting
time for waking - get on with it

Chorus
No surprise no say in what comes after
close your eyes and feel as it all shatters

A2
In the sky subtle changes coming
right outside everything is waking
Sense the light before you can see it
brighter sky creeping impercepibly]]> 5956223 no no Mon, 31 May 2021 16:42:37 +0200 2021-05-31T16:42:37+02:00 3:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thats-how-it-goes-0u3/
But enough about me, how are you doing?

I wanted this one to have sections that were sort of out of time. It works in the beginning, but when it happens again in the middle of the song it sounds awkward instead of cool. Oh well.

This is noteworthy, gear wise, in that it’s the first song recorded entirely with my brand spanking new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s. I am over the moon for this sucker and yet for some reason I loaded up the first part of the song with 100 tons of soupy effects. Moron. Anyway, all of the guitar tracks are the Les Paul Standard through a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm are a Ryra The Klone with a little MXR Uni-Vibe in the middle. The lead used the Ryra and a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin.

Chorus
I can’t decide what to do next
Can’t seem to hide or redirect
just died inside to no effect
I can’t decide what to do next

Verse 1
One final feeling
and then its over
what is believing
that’s how it goes
Continue breathing
as long as you can
What sense is being
nobody knows

Verse 2
I sense the ending
its coming for me
can’t help offending
that’s how it goes
It keeps extending
as far as you see
I’m just pretending
but does it show]]>
But enough about me, how are you doing?

I wanted this one to have sections that were sort of out of time. It works in the beginning, but when it happens again in the middle of the song it sounds awkward instead of cool. Oh well.

This is noteworthy, gear wise, in that it’s the first song recorded entirely with my brand spanking new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s. I am over the moon for this sucker and yet for some reason I loaded up the first part of the song with 100 tons of soupy effects. Moron. Anyway, all of the guitar tracks are the Les Paul Standard through a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm are a Ryra The Klone with a little MXR Uni-Vibe in the middle. The lead used the Ryra and a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin.

Chorus
I can’t decide what to do next
Can’t seem to hide or redirect
just died inside to no effect
I can’t decide what to do next

Verse 1
One final feeling
and then its over
what is believing
that’s how it goes
Continue breathing
as long as you can
What sense is being
nobody knows

Verse 2
I sense the ending
its coming for me
can’t help offending
that’s how it goes
It keeps extending
as far as you see
I’m just pretending
but does it show]]> 5950146 no no Sat, 29 May 2021 06:42:13 +0200 2021-05-29T06:42:13+02:00 5:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/slipping-away-again/
That’s all I need to fix this one.

Rhythm guitars are my Les Paul Custom into a Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 on the 30 watt channel with an attenuator that let me crank the volume. The lead guitar is the same setup with the addition of a Ryra The Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian which all combine to make this over compressed garbage.

Chorus
night falls hear it call
you could know it all
night falls hear it call
to you to you to you

Verse 1
slipping away again
no telling where or when
no rational defense
it doesn’t quite make sense to you

Verse 2
you had it figured out
know what it’s all about
they put one over you
nothing you say or do is true]]>
That’s all I need to fix this one.

Rhythm guitars are my Les Paul Custom into a Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 on the 30 watt channel with an attenuator that let me crank the volume. The lead guitar is the same setup with the addition of a Ryra The Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian which all combine to make this over compressed garbage.

Chorus
night falls hear it call
you could know it all
night falls hear it call
to you to you to you

Verse 1
slipping away again
no telling where or when
no rational defense
it doesn’t quite make sense to you

Verse 2
you had it figured out
know what it’s all about
they put one over you
nothing you say or do is true]]> 5936057 no no Sat, 22 May 2021 20:34:06 +0200 2021-05-22T20:34:06+02:00 3:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/a-smidge-too-much/
Can you dig that there’s a rotary speaker on the bass in the intro? There’s a first for everything, I guess.

The rhythm guitars are my Les Paul Custom into a Ryra The Klone and a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini into the 18 watt channel of a Fender Bassbreaker 18/30. The leads are the same guitar and amp, though the amp is on the 30 watt channel with an attenuator. For pedals, it’s just a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin.

Chorus
No time to think about it now
wasted a chance to make it right
I would have blown it any how
Just how it goes

Verse 1
You’ve done it now
You’ve done it now
no telling how
you’ve done it now

You’ve gone to far
you’ve gone to far
it’s too bizarre
You’ve gone to far

Verse 2
can’t get away
cant get away
you’re here to stay
can’t get away

you’re staying home
you’re staying home
you’ll never roam
you’re staying home]]>
Can you dig that there’s a rotary speaker on the bass in the intro? There’s a first for everything, I guess.

The rhythm guitars are my Les Paul Custom into a Ryra The Klone and a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini into the 18 watt channel of a Fender Bassbreaker 18/30. The leads are the same guitar and amp, though the amp is on the 30 watt channel with an attenuator. For pedals, it’s just a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin.

Chorus
No time to think about it now
wasted a chance to make it right
I would have blown it any how
Just how it goes

Verse 1
You’ve done it now
You’ve done it now
no telling how
you’ve done it now

You’ve gone to far
you’ve gone to far
it’s too bizarre
You’ve gone to far

Verse 2
can’t get away
cant get away
you’re here to stay
can’t get away

you’re staying home
you’re staying home
you’ll never roam
you’re staying home]]> 5935764 no no Sat, 22 May 2021 17:20:16 +0200 2021-05-22T17:20:16+02:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/get-on-with-it/
This is a leftover from the RPM Challenge Record Every Month Challenge for March. I wrote and recorded a handful of songs and then submitted the best one. Actually, I only mixed the best one and the rest have been patiently waiting to be mixed and uploaded here so that I can forget about them and never listen to them again because they are all pretty sucky.

I almost like the chorus on this one. Maybe some day I’ll go through all of the crap songs and pick out the few sections that I don’t loathe and stitch them all together into something new. Maybe a 50 hour long epic of suck.

This was so long ago that I don’t remember what I was doing. Let me see… The rhythm guitars were my Les Paul Custom into the Ryra the Klone and the Wampler Plexi Drive Mini into the 18 watt channel of my Fender Bassbreaker 18/30. The leads were the same Les Paul (I’ve got two of them now so I have to start making sure I differentiate) into the same channel of the same amp, but I had an attenuator on it so there are no pedals, just the cranked amp.

Chorus
get on with it (twice)
get right with it (twice)

Verse
feels like it’s never ending
Remember the beginning
its so intimidating
its so humiliating

Verse 2
so try to go on living
just taking what they’re giving
there is no hidden meaning
its only for demeaning]]>
This is a leftover from the RPM Challenge Record Every Month Challenge for March. I wrote and recorded a handful of songs and then submitted the best one. Actually, I only mixed the best one and the rest have been patiently waiting to be mixed and uploaded here so that I can forget about them and never listen to them again because they are all pretty sucky.

I almost like the chorus on this one. Maybe some day I’ll go through all of the crap songs and pick out the few sections that I don’t loathe and stitch them all together into something new. Maybe a 50 hour long epic of suck.

This was so long ago that I don’t remember what I was doing. Let me see… The rhythm guitars were my Les Paul Custom into the Ryra the Klone and the Wampler Plexi Drive Mini into the 18 watt channel of my Fender Bassbreaker 18/30. The leads were the same Les Paul (I’ve got two of them now so I have to start making sure I differentiate) into the same channel of the same amp, but I had an attenuator on it so there are no pedals, just the cranked amp.

Chorus
get on with it (twice)
get right with it (twice)

Verse
feels like it’s never ending
Remember the beginning
its so intimidating
its so humiliating

Verse 2
so try to go on living
just taking what they’re giving
there is no hidden meaning
its only for demeaning]]> 5935710 no no Sat, 22 May 2021 16:45:49 +0200 2021-05-22T16:45:49+02:00 4:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/bad-guy-2021-version/
This is an old Florida Man song about a guy who tried to rob a store he worked in, failed, shot himself with a taser, then later that day showed up for work. I’m not sure I did it justice. It’s probably better than the original, but the rhythm for the vocals in the chorus just defeats me every time. It never sounds right, no matter how carefully I count it out. It’s just a tiny bit off every time and it completely gets under my skin.

The rhythm guitars are my Gibson ES-335 Pro into Mooer Elec-Lady, a Klon KTR, and a Keeley D&M Drive, then into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar is a special moment. I turned 50 a week ago and my wife shocked the hell out of me by buying me a brand spanking new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s and I can’t put into words how much I love it. I don’t love it as much as my wife, and I don’t love it as much as my two step kids, but I probably love it more than my cat, and I really dig that crazy little fur ball. The rest of the chain is a Crybaby Wah, an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Ryra the Klone, and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian, and the amp is just the Vox AC15 on it’s own.

I know what I want
you have what I need
you stand in my way
I’ll make you bleed
I have the will
I have the means
I’ve got the power
I will succeed

Ready aim fire

I have the stun gun
I have the mace
Wait while I spray it
into your face
I’m going to shock you
to outer space
do me a favor
stand in one place

I am a bad guy
I’m gonna show why
I am a bad guy

I aimed the taser
but shot myself
abort the mission
put it on the shelf
get under cover
right pretty swift
until I come back
to work my shift]]>
This is an old Florida Man song about a guy who tried to rob a store he worked in, failed, shot himself with a taser, then later that day showed up for work. I’m not sure I did it justice. It’s probably better than the original, but the rhythm for the vocals in the chorus just defeats me every time. It never sounds right, no matter how carefully I count it out. It’s just a tiny bit off every time and it completely gets under my skin.

The rhythm guitars are my Gibson ES-335 Pro into Mooer Elec-Lady, a Klon KTR, and a Keeley D&M Drive, then into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar is a special moment. I turned 50 a week ago and my wife shocked the hell out of me by buying me a brand spanking new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s and I can’t put into words how much I love it. I don’t love it as much as my wife, and I don’t love it as much as my two step kids, but I probably love it more than my cat, and I really dig that crazy little fur ball. The rest of the chain is a Crybaby Wah, an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Ryra the Klone, and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian, and the amp is just the Vox AC15 on it’s own.

I know what I want
you have what I need
you stand in my way
I’ll make you bleed
I have the will
I have the means
I’ve got the power
I will succeed

Ready aim fire

I have the stun gun
I have the mace
Wait while I spray it
into your face
I’m going to shock you
to outer space
do me a favor
stand in one place

I am a bad guy
I’m gonna show why
I am a bad guy

I aimed the taser
but shot myself
abort the mission
put it on the shelf
get under cover
right pretty swift
until I come back
to work my shift]]> 5919993 no no Mon, 17 May 2021 04:57:02 +0200 2021-05-17T04:57:02+02:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/bad-advice/
For a challenge within the challenge within the challenge, I decided to write the vocal melody first and then write the rest of the song around that. I only worked on two songs this month but they both followed that rule. I’m sort of pleased with it but ask me again in a month or two.

The guitars are all my Gibson SG Standard into a Vox AC15. I’m downsizing the recording nook a smidge. The rhythm guitar tracks used a Dunlop Crybaby wah (the Gary Clark Jr signature. It’s good, but the Joe Bonamassa signature on my big pedal board is better) into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker and a Ryra The Klone. I used the same setup for the lead guitar at the very end of the song (the part over the wah’d rhythm guitars), and the rest of the leads swapped out a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin in place of the Blooze Maker.

Chorus
Compromise
in disguise
bad advice
steers you wrong
a grain of salt
by default
to high a cost
You stay strong

Verse 1
I’ll always tell you just what I think
I will be straight about everything
Sometimes the answer isn’t the thing you want to hear
The right direction isn’t always clear

Verse 2
It does not matter what you want
Could be the best move is to stop
Don’t take advice from someone who cannot see both
sides
Don’t take direction from someone who’s gone blind

Verse 3
I’ll always tell you just what I think
I will be straight about everything
Don’t take advice from someone who cannot see both
sides
Don’t take direction from someone who’s gone blind]]>
For a challenge within the challenge within the challenge, I decided to write the vocal melody first and then write the rest of the song around that. I only worked on two songs this month but they both followed that rule. I’m sort of pleased with it but ask me again in a month or two.

The guitars are all my Gibson SG Standard into a Vox AC15. I’m downsizing the recording nook a smidge. The rhythm guitar tracks used a Dunlop Crybaby wah (the Gary Clark Jr signature. It’s good, but the Joe Bonamassa signature on my big pedal board is better) into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker and a Ryra The Klone. I used the same setup for the lead guitar at the very end of the song (the part over the wah’d rhythm guitars), and the rest of the leads swapped out a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin in place of the Blooze Maker.

Chorus
Compromise
in disguise
bad advice
steers you wrong
a grain of salt
by default
to high a cost
You stay strong

Verse 1
I’ll always tell you just what I think
I will be straight about everything
Sometimes the answer isn’t the thing you want to hear
The right direction isn’t always clear

Verse 2
It does not matter what you want
Could be the best move is to stop
Don’t take advice from someone who cannot see both
sides
Don’t take direction from someone who’s gone blind

Verse 3
I’ll always tell you just what I think
I will be straight about everything
Don’t take advice from someone who cannot see both
sides
Don’t take direction from someone who’s gone blind]]> 5874821 no no Fri, 30 Apr 2021 04:02:32 +0200 2021-04-30T04:02:32+02:00 4:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-treason-and-sedition-blues-2021-version-of-the-flat-earth-blues/
In 2016’s RPM Challenge there are two songs that were supposed to be an argument between a flat earther and a non-mentally defective human. They were The Flat Earth Blues and The Flat Earth Rebuttal respectively. I thought I was being frightfully clever. I was not.

Anyway, fast forward to the Covid-19 pandemic and me finally working on the re-recording project. The Flat Earth Blues was the better of the two songs, but I hesitated to redo it because… well… out of context it’s just a thing from a flat earth moron’s point of view and I couldn’t have that. So for (I think) Quarantine Tunes vol 3 I did the rebuttal. For volume 4 though, I really wanted to use the song because I really like the verses and I kinda liked the chorus, and it was the better of the two songs… so I wrote new lyrics.

Now that it’s done, I think I probably would have been better off not including it. It doesn’t connect with me the way it did the first time around. I tried to keep some of the lyrics and somehow I ended up with something I don’t really care for. Oh well. It still has boat loads of wah wah, so that’s pretty cool, and the chorus is in three part harmony now. I guess that’s cool, right?

The rhythm guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Dunlop Cry Baby (the Joe Bonamassa version), into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and then into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The lead guitar was a completely different rig. It’s a Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Dunlop Cry Baby (The Gary Clark, Jr version) into a RYRA The Klone pedal and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian and then into a Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 on the 18 watt channel.

Chorus:
At the limit
of what I’ll take
At the limit
its gonna break

Verse 1:
Evidence is suspect
and there is no proof
its what you call progress
its what I call a spoof
Verse 2:
Business man says trust me
as he robs you blind
this is what we’ve come to
we’re a nation of lies

Bridge:
What seems like a simple truth
Treated like some thing you choose
(turned in to a thing you loose)

Verse 3:
they will try to tell you
that the facts are clear
and when you correct them
they just refuse to hear.

Other Bridge:
Don’t fall for it

Don’t believe the lies]]>
In 2016’s RPM Challenge there are two songs that were supposed to be an argument between a flat earther and a non-mentally defective human. They were The Flat Earth Blues and The Flat Earth Rebuttal respectively. I thought I was being frightfully clever. I was not.

Anyway, fast forward to the Covid-19 pandemic and me finally working on the re-recording project. The Flat Earth Blues was the better of the two songs, but I hesitated to redo it because… well… out of context it’s just a thing from a flat earth moron’s point of view and I couldn’t have that. So for (I think) Quarantine Tunes vol 3 I did the rebuttal. For volume 4 though, I really wanted to use the song because I really like the verses and I kinda liked the chorus, and it was the better of the two songs… so I wrote new lyrics.

Now that it’s done, I think I probably would have been better off not including it. It doesn’t connect with me the way it did the first time around. I tried to keep some of the lyrics and somehow I ended up with something I don’t really care for. Oh well. It still has boat loads of wah wah, so that’s pretty cool, and the chorus is in three part harmony now. I guess that’s cool, right?

The rhythm guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Dunlop Cry Baby (the Joe Bonamassa version), into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and then into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The lead guitar was a completely different rig. It’s a Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Dunlop Cry Baby (The Gary Clark, Jr version) into a RYRA The Klone pedal and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian and then into a Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 on the 18 watt channel.

Chorus:
At the limit
of what I’ll take
At the limit
its gonna break

Verse 1:
Evidence is suspect
and there is no proof
its what you call progress
its what I call a spoof
Verse 2:
Business man says trust me
as he robs you blind
this is what we’ve come to
we’re a nation of lies

Bridge:
What seems like a simple truth
Treated like some thing you choose
(turned in to a thing you loose)

Verse 3:
they will try to tell you
that the facts are clear
and when you correct them
they just refuse to hear.

Other Bridge:
Don’t fall for it

Don’t believe the lies]]> 5839707 no no Sun, 18 Apr 2021 20:45:49 +0200 2021-04-18T20:45:49+02:00 3:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/is-it-me-2021-version/
Here’s one that was finished in January and has been sitting around waiting for me to mix it for three months. Hooray. I think this one was written in my June 2014 album in a month attempt. I always liked it but it doesn’t really seem like anything I would ever want to do with a band. The lyrics are meaningless and the guitar playing is sloppy. I think I might have been running out of steam on the project while I was working on this song. Oh well.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm tracks used a Klon KTR and a Mooer Elec Lady. The leads used the KTR and a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 with an MXR Uni-Vibe.

Verse 1
Sometimes I feel disconnected
Sometimes I feel detached
Somedays I feel like a fraud
Somedays I feel like a liar.

Verse 2
Somedays I feel like a faker
Somedays I feel like I’m lost

Chorus
Is it me or is it you
I don’t know what to do

Verse 3
Sometimes I feel disconnected
Sometimes I feel detached]]>
Here’s one that was finished in January and has been sitting around waiting for me to mix it for three months. Hooray. I think this one was written in my June 2014 album in a month attempt. I always liked it but it doesn’t really seem like anything I would ever want to do with a band. The lyrics are meaningless and the guitar playing is sloppy. I think I might have been running out of steam on the project while I was working on this song. Oh well.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm tracks used a Klon KTR and a Mooer Elec Lady. The leads used the KTR and a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 with an MXR Uni-Vibe.

Verse 1
Sometimes I feel disconnected
Sometimes I feel detached
Somedays I feel like a fraud
Somedays I feel like a liar.

Verse 2
Somedays I feel like a faker
Somedays I feel like I’m lost

Chorus
Is it me or is it you
I don’t know what to do

Verse 3
Sometimes I feel disconnected
Sometimes I feel detached]]> 5837712 no no Sun, 18 Apr 2021 03:08:49 +0200 2021-04-18T03:08:49+02:00 3:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/who-gets-a-say/
Gear wise I’m playing around again. I brought back my Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 amp which is miles too loud to play at home. I bypassed the internal speakers in favor of a little 1x12 cabinet. That lets me put an attenuator into the speaker path and crank the amp without blowing the roof off of my house.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson Les Paul Custom. The rhythm used a crybaby wah and the 18/30 on the 30 watt channel with a Carl’s Custom Guitars Speaker Soak taming the volume. The leads are the same setup with a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin and a Ryra The Klone.

Chorus
I try to do what’s right
Stepping in to the light

Verse 1
intention
progression
confession
detention

no matter
the trouble
disaster
awaits you

Verse 2
impressive
dismissive
aggressive
obsessive

It’s simple
its willful
its skillful
a symbol

Bridge (twice)
who gets to name the answer
who gets a say at all]]>
Gear wise I’m playing around again. I brought back my Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 amp which is miles too loud to play at home. I bypassed the internal speakers in favor of a little 1x12 cabinet. That lets me put an attenuator into the speaker path and crank the amp without blowing the roof off of my house.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson Les Paul Custom. The rhythm used a crybaby wah and the 18/30 on the 30 watt channel with a Carl’s Custom Guitars Speaker Soak taming the volume. The leads are the same setup with a Chicago Stompworks Mr Vermin and a Ryra The Klone.

Chorus
I try to do what’s right
Stepping in to the light

Verse 1
intention
progression
confession
detention

no matter
the trouble
disaster
awaits you

Verse 2
impressive
dismissive
aggressive
obsessive

It’s simple
its willful
its skillful
a symbol

Bridge (twice)
who gets to name the answer
who gets a say at all]]> 5792984 no no Thu, 01 Apr 2021 03:11:58 +0200 2021-04-01T03:11:58+02:00 3:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/one-more-second-to-perfect/
There isn’t a lot to note with this one except that I used GarageBand’s mix automation on an effect for the first time ever. I sometimes use it to automate a level change, and more often use it to automate a panning trick, but this time I turned the echo on the rhythm guitar tracks off during the choruses. Nice.

I only used one setup on the guitars for this song. Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian into a splitter with one side going into a Vox AC15 and the other to a Fender Bassbreaker 15, both of which were mic’d with Shure SM57’s.

Verse 1
Redesign - Rethink it all
Redefine - both large and small
New deadline - break down the wall
New headline - I don’t recall

Verse 2
One second - One look away
One moment - Fatal delay
Missed chances - all disarray
Advances - have gone astray

Chorus
One more second to perfect
One more moment to come around
One more chance to reconnect
One more lost and found]]>
There isn’t a lot to note with this one except that I used GarageBand’s mix automation on an effect for the first time ever. I sometimes use it to automate a level change, and more often use it to automate a panning trick, but this time I turned the echo on the rhythm guitar tracks off during the choruses. Nice.

I only used one setup on the guitars for this song. Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian into a splitter with one side going into a Vox AC15 and the other to a Fender Bassbreaker 15, both of which were mic’d with Shure SM57’s.

Verse 1
Redesign - Rethink it all
Redefine - both large and small
New deadline - break down the wall
New headline - I don’t recall

Verse 2
One second - One look away
One moment - Fatal delay
Missed chances - all disarray
Advances - have gone astray

Chorus
One more second to perfect
One more moment to come around
One more chance to reconnect
One more lost and found]]> 5682461 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2021 22:19:25 +0100 2021-02-28T22:19:25+01:00 5:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/prefab-blues/
My wife, step son, and I spent much of January and early February working on redesigning a couple of rooms in our house. A big part of the project involved putting together lots or pre-fabricated, IKEA style, furniture. In the literal sense, that is what the lyrics to this song are about. Get it? Well there is a double meaning as well! The song is a 12-bar blues and tries to hit most of the cliches associated to that song form. In a sense, the song itself is pre-fabricated. Get it?? Deep, huh?

But there’s another double meaning here too! Shocking! I put ambient sound effects onto a handful of the RPM Challenge songs this year. This song started out in January where all of the other sound effect songs were 100% February. I added the crowd noise to this song to make it feel more at home with the February songs. Nice of me, huh? The double meaning comes from the crowd noise itself. The crowd audio runs through the entire song, but there is no cheering. The sample was actually of a crowd just hanging out, waiting for a concert to start (https://freesound.org/people/joedeshon/sounds/487434/). There is no cheering, and there is no excitement. Why? Because the song is so boring it’s like they don’t even notice the band is playing. HA! I love it! The lyric says call it a throw away and the audience agrees! This may be the most genius moment of my entire musical life!

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone pedal and the lead used the Ryra and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Chorus
Call this a throw away
(a) throw away

Verse 1
instructions by numbers
its easy do what it says
(x2)
It all looks so simple
it’s prefab you can do it

Verse 2
It gives you the how to
provides you with everything
(x2)
the tools and components
are all provided to you]]>
My wife, step son, and I spent much of January and early February working on redesigning a couple of rooms in our house. A big part of the project involved putting together lots or pre-fabricated, IKEA style, furniture. In the literal sense, that is what the lyrics to this song are about. Get it? Well there is a double meaning as well! The song is a 12-bar blues and tries to hit most of the cliches associated to that song form. In a sense, the song itself is pre-fabricated. Get it?? Deep, huh?

But there’s another double meaning here too! Shocking! I put ambient sound effects onto a handful of the RPM Challenge songs this year. This song started out in January where all of the other sound effect songs were 100% February. I added the crowd noise to this song to make it feel more at home with the February songs. Nice of me, huh? The double meaning comes from the crowd noise itself. The crowd audio runs through the entire song, but there is no cheering. The sample was actually of a crowd just hanging out, waiting for a concert to start (https://freesound.org/people/joedeshon/sounds/487434/). There is no cheering, and there is no excitement. Why? Because the song is so boring it’s like they don’t even notice the band is playing. HA! I love it! The lyric says call it a throw away and the audience agrees! This may be the most genius moment of my entire musical life!

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone pedal and the lead used the Ryra and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Chorus
Call this a throw away
(a) throw away

Verse 1
instructions by numbers
its easy do what it says
(x2)
It all looks so simple
it’s prefab you can do it

Verse 2
It gives you the how to
provides you with everything
(x2)
the tools and components
are all provided to you]]> 5682242 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2021 20:47:36 +0100 2021-02-28T20:47:36+01:00 3:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thats-how-we-do-things-now/
This was from my January album in a month fail. At one point I thought that maybe I could write 10 songs with swing grooves. This came from that. When January ended all I had was bass and drums and the song form. I redid the bass and drums and finished everything else off.

This might make the RPM Challenge submission but it’s just on the bubble. I feel like it will probably end up on the dropped song list. We’ll see.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm part used a Ryra The Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. The leads used a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini and the boost side of the Super Russian.

Verse 1
Let me know how you are doing
don’t come by don’t leave your grouping
say hello yell through the window
ask you please don’t let your face show

Verse 2
That’s the way we used to do it
go outside don’t need a permit
that’s the way we operated
see the world is populated

Chorus
That’s how we do things now (x4)

Bridge
I try to do my best
to keep my people safe
security addressed
welcome the new normal]]>
This was from my January album in a month fail. At one point I thought that maybe I could write 10 songs with swing grooves. This came from that. When January ended all I had was bass and drums and the song form. I redid the bass and drums and finished everything else off.

This might make the RPM Challenge submission but it’s just on the bubble. I feel like it will probably end up on the dropped song list. We’ll see.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm part used a Ryra The Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. The leads used a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini and the boost side of the Super Russian.

Verse 1
Let me know how you are doing
don’t come by don’t leave your grouping
say hello yell through the window
ask you please don’t let your face show

Verse 2
That’s the way we used to do it
go outside don’t need a permit
that’s the way we operated
see the world is populated

Chorus
That’s how we do things now (x4)

Bridge
I try to do my best
to keep my people safe
security addressed
welcome the new normal]]> 5682107 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2021 19:48:03 +0100 2021-02-28T19:48:03+01:00 4:12 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/that-look-of-surprise/
RPM Challenge asks for 10 songs or 35 minutes recorded in February. FAWM asks for 14 songs written during February. In 2020 in order to keep myself from going insane through COVID-19 I did an RPM Challenge every month from February through December. I planned on continuing into January 2021 and I started 7-8 songs but I never finished them. In February 2021 I had 15 songs written and (at the time mostly) recorded so FAWM was done and RPM was going to be done. I still had a week or so to go so I started thinking about maybe finishing two RPM Challenge albums. I decided to go back to my fragments of stuff from January. I dropped three of the songs and finished the other five. I rerecorded everything I had done earlier so they definitely qualify for RPM.

This song also fills the need for the RPM album as it’s a decent little rocker in 3/4 time. I’m not sure if it’s going to make the submitted album or not, but I do kinda like it.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals on the rhythm are just a Ryra The Klone. The leads used a crybaby wah and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter as well.

Chorus
That look of surprise
I see in your eyes
feel that anger rise
start to agonize

Verse 1
My connection
to correction
bad infection
Objection

Verse 2
Obligation
to creation
subjugation
ovation

Bridge
Forever
no way out
no escape
celebrate]]>
RPM Challenge asks for 10 songs or 35 minutes recorded in February. FAWM asks for 14 songs written during February. In 2020 in order to keep myself from going insane through COVID-19 I did an RPM Challenge every month from February through December. I planned on continuing into January 2021 and I started 7-8 songs but I never finished them. In February 2021 I had 15 songs written and (at the time mostly) recorded so FAWM was done and RPM was going to be done. I still had a week or so to go so I started thinking about maybe finishing two RPM Challenge albums. I decided to go back to my fragments of stuff from January. I dropped three of the songs and finished the other five. I rerecorded everything I had done earlier so they definitely qualify for RPM.

This song also fills the need for the RPM album as it’s a decent little rocker in 3/4 time. I’m not sure if it’s going to make the submitted album or not, but I do kinda like it.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals on the rhythm are just a Ryra The Klone. The leads used a crybaby wah and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter as well.

Chorus
That look of surprise
I see in your eyes
feel that anger rise
start to agonize

Verse 1
My connection
to correction
bad infection
Objection

Verse 2
Obligation
to creation
subjugation
ovation

Bridge
Forever
no way out
no escape
celebrate]]> 5681836 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2021 18:22:14 +0100 2021-02-28T18:22:14+01:00 2:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/confusing/
I liked it a lot when I first came up with the idea. When I put the rhythm guitars down it started to feel like it wasn’t meeting what I heard in my head. When I did the vocals it completely fell apart and crushed my soul. I’m not a singer. I don’t enjoy singing lead (though singing harmony in my band is a blast) and I don’t feel I’m any good at it. I can do it, I just don’t do it as well as someone who can actually sing would do it. Get it?

Anyway, I wrote this out ahead of time and when I actually sat down to record it I couldn’t pull it off. The verses in particular broke my spirit. I ended up rewriting the melody on mic because I just couldn’t pull off what I wrote originally… and what I wrote originally wasn’t hard. I usually give myself a guide track for the melody. I play it out on piano and then sing along. More often than not that helps me stay on pitch. It didn’t work this time. I was all over the map. I actually added harmonies to each section then went back and redid the lead so it would help to lock me into pitch. It almost worked.

By the time I had the vocals finished I had already decided that this was going on the dropped songs list. While I was mixing it though, I decided to monkey around with it to see if I could improve it, and I think I did. I put a lot of sauce onto the rhythm guitars and it filled things out in a way that I liked. I did the same to the vocals and it helped too. Could it be that I actually succeeded in my attempt to “fix it in the mix”? Probably not, but it’s not as bad as I feared it would be.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (dual mono). The rhythm guitar used a Ryra The Klone and the lead used a cheap little Mosky Black Rat which sounded surprisingly good to me.

The nature sounds in the outro came from here:
https://freesound.org/people/greysound/sounds/32655/

Verse
For a time
for a day or two
Need a sign
something else to do
Make it mine
then give it to you
We have to get through this

Chorus
It’s overwhelming me, confusing
but what else could it be, unmoving
It’s all consuming, too much for me
There is no guarantee, undoing]]>
I liked it a lot when I first came up with the idea. When I put the rhythm guitars down it started to feel like it wasn’t meeting what I heard in my head. When I did the vocals it completely fell apart and crushed my soul. I’m not a singer. I don’t enjoy singing lead (though singing harmony in my band is a blast) and I don’t feel I’m any good at it. I can do it, I just don’t do it as well as someone who can actually sing would do it. Get it?

Anyway, I wrote this out ahead of time and when I actually sat down to record it I couldn’t pull it off. The verses in particular broke my spirit. I ended up rewriting the melody on mic because I just couldn’t pull off what I wrote originally… and what I wrote originally wasn’t hard. I usually give myself a guide track for the melody. I play it out on piano and then sing along. More often than not that helps me stay on pitch. It didn’t work this time. I was all over the map. I actually added harmonies to each section then went back and redid the lead so it would help to lock me into pitch. It almost worked.

By the time I had the vocals finished I had already decided that this was going on the dropped songs list. While I was mixing it though, I decided to monkey around with it to see if I could improve it, and I think I did. I put a lot of sauce onto the rhythm guitars and it filled things out in a way that I liked. I did the same to the vocals and it helped too. Could it be that I actually succeeded in my attempt to “fix it in the mix”? Probably not, but it’s not as bad as I feared it would be.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (dual mono). The rhythm guitar used a Ryra The Klone and the lead used a cheap little Mosky Black Rat which sounded surprisingly good to me.

The nature sounds in the outro came from here:
https://freesound.org/people/greysound/sounds/32655/

Verse
For a time
for a day or two
Need a sign
something else to do
Make it mine
then give it to you
We have to get through this

Chorus
It’s overwhelming me, confusing
but what else could it be, unmoving
It’s all consuming, too much for me
There is no guarantee, undoing]]> 5681661 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2021 16:46:42 +0100 2021-02-28T16:46:42+01:00 4:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/gloom/
I intended this to be a gloomy closer for the album but ended up writing a similar song that is more or less the same in every way except that it’s better. So a dropping we will go.

The rhythm guitar is fuzz and the lead guitar is clean(ish)? It’s mass hysteria!

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro. All of the takes had two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. All of the takes also used a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal. The rhythm tracks also used a Wren and Cuff Super Russian fuzz pedal.

The last days are here
Nothing’s ever been so clear
Keep your loved ones near
and keep them safe
keep them away from what is coming

hide away
final day
anyway
come what may]]>
I intended this to be a gloomy closer for the album but ended up writing a similar song that is more or less the same in every way except that it’s better. So a dropping we will go.

The rhythm guitar is fuzz and the lead guitar is clean(ish)? It’s mass hysteria!

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro. All of the takes had two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. All of the takes also used a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal. The rhythm tracks also used a Wren and Cuff Super Russian fuzz pedal.

The last days are here
Nothing’s ever been so clear
Keep your loved ones near
and keep them safe
keep them away from what is coming

hide away
final day
anyway
come what may]]> 5680247 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2021 03:36:11 +0100 2021-02-28T03:36:11+01:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/find-a-way/
I was in the car recording vocals and it started raining. When I finished the tracks I needed to finish I pointed the microphone at the sun roof and recorded a smidge less than two minutes of rain. I figured I’d find a place for it and this ended up being the place. The recording I made plays all the way through twice and then I tacked a start of a third run through onto the end.

I originally thought this would be an instrumental. I also originally thought it would be a lot shorter. In the end it’s okay. Nothing special, but okay.

All of the guitar tracks are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Ryra The Klone into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

One look was all it took
all it took
I was completely hooked
Open book

I need a remedy
Remedy
I need a chance to see
Can it be

Find a way down
a way down
Find a way down
a way down to you]]>
I was in the car recording vocals and it started raining. When I finished the tracks I needed to finish I pointed the microphone at the sun roof and recorded a smidge less than two minutes of rain. I figured I’d find a place for it and this ended up being the place. The recording I made plays all the way through twice and then I tacked a start of a third run through onto the end.

I originally thought this would be an instrumental. I also originally thought it would be a lot shorter. In the end it’s okay. Nothing special, but okay.

All of the guitar tracks are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Ryra The Klone into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

One look was all it took
all it took
I was completely hooked
Open book

I need a remedy
Remedy
I need a chance to see
Can it be

Find a way down
a way down
Find a way down
a way down to you]]> 5680175 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2021 02:37:06 +0100 2021-02-28T02:37:06+01:00 3:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/pretentious-loser/
The first song I did this year had a drone-like fuzzy guitar. I did it again here but I wanted the song I put around it to be different than the other one, even though the changes are awfully similar. This song became a little on the funky side. I don’t think that’s what I had in mind originally, it just sort of happened.

As I was recording the rhythm parts I wanted to put a distinct division between the droney parts and the hook, so I changed up the tone a little and put the chorus on separate tracks. It sort of works, though I am not sure I like the tone. Under the verses I was getting a little nervous that it would sound empty with just the drone so I setup another guitar sound and added the chunky disco wah wah thing. At first I was loving it, but when I listened back a few days later I decided I would either put it way back in the mix or cut it entirely. I decided to bury it and play little games with panning.

Then we come to the lyrics. In the Covid-19 universe, death is always kinda on our minds. If not, we wouldn’t be locking down as hard as we have and the last year would have turned out very different. I wasn’t planning on writing about death but it started coming out of me and I couldn’t stop it. I churned out the first two verses quickly and then stepped back to review what I had. My thought after a moment’s reflection was, what a pretentious douche I am. I really thought I sounded like a kid who read an older sibling’s Philosophy 101 textbook and then decided the were “deep” and knew all the answers. Again, what a douche. So, naturally, that’s what I wrote about in the chorus. Verse = douchey know it all. Chorus = Making fun of myself for being a douchey know it all. Perfect!

The lead guitars aren’t really noteworthy as far as building this mess of a mess is concerned, but it was the last of a whole pile of songs I worked on that night and I was pretty clearly out of gas. Oh well.

The last questions is, will this get dropped from the final RPM Challenge album? It probably should, but the whole thing is so goofy and stupid that I might just keep it for laughs.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. As for pedals… okay… the drone is a Ryra The Kone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. The chorus is the Ryra into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The disco goofiness is a crybaby wah into the Ryra. The lead is the same as the chorus, the Ryra into the Black Lives Matter.

They say that you will never hear the one that’s meant just for you
they say that they will call to you and bid you come away with them

Mystery we can never know what happens to us when our number’s up
I don’t think that I want to know I want remain ignorant

I think it’s like a light switch that just clicks off and then that’s it
I’m not afraid of nothingness that’s where we start that’s where we end

Empty heads empty lives empty what do you please
it will last for forever
like a kid getting into philosphy just believing whatever]]>
The first song I did this year had a drone-like fuzzy guitar. I did it again here but I wanted the song I put around it to be different than the other one, even though the changes are awfully similar. This song became a little on the funky side. I don’t think that’s what I had in mind originally, it just sort of happened.

As I was recording the rhythm parts I wanted to put a distinct division between the droney parts and the hook, so I changed up the tone a little and put the chorus on separate tracks. It sort of works, though I am not sure I like the tone. Under the verses I was getting a little nervous that it would sound empty with just the drone so I setup another guitar sound and added the chunky disco wah wah thing. At first I was loving it, but when I listened back a few days later I decided I would either put it way back in the mix or cut it entirely. I decided to bury it and play little games with panning.

Then we come to the lyrics. In the Covid-19 universe, death is always kinda on our minds. If not, we wouldn’t be locking down as hard as we have and the last year would have turned out very different. I wasn’t planning on writing about death but it started coming out of me and I couldn’t stop it. I churned out the first two verses quickly and then stepped back to review what I had. My thought after a moment’s reflection was, what a pretentious douche I am. I really thought I sounded like a kid who read an older sibling’s Philosophy 101 textbook and then decided the were “deep” and knew all the answers. Again, what a douche. So, naturally, that’s what I wrote about in the chorus. Verse = douchey know it all. Chorus = Making fun of myself for being a douchey know it all. Perfect!

The lead guitars aren’t really noteworthy as far as building this mess of a mess is concerned, but it was the last of a whole pile of songs I worked on that night and I was pretty clearly out of gas. Oh well.

The last questions is, will this get dropped from the final RPM Challenge album? It probably should, but the whole thing is so goofy and stupid that I might just keep it for laughs.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. As for pedals… okay… the drone is a Ryra The Kone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. The chorus is the Ryra into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The disco goofiness is a crybaby wah into the Ryra. The lead is the same as the chorus, the Ryra into the Black Lives Matter.

They say that you will never hear the one that’s meant just for you
they say that they will call to you and bid you come away with them

Mystery we can never know what happens to us when our number’s up
I don’t think that I want to know I want remain ignorant

I think it’s like a light switch that just clicks off and then that’s it
I’m not afraid of nothingness that’s where we start that’s where we end

Empty heads empty lives empty what do you please
it will last for forever
like a kid getting into philosphy just believing whatever]]> 5679376 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2021 19:47:08 +0100 2021-02-27T19:47:08+01:00 5:15 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/okay-its-all-right/
Two interesting things about this one. First, I didn’t use any copy and paste on the vocals. (I think? Maybe a little) The choruses at least we all sung as is, and in some places I recorded two sections in one take. It was almost like I could sing. That’s pretty funny.

The other interesting thing is in the feedback at the end. There was one nanosecond or so where I was getting a different feedback pitch out of each amp. I so wanted it to keep going but one of the amps came into line with the other and the magic was lost. It was a pretty sweet nanosecond though.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals for the rhythm guitar were a Ryra The Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. For the leads, including the feedback at the end, it was the Ryra into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Okay its all right
Okay its all right
Nothing left to fight
Okay its all right

Maybe it never ends
maybe can’t come again

Maybe no other way
Maybe some other day

Can’t be like this again]]>
Two interesting things about this one. First, I didn’t use any copy and paste on the vocals. (I think? Maybe a little) The choruses at least we all sung as is, and in some places I recorded two sections in one take. It was almost like I could sing. That’s pretty funny.

The other interesting thing is in the feedback at the end. There was one nanosecond or so where I was getting a different feedback pitch out of each amp. I so wanted it to keep going but one of the amps came into line with the other and the magic was lost. It was a pretty sweet nanosecond though.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals for the rhythm guitar were a Ryra The Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. For the leads, including the feedback at the end, it was the Ryra into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Okay its all right
Okay its all right
Nothing left to fight
Okay its all right

Maybe it never ends
maybe can’t come again

Maybe no other way
Maybe some other day

Can’t be like this again]]> 5679179 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2021 18:04:23 +0100 2021-02-27T18:04:23+01:00 3:57 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/this-is-not-a-plot-device/
Lyrically this isn’t exactly about what it sounds like it’s about but it’s really close. As the world falls to shit you do what you have to do even if there are other things that you have to do that you can’t do… ya know?

It’s not Eminor-Dmajor but it is Aminor-Gmajor so it’s close enough. I thought about putting sound effects in the endlessly long outro but I thought better of it. I also thought about making the guitars at the end super trippy like I’ve done a couple of times already but I thought better of it. This one just plays as it is. That’s good enough for me.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15… just like literally every song I’m doing this month. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone. The lead at the end used a crybaby wah and the Ryra. The fuzz leads in the song proper used the Ryra and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Verse 1
you do mean the world to me
there’s no other way to be
I will give up everything that I have
If only to make you see

Chorus
there’s no other way I can see world now
no other way for me
there’s no other way I can picture a life without you

Verse 2
This isn’t a plot device
don’t call it a sacrifice
I gladly give up the whole world for you
I’ll happily pay that price

Chorus
Chorus]]>
Lyrically this isn’t exactly about what it sounds like it’s about but it’s really close. As the world falls to shit you do what you have to do even if there are other things that you have to do that you can’t do… ya know?

It’s not Eminor-Dmajor but it is Aminor-Gmajor so it’s close enough. I thought about putting sound effects in the endlessly long outro but I thought better of it. I also thought about making the guitars at the end super trippy like I’ve done a couple of times already but I thought better of it. This one just plays as it is. That’s good enough for me.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15… just like literally every song I’m doing this month. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone. The lead at the end used a crybaby wah and the Ryra. The fuzz leads in the song proper used the Ryra and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Verse 1
you do mean the world to me
there’s no other way to be
I will give up everything that I have
If only to make you see

Chorus
there’s no other way I can see world now
no other way for me
there’s no other way I can picture a life without you

Verse 2
This isn’t a plot device
don’t call it a sacrifice
I gladly give up the whole world for you
I’ll happily pay that price

Chorus
Chorus]]> 5679101 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2021 17:17:47 +0100 2021-02-27T17:17:47+01:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/repeat/
Lyrically I think this song is just about the last year.

When I recorded the rhythm guitars I was pretty stoked about the sound. I used an overdrive with the gain set really low into a fuzz pedal with the gain all the way down. I thought it sounded cool. When mix time came around… not so much. It just felt kinda blah and lifeless. I try to never put EQ onto my guitar tracks (because I’m a stubborn slob who likes to tell himself that his guitar tracks sound fine straight to tape) but the couple of songs I used this setting on have needed a little cleaning up in the mix. I guess I’m not as awesome a tone chaser as I think I am. Well… I know I am not an awesome tone chaser, but I tell myself I am so that I can justify buying more and more gear. Like ya do.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15 (I used them both on every take). Pedals for the rhythm parts are a Ryra The Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. Pedals for leads in the song proper are a crybaby wah into the Ryra into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The trippy ending is just a Fuzz Face Mini (the Band of Gypsies model). All of the echos and reverb and trippiness were added in the mix.

Verse 1
It seems like I have been through this before
It seems like
Something I go through that I can’t take anymore
That’s all

Chorus
Once more around again
Once more without ending

Verse 2
The physics are somewhat unknown to me
Whatever
The math just won’t work out it just won’t let me see
The truth

Chorus
Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]>
Lyrically I think this song is just about the last year.

When I recorded the rhythm guitars I was pretty stoked about the sound. I used an overdrive with the gain set really low into a fuzz pedal with the gain all the way down. I thought it sounded cool. When mix time came around… not so much. It just felt kinda blah and lifeless. I try to never put EQ onto my guitar tracks (because I’m a stubborn slob who likes to tell himself that his guitar tracks sound fine straight to tape) but the couple of songs I used this setting on have needed a little cleaning up in the mix. I guess I’m not as awesome a tone chaser as I think I am. Well… I know I am not an awesome tone chaser, but I tell myself I am so that I can justify buying more and more gear. Like ya do.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15 (I used them both on every take). Pedals for the rhythm parts are a Ryra The Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. Pedals for leads in the song proper are a crybaby wah into the Ryra into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The trippy ending is just a Fuzz Face Mini (the Band of Gypsies model). All of the echos and reverb and trippiness were added in the mix.

Verse 1
It seems like I have been through this before
It seems like
Something I go through that I can’t take anymore
That’s all

Chorus
Once more around again
Once more without ending

Verse 2
The physics are somewhat unknown to me
Whatever
The math just won’t work out it just won’t let me see
The truth

Chorus
Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]> 5678924 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2021 16:17:46 +0100 2021-02-27T16:17:46+01:00 4:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/im-awake/
I don’t hate this one, but I think it might be on the list of songs that could get dropped from the final RPM Challenge album. I’m not sure yet.

The rhythm guitar is my Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Ryra The Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian then into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are the same guitar and amp but with a crybaby wah into the Ryra and then a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Verse 1 & 3
Before we get into it
lets talk through a little bit
Makes no sense at all to quit
I just want to throw a fit

Verse 2
We’ve been through it all before
So lets do a little more
There’s so much here to restore
Unless we’re not really sure

Chorus
Break through
and see what it’s leading too
Undo
what ever’s gone wrong
One look
is all that its gonna take
I’m hooked
I am awake

Bridge
I’m here, I’m awake]]>
I don’t hate this one, but I think it might be on the list of songs that could get dropped from the final RPM Challenge album. I’m not sure yet.

The rhythm guitar is my Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Ryra The Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian then into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are the same guitar and amp but with a crybaby wah into the Ryra and then a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Verse 1 & 3
Before we get into it
lets talk through a little bit
Makes no sense at all to quit
I just want to throw a fit

Verse 2
We’ve been through it all before
So lets do a little more
There’s so much here to restore
Unless we’re not really sure

Chorus
Break through
and see what it’s leading too
Undo
what ever’s gone wrong
One look
is all that its gonna take
I’m hooked
I am awake

Bridge
I’m here, I’m awake]]> 5677873 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2021 05:35:23 +0100 2021-02-27T05:35:23+01:00 3:48 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/rosey/ https://freesound.org/people/keus92/sounds/445228/
This time I trimmed it to the appropriate length and then played it backward. Aint I a stinker?

This was the forth song started and it’s the seventh finished.

The lyrics are actually about something. I’m going to turn 50 in a couple of months and it’s just as depressing as you’d expect it to be. I actually wrote the second verse first but it needed some setup. The first verse is looking back at youth and thinking everything was perfect then. The second verse is reality… no, things were pretty shitty back then too.

The heavier lead guitars in the first half of the song (before the trippy ending) are possibly the best tone I’ve every come up with using a clone of a Big Muff Pi fuzz box. It was a magical stars aligning thing because I haven’t been able to get a sound that cool since.

The guitars are all my Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Voc AC15. For pedals, all of the tracks used a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal, and the leads used a Wren and Cuff Super Russian as well.

Verse 1
that’s when we were young and stupid
that’s when we could do it all
that’s when we were mostly lucid
those were the days

Chorus
life in motion
such devotion
truth is spoken
clock is ticking faster now

Verse 2
looking back it seems so perfect
memory subject to defect
Could it be that it’s all suspect
never that way

Chorus
Chorus]]> https://freesound.org/people/keus92/sounds/445228/
This time I trimmed it to the appropriate length and then played it backward. Aint I a stinker?

This was the forth song started and it’s the seventh finished.

The lyrics are actually about something. I’m going to turn 50 in a couple of months and it’s just as depressing as you’d expect it to be. I actually wrote the second verse first but it needed some setup. The first verse is looking back at youth and thinking everything was perfect then. The second verse is reality… no, things were pretty shitty back then too.

The heavier lead guitars in the first half of the song (before the trippy ending) are possibly the best tone I’ve every come up with using a clone of a Big Muff Pi fuzz box. It was a magical stars aligning thing because I haven’t been able to get a sound that cool since.

The guitars are all my Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Voc AC15. For pedals, all of the tracks used a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal, and the leads used a Wren and Cuff Super Russian as well.

Verse 1
that’s when we were young and stupid
that’s when we could do it all
that’s when we were mostly lucid
those were the days

Chorus
life in motion
such devotion
truth is spoken
clock is ticking faster now

Verse 2
looking back it seems so perfect
memory subject to defect
Could it be that it’s all suspect
never that way

Chorus
Chorus]]> 5677811 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2021 04:56:17 +0100 2021-02-27T04:56:17+01:00 5:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/tempted/
This continues a Feb 2021 trend of overly long outros that don’t necessarily have anything to do with the rest of the song. Let’s call it a compositional choice that carries through most of this year’s project. Cool.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 in dual mono. For the rhythm part I used a crybaby wah into a Ryra The Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. For the leads I swapped in a Wren and Cuff Super Russian in place of the Black Lives Matter. For the cleanish thing at the end I only used the Ryra. The delays and the reverb were added in the mix.

Verse 1
This changes everything
what might the future bring
I’m up for anything
anything

Verse 2
feels like we’ve got it made
after a short delay
onward with the crusade
the crusade

Chorus
On some other day
I’m tempted to stay
Has to be a way
Some way to make this work

Bridge
Can we pull it off]]>
This continues a Feb 2021 trend of overly long outros that don’t necessarily have anything to do with the rest of the song. Let’s call it a compositional choice that carries through most of this year’s project. Cool.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 in dual mono. For the rhythm part I used a crybaby wah into a Ryra The Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. For the leads I swapped in a Wren and Cuff Super Russian in place of the Black Lives Matter. For the cleanish thing at the end I only used the Ryra. The delays and the reverb were added in the mix.

Verse 1
This changes everything
what might the future bring
I’m up for anything
anything

Verse 2
feels like we’ve got it made
after a short delay
onward with the crusade
the crusade

Chorus
On some other day
I’m tempted to stay
Has to be a way
Some way to make this work

Bridge
Can we pull it off]]> 5674678 no no Fri, 26 Feb 2021 04:01:02 +0100 2021-02-26T04:01:02+01:00 3:36 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/watch-me-ruin-everything/
The found sound at the end is from here: https://freesound.org/people/themfish/sounds/33544/

It’s a walk through Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA, one of my favorite places on Earth. It even had that ridiculous little chirping at the crosswalk. I miss visiting my city for no reason. Covid can kiss my very large ass.

The crappy rhythm guitar sound is my Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The somewhat better sounding lead guitar is the same except for a Wren and Cuff Super Russian after the Ryra.

Verse 1
Giving in to everything
Is the only skill I bring
No reason why, it’s just what I do
Won’t make up for anything

Verse 2
Step into the emptiness
Give in to forgetfulness
Could be the guilt finally got to me
Leave me with my loneliness.

Chorus
Front row seat to my decay
Watch me ruin everything
Bury me, throw me away
To the dust where I belong
Raise your glass to one my day
One more chance to watch me fail
Nothing else for me to say
This is it, watch me crumble

Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]>
The found sound at the end is from here: https://freesound.org/people/themfish/sounds/33544/

It’s a walk through Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA, one of my favorite places on Earth. It even had that ridiculous little chirping at the crosswalk. I miss visiting my city for no reason. Covid can kiss my very large ass.

The crappy rhythm guitar sound is my Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The somewhat better sounding lead guitar is the same except for a Wren and Cuff Super Russian after the Ryra.

Verse 1
Giving in to everything
Is the only skill I bring
No reason why, it’s just what I do
Won’t make up for anything

Verse 2
Step into the emptiness
Give in to forgetfulness
Could be the guilt finally got to me
Leave me with my loneliness.

Chorus
Front row seat to my decay
Watch me ruin everything
Bury me, throw me away
To the dust where I belong
Raise your glass to one my day
One more chance to watch me fail
Nothing else for me to say
This is it, watch me crumble

Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]> 5671805 no no Thu, 25 Feb 2021 05:48:49 +0100 2021-02-25T05:48:49+01:00 5:15 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/guilt-machine/
Lyrically this is a write what you know kind of song. The Guilt Machine in question is me during Covid. The last month has been rough. Very rough.

Musically there isn’t much going on. The verses and the bridges are the song thing with just a different guitar part. The chorus is decent. I sort of like this one.

Unusual for me these days, I used the same gear for both the lead and the rhythm guitar parts. It’s a Gibson ES-335 into a Dunlop Crybaby (only on the leads) into a Ryra The Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Helpless victim of my own guilt

Verse 2
no solution all problems

Chorus
guilt machine
no escaping
cut me clean
self degrading

lock me down
tie my hands tight
make no sound
I will not fight

Verse 3
Self inflicted broken hearted

Chorus
Chorus]]>
Lyrically this is a write what you know kind of song. The Guilt Machine in question is me during Covid. The last month has been rough. Very rough.

Musically there isn’t much going on. The verses and the bridges are the song thing with just a different guitar part. The chorus is decent. I sort of like this one.

Unusual for me these days, I used the same gear for both the lead and the rhythm guitar parts. It’s a Gibson ES-335 into a Dunlop Crybaby (only on the leads) into a Ryra The Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Helpless victim of my own guilt

Verse 2
no solution all problems

Chorus
guilt machine
no escaping
cut me clean
self degrading

lock me down
tie my hands tight
make no sound
I will not fight

Verse 3
Self inflicted broken hearted

Chorus
Chorus]]> 5671721 no no Thu, 25 Feb 2021 04:38:29 +0100 2021-02-25T04:38:29+01:00 3:38 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/all-there-is/
I like the chorus a lot. I apologize to all who enjoy funky music for my butchering an entire genre in the verses, but damn if it isn’t fun to do.

The found sound bit at the end came from here: https://freesound.org/people/jasonmchl/sounds/55352/

I was thinking about using street sounds on every song, but now I think I might just throw it into a couple. At first I was thinking about street preachers, then I was thinking about Jim Jones speeches. Now I’m thinking of being random.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 which were both used on all parts. The rhythm tracks used a crybaby wah into a Ryra The Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. There were two different lead parts. One used a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini and the other used the Ryra into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Verse 1
I tend to think about the way it feels
I tend to focus on the pain
If it can help me make it through the day
I guess that means that it’s okay

Verse 2
I take these pictures so I won’t forget
The things that go on day to day
If it annoys you I apologize
But I still do it anyway

Chorus
I want to tell you something
But I come up with nothing
What ever keeps this running
That’s all there is

Chorus
Verse 2]]>
I like the chorus a lot. I apologize to all who enjoy funky music for my butchering an entire genre in the verses, but damn if it isn’t fun to do.

The found sound bit at the end came from here: https://freesound.org/people/jasonmchl/sounds/55352/

I was thinking about using street sounds on every song, but now I think I might just throw it into a couple. At first I was thinking about street preachers, then I was thinking about Jim Jones speeches. Now I’m thinking of being random.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 which were both used on all parts. The rhythm tracks used a crybaby wah into a Ryra The Klone into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. There were two different lead parts. One used a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini and the other used the Ryra into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Verse 1
I tend to think about the way it feels
I tend to focus on the pain
If it can help me make it through the day
I guess that means that it’s okay

Verse 2
I take these pictures so I won’t forget
The things that go on day to day
If it annoys you I apologize
But I still do it anyway

Chorus
I want to tell you something
But I come up with nothing
What ever keeps this running
That’s all there is

Chorus
Verse 2]]> 5653576 no no Sat, 20 Feb 2021 19:09:47 +0100 2021-02-20T19:09:47+01:00 5:16 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/derailed-plans/
All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker. All of the tracks used a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal. The rhythm also used a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and the leads used a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Verse 1
It’s what you do
You will pull through
It’s coming true
It all works out for you
It’s all for you

Chorus
There are a million reasons
No need to pick just one
Bring on the change of seasons
Give yourself a chance to see

Verse 2
Give it some time
See what you find
Make your mind
Wait for the clock to chime
The clock to chime

Chorus 2
Look to the smallest details
To show you what’s to come
And when your plans are derailed
What else are you gonna do

Chorus 1
Chorus 2]]>
All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker. All of the tracks used a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal. The rhythm also used a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and the leads used a Wren and Cuff Super Russian.

Verse 1
It’s what you do
You will pull through
It’s coming true
It all works out for you
It’s all for you

Chorus
There are a million reasons
No need to pick just one
Bring on the change of seasons
Give yourself a chance to see

Verse 2
Give it some time
See what you find
Make your mind
Wait for the clock to chime
The clock to chime

Chorus 2
Look to the smallest details
To show you what’s to come
And when your plans are derailed
What else are you gonna do

Chorus 1
Chorus 2]]> 5651261 no no Sat, 20 Feb 2021 04:03:05 +0100 2021-02-20T04:03:05+01:00 4:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nonsense-z7t/
This started in GarageBand for iOS on my iPhone. The last bar of the bass part in the main section has a mistake in (the little chromatic thingie) that sounded better than what I was actually trying to do. I also sketched out the guitar parts in MIDI. I usually don’t do that, but I’ve done it a lot this month. I replaced those crummy MIDI guitars with real guitars, of course. It sounds pretty similar to my original noodles. Better, but similar.

The title of the song describes the lyrics… nonsense. I kinda dig the droning fuzz guitar parts. Get used to that, you’ll see more of it in the coming week or so.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15 (all parts go through both amps. Duel mono for the win). As for pedals, the pseudo funky rhythm part used a Ryra The Klone, the drone used the Ryra into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian fuzz pedal, and the solos used the Ryra into a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini. There’s also a Dunlop Crybaby at the end. The Gary Clark, Jr signature model.

Verse 1
Can’t see it coming
No way you could know
One chance remaining
it moves so slow
I grasp at something
for something to show
It’s always moving
too far below

Verse 2
The deeper meaning
I can’t understand
Seeing’s believing
Out of your hand
Queue up the message
under all the pain
rip off the bandage
Its all the same

Chorus
Its all nonsense
All this suspense
Meant no offense
No way you could see this coming for you

Break
Hear me calling
In some forbidden language
Hear me screaming
about some disadvantage

Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]>
This started in GarageBand for iOS on my iPhone. The last bar of the bass part in the main section has a mistake in (the little chromatic thingie) that sounded better than what I was actually trying to do. I also sketched out the guitar parts in MIDI. I usually don’t do that, but I’ve done it a lot this month. I replaced those crummy MIDI guitars with real guitars, of course. It sounds pretty similar to my original noodles. Better, but similar.

The title of the song describes the lyrics… nonsense. I kinda dig the droning fuzz guitar parts. Get used to that, you’ll see more of it in the coming week or so.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15 (all parts go through both amps. Duel mono for the win). As for pedals, the pseudo funky rhythm part used a Ryra The Klone, the drone used the Ryra into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian fuzz pedal, and the solos used the Ryra into a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini. There’s also a Dunlop Crybaby at the end. The Gary Clark, Jr signature model.

Verse 1
Can’t see it coming
No way you could know
One chance remaining
it moves so slow
I grasp at something
for something to show
It’s always moving
too far below

Verse 2
The deeper meaning
I can’t understand
Seeing’s believing
Out of your hand
Queue up the message
under all the pain
rip off the bandage
Its all the same

Chorus
Its all nonsense
All this suspense
Meant no offense
No way you could see this coming for you

Break
Hear me calling
In some forbidden language
Hear me screaming
about some disadvantage

Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]> 5648486 no no Fri, 19 Feb 2021 04:38:26 +0100 2021-02-19T04:38:26+01:00 6:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/believedeceive/
Lead vocals by Peter Brady. I don't know if it was the weather or if I was catching a cold or some weird winter allergy, but my voice was cracking like crazy. I think the first chorus took me 200000000 takes and it still sounds ridiculous. At least I could still hit the high notes... sort of.

The sound effect at the beginning and end was there on the original demo. I don't remember why, but I just couldn't bare taking it out now. I'm sentimental like that.

My final thought: I should have found a better name for this.

All of the guitars are my Gibson ES-335. Every take was through two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Every take also used a Klon KTR overdrive pedal. The rhythm also used a Mooer E-Lady flanger. The leads used a Keeley D&M Drive and occasionally a Wampler Faux Tape Echo.

verse 1 + 3
I hear it come around again and again
I can’t fight the change I can’t just pretend
I want to hit the road and hide away
I want to bury my head another day

Verse 2
If this is how it is I can’t go on
I can’t imagine how I was ever so wrong
So what do I do now with these new facts
I can’t figure out how I’m ‘sposed to act

Chorus
You stay strong
right or wrong
You believe
You decieve]]>
Lead vocals by Peter Brady. I don't know if it was the weather or if I was catching a cold or some weird winter allergy, but my voice was cracking like crazy. I think the first chorus took me 200000000 takes and it still sounds ridiculous. At least I could still hit the high notes... sort of.

The sound effect at the beginning and end was there on the original demo. I don't remember why, but I just couldn't bare taking it out now. I'm sentimental like that.

My final thought: I should have found a better name for this.

All of the guitars are my Gibson ES-335. Every take was through two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Every take also used a Klon KTR overdrive pedal. The rhythm also used a Mooer E-Lady flanger. The leads used a Keeley D&M Drive and occasionally a Wampler Faux Tape Echo.

verse 1 + 3
I hear it come around again and again
I can’t fight the change I can’t just pretend
I want to hit the road and hide away
I want to bury my head another day

Verse 2
If this is how it is I can’t go on
I can’t imagine how I was ever so wrong
So what do I do now with these new facts
I can’t figure out how I’m ‘sposed to act

Chorus
You stay strong
right or wrong
You believe
You decieve]]> 5525656 no no Mon, 18 Jan 2021 17:32:55 +0100 2021-01-18T17:32:55+01:00 5:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/defiant-2021-version/
This was written for the 2018 RPM Challenge. I know all of the guitars used a fuzz face pedal then. Also, the drummer in my band said this one was okay. That’s what sticks out for me. It was supposed to be a bass loop. It still mostly is, but I did monkey with a couple of sections.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm tracks is a Klon KTR and a Keeley D&M Drive. For the quietish solo in the middle I added an MXR Phase 90 and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The rest of the leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the
KTR.

and it goes around again
will it stop no one can say when
moving on toward the end
anything you want to recommend

stand up stand up
the time is now
rise up rise up
I’ll show you how
stand up stand up
you can’t back down
rise up rise up
you hear the sound

something new we’ve never seen
swallowed up in the machine
Road is clear conscience clean
Open your eyes and end this bad dream]]>
This was written for the 2018 RPM Challenge. I know all of the guitars used a fuzz face pedal then. Also, the drummer in my band said this one was okay. That’s what sticks out for me. It was supposed to be a bass loop. It still mostly is, but I did monkey with a couple of sections.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm tracks is a Klon KTR and a Keeley D&M Drive. For the quietish solo in the middle I added an MXR Phase 90 and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The rest of the leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the
KTR.

and it goes around again
will it stop no one can say when
moving on toward the end
anything you want to recommend

stand up stand up
the time is now
rise up rise up
I’ll show you how
stand up stand up
you can’t back down
rise up rise up
you hear the sound

something new we’ve never seen
swallowed up in the machine
Road is clear conscience clean
Open your eyes and end this bad dream]]> 5520959 no no Sun, 17 Jan 2021 03:16:04 +0100 2021-01-17T03:16:04+01:00 3:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/small-2021-version/
The feel though is (to me at least) completely different. I changed acoustic guitars to electric guitars which should have grunged things up a little but the reality is, this version is much mellower than the original. I think the drums are the culprit. 2014 was pre-GarageBand Drummers. The original drums were played in on a keyboard and they are loud and completely lacking in anything resembling feel or subtlety. The GarageBand drummer is much less in your face and gives the song a more laid back feel.

The other thing is the vocals. Specifically the high harmony in the chorus. I can’t hit it anymore. That’s actually happened a couple of times in this round of songs. I just can’t quite get up as high as I did six years ago. I replaced a two part harmony with a three part harmony without the original high notes. Is it better? No. Is it okay? Yeah, probably.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15 at the same time. All of the tracks used a Klon KTR and the leads also used a Keeley D&M Drive.

Verse 1
Today is a new day
The snows falling down
the World spins the same way
thats how it is in this town

Verse 2
it all seems so hopeless
this endless routine
it all seems so pointless
this endless machine

Chorus
Hoping wishing guess it won’t help at all
Keep on dreaming that you’ll hear the right call
Know in your heart that you’re really that small
just give in and say the hell with it all]]>
The feel though is (to me at least) completely different. I changed acoustic guitars to electric guitars which should have grunged things up a little but the reality is, this version is much mellower than the original. I think the drums are the culprit. 2014 was pre-GarageBand Drummers. The original drums were played in on a keyboard and they are loud and completely lacking in anything resembling feel or subtlety. The GarageBand drummer is much less in your face and gives the song a more laid back feel.

The other thing is the vocals. Specifically the high harmony in the chorus. I can’t hit it anymore. That’s actually happened a couple of times in this round of songs. I just can’t quite get up as high as I did six years ago. I replaced a two part harmony with a three part harmony without the original high notes. Is it better? No. Is it okay? Yeah, probably.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15 at the same time. All of the tracks used a Klon KTR and the leads also used a Keeley D&M Drive.

Verse 1
Today is a new day
The snows falling down
the World spins the same way
thats how it is in this town

Verse 2
it all seems so hopeless
this endless routine
it all seems so pointless
this endless machine

Chorus
Hoping wishing guess it won’t help at all
Keep on dreaming that you’ll hear the right call
Know in your heart that you’re really that small
just give in and say the hell with it all]]> 5519596 no no Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:51:55 +0100 2021-01-16T16:51:55+01:00 3:39 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-only-believe-in-truth-2021-version/
The slide guitar thing in the pause is new and of course it’s backward which is groovy. I also messed with the panning on the vocal harmonies. I always pan all of the vocals straight up the middle but today I thought, you know what? I’m going to take the two harmony parts and spread them out a little. It’s crazy, but after 10 months of Covid-19 lock down I’m feeling a little crazy.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a Klon KTR and the lead used the Klon and a Keeley D&M Drive.

I don’t believe what I want to believe
I only believe in truth

Not with a bang but a wimper
That’s how the story goes
Nothing remains but a cinder
there’s nothing left to show

and now the end is upon us
there’s nothing left to do
there’s no way back from the chaos
and its all down to you]]>
The slide guitar thing in the pause is new and of course it’s backward which is groovy. I also messed with the panning on the vocal harmonies. I always pan all of the vocals straight up the middle but today I thought, you know what? I’m going to take the two harmony parts and spread them out a little. It’s crazy, but after 10 months of Covid-19 lock down I’m feeling a little crazy.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a Klon KTR and the lead used the Klon and a Keeley D&M Drive.

I don’t believe what I want to believe
I only believe in truth

Not with a bang but a wimper
That’s how the story goes
Nothing remains but a cinder
there’s nothing left to show

and now the end is upon us
there’s nothing left to do
there’s no way back from the chaos
and its all down to you]]> 5517956 no no Sat, 16 Jan 2021 03:23:00 +0100 2021-01-16T03:23:00+01:00 2:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/oh-wont-you-tell-me-where-the-time-goes-2021-version/
Until now! This is probably similar to what I wanted all of my 2016 50/90 tracks to sound like. I did completely rewrite the middle eight (which is actually 16 bars long, but The Beatles always called the break in the middle of a song the middle eight so don’t judge me) but otherwise it’s relatively faithful to the original.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 at the same time. The rhythm parts used a Klon KTR. There was a Uni-Vibe on it for a while but I decided it sounded like shite and redid everything. I brought it back for the leads though, along with a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 and the KTR again.

Oh won’t you tell me where the time goes
Oh won’t you tell me where it goes
Oh can you make it last forever
It seems like everybody knows

Seems like we’re spinning round In Circles
Seems like we’re spinning round again
We never get to where we’re going
And everyone just takes offense

That’s okay
That’s all right
That’s what we need
That’s okay
That’s all right
Everyone will see

So many ways to go
So many things to know
So many faces to see
So many places to be]]>
Until now! This is probably similar to what I wanted all of my 2016 50/90 tracks to sound like. I did completely rewrite the middle eight (which is actually 16 bars long, but The Beatles always called the break in the middle of a song the middle eight so don’t judge me) but otherwise it’s relatively faithful to the original.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 at the same time. The rhythm parts used a Klon KTR. There was a Uni-Vibe on it for a while but I decided it sounded like shite and redid everything. I brought it back for the leads though, along with a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 and the KTR again.

Oh won’t you tell me where the time goes
Oh won’t you tell me where it goes
Oh can you make it last forever
It seems like everybody knows

Seems like we’re spinning round In Circles
Seems like we’re spinning round again
We never get to where we’re going
And everyone just takes offense

That’s okay
That’s all right
That’s what we need
That’s okay
That’s all right
Everyone will see

So many ways to go
So many things to know
So many faces to see
So many places to be]]> 5511402 no no Thu, 14 Jan 2021 04:04:32 +0100 2021-01-14T04:04:32+01:00 3:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/mediocre-savior-2021-version/
I can’t remember when this song was written but I remember the circumstances. It may have been in 2008, but it was probably 2009. The title was a weekly prompt at songfight.org. I never submitted the song, but I wrote the lyrics on the same day the prompt went up. Who is the Mediocre Savior? Why The Boy King, George W Bush, of course.

I always envisioned this as an acoustic song, but for this round of re-recordings I want to see how it flies when it’s all electric. I think three or four songs from this group will be the same. I had a really hard time with the verse parts. I suffer from fat fingers, and I had a bad flare up while working on this. The melodies are also a little bit different this time. On previous recordings I split the verses into two parts, alternating lines, because I forgot to give myself room for breaths. I monkeyed with the start of each line this time so that I could get in a quick gasp.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. Pedals for the fat fingered rhythm was just a Klon KTR. The lead was the Klon into a Keeley D&M Drive. The cleanish solo in the middle was a Mooer ElecLady into the Klon, and the noise in the background of that solo was a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo… and I played with a slide (gasp!). I am the worst slide player in history, but I was only making noise so it was okay.

ask for a weekend takes at least 5 years
talk about us winning falling on deaf ears
future is dying surging ever on
cant bring them home now drop a few more bombs

talks like a leader sounds like a putz
stands like a giant falls like a clutz
swings a mighty saber sticks it in his guts
roars like a lion babbles like a

mediocre savior to save us all
he’s gonna spin us dizzy until we fall
he’s a mediocre hero to keep us safe
tells us we’re moving forward while we’re running in place]]>
I can’t remember when this song was written but I remember the circumstances. It may have been in 2008, but it was probably 2009. The title was a weekly prompt at songfight.org. I never submitted the song, but I wrote the lyrics on the same day the prompt went up. Who is the Mediocre Savior? Why The Boy King, George W Bush, of course.

I always envisioned this as an acoustic song, but for this round of re-recordings I want to see how it flies when it’s all electric. I think three or four songs from this group will be the same. I had a really hard time with the verse parts. I suffer from fat fingers, and I had a bad flare up while working on this. The melodies are also a little bit different this time. On previous recordings I split the verses into two parts, alternating lines, because I forgot to give myself room for breaths. I monkeyed with the start of each line this time so that I could get in a quick gasp.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. Pedals for the fat fingered rhythm was just a Klon KTR. The lead was the Klon into a Keeley D&M Drive. The cleanish solo in the middle was a Mooer ElecLady into the Klon, and the noise in the background of that solo was a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo… and I played with a slide (gasp!). I am the worst slide player in history, but I was only making noise so it was okay.

ask for a weekend takes at least 5 years
talk about us winning falling on deaf ears
future is dying surging ever on
cant bring them home now drop a few more bombs

talks like a leader sounds like a putz
stands like a giant falls like a clutz
swings a mighty saber sticks it in his guts
roars like a lion babbles like a

mediocre savior to save us all
he’s gonna spin us dizzy until we fall
he’s a mediocre hero to keep us safe
tells us we’re moving forward while we’re running in place]]> 5480075 no no Sun, 03 Jan 2021 23:07:48 +0100 2021-01-03T23:07:48+01:00 3:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/blame/
Are we tired of me playing dotted eighth note delay games yet? The Edge, I aint, dig? Can you hear the spot where I had recorded a section with the delay and then edited something out? Like I said, sloppy. The delay pedal I use doesn’t do trails so you can hear when I shut it off mid-take. Oh well.

The guitar parts are all Gibson Les Paul Custom through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm parts is a Mooer E-Lady into a Klon KTR (I really like that combo) into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo 2.o. The leads are a Dunlop Crybaby into the Klon into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker.

What does this mean
how can we be
so in between
don’t look at me

I did my part
right at the start
I felt so smart
stabbed through the heart

———

Don’t look at me
I set you free
you couldn’t see
how it should be

you threw the game
your self to blame
you have no shame
you’re all the same

————

Everything you’ve every known
everything you’ve ever shown
every chance you’ve ever blown
back to you]]>
Are we tired of me playing dotted eighth note delay games yet? The Edge, I aint, dig? Can you hear the spot where I had recorded a section with the delay and then edited something out? Like I said, sloppy. The delay pedal I use doesn’t do trails so you can hear when I shut it off mid-take. Oh well.

The guitar parts are all Gibson Les Paul Custom through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm parts is a Mooer E-Lady into a Klon KTR (I really like that combo) into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo 2.o. The leads are a Dunlop Crybaby into the Klon into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker.

What does this mean
how can we be
so in between
don’t look at me

I did my part
right at the start
I felt so smart
stabbed through the heart

———

Don’t look at me
I set you free
you couldn’t see
how it should be

you threw the game
your self to blame
you have no shame
you’re all the same

————

Everything you’ve every known
everything you’ve ever shown
every chance you’ve ever blown
back to you]]> 5454259 no no Tue, 29 Dec 2020 03:32:24 +0100 2020-12-29T03:32:24+01:00 4:06 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/fuss/
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom and the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. The pedals for the rhyhtm parts are a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The lead is the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and a Donner Yellow Fall.

B - E
I gaze upon the sky and try to think it through
the question puzzles me I don’t know what to do

C - F - K
I think on how to proceed I can’t work it out
If only I knew what the fuss was all about

D - L
I know I could find a way
through all the chaos
someone’s gonna have to pay
whoever they are

H
Lock it down
shut me In
its the thing to do
look around
take the win
see it through]]>
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom and the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. The pedals for the rhyhtm parts are a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The lead is the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and a Donner Yellow Fall.

B - E
I gaze upon the sky and try to think it through
the question puzzles me I don’t know what to do

C - F - K
I think on how to proceed I can’t work it out
If only I knew what the fuss was all about

D - L
I know I could find a way
through all the chaos
someone’s gonna have to pay
whoever they are

H
Lock it down
shut me In
its the thing to do
look around
take the win
see it through]]> 5452094 no no Mon, 28 Dec 2020 14:48:57 +0100 2020-12-28T14:48:57+01:00 3:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/far/
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm tracks is a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat mod. The leads are the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and a little Donner Yellow Fall for some slap back.

B - E - J
Count the days
its ending soon
There could be some changes coming

C - G
We have the chance to start again
A second change to get it right
we see it to the end and then
a better way is in our sights

D - I
The choice is ours
The final hours
we’ve come so far
We’ve come so far]]>
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm tracks is a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat mod. The leads are the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and a little Donner Yellow Fall for some slap back.

B - E - J
Count the days
its ending soon
There could be some changes coming

C - G
We have the chance to start again
A second change to get it right
we see it to the end and then
a better way is in our sights

D - I
The choice is ours
The final hours
we’ve come so far
We’ve come so far]]> 5451932 no no Mon, 28 Dec 2020 14:22:58 +0100 2020-12-28T14:22:58+01:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/glance/
As for the song as a whole, it’s not too terrible. I had the whole verse section in my head before I started working on it, but I think it was going to be faster and a lot bluesier. I’m not upset that it changed, but I wonder if it could have been better if I’d stuck to the plan.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson Les Paul Custom and the amps (two amps on every take) were a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedal chain for the rhythm parts was a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The leads had a Dunlop Crybaby into the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into a Donner (I think?) Harmonic Square for the down octave effect.

A - G
first glance and you think you have it
no chance you could get it right
its not of this earth
good luck try to figure it out

C - K
feels like it could come together
sit tight till the time is right
of your own making
have fun watching it collapse

D - H
It could happen
No time like now]]>
As for the song as a whole, it’s not too terrible. I had the whole verse section in my head before I started working on it, but I think it was going to be faster and a lot bluesier. I’m not upset that it changed, but I wonder if it could have been better if I’d stuck to the plan.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson Les Paul Custom and the amps (two amps on every take) were a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedal chain for the rhythm parts was a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The leads had a Dunlop Crybaby into the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into a Donner (I think?) Harmonic Square for the down octave effect.

A - G
first glance and you think you have it
no chance you could get it right
its not of this earth
good luck try to figure it out

C - K
feels like it could come together
sit tight till the time is right
of your own making
have fun watching it collapse

D - H
It could happen
No time like now]]> 5446757 no no Sat, 26 Dec 2020 20:21:31 +0100 2020-12-26T20:21:31+01:00 2:25 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sides/
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom, and the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm guitar is an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Klon KTR, into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. For the leads it was just a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the Klon KTR.

Intro
So Much Time to Kill
So much left to get to
Held against your will
Nothing else you can do

Verse
Its time for you to choose a side
what you stand for
Its time for you to decide
What will you do

No way that you could pass this up
Don’t let this slide
Wish you every kind of luck
No place to hide

Chorus
everything that you could be
is rising up to meet you
everything that you can see
Is just about to come true]]>
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom, and the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedal chain for the rhythm guitar is an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Klon KTR, into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. For the leads it was just a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the Klon KTR.

Intro
So Much Time to Kill
So much left to get to
Held against your will
Nothing else you can do

Verse
Its time for you to choose a side
what you stand for
Its time for you to decide
What will you do

No way that you could pass this up
Don’t let this slide
Wish you every kind of luck
No place to hide

Chorus
everything that you could be
is rising up to meet you
everything that you can see
Is just about to come true]]> 5441150 no no Thu, 24 Dec 2020 22:05:22 +0100 2020-12-24T22:05:22+01:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/recounts/
I don’t hate this one, but it’s close. It’s okay, I guess. I’m trying new pedal/amp setting combinations this month and it pretty much all sounds like crap to me.

All of the guitar tracks are a Gibson Les Paul Custom, and all tracks used both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. For pedals, the rhythm tracks used a Mooer e-Lady into a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The chain for the leads was the Klon KTR again into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into a Donner Yellow Fall.

A - H
so can we please put end to all this bullshit now
loser time to go
and don’t you dare try to tell me that it isn’t so
No losers are allowed

B - D - I
all counted
you lose my friend
re counted
you lose again

C
so once again you are acting like a spoiled child
you lose every time
and we all know you are guilty of a thousand crimes
eternally reviled]]>
I don’t hate this one, but it’s close. It’s okay, I guess. I’m trying new pedal/amp setting combinations this month and it pretty much all sounds like crap to me.

All of the guitar tracks are a Gibson Les Paul Custom, and all tracks used both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. For pedals, the rhythm tracks used a Mooer e-Lady into a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The chain for the leads was the Klon KTR again into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into a Donner Yellow Fall.

A - H
so can we please put end to all this bullshit now
loser time to go
and don’t you dare try to tell me that it isn’t so
No losers are allowed

B - D - I
all counted
you lose my friend
re counted
you lose again

C
so once again you are acting like a spoiled child
you lose every time
and we all know you are guilty of a thousand crimes
eternally reviled]]> 5441061 no no Thu, 24 Dec 2020 21:27:15 +0100 2020-12-24T21:27:15+01:00 4:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/detection/
Anyway, when I write riffs I think like a computer, in powers of two. My phrases are either one bar, or two bars, or four bars, or eight bars, or 16 bars (we’re ignoring the hundreds of millions of 12-bar blues I’ve mangled over the years because the math doesn’t work out). Fortunately, the session drummers in GarageBand work in similar patterns. I almost always keep the drum sections in eight bar chunks, and the drummer function will add fills in the middle and at the end (usually). So phrases whose length is a power or two will end up with drum fills in approximately the right places.

Not this sucker. This suckers phrases are three bars, then three bars, then two bars. Using an eight bar segment for the drums put a fill at the end of the fourth bar, which is right in the middle of the second phrase which is right in the wrong place. I had to chop of the drummer segments into the appropriate lengths and then tweak the fills to fit correctly. It worked, but it ended up sounding like Keith Moon having a bad, lazy day. Oh well.

The guitars are all my Gibson Les Paul Custom. The amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (I used them both on every take). The pedal chain for the rhythm is a Dunlop Crybaby into a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. I’m really trying to find a home for that Keeley… it’s just… not quite there. The leads were the Klon into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into a Donner Yellow Fall delay. I’m really trying to find a home for that Blooze Maker… it’s just… not quite there.

Verse
give me one reason I should stay
there has to be a better way
can’t take much more of this

the truth is hard for you to take
its not a thing that you can fake
I’m really tired of this

Chorus
soul defection detection
this is my

brain infection detection
this is my]]>
Anyway, when I write riffs I think like a computer, in powers of two. My phrases are either one bar, or two bars, or four bars, or eight bars, or 16 bars (we’re ignoring the hundreds of millions of 12-bar blues I’ve mangled over the years because the math doesn’t work out). Fortunately, the session drummers in GarageBand work in similar patterns. I almost always keep the drum sections in eight bar chunks, and the drummer function will add fills in the middle and at the end (usually). So phrases whose length is a power or two will end up with drum fills in approximately the right places.

Not this sucker. This suckers phrases are three bars, then three bars, then two bars. Using an eight bar segment for the drums put a fill at the end of the fourth bar, which is right in the middle of the second phrase which is right in the wrong place. I had to chop of the drummer segments into the appropriate lengths and then tweak the fills to fit correctly. It worked, but it ended up sounding like Keith Moon having a bad, lazy day. Oh well.

The guitars are all my Gibson Les Paul Custom. The amps are all a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (I used them both on every take). The pedal chain for the rhythm is a Dunlop Crybaby into a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. I’m really trying to find a home for that Keeley… it’s just… not quite there. The leads were the Klon into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into a Donner Yellow Fall delay. I’m really trying to find a home for that Blooze Maker… it’s just… not quite there.

Verse
give me one reason I should stay
there has to be a better way
can’t take much more of this

the truth is hard for you to take
its not a thing that you can fake
I’m really tired of this

Chorus
soul defection detection
this is my

brain infection detection
this is my]]> 5440139 no no Thu, 24 Dec 2020 15:43:13 +0100 2020-12-24T15:43:13+01:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/desperate/
Lots of pedals on this one. I’m trying to try out new overdrive combos this month and this has some of that, but it’s got plenty of sauce on it at times too. The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals for the rhythm tracks are a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The leads are a Dunlop Crybaby into the Klon and the Super Phat Mod again with a Donner Harmonic Square doing the octave effect. The cleanish solo in the middle is the KTR into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo.

I started out this month writing some lyrics rather than my usual music first, lyrics second workflow. I didn’t use everything I wrote, but the chorus on this one came from those early ideas.

Chorus
Desperate to be seen as more than just a stand in
Desperate to be seen as more than just a symptom

Verse
Hidden away
for one more day
can’t let them see
could it be me

Verse
step into line
like its a sign
what its about
try to stand out]]>
Lots of pedals on this one. I’m trying to try out new overdrive combos this month and this has some of that, but it’s got plenty of sauce on it at times too. The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul Custom. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals for the rhythm tracks are a Klon KTR into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The leads are a Dunlop Crybaby into the Klon and the Super Phat Mod again with a Donner Harmonic Square doing the octave effect. The cleanish solo in the middle is the KTR into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo.

I started out this month writing some lyrics rather than my usual music first, lyrics second workflow. I didn’t use everything I wrote, but the chorus on this one came from those early ideas.

Chorus
Desperate to be seen as more than just a stand in
Desperate to be seen as more than just a symptom

Verse
Hidden away
for one more day
can’t let them see
could it be me

Verse
step into line
like its a sign
what its about
try to stand out]]> 5438434 no no Thu, 24 Dec 2020 05:34:24 +0100 2020-12-24T05:34:24+01:00 3:25 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/voice/
I changed the drums for each section and added the bass, also more or less live all the way through the song, afterward. I kind of like the melody, especially in the B section, and for the leads I brought out tons of delay again but I set the subdivision differently so it wouldn’t really line up with the rhythm part.

There’s something about going from Eminor to Cmajor in the beginning that makes me think Pink Floyd a little. Did they do something similar on Animals somewhere? I can’t pin it down.

The rhythm guitar is my Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Mooer e-Lady, a Klon KTR, a Wampler Faux Tape Echo, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same guitar and amps but the pedal chain is a Dunlop Crybaby, an MXR Uni-Vibe, the Klon and the Faux Tape Echo again.

A
Hear that voice
Hear it clearly

Make the choice
Make it simply

fear destroys
so completely

B
Breakthrough could be coming
Feel it right around the bend
It could turn into something
that could set you on your way

No time like the future
one look and you see it all
Take time to find the answer
you had with you all along]]>
I changed the drums for each section and added the bass, also more or less live all the way through the song, afterward. I kind of like the melody, especially in the B section, and for the leads I brought out tons of delay again but I set the subdivision differently so it wouldn’t really line up with the rhythm part.

There’s something about going from Eminor to Cmajor in the beginning that makes me think Pink Floyd a little. Did they do something similar on Animals somewhere? I can’t pin it down.

The rhythm guitar is my Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Mooer e-Lady, a Klon KTR, a Wampler Faux Tape Echo, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same guitar and amps but the pedal chain is a Dunlop Crybaby, an MXR Uni-Vibe, the Klon and the Faux Tape Echo again.

A
Hear that voice
Hear it clearly

Make the choice
Make it simply

fear destroys
so completely

B
Breakthrough could be coming
Feel it right around the bend
It could turn into something
that could set you on your way

No time like the future
one look and you see it all
Take time to find the answer
you had with you all along]]> 5438389 no no Thu, 24 Dec 2020 04:47:39 +0100 2020-12-24T04:47:39+01:00 3:25 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/covered/
I think I like this one because it was actually written on guitar instead of on a keyboard. I’m messing with overdrive pedals, trying to find a new sound that makes me happy. I like the rhythm sound here, though it’s a tad toppy. It doesn’t work well for leads though, so I went to an old standby for most of this.

There’s another twist to this months project. I actually wrote lyrics first. Not a lot, just a handful of random couplets. I used one of them here.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Custom that I think is getting to the point where if the frets aren’t replaced it’s going to be unplayable. Shit. The chain is a Dunlop Crybaby wah into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into a Keeley Super Phat Mod overdrive pedal into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are the Les Paul into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 fuzz pedal into the KTR and the same two amps. The second solo is the same chain as the rhythm with a rotating speaker sim added in the mix.

Verse 1
cover your head and hope that they’re never coming for you
there’s a chance that it’s nothing
but you never know, you never know

Verse 2
There’s no way out for you there’s no way that you can escape
at the end in the darkness
you can never know, you never know

Break
Head to toe in darkness like a ghost in the night

Chorus
One look
One look at it

Middle 8
Covered up in nothing
nothing left to say
covered up in nothing
nothing left to do]]>
I think I like this one because it was actually written on guitar instead of on a keyboard. I’m messing with overdrive pedals, trying to find a new sound that makes me happy. I like the rhythm sound here, though it’s a tad toppy. It doesn’t work well for leads though, so I went to an old standby for most of this.

There’s another twist to this months project. I actually wrote lyrics first. Not a lot, just a handful of random couplets. I used one of them here.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Custom that I think is getting to the point where if the frets aren’t replaced it’s going to be unplayable. Shit. The chain is a Dunlop Crybaby wah into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into a Keeley Super Phat Mod overdrive pedal into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are the Les Paul into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 fuzz pedal into the KTR and the same two amps. The second solo is the same chain as the rhythm with a rotating speaker sim added in the mix.

Verse 1
cover your head and hope that they’re never coming for you
there’s a chance that it’s nothing
but you never know, you never know

Verse 2
There’s no way out for you there’s no way that you can escape
at the end in the darkness
you can never know, you never know

Break
Head to toe in darkness like a ghost in the night

Chorus
One look
One look at it

Middle 8
Covered up in nothing
nothing left to say
covered up in nothing
nothing left to do]]> 5429205 no no Mon, 21 Dec 2020 01:17:30 +0100 2020-12-21T01:17:30+01:00 2:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-price-2020-version/
I don’t dislike the way this came out, I just had higher hopes. This song is probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever written, especially the riffs in the chorus. I originally worked it all out on my iPad using the fake guitar sounds in GarageBand and then when I tried to play it for real I couldn’t hack it. The original recording of this song from six years ago had one take for the chorus that was played in one measure at a time and then pasted everywhere it needed to be. This time there was no copy and paste and I did a much better job getting things down, but there were still a lot of punches. I think I only made it through the full eight bar phrase a couple of times.

The rhythm guitar part is easier, but it’s still a little carpal tunnel enducing, and I had a really tough time playing it clean. You can hear me bumping into open strings all over the place. It’s a little embarrassing actually.

All of that is made even more shameful because when I played the lead guitar parts I was really feeling it. They are all first or second takes and they were ridiculously satisfying to me. I wish the full track were worthy of those lead parts.

I have no clue what the lyrics are about. None at all.

The rhythm guitars are my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal and two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Klon KTR pedal, and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into the same two amps.

It goes without saying
its all for the best
the price you are paying
is more than you guessed

Now is the time
to clean up the mess
it is a crime
to halt this progress
keep moving on

endlessly stall
keep it at bay
thinking so small
always delay
lets move on

what do you think about it
what do you say
I think we know]]>
I don’t dislike the way this came out, I just had higher hopes. This song is probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever written, especially the riffs in the chorus. I originally worked it all out on my iPad using the fake guitar sounds in GarageBand and then when I tried to play it for real I couldn’t hack it. The original recording of this song from six years ago had one take for the chorus that was played in one measure at a time and then pasted everywhere it needed to be. This time there was no copy and paste and I did a much better job getting things down, but there were still a lot of punches. I think I only made it through the full eight bar phrase a couple of times.

The rhythm guitar part is easier, but it’s still a little carpal tunnel enducing, and I had a really tough time playing it clean. You can hear me bumping into open strings all over the place. It’s a little embarrassing actually.

All of that is made even more shameful because when I played the lead guitar parts I was really feeling it. They are all first or second takes and they were ridiculously satisfying to me. I wish the full track were worthy of those lead parts.

I have no clue what the lyrics are about. None at all.

The rhythm guitars are my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal and two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Klon KTR pedal, and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into the same two amps.

It goes without saying
its all for the best
the price you are paying
is more than you guessed

Now is the time
to clean up the mess
it is a crime
to halt this progress
keep moving on

endlessly stall
keep it at bay
thinking so small
always delay
lets move on

what do you think about it
what do you say
I think we know]]> 5405742 no no Mon, 14 Dec 2020 04:31:43 +0100 2020-12-14T04:31:43+01:00 4:03 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-flat-earth-rebuttal-2020-version/ I was at a band practice and Greg the singer was telling a story about an acquaintance of his who had recently let it be known that he believed the Earth was flat. Seriously. We had a good laugh.

A day or two later my wife asked me if I’d seen any of the flat Earth idiocy going around the BookFayce. I hadn’t. We took a deep dive into it and were some how simultaneously laughing our butts off and soul crushed by the fact that people in the 21st century honestly believe the Earth is flat.

It became the theme for most of my 2014 RPM Challenge. The two best songs (in my non-objective opinion) were supposed to be an argument where one song was the flat Earth moron’s argument and the other was the rest of the human race calling him/her an idiot. This song is the rest of the human race.

I have to confess that the flat Earth idiot’s song is actually the better of the two, but I just couldn’t have it in this little collection without the rebuttal. The thought of someone listening to that song out of context and thinking that I believe the Earth is flat was a deal breaker, so this song went onto the list and the other did not.

I’m pretty pleased with how this came out. It’s a little more wall of soundish than the original, and I cut out some repetitive fat to tighten things up as well. Not bad, in my very non-objective opinion.

All of the guitar tracks are my Gibson SG Standard through a Klon KTR, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Both the rhythm and the lead have some Dunlop Crybaby wah wah, and the lead has a little MXR Phase 90 too.

Chorus:

You’re so small
You can’t see it all
You’re so small
You can’t take the fall

Earth so big
You can’t comprehend
Earth so big
You can’t see the end

Verse 1:

You say that you can see
far enough away
You think you’re big enough
To see all the way

Verse 2:

You think you’re high enough
You should see the curve
You climb the highest high
still you can’t observe

Bridge:

You’re wrong
So wrong

Wah Bridge:

Small
So Small

Quiet Section:

How can you
Look at the world
Through the eyes
of such backward minds]]> I was at a band practice and Greg the singer was telling a story about an acquaintance of his who had recently let it be known that he believed the Earth was flat. Seriously. We had a good laugh.

A day or two later my wife asked me if I’d seen any of the flat Earth idiocy going around the BookFayce. I hadn’t. We took a deep dive into it and were some how simultaneously laughing our butts off and soul crushed by the fact that people in the 21st century honestly believe the Earth is flat.

It became the theme for most of my 2014 RPM Challenge. The two best songs (in my non-objective opinion) were supposed to be an argument where one song was the flat Earth moron’s argument and the other was the rest of the human race calling him/her an idiot. This song is the rest of the human race.

I have to confess that the flat Earth idiot’s song is actually the better of the two, but I just couldn’t have it in this little collection without the rebuttal. The thought of someone listening to that song out of context and thinking that I believe the Earth is flat was a deal breaker, so this song went onto the list and the other did not.

I’m pretty pleased with how this came out. It’s a little more wall of soundish than the original, and I cut out some repetitive fat to tighten things up as well. Not bad, in my very non-objective opinion.

All of the guitar tracks are my Gibson SG Standard through a Klon KTR, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Both the rhythm and the lead have some Dunlop Crybaby wah wah, and the lead has a little MXR Phase 90 too.

Chorus:

You’re so small
You can’t see it all
You’re so small
You can’t take the fall

Earth so big
You can’t comprehend
Earth so big
You can’t see the end

Verse 1:

You say that you can see
far enough away
You think you’re big enough
To see all the way

Verse 2:

You think you’re high enough
You should see the curve
You climb the highest high
still you can’t observe

Bridge:

You’re wrong
So wrong

Wah Bridge:

Small
So Small

Quiet Section:

How can you
Look at the world
Through the eyes
of such backward minds]]> 5405600 no no Mon, 14 Dec 2020 02:57:16 +0100 2020-12-14T02:57:16+01:00 3:54 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/two-steps-behind-2020-version/ I’m Always two steps behind
and when things start to get rough
It feels like I’m going blind

A little forward
a little backward
a little out of control
Out of the middle
from every angle
how will the center ever hold

I cannot help it
I cannot stop it
I cannot fight my way through
It’s not a failure
It’s not defeatist
what else is there left to do

Nothing good can come of this
Nothing but a tragedy
nothing positive
nothing for the best
nothing good can come of this]]> I’m Always two steps behind
and when things start to get rough
It feels like I’m going blind

A little forward
a little backward
a little out of control
Out of the middle
from every angle
how will the center ever hold

I cannot help it
I cannot stop it
I cannot fight my way through
It’s not a failure
It’s not defeatist
what else is there left to do

Nothing good can come of this
Nothing but a tragedy
nothing positive
nothing for the best
nothing good can come of this]]> 5381596 no no Sun, 06 Dec 2020 18:37:40 +0100 2020-12-06T18:37:40+01:00 3:48 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hindsight-2020-version/
You be the judge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjZ28GR2BZo

Then after you judge go and listen to every note that Throwing Muses ever recorded and go completely off your rocker for them the way I did back in the 80’s. I would take a bullet for that band.

Anyway, I liked this one as I was doing it and I put it on the original 2015 re-recording list. It just took me half a decade to get to it. I have to listen to the two versions back to back before I can decide which is better. The original had the two part vocal harmonies doubled and it sounded massive. I was going to do that again but decided against it in the end. As cool as the choir sounded before, I think I like it better with just two voices instead of four.

The rhythm guitar is my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra the Klone pedal and two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is my Gibson Les Paul Custom into an MXR Phase 90 and a Klon KTR and the same two amps.

If I only knew
What I put you through
I would make it easier on you

If I could ever say
Why it feels this way
I would know just what to do

If it could all have been true
I’d have had a clue
I would never have delayed]]>
You be the judge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjZ28GR2BZo

Then after you judge go and listen to every note that Throwing Muses ever recorded and go completely off your rocker for them the way I did back in the 80’s. I would take a bullet for that band.

Anyway, I liked this one as I was doing it and I put it on the original 2015 re-recording list. It just took me half a decade to get to it. I have to listen to the two versions back to back before I can decide which is better. The original had the two part vocal harmonies doubled and it sounded massive. I was going to do that again but decided against it in the end. As cool as the choir sounded before, I think I like it better with just two voices instead of four.

The rhythm guitar is my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra the Klone pedal and two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is my Gibson Les Paul Custom into an MXR Phase 90 and a Klon KTR and the same two amps.

If I only knew
What I put you through
I would make it easier on you

If I could ever say
Why it feels this way
I would know just what to do

If it could all have been true
I’d have had a clue
I would never have delayed]]> 5379227 no no Sat, 05 Dec 2020 22:57:21 +0100 2020-12-05T22:57:21+01:00 3:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/you-lie-like-sam-hyde-2020-version/
I don’t recall if this was the first song whose lyrics were based on a New England folk tale, but it is one of the first. I was having a tough time with lyrics back in the ol’ 2014 50/90 and had the goofy idea of basing songs on folk stories. It worked out nicely, and I went back to the idea for the 2019 RPM Challenge and ended up with a whole album’s worth of folkie songs. I don’t know why this one is my favorite of them all, but it is.

Here is where I found the story:
https://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2012/07/sam_hyde.html

The rhythm guitars are my Gibson SG into a Ryra The Klone and a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my Gibson Les Paul Custom into an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 (my favorite fuzz pedal), a Klon KTR (my favorite overdrive pedal) and the same two amps.

there is the meadow, there is the tree
there is the river, nothing else there to see
one glass of cider, a shiny half crown
a lie is the truth and I’m the talk of the town

you lie like sam hyde, one lie for each truth
he’ll not be denied anything for his use

give me the money and a little bit more
I gave mostly truth when I came by your door]]>
I don’t recall if this was the first song whose lyrics were based on a New England folk tale, but it is one of the first. I was having a tough time with lyrics back in the ol’ 2014 50/90 and had the goofy idea of basing songs on folk stories. It worked out nicely, and I went back to the idea for the 2019 RPM Challenge and ended up with a whole album’s worth of folkie songs. I don’t know why this one is my favorite of them all, but it is.

Here is where I found the story:
https://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2012/07/sam_hyde.html

The rhythm guitars are my Gibson SG into a Ryra The Klone and a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my Gibson Les Paul Custom into an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 (my favorite fuzz pedal), a Klon KTR (my favorite overdrive pedal) and the same two amps.

there is the meadow, there is the tree
there is the river, nothing else there to see
one glass of cider, a shiny half crown
a lie is the truth and I’m the talk of the town

you lie like sam hyde, one lie for each truth
he’ll not be denied anything for his use

give me the money and a little bit more
I gave mostly truth when I came by your door]]> 5378071 no no Sat, 05 Dec 2020 17:38:51 +0100 2020-12-05T17:38:51+01:00 2:21 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/also-ran-2020-version-2.0/
I still love everything about this song (except for the shit vocal) but I think bumping up the tempo a smidge was a big help. I am pretty sure I like this version better than the first version.

The rhythm guitar tracks are my Gibson SG Standard into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into an AB/Y switch and then two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar is the same rig except it’s my Gibson Les Paul Custom instead of the SG. The feedback at the end is the Les Paul into an MXR Univ-Vibe, a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70, the Klon KTR, and the same two amps. The reverb, delay, and rotating speaker were all added in the mix.

pour out a glass for the also rans
for it is they who stand for the losers like me
can’t you see

first day of summer and I
can’t seem to fake my way through
first day of summer and I
can’t take much more

its like a dream I once had
that I forgot by morning
I always lose the thread and
can’t seem to get back

first day of summer and I’ve
already given up hope
first day of summer and I
cut myself off

I let the mystery be
its way to much pain for me
I bang my head against each
wall that I come to]]>
I still love everything about this song (except for the shit vocal) but I think bumping up the tempo a smidge was a big help. I am pretty sure I like this version better than the first version.

The rhythm guitar tracks are my Gibson SG Standard into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into an AB/Y switch and then two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar is the same rig except it’s my Gibson Les Paul Custom instead of the SG. The feedback at the end is the Les Paul into an MXR Univ-Vibe, a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70, the Klon KTR, and the same two amps. The reverb, delay, and rotating speaker were all added in the mix.

pour out a glass for the also rans
for it is they who stand for the losers like me
can’t you see

first day of summer and I
can’t seem to fake my way through
first day of summer and I
can’t take much more

its like a dream I once had
that I forgot by morning
I always lose the thread and
can’t seem to get back

first day of summer and I’ve
already given up hope
first day of summer and I
cut myself off

I let the mystery be
its way to much pain for me
I bang my head against each
wall that I come to]]> 5376095 no no Sat, 05 Dec 2020 02:25:12 +0100 2020-12-05T02:25:12+01:00 3:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/good-morning-sunshine-2020-version/
So here’s a little more thorough, careful recording of that song. I may have overdone it a bit. There are a few changes. The original had a synth sound droning at the beginning. I changed that to a B3 organ because I am a lifelong sucker for B3s. I also added an organ part that carries through the whole song. I liked the little interplay between the guitar and the bass where it is supposed to feel like the guitar starts a phrase and the bass finishes it. It just felt a little weak on the bass end so I added the organ on top to fill it out.

The vocals were originally one voice all the way though. It was on two tracks as the chorus and the verse kinda step on each other’s toes (I like doing that). On this recording I double tracked the verse (all but the last one) and added harmony to the choruses. Two part harmony on the first chorus, three parts on the end chorus. The one un-doubled verse had a harmony part but during the mix I decided I didn’t like it and chucked it. For some reason I like having that last verse before the three part chorus being just one voice. Maybe I’m just trying to justify losing the harmony part.

In the end I was left with two tracks of keyboard, six tracks of rhythm guitar, four tracks of lead guitar, and five tracks of vocals. Oh yeah, and one stereo track of drums and one track of bass. This mix is busy to say the least. I hope it sounds good. I have a headache right now so it might sound terrible. We’ll find out when I listen back to this tomorrow.

Guitars…. so many guitars. The rhythm tracks are all a Gibson SG into a Klon KTR into an ABY splitter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead at the beginning is the SG into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70, the Klon KTR again, a Wampler Faux Tape Echo v2, and then the same two amps. In this case the Vox had the spring reverb cranked, and a little touch of tremolo. The leads on the main song were the SG into a Dunlop Crybaby Wah (the Joe Bonamassa signature model), the Klon KTR again, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and the Faux Tape Echo and the two amps again. Yikes!

The lyrics were about the sunrise, which happened shortly after I started working on the song. I write about sunrises a lot. Not as often as I write about hurricanes, but a lot.

Good morning sunshine
coming out to meet you
good morning day light
I was up before you, nice of you to show

Wrapped in the darkness
as I lay here waiting
smothering night time
as I lay here breathless, nice of you to show

Like any day
wasting away
Like any night
crippling fright

Be over soon
get through the gloom
when will it end
when will it end

Welcome the daylight
push away the darkness
welcome the morning
keep the fears away, time for you to go

Welcome the sunlight
coming to the rescue
welcome the day time
bringing me to safety, until the darkness comes]]>
So here’s a little more thorough, careful recording of that song. I may have overdone it a bit. There are a few changes. The original had a synth sound droning at the beginning. I changed that to a B3 organ because I am a lifelong sucker for B3s. I also added an organ part that carries through the whole song. I liked the little interplay between the guitar and the bass where it is supposed to feel like the guitar starts a phrase and the bass finishes it. It just felt a little weak on the bass end so I added the organ on top to fill it out.

The vocals were originally one voice all the way though. It was on two tracks as the chorus and the verse kinda step on each other’s toes (I like doing that). On this recording I double tracked the verse (all but the last one) and added harmony to the choruses. Two part harmony on the first chorus, three parts on the end chorus. The one un-doubled verse had a harmony part but during the mix I decided I didn’t like it and chucked it. For some reason I like having that last verse before the three part chorus being just one voice. Maybe I’m just trying to justify losing the harmony part.

In the end I was left with two tracks of keyboard, six tracks of rhythm guitar, four tracks of lead guitar, and five tracks of vocals. Oh yeah, and one stereo track of drums and one track of bass. This mix is busy to say the least. I hope it sounds good. I have a headache right now so it might sound terrible. We’ll find out when I listen back to this tomorrow.

Guitars…. so many guitars. The rhythm tracks are all a Gibson SG into a Klon KTR into an ABY splitter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead at the beginning is the SG into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70, the Klon KTR again, a Wampler Faux Tape Echo v2, and then the same two amps. In this case the Vox had the spring reverb cranked, and a little touch of tremolo. The leads on the main song were the SG into a Dunlop Crybaby Wah (the Joe Bonamassa signature model), the Klon KTR again, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and the Faux Tape Echo and the two amps again. Yikes!

The lyrics were about the sunrise, which happened shortly after I started working on the song. I write about sunrises a lot. Not as often as I write about hurricanes, but a lot.

Good morning sunshine
coming out to meet you
good morning day light
I was up before you, nice of you to show

Wrapped in the darkness
as I lay here waiting
smothering night time
as I lay here breathless, nice of you to show

Like any day
wasting away
Like any night
crippling fright

Be over soon
get through the gloom
when will it end
when will it end

Welcome the daylight
push away the darkness
welcome the morning
keep the fears away, time for you to go

Welcome the sunlight
coming to the rescue
welcome the day time
bringing me to safety, until the darkness comes]]> 5359468 no no Wed, 02 Dec 2020 02:58:08 +0100 2020-12-02T02:58:08+01:00 4:39 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/feels-like-somethings-coming-2020-version/
I wrote this in 2016 during the RPM Challenge. It was a telecommuting day at work and I wrote the whole thing on my iPad, including lyrics and vocals, during the hour and a half I normally would have been stuck in traffic. Given Covid-19, telecommuting is the norm and traffic is a distant memory (though it constantly looms on the post-vaccination horizon).

The arrangement this time is exactly the same as the original, I just redid every track. The arpeggio rhythm guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Ryra the Klone into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The noisy rhythm added a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker after the Ryra. The lead is a Gibson SG Standard into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives matter into the same two amps. The acoustic is a Takamine 12-string whose model number I can’t remember, though it is a lawsuit era model.

Feels like somethings coming
Feels like something new
Feels like a new day dawning
Feels like something good]]>
I wrote this in 2016 during the RPM Challenge. It was a telecommuting day at work and I wrote the whole thing on my iPad, including lyrics and vocals, during the hour and a half I normally would have been stuck in traffic. Given Covid-19, telecommuting is the norm and traffic is a distant memory (though it constantly looms on the post-vaccination horizon).

The arrangement this time is exactly the same as the original, I just redid every track. The arpeggio rhythm guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Ryra the Klone into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The noisy rhythm added a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker after the Ryra. The lead is a Gibson SG Standard into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives matter into the same two amps. The acoustic is a Takamine 12-string whose model number I can’t remember, though it is a lawsuit era model.

Feels like somethings coming
Feels like something new
Feels like a new day dawning
Feels like something good]]> 5349323 no no Sat, 28 Nov 2020 16:55:06 +0100 2020-11-28T16:55:06+01:00 3:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hurricane-irene-blues-2020-version/
It was 2011 and a couple of things happened at about the same time. I had my first MacBook Pro and was starting to noddle with GarageBand. I bought a little USB keyboard and a littler USB mic input and wrote myself a little waltz number to test drive it all. The lyrics to that song were about the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene. That storm became a sort of theme for a mini music project but that’s kind of irrelevant.

My step kids were 10 and 8 years old. They saw me playing around with the little waltzy song and were curious. I decided to give them a demonstration of what I was doing by starting a new song. I used an upright bass sound and wrote a little phrase in Eb and looped it. I then added a new instrument every eight bars or so. First a cymbal, then a drum set, then a keyboard. They thought it was cool.

Then I decided to blow their little minds. I took them into the cellar where I was planning on building a little music nook. I plugged in my guitar and recorded myself improvising a little rhythm part. Then I recorded a little improvised vocal part to stick in the middle of the song. Then I turned up the distortion and blew through a guitar solo that surprised me with it’s grooviness. The kids were still impressed.

I then mixed the whole thing down and played it all back for them. They liked it. I mean, at the time they actually liked it. A couple of weeks later I heard my step daughter singing it to herself. Can you believe that? The old hack of a step dad wrote something that they actually liked and may have actually stuck with them for a while! I was so happy. The fact that the song was actually kinda fun to play and wasn’t too bad a listen just made it that much better.

That’s why this is the favorite of all the songs I’ve ever written. For a stretch of a couple of weeks there, the kids liked it. That was more of a scream to me than Hurricane Irene could ever dream of being.

The rhythm guitars here are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal and both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. I doubled the part this time so it wasn’t improvised. I think this version loses a little bit of magic because of that, but not enough to taint it for me. The lead guitar is a Gibson SG Standard into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into the same two amps. The first eight bars of the first solo are pretty similar to what I did nine years ago but the rest is improvised.

Irene
Bad dream
She’s a scream
That Irene]]>
It was 2011 and a couple of things happened at about the same time. I had my first MacBook Pro and was starting to noddle with GarageBand. I bought a little USB keyboard and a littler USB mic input and wrote myself a little waltz number to test drive it all. The lyrics to that song were about the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene. That storm became a sort of theme for a mini music project but that’s kind of irrelevant.

My step kids were 10 and 8 years old. They saw me playing around with the little waltzy song and were curious. I decided to give them a demonstration of what I was doing by starting a new song. I used an upright bass sound and wrote a little phrase in Eb and looped it. I then added a new instrument every eight bars or so. First a cymbal, then a drum set, then a keyboard. They thought it was cool.

Then I decided to blow their little minds. I took them into the cellar where I was planning on building a little music nook. I plugged in my guitar and recorded myself improvising a little rhythm part. Then I recorded a little improvised vocal part to stick in the middle of the song. Then I turned up the distortion and blew through a guitar solo that surprised me with it’s grooviness. The kids were still impressed.

I then mixed the whole thing down and played it all back for them. They liked it. I mean, at the time they actually liked it. A couple of weeks later I heard my step daughter singing it to herself. Can you believe that? The old hack of a step dad wrote something that they actually liked and may have actually stuck with them for a while! I was so happy. The fact that the song was actually kinda fun to play and wasn’t too bad a listen just made it that much better.

That’s why this is the favorite of all the songs I’ve ever written. For a stretch of a couple of weeks there, the kids liked it. That was more of a scream to me than Hurricane Irene could ever dream of being.

The rhythm guitars here are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Ryra The Klone overdrive pedal and both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. I doubled the part this time so it wasn’t improvised. I think this version loses a little bit of magic because of that, but not enough to taint it for me. The lead guitar is a Gibson SG Standard into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into the same two amps. The first eight bars of the first solo are pretty similar to what I did nine years ago but the rest is improvised.

Irene
Bad dream
She’s a scream
That Irene]]> 5339155 no no Wed, 25 Nov 2020 02:39:42 +0100 2020-11-25T02:39:42+01:00 4:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/come-see-the-futures-end/
Another reason I kinda like this one is because I went back to my main pedal board for all the guitar tracks. I tried to make myself love the bluesbreaker clone I was using on most of this month’s songs, but I just couldn’t and I had to move on. The Rhythm guitar, including the ending, is a Gibson SG Standard into an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Klon KTR, a Donner Yellow Fall, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same guitar and amps but the pedal chain is the Klon KTR again and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Chorus
Come see the future’s end
(repeat)

Verse
This is how we fall apart
Like a dagger through the heart

Verse
If you think this is a game
You are in for major pain

Break
end is coming
no use running
they are selling out on everything
No twist ending
its a scam
We can not believe a single thing]]>
Another reason I kinda like this one is because I went back to my main pedal board for all the guitar tracks. I tried to make myself love the bluesbreaker clone I was using on most of this month’s songs, but I just couldn’t and I had to move on. The Rhythm guitar, including the ending, is a Gibson SG Standard into an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Klon KTR, a Donner Yellow Fall, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same guitar and amps but the pedal chain is the Klon KTR again and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Chorus
Come see the future’s end
(repeat)

Verse
This is how we fall apart
Like a dagger through the heart

Verse
If you think this is a game
You are in for major pain

Break
end is coming
no use running
they are selling out on everything
No twist ending
its a scam
We can not believe a single thing]]> 5338416 no no Tue, 24 Nov 2020 18:49:26 +0100 2020-11-24T18:49:26+01:00 2:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/not-with-a-bang-but-a-lawsuit/
From a production inside-baseball standpoint, this broke one of my rules. No copy and paste for guitar parts. Vocals, copy and paste all day long. I didn’t sing this verse three times, I sung it once and pasted it to the other two sections. I’m not supposed to do that with guitar tracks though, but I did here. Where you hear the second chorus, it was originally a bridge and I replaced it while I was writing the lyrics and the melody. The bridge was supposed to be the chorus and vice versa, but I changed my mind. Like ya do..

Rhythm guitars were my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone pedal and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker and then into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same guitar and amp but the pedals are a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The last solo’s octave effect was a Donner Harmonic Square.

Verse
give and take
goes both ways
for your sake
please don’t pay
the answer
is not sure
is slander
all you have

bridge
Two hundred fourty years just kissed goodbye
its bad enough to make the whole world cry

Chorus
I used to wonder how it would all come tumbling down
it would all come tumbling down
Now I know that I just had to give a little time
Just a little bit of time]]>
From a production inside-baseball standpoint, this broke one of my rules. No copy and paste for guitar parts. Vocals, copy and paste all day long. I didn’t sing this verse three times, I sung it once and pasted it to the other two sections. I’m not supposed to do that with guitar tracks though, but I did here. Where you hear the second chorus, it was originally a bridge and I replaced it while I was writing the lyrics and the melody. The bridge was supposed to be the chorus and vice versa, but I changed my mind. Like ya do..

Rhythm guitars were my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone pedal and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker and then into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same guitar and amp but the pedals are a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The last solo’s octave effect was a Donner Harmonic Square.

Verse
give and take
goes both ways
for your sake
please don’t pay
the answer
is not sure
is slander
all you have

bridge
Two hundred fourty years just kissed goodbye
its bad enough to make the whole world cry

Chorus
I used to wonder how it would all come tumbling down
it would all come tumbling down
Now I know that I just had to give a little time
Just a little bit of time]]> 5338113 no no Tue, 24 Nov 2020 17:23:26 +0100 2020-11-24T17:23:26+01:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/to-the-bitter-end/
Rhythm guitars are my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klon overdrive pedal into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15 at the same time. Leads are the same guitar and amps but the pedal chain for the main part of the song is a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into a Klon KTR. The quieter leads at the end are a Mooer E-lady into the Klon KTR into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo.

B Chorus
you keep pretending that you
can lead the way
You keep expecting me to
give you some say

B Verse 1 & 3
not gonna let you speak
never again
your chance is looking bleak
its time to end

B Verse 2
I’d say I told you so
but what’s the use
many conspiracies
that you can’t prove

C Verse
to the bitter end you intend to fight on
but there’s only one way this ends
you’re just making noise but there is no point
there’s no way you could ever win

C Chorus
No way
No how
you try
you fail
(repeat)]]>
Rhythm guitars are my Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klon overdrive pedal into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15 at the same time. Leads are the same guitar and amps but the pedal chain for the main part of the song is a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into a Klon KTR. The quieter leads at the end are a Mooer E-lady into the Klon KTR into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo.

B Chorus
you keep pretending that you
can lead the way
You keep expecting me to
give you some say

B Verse 1 & 3
not gonna let you speak
never again
your chance is looking bleak
its time to end

B Verse 2
I’d say I told you so
but what’s the use
many conspiracies
that you can’t prove

C Verse
to the bitter end you intend to fight on
but there’s only one way this ends
you’re just making noise but there is no point
there’s no way you could ever win

C Chorus
No way
No how
you try
you fail
(repeat)]]> 5336283 no no Tue, 24 Nov 2020 01:41:42 +0100 2020-11-24T01:41:42+01:00 9:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nothing-left-but-sorrow/
As throw away songs go, it’s not so bad.

The rhythm and lead setups were similar. They are both a Gibson SG Standard and they both went through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm had an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Klon KTR into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The lead had an MXR Phase 90 in place of the Uni-Vibe and it only used the FTE at the end. Also, I turned off the KTR at the end as well. I never do that.

Take a look at yourself
do you like what you see
could you be someone else
do you get what I mean

No tomorrow
Nothing follows
nothing left but sorrow
no one talking
no one stopping
no one left at all]]>
As throw away songs go, it’s not so bad.

The rhythm and lead setups were similar. They are both a Gibson SG Standard and they both went through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm had an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Klon KTR into a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The lead had an MXR Phase 90 in place of the Uni-Vibe and it only used the FTE at the end. Also, I turned off the KTR at the end as well. I never do that.

Take a look at yourself
do you like what you see
could you be someone else
do you get what I mean

No tomorrow
Nothing follows
nothing left but sorrow
no one talking
no one stopping
no one left at all]]> 5332571 no no Sun, 22 Nov 2020 21:44:25 +0100 2020-11-22T21:44:25+01:00 4:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/losers-lose/
Sloppy, weak, plodding. I kinda like the chorus. I kinda like the break in the middle. I definitely like the harmonies at the end. That was something I did a bunch of times in my October 2020 project and I thought it would work here. Does it? Probably not, but I like it.

When I started this month’s project I was going to use one guitar, two pedals, and two 15 watt amps for everything. After one day of tracking rhythm guitars with my ES 335 I decided that my Gibson SG Standard needed to be played. I hadn’t shown it any love in months so I put new strings on it and I’ve used it on everything since. As for the pedals, I bought my first Marshall Bluesbreaker clone and paired it up with a sweet Klon Centaur clone. It sounds good, but it doesn’t really sound good enough. I made it into song #7 (out of 10, I hope) before I started changing things. This song is song #7. The rhythm parts and the two solos all followed the plan, SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The guitarmonies at the end swapped the Blooze Maker for a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. There are still two more songs out there that use the original pedal plan (songs #5 and 8). The leads on one (#8) and all of #9 and 10 will use the pedal board I use with my band. Why is this important information? It’s not.

Verse
You know how it’s done
come on and have fun
the end is coming
there’s no sense running
your time has run out
was never in doubt
you see this smile
its so hostile

Chorus
I can’t help smiling
to see you crying
goodbye to lying
Losers lose
The sun is shining
while you’re in hiding
there’s no denying
Losers lose

Middle Eight
running out of friends
face the bitter end
one last look around
end up underground]]>
Sloppy, weak, plodding. I kinda like the chorus. I kinda like the break in the middle. I definitely like the harmonies at the end. That was something I did a bunch of times in my October 2020 project and I thought it would work here. Does it? Probably not, but I like it.

When I started this month’s project I was going to use one guitar, two pedals, and two 15 watt amps for everything. After one day of tracking rhythm guitars with my ES 335 I decided that my Gibson SG Standard needed to be played. I hadn’t shown it any love in months so I put new strings on it and I’ve used it on everything since. As for the pedals, I bought my first Marshall Bluesbreaker clone and paired it up with a sweet Klon Centaur clone. It sounds good, but it doesn’t really sound good enough. I made it into song #7 (out of 10, I hope) before I started changing things. This song is song #7. The rhythm parts and the two solos all followed the plan, SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The guitarmonies at the end swapped the Blooze Maker for a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. There are still two more songs out there that use the original pedal plan (songs #5 and 8). The leads on one (#8) and all of #9 and 10 will use the pedal board I use with my band. Why is this important information? It’s not.

Verse
You know how it’s done
come on and have fun
the end is coming
there’s no sense running
your time has run out
was never in doubt
you see this smile
its so hostile

Chorus
I can’t help smiling
to see you crying
goodbye to lying
Losers lose
The sun is shining
while you’re in hiding
there’s no denying
Losers lose

Middle Eight
running out of friends
face the bitter end
one last look around
end up underground]]> 5332568 no no Sun, 22 Nov 2020 21:43:50 +0100 2020-11-22T21:43:50+01:00 4:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/dig-that-hole/
All of the guitar parts are a Gibson SG into a Ryra The Klone pedal, a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker pedal, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1 + 3
How did we end up like this
please tell me
Now is a good time to look
see if we can fix it

Verse 2
Know how to get to the truth
dig deeper
Go to the end of the line
see if you can make it

Chorus
you’ve dug a serious hole for yourself
there is no way to get out
they’ll all be coming for you just you wait
and you know what it’s about

Outro
We’re coming for you now]]>
All of the guitar parts are a Gibson SG into a Ryra The Klone pedal, a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker pedal, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1 + 3
How did we end up like this
please tell me
Now is a good time to look
see if we can fix it

Verse 2
Know how to get to the truth
dig deeper
Go to the end of the line
see if you can make it

Chorus
you’ve dug a serious hole for yourself
there is no way to get out
they’ll all be coming for you just you wait
and you know what it’s about

Outro
We’re coming for you now]]> 5332567 no no Sun, 22 Nov 2020 21:43:03 +0100 2020-11-22T21:43:03+01:00 3:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/whats-the-point/
All of the guitar tracks are a Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker pedal and then two amplifiers, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. For the solo at the end, I turned off the Blooze Maker. Everything else was the same.

Chorus
whats the point of it
every little bit
whats the meaning behind it all
take the temperature
close the aperture
just so we are sure it won’t fall

Verse
nevermore
close the door
leave it all behind
anyway
you can say
watch it all unwind

Bridge
No escaping
no complaining
no way]]>
All of the guitar tracks are a Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker pedal and then two amplifiers, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. For the solo at the end, I turned off the Blooze Maker. Everything else was the same.

Chorus
whats the point of it
every little bit
whats the meaning behind it all
take the temperature
close the aperture
just so we are sure it won’t fall

Verse
nevermore
close the door
leave it all behind
anyway
you can say
watch it all unwind

Bridge
No escaping
no complaining
no way]]> 5316139 no no Tue, 17 Nov 2020 02:10:04 +0100 2020-11-17T02:10:04+01:00 2:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/we-will-all-see/
All of the guitars are a Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. That was my plan for the whole November project but further down the line I’m going to swap the pedals for my big pedal board. You’ll see what we get to it.

Verse 1
and at the end of days will
you see the light
and when the world has gone still
come join the fight

Verse 2 & 3
If I were on your side would
you stay with me
together you and I could
just let it be

Chorus
Don’t let them tell you how the world should be
another voice will speak and then we will all see]]>
All of the guitars are a Gibson SG Standard into a Ryra The Klone and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. That was my plan for the whole November project but further down the line I’m going to swap the pedals for my big pedal board. You’ll see what we get to it.

Verse 1
and at the end of days will
you see the light
and when the world has gone still
come join the fight

Verse 2 & 3
If I were on your side would
you stay with me
together you and I could
just let it be

Chorus
Don’t let them tell you how the world should be
another voice will speak and then we will all see]]> 5316095 no no Tue, 17 Nov 2020 01:33:59 +0100 2020-11-17T01:33:59+01:00 2:21 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/welcome-to-the-routine-2020-version/
I wrote this in 2016 during my June album in a month project. I had no intention of adding it to the list of songs to redo until a couple of weeks ago. There was another song from that month on the project on the list already and I wanted to listen to it to practice a little. I saw this on the playlist and gave it a spin for the first time in four years (probably) and put it right onto the list.

This arrangement is mostly the same as the original. I shortened the first solo and added a key change at the end. I feel it works a little better now. Not sure of this mix though as I’m pretty sleepy right now. I can’t say for sure if it’s any good or not. We’ll see in the morning.

The rhythm guitar and the little melody part that sounds alarmingly similar to “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” were played on a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone pedal and the melody used the Ryra and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker. The lead part was a Gibson SG into the Ryra and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian through the same two amps.

It’s always been the same
It’s always been that way
It’s never going to change
You’ll always feel the pain

It’ll never set you free
It’ll never let you be
You just wait you will see
You’re never getting free

Welcome to the routine
It’s got you now you see
The rest of your life belongs to me]]>
I wrote this in 2016 during my June album in a month project. I had no intention of adding it to the list of songs to redo until a couple of weeks ago. There was another song from that month on the project on the list already and I wanted to listen to it to practice a little. I saw this on the playlist and gave it a spin for the first time in four years (probably) and put it right onto the list.

This arrangement is mostly the same as the original. I shortened the first solo and added a key change at the end. I feel it works a little better now. Not sure of this mix though as I’m pretty sleepy right now. I can’t say for sure if it’s any good or not. We’ll see in the morning.

The rhythm guitar and the little melody part that sounds alarmingly similar to “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” were played on a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone pedal and the melody used the Ryra and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker. The lead part was a Gibson SG into the Ryra and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian through the same two amps.

It’s always been the same
It’s always been that way
It’s never going to change
You’ll always feel the pain

It’ll never set you free
It’ll never let you be
You just wait you will see
You’re never getting free

Welcome to the routine
It’s got you now you see
The rest of your life belongs to me]]> 5309714 no no Sun, 15 Nov 2020 05:13:39 +0100 2020-11-15T05:13:39+01:00 4:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/anyway/
Yeah, I’m my own worst critic and all, but blah blah blah I’m mad at myself.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 Pro. The lead is a Gibson SG Standard. All tracks used a Ryra the Klone into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

verse 1 & 3
what if I could tell you something
what if I could make you see
what if I could teach you one thing
what if I could set you free

Verse 2
keep in mind that he’s a liar
never spoke a word of truth
now you want to lift him higher
strike the match and light the fuse

Chorus
Give away
yesterday
there’s no way
anyway

Break
we had our say
now go way
(repeat)]]>
Yeah, I’m my own worst critic and all, but blah blah blah I’m mad at myself.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 Pro. The lead is a Gibson SG Standard. All tracks used a Ryra the Klone into a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

verse 1 & 3
what if I could tell you something
what if I could make you see
what if I could teach you one thing
what if I could set you free

Verse 2
keep in mind that he’s a liar
never spoke a word of truth
now you want to lift him higher
strike the match and light the fuse

Chorus
Give away
yesterday
there’s no way
anyway

Break
we had our say
now go way
(repeat)]]> 5303078 no no Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:47:41 +0100 2020-11-13T02:47:41+01:00 3:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sell-you-something/
Nothing particularly noteworthy about this one. I like it. I like the three part harmonies on the last chorus. The riff is okay, the stop/start section is okay. There isn’t much to not like here.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klon and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker and both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The lead is a Gibson SG Standard into the same pedals and amps.

Verse 1
if it should come again
you’ll never see the end
he’s gonna let you down
he’s gonna sell you out

Chorus
He’s trying to sell you something
He’s gonna lie to you
(repeat)

Verse 2
he did this to himself
he needs to be expelled
the way he sold our soul
he really has to go]]>
Nothing particularly noteworthy about this one. I like it. I like the three part harmonies on the last chorus. The riff is okay, the stop/start section is okay. There isn’t much to not like here.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klon and a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker and both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The lead is a Gibson SG Standard into the same pedals and amps.

Verse 1
if it should come again
you’ll never see the end
he’s gonna let you down
he’s gonna sell you out

Chorus
He’s trying to sell you something
He’s gonna lie to you
(repeat)

Verse 2
he did this to himself
he needs to be expelled
the way he sold our soul
he really has to go]]> 5302967 no no Fri, 13 Nov 2020 01:08:22 +0100 2020-11-13T01:08:22+01:00 2:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sun-and-moon-2020-version-2/
This is the ninth and final song for the Quarantine Tunes Volume 2 project. Is it fitting that the song was written a month ago? I don’t know. This was the last song written for the 2020 5090 which was literally one month ago. I really liked it when I wrote it. Enough that it immediately went into my best-of/to-be-re-recorded pile. This is the same GarageBand file, but every note has been redone. The intonation in the verses is still a little fruity. Other than that, I am pretty happy with v2.0.

All of the guitar parts, including all the noise in the background, is a Gibson ES-335 Pro through two amps per take. A Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm is just a Klon KTR. On the solos its the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The feedback is Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into the Klon. The self oscillating delay thing is the same as the solo with the addition of a Donner Yellow Fall.

Verse 1 & 3
Its been some years since we met
so long ago it was
the overwhelming regret
hold your applause

Chorus
if the sun and the moon both refused to rise
would you think it was part of some bad joke
If the day and the night were both turned around
would you want to be in on it

Verse 2
I trust your word on all things
I know you’re good for me
and what the future may bring
we’re up to it]]>
This is the ninth and final song for the Quarantine Tunes Volume 2 project. Is it fitting that the song was written a month ago? I don’t know. This was the last song written for the 2020 5090 which was literally one month ago. I really liked it when I wrote it. Enough that it immediately went into my best-of/to-be-re-recorded pile. This is the same GarageBand file, but every note has been redone. The intonation in the verses is still a little fruity. Other than that, I am pretty happy with v2.0.

All of the guitar parts, including all the noise in the background, is a Gibson ES-335 Pro through two amps per take. A Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm is just a Klon KTR. On the solos its the Klon into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The feedback is Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into the Klon. The self oscillating delay thing is the same as the solo with the addition of a Donner Yellow Fall.

Verse 1 & 3
Its been some years since we met
so long ago it was
the overwhelming regret
hold your applause

Chorus
if the sun and the moon both refused to rise
would you think it was part of some bad joke
If the day and the night were both turned around
would you want to be in on it

Verse 2
I trust your word on all things
I know you’re good for me
and what the future may bring
we’re up to it]]> 5266284 no no Sun, 01 Nov 2020 04:48:05 +0100 2020-11-01T04:48:05+01:00 5:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/go-west-young-man-2020-version/
Another song from 2007’s failed RPM Challenge that wasn’t finished until 2011. This was also on my short list of songs to re-record when I first thought of this whole silly project back in March of 2015. Only the drums remain from that original working file. Even rarer is that some of the drums were actually played in by me rather than using GarageBands session drummer. The first 16 bars are me. It matches what I did with my little Roland drum machine back in 2007. Everything after that is a GarageBand drummer (Kyle, if you’re keeping score).

The lyrics are about my desire to permanently vacation in San Diego. We went there on our honeymoon and have gone back a few times since. Every time we go it gets exponentially more difficult to leave.

Other than that there isn’t much special here. Except maybe for the Duane Freakin’ Allman moment in the second solo. I’m not really an Allman Brothers fan, but if you play guitar you kind of have to spend some quality time with Live at the Filmore East, right? Never mind that he plays on 80% of Layla. Whatever, right?

All of the guitar parts were played on a Gibson ES-335 Pro. All of the amps (two per take) were a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Pedals on the rhythm guitar were a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. Pedals on the lead was just a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70.

Verse
Feel the wind, breath the air

Tidal pull, Take me there

Destiny calling me

Full redeem , Pacific dream



Chorus

Feel the pull it is calling me

Drawing me away to the western sea

Needing to go back to feel it all again

Needing to return when can we begin

Go west young man, go west young man

Take me back oh please take me back]]>
Another song from 2007’s failed RPM Challenge that wasn’t finished until 2011. This was also on my short list of songs to re-record when I first thought of this whole silly project back in March of 2015. Only the drums remain from that original working file. Even rarer is that some of the drums were actually played in by me rather than using GarageBands session drummer. The first 16 bars are me. It matches what I did with my little Roland drum machine back in 2007. Everything after that is a GarageBand drummer (Kyle, if you’re keeping score).

The lyrics are about my desire to permanently vacation in San Diego. We went there on our honeymoon and have gone back a few times since. Every time we go it gets exponentially more difficult to leave.

Other than that there isn’t much special here. Except maybe for the Duane Freakin’ Allman moment in the second solo. I’m not really an Allman Brothers fan, but if you play guitar you kind of have to spend some quality time with Live at the Filmore East, right? Never mind that he plays on 80% of Layla. Whatever, right?

All of the guitar parts were played on a Gibson ES-335 Pro. All of the amps (two per take) were a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Pedals on the rhythm guitar were a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. Pedals on the lead was just a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70.

Verse
Feel the wind, breath the air

Tidal pull, Take me there

Destiny calling me

Full redeem , Pacific dream



Chorus

Feel the pull it is calling me

Drawing me away to the western sea

Needing to go back to feel it all again

Needing to return when can we begin

Go west young man, go west young man

Take me back oh please take me back]]> 5266090 no no Sun, 01 Nov 2020 01:41:32 +0100 2020-11-01T01:41:32+01:00 4:57 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/she-has-arrived-2020-version/
This song was written during my first attempt at doing anything in GarageBand. Prior August of 2011 I was 100% a physical tape guy. I had an ADAT, a couple of outboard effects, a 16 channel board to run through, and a drum machine. Then I bought a MacBook Pro and a very cheap little USB piano keyboard and I started figuring things out. The first thing I did was a little 3/4 waltzy thing with lyrics about the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene. Why do I spend so much time writing about hurricanes?

Quickly the one song turned into four. One anticipating the hurricane, one (this one) announcing it’s arrival, one stating it was a letdown, and one that was just a jam I threw together in about 15 minutes to impress my step kids (they were impressed then… they aren’t anymore).

This song has had some really serious changes since then. I added a pointless intro, scrapped the middle eight entirely, rearranged the second chorus, and added a guitar solo.

I just wish I could get a better sounding mix. I think, at least. Like I said, my ears are mush right now. Maybe I will take a day off.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter overdrive pedal, then into an ABY switch and two amplifiers, a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

windows shaking
trees breaking
storm has come to take us away
batten down
find safety
ride it out or be blown away

she’s coming now
she’s coming now
she has arrived
she’s here now]]>
This song was written during my first attempt at doing anything in GarageBand. Prior August of 2011 I was 100% a physical tape guy. I had an ADAT, a couple of outboard effects, a 16 channel board to run through, and a drum machine. Then I bought a MacBook Pro and a very cheap little USB piano keyboard and I started figuring things out. The first thing I did was a little 3/4 waltzy thing with lyrics about the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene. Why do I spend so much time writing about hurricanes?

Quickly the one song turned into four. One anticipating the hurricane, one (this one) announcing it’s arrival, one stating it was a letdown, and one that was just a jam I threw together in about 15 minutes to impress my step kids (they were impressed then… they aren’t anymore).

This song has had some really serious changes since then. I added a pointless intro, scrapped the middle eight entirely, rearranged the second chorus, and added a guitar solo.

I just wish I could get a better sounding mix. I think, at least. Like I said, my ears are mush right now. Maybe I will take a day off.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter overdrive pedal, then into an ABY switch and two amplifiers, a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

windows shaking
trees breaking
storm has come to take us away
batten down
find safety
ride it out or be blown away

she’s coming now
she’s coming now
she has arrived
she’s here now]]> 5255680 no no Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:34:38 +0100 2020-10-29T00:34:38+01:00 2:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/were-coming-for-you-2020-version-2/
This song is wicked old. I wrote it for the 2020 RPM Challenge, all of nine months ago. It is one of those songs that I suspect is more fun to play than to listen to. I like it though. It’s got a nice energy to it (though was the energy better on the original? I can’t decide). I may have hurt myself singing this as it’s kind of on the shouty side all the way through. Lyrically it’s fitting to upload this today as we are one week away from the 2020 presidential election where were will do our best to rid the Federal Government of the fascists and their collaborators. This song is about a particular nazi prick. I won’t name names but it’s Bill Barr.

The rhythm guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal and then an ABY splitter into two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitars are exactly the same setup except there is a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter overdrive pedal right after the Klon.

Verse 1
you can’t hide from it, you’re neck deep
you gave in to it, sad little sheep

no credibility, no one believes
no one will stand with you, everyone will leave

you can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth

you sold us out and we’re
coming for you

Chorus
You can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth
There is no coming back for you

verse 2
we stood up to him, you lied down
you defended him, gave him his crown

everything we once stood for, under your boot
there’s no denying it, you are his clown

there’s no escaping this
you are his pawn

there’s no way out for you
you crocked con]]>
This song is wicked old. I wrote it for the 2020 RPM Challenge, all of nine months ago. It is one of those songs that I suspect is more fun to play than to listen to. I like it though. It’s got a nice energy to it (though was the energy better on the original? I can’t decide). I may have hurt myself singing this as it’s kind of on the shouty side all the way through. Lyrically it’s fitting to upload this today as we are one week away from the 2020 presidential election where were will do our best to rid the Federal Government of the fascists and their collaborators. This song is about a particular nazi prick. I won’t name names but it’s Bill Barr.

The rhythm guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal and then an ABY splitter into two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitars are exactly the same setup except there is a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter overdrive pedal right after the Klon.

Verse 1
you can’t hide from it, you’re neck deep
you gave in to it, sad little sheep

no credibility, no one believes
no one will stand with you, everyone will leave

you can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth

you sold us out and we’re
coming for you

Chorus
You can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth
There is no coming back for you

verse 2
we stood up to him, you lied down
you defended him, gave him his crown

everything we once stood for, under your boot
there’s no denying it, you are his clown

there’s no escaping this
you are his pawn

there’s no way out for you
you crocked con]]> 5253303 no no Wed, 28 Oct 2020 03:26:46 +0100 2020-10-28T03:26:46+01:00 5:10 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/lets-all-sing-along/
I’m willing to forget this happened if you are. Sound good?

Thanks

your voice will be heard
its all so absurd
one last final word
we should be concerned

lets all sing along
what else could go wrong]]>
I’m willing to forget this happened if you are. Sound good?

Thanks

your voice will be heard
its all so absurd
one last final word
we should be concerned

lets all sing along
what else could go wrong]]> 5253194 no no Wed, 28 Oct 2020 02:11:00 +0100 2020-10-28T02:11:00+01:00 3:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hear-the-truth/
There’s some polyrhythm going on in the guitars so it fits this months album in a month theme. Otherwise most of the trippy games are just a tape delay (simulated) on one of the three vocal tracks.

The rhythm guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR pedal and then two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead added a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 before the Klon.

hold your breath
around the corner lets address
the coming doom

no one left
to stand up with us you’re the best
there’s ever been

————————

Come hear the truth
hear the truth]]>
There’s some polyrhythm going on in the guitars so it fits this months album in a month theme. Otherwise most of the trippy games are just a tape delay (simulated) on one of the three vocal tracks.

The rhythm guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR pedal and then two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead added a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 before the Klon.

hold your breath
around the corner lets address
the coming doom

no one left
to stand up with us you’re the best
there’s ever been

————————

Come hear the truth
hear the truth]]> 5253092 no no Wed, 28 Oct 2020 01:36:50 +0100 2020-10-28T01:36:50+01:00 2:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/pretend-you-know-whats-what/
The guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR and then two amps, a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The one note fuzz box under the vocals put a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 in front of the KTR.

Pretend you know what’s what
the time is right now
this door cannot be shut
just watch me and see how]]>
The guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR and then two amps, a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The one note fuzz box under the vocals put a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 in front of the KTR.

Pretend you know what’s what
the time is right now
this door cannot be shut
just watch me and see how]]> 5253069 no no Wed, 28 Oct 2020 01:02:52 +0100 2020-10-28T01:02:52+01:00 2:30 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/days-remaining/
The guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 fuzz pedal into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

Seasons changing
days remaining]]>
The guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 fuzz pedal into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

Seasons changing
days remaining]]> 5250472 no no Tue, 27 Oct 2020 01:33:56 +0100 2020-10-27T01:33:56+01:00 2:15 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/something-happening/
What I didn’t consider was how that single missing eighth note in one of the guitars would sound when the phrase they are playing includes a chromatic passage. When you do the math in your head it’s obviously going to end up with the most dissonant sounding train wreck in musical history. For some reason that didn’t stop me from doing it. Pretty much anyone who listens to that passage is going to cringe like it was fingernails on a chalk board… and I LOVE it.

The other goofy thing is in the two bars or so where there is a fuzz tone guitar. As I’ve been doing for most of the year it was one guitar playing through two amps. On this occassion, since it was only a two bar phrase and nothing else was happening, I decided to reverse one amp’s worth of track. The track made up of a Shure SM-57 on a Fender Bassbreaker 15 is normal, but the track made up of a Shure SM-57 on a Vox AC15 is backwards. You’re welcome. There is some dead air on the recorded region in GarageBand so the two sounds don’t line up rhythmically, but it’s still cool in a very silly kind of way.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through the aforementioned pair of mic’d amplifiers. The two measures of fuzz tone used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into a Klon KTR. The rest of the tracks are just the KTR.

I’d type out the lyrics, but just look at the title instead, okay? Cool. Sorry about the dissonance.]]>
What I didn’t consider was how that single missing eighth note in one of the guitars would sound when the phrase they are playing includes a chromatic passage. When you do the math in your head it’s obviously going to end up with the most dissonant sounding train wreck in musical history. For some reason that didn’t stop me from doing it. Pretty much anyone who listens to that passage is going to cringe like it was fingernails on a chalk board… and I LOVE it.

The other goofy thing is in the two bars or so where there is a fuzz tone guitar. As I’ve been doing for most of the year it was one guitar playing through two amps. On this occassion, since it was only a two bar phrase and nothing else was happening, I decided to reverse one amp’s worth of track. The track made up of a Shure SM-57 on a Fender Bassbreaker 15 is normal, but the track made up of a Shure SM-57 on a Vox AC15 is backwards. You’re welcome. There is some dead air on the recorded region in GarageBand so the two sounds don’t line up rhythmically, but it’s still cool in a very silly kind of way.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through the aforementioned pair of mic’d amplifiers. The two measures of fuzz tone used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into a Klon KTR. The rest of the tracks are just the KTR.

I’d type out the lyrics, but just look at the title instead, okay? Cool. Sorry about the dissonance.]]> 5250434 no no Tue, 27 Oct 2020 01:03:48 +0100 2020-10-27T01:03:48+01:00 2:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thats-how-it-always-goes/
The rhythm guitar (what there is of it) is a trick too. I set up a delay to play at eighth notes. The timing was a little bit off so it sounds weird, but every other note is an echo. That was kinda fun to do but I wish the delay time had been a smidge more accurate.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 through two amps at once, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar used a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The fuzz guitars used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and the KTR.

I don’t know
how much I’ve got in me
let it go
nod your head and agree
make a plan
based on what you can’t see
and that’s how it always goes]]>
The rhythm guitar (what there is of it) is a trick too. I set up a delay to play at eighth notes. The timing was a little bit off so it sounds weird, but every other note is an echo. That was kinda fun to do but I wish the delay time had been a smidge more accurate.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 through two amps at once, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar used a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The fuzz guitars used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and the KTR.

I don’t know
how much I’ve got in me
let it go
nod your head and agree
make a plan
based on what you can’t see
and that’s how it always goes]]> 5250364 no no Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:27:53 +0100 2020-10-27T00:27:53+01:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/future-time/
All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (at the same time). The rhythm parts used a Klon KTR pedal and the leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into the KTR.

in a year or two we’ll think that
we made it through
in a future time when we will
believe it’s true

I can take it
you can too
I can bear it
so can you]]>
All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (at the same time). The rhythm parts used a Klon KTR pedal and the leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into the KTR.

in a year or two we’ll think that
we made it through
in a future time when we will
believe it’s true

I can take it
you can too
I can bear it
so can you]]> 5247804 no no Mon, 26 Oct 2020 01:34:52 +0100 2020-10-26T01:34:52+01:00 2:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/not-what-you-think/
The guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals are a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The little fuzzy thing in the middle has a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and the Klon.

Not what you think it
might be could be should be
Just when you think it
could be would be can it be

No more
chances
No ro-
mances]]>
The guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals are a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The little fuzzy thing in the middle has a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and the Klon.

Not what you think it
might be could be should be
Just when you think it
could be would be can it be

No more
chances
No ro-
mances]]> 5247280 no no Sun, 25 Oct 2020 21:09:04 +0100 2020-10-25T21:09:04+01:00 2:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-way-i-look-at-you/
The cleanish guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The fuzz parts are the same guitar/amp but with just a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 fuzz pedal.

You see the way
I look at you
I see the way you look at me

The backward vocals at the end are just a copy of the first verse with each individual line reversed separately.]]>
The cleanish guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The fuzz parts are the same guitar/amp but with just a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 fuzz pedal.

You see the way
I look at you
I see the way you look at me

The backward vocals at the end are just a copy of the first verse with each individual line reversed separately.]]> 5247087 no no Sun, 25 Oct 2020 19:55:13 +0100 2020-10-25T19:55:13+01:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/two-more-weeks-to-go/
Here is the first of 10 songs for the month. This one has two guitars playing nearly the same thing but in two different time signatures. Polyrhythms. I think it sounds cool. Does it hold together as a song? Not really, but I like it.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The little double bend following the vocal added a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 before the Klon.

I’d add the lyrics, but you can just read the title.]]>
Here is the first of 10 songs for the month. This one has two guitars playing nearly the same thing but in two different time signatures. Polyrhythms. I think it sounds cool. Does it hold together as a song? Not really, but I like it.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The little double bend following the vocal added a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 before the Klon.

I’d add the lyrics, but you can just read the title.]]> 5246889 no no Sun, 25 Oct 2020 18:26:26 +0100 2020-10-25T18:26:26+01:00 2:24 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/seems-a-breeze-2020-version/
This one was written for the 2014 50/90. I remember it clearly. I set up with the intention of working on something else but plugged in my guitar and played this without thinking about it. Well, I guess I was gonna do this first then, right? The song was complete in no time and then I went on to work on the thing I was originally planning on. Cool.

This version only has a couple of minor tweaks from the original. It’s more or less the same. I think I hurt myself singing the choruses. On the first pass I was actually clipping the input with all the shouting and had to redo pretty much all of it. I still don’t think it sounds good. The part is okay, the singer is not. Maybe I should hire someone. Is Freddy Mercury free these days?

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and the amps are both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar added a Mooer E-Lady… or Elec-Lady… they sell it under both names and I can’t remember which one I have… E-Lady, I think. Anyway it’s before the KTR in the signal chain.

that’s the way

It’s got to be

a lifetime
of you and me
last forever

seems a breeze

get through whatever

you will see
You and I

Can see it through

with a love

that’s always true]]>
This one was written for the 2014 50/90. I remember it clearly. I set up with the intention of working on something else but plugged in my guitar and played this without thinking about it. Well, I guess I was gonna do this first then, right? The song was complete in no time and then I went on to work on the thing I was originally planning on. Cool.

This version only has a couple of minor tweaks from the original. It’s more or less the same. I think I hurt myself singing the choruses. On the first pass I was actually clipping the input with all the shouting and had to redo pretty much all of it. I still don’t think it sounds good. The part is okay, the singer is not. Maybe I should hire someone. Is Freddy Mercury free these days?

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and the amps are both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar added a Mooer E-Lady… or Elec-Lady… they sell it under both names and I can’t remember which one I have… E-Lady, I think. Anyway it’s before the KTR in the signal chain.

that’s the way

It’s got to be

a lifetime
of you and me
last forever

seems a breeze

get through whatever

you will see
You and I

Can see it through

with a love

that’s always true]]> 5242251 no no Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:04:51 +0200 2020-10-24T03:04:51+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-day-it-all-went-to-pieces-2020-version/
This was written as part of the 2012 RPM Challenge. I had tried RPM five times prior to 2012 and had failed miserably every time. About a week into February that year I had actually decided to call RPM quits in general. I was tired of failing and I just wasn’t feeling it that year. I had also recently picked up an iPad 2 about that time. Somehow I decided that if I could pull off all of the work on the iPad, I would stick with the Challenge. This song and one other came right after that and I’ve managed to finish RPM every year since.

So it’s important in that I somehow took inspiration from it, and it also marked the official moment when I put my 8-track tape deck away and fully embraced the land of the computerized DAW. I had done a few songs in Garageband prior to this, but in my mind this is the moment everything changed.

Musically I was going for a Ringo Starr kinda vibe on the drums. The intro (and ending) were meant to be a tip of the cap to those slightly latin grooves Ringo used to play in the early days. Did I lift this directly from “I Feel Fine”? I might have. Lyrically I hadn’t given up on writing songs with actual meanings yet, and this one was supposed to be a metaphor for getting old told in terms of my first band’s break up. It doesn’t really work, but who cares.

As for this version… I think it’s the first of these re-do’s that may not be as good as the original, and the original sounds like garbage. I just feel like I’ve lost something in the translation. I don’t dislike this one per se, but it just feels like something is missing from it. It lost it’s mojo somewhere along the way.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar parts added a Wampler Faux Tape Echo after the Klon for a little slap back.

It was a lifetime ago
We had it all In The Palm of our hands
We knew all there was to know
We were the best of the bands

There came a day when it all went to pieces
We never really knew why
Hard to take as the return decreases
No longer made sense to try

Something like this always happens to me
All right there but somehow I never see]]>
This was written as part of the 2012 RPM Challenge. I had tried RPM five times prior to 2012 and had failed miserably every time. About a week into February that year I had actually decided to call RPM quits in general. I was tired of failing and I just wasn’t feeling it that year. I had also recently picked up an iPad 2 about that time. Somehow I decided that if I could pull off all of the work on the iPad, I would stick with the Challenge. This song and one other came right after that and I’ve managed to finish RPM every year since.

So it’s important in that I somehow took inspiration from it, and it also marked the official moment when I put my 8-track tape deck away and fully embraced the land of the computerized DAW. I had done a few songs in Garageband prior to this, but in my mind this is the moment everything changed.

Musically I was going for a Ringo Starr kinda vibe on the drums. The intro (and ending) were meant to be a tip of the cap to those slightly latin grooves Ringo used to play in the early days. Did I lift this directly from “I Feel Fine”? I might have. Lyrically I hadn’t given up on writing songs with actual meanings yet, and this one was supposed to be a metaphor for getting old told in terms of my first band’s break up. It doesn’t really work, but who cares.

As for this version… I think it’s the first of these re-do’s that may not be as good as the original, and the original sounds like garbage. I just feel like I’ve lost something in the translation. I don’t dislike this one per se, but it just feels like something is missing from it. It lost it’s mojo somewhere along the way.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro into a Klon KTR into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead guitar parts added a Wampler Faux Tape Echo after the Klon for a little slap back.

It was a lifetime ago
We had it all In The Palm of our hands
We knew all there was to know
We were the best of the bands

There came a day when it all went to pieces
We never really knew why
Hard to take as the return decreases
No longer made sense to try

Something like this always happens to me
All right there but somehow I never see]]> 5228417 no no Sun, 18 Oct 2020 23:18:20 +0200 2020-10-18T23:18:20+02:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/feeling-it-2020-version/
There is a lot of sauce on the lead guitars. The 2016 version of this had a lot of effects so it seemed okay to do it again. Also, I recorded the leads right after Eddie Van Halen’s death. I was never much of a Van Halen guy, but respect where respect is due, right? Eddie was big on phasers and flangers, so I used them both here as a goofy tip of the cap. As always, there’s also a lot of wah wah… because it’s me.

The rhythm guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR, into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads add a Dunlop Crybaby, an MXR Phase 90, and a Mooer E-Lady.

They say that you can’t win
They say that there’s no chance
They say that it’s a lost cause
They say you can’t advance

verse 1

radical ideas
against the status quo
change the way we do things
the system moves too slow

verse 2

they’re too big to fail
they will put up a fight
stand against the mainstream
stand for what’s right

middle 8

there’s always hope for the underdog
There’s always room for new ways
there’s always people who can go that far
who cares what others say]]>
There is a lot of sauce on the lead guitars. The 2016 version of this had a lot of effects so it seemed okay to do it again. Also, I recorded the leads right after Eddie Van Halen’s death. I was never much of a Van Halen guy, but respect where respect is due, right? Eddie was big on phasers and flangers, so I used them both here as a goofy tip of the cap. As always, there’s also a lot of wah wah… because it’s me.

The rhythm guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR, into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads add a Dunlop Crybaby, an MXR Phase 90, and a Mooer E-Lady.

They say that you can’t win
They say that there’s no chance
They say that it’s a lost cause
They say you can’t advance

verse 1

radical ideas
against the status quo
change the way we do things
the system moves too slow

verse 2

they’re too big to fail
they will put up a fight
stand against the mainstream
stand for what’s right

middle 8

there’s always hope for the underdog
There’s always room for new ways
there’s always people who can go that far
who cares what others say]]> 5213695 no no Fri, 16 Oct 2020 02:10:17 +0200 2020-10-16T02:10:17+02:00 3:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/overreaction/ 5212039 no no Thu, 15 Oct 2020 13:49:41 +0200 2020-10-15T13:49:41+02:00 4:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/did-i-offend-you-2020-version/
This is fun from a guitar stand point because I doubled the rhythm guitar parts, and each of the two takes was through two amplifiers so I have four tracks of rhythm guitars and when you stick ‘em all together it sounds HUGE!! So much so that I kept backing them off in the mix out of fear I was going to get carried away and just drown everything else out. In the end, I might have over done it. I’m not sure yet.

All of the guitar parts, lead and rhythm are Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Dunlop Crybaby Wah, a Klon KTR, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

chorus

It looks like I offended you
That wasn’t what I set out to do
but when we get down to it
I don’t really care

Just doesn’t matter
Just don’t care

I don’t care at all
I just don’t care

verse 1

you say
I’ve got it wrong
you say
you knew all along
you know
the way it works
you know
all the right words

Verse 2

you think
that I care at all
you think
that I’m being small
I think
you waste my time
I think
that’s well and fine

outtro

I say what I feel
I say what I mean
If you Don’t like it
Don’t listen]]>
This is fun from a guitar stand point because I doubled the rhythm guitar parts, and each of the two takes was through two amplifiers so I have four tracks of rhythm guitars and when you stick ‘em all together it sounds HUGE!! So much so that I kept backing them off in the mix out of fear I was going to get carried away and just drown everything else out. In the end, I might have over done it. I’m not sure yet.

All of the guitar parts, lead and rhythm are Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Dunlop Crybaby Wah, a Klon KTR, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

chorus

It looks like I offended you
That wasn’t what I set out to do
but when we get down to it
I don’t really care

Just doesn’t matter
Just don’t care

I don’t care at all
I just don’t care

verse 1

you say
I’ve got it wrong
you say
you knew all along
you know
the way it works
you know
all the right words

Verse 2

you think
that I care at all
you think
that I’m being small
I think
you waste my time
I think
that’s well and fine

outtro

I say what I feel
I say what I mean
If you Don’t like it
Don’t listen]]> 5208352 no no Wed, 14 Oct 2020 02:49:54 +0200 2020-10-14T02:49:54+02:00 4:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/submit/
I would say that I was planning on taking a break for a few days before figuring out what the next Covid-19 music project was going to be but I actually started Quarantine Tunes Vol. 2 this morning, so on to the next thing it is!

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar threw in an MXR Phase 90 for good measure.

chorus
there is no rational point to it
one final thought before you submit
now raise your glass as you recommit
guilty as charged but you still acquit

Verse 1 & 3
I heard you say it
I know you think it
I know you feel it
I know you

Bridge 1
I saw your face in that moment
and there was so much hate
I’d ask you kindly to comment
but you megotiate

Verse 2
Those wheels are turning
I smell them burning
the mental churning
It must hurt

Bridge 2
you’re like a bug on a whindshield
you’re smashed to smithereens
you cannot break through the forcefield
we’re stuck with you for good.]]>
I would say that I was planning on taking a break for a few days before figuring out what the next Covid-19 music project was going to be but I actually started Quarantine Tunes Vol. 2 this morning, so on to the next thing it is!

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar threw in an MXR Phase 90 for good measure.

chorus
there is no rational point to it
one final thought before you submit
now raise your glass as you recommit
guilty as charged but you still acquit

Verse 1 & 3
I heard you say it
I know you think it
I know you feel it
I know you

Bridge 1
I saw your face in that moment
and there was so much hate
I’d ask you kindly to comment
but you megotiate

Verse 2
Those wheels are turning
I smell them burning
the mental churning
It must hurt

Bridge 2
you’re like a bug on a whindshield
you’re smashed to smithereens
you cannot break through the forcefield
we’re stuck with you for good.]]> 5168643 no no Tue, 29 Sep 2020 21:15:18 +0200 2020-09-29T21:15:18+02:00 2:47 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/calling-out-your-name/
This is the 50th song posted to the 50/90 Challenge. For the second time ever, and the first time in six years, I win. There’s still one more song coming too because the last time I stopped at 50 and 51 songs this time around is yet another win.

The Rhythm Guitar is a Gibson ES-335. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul. Everything else about the setups were the same. Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
I am calling out your name
I am calling you

Verse 1
Count your blessings
No protesting

Verse 2
Sing your praises
Comes in stages]]>
This is the 50th song posted to the 50/90 Challenge. For the second time ever, and the first time in six years, I win. There’s still one more song coming too because the last time I stopped at 50 and 51 songs this time around is yet another win.

The Rhythm Guitar is a Gibson ES-335. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul. Everything else about the setups were the same. Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
I am calling out your name
I am calling you

Verse 1
Count your blessings
No protesting

Verse 2
Sing your praises
Comes in stages]]> 5168553 no no Tue, 29 Sep 2020 20:30:06 +0200 2020-09-29T20:30:06+02:00 2:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/how-it-should-be/
The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson SG into a Dunlop Crybaby into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the Klon KTR into the same two amps.

Chorus
Yes I know how it should be
but you mean so much to me
and you know I feel this way
I’ll be with you every day

Verse
Ask me how I’m feeling
tell me what you’re needing
Simple understanding
perfect wonderland

Verse 2
It can be demanding
always understanding
I can’t overstate it
This is what I am]]>
The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson SG into a Dunlop Crybaby into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 into the Klon KTR into the same two amps.

Chorus
Yes I know how it should be
but you mean so much to me
and you know I feel this way
I’ll be with you every day

Verse
Ask me how I’m feeling
tell me what you’re needing
Simple understanding
perfect wonderland

Verse 2
It can be demanding
always understanding
I can’t overstate it
This is what I am]]> 5168280 no no Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:34:17 +0200 2020-09-29T18:34:17+02:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-disguise/
If that’s the slowest tempo ever, this is the second slowest tempo ever. 43 bpm in 6/8 time. I can’t even say I did it as a gimmick, the guitar part was worming its way through my head for a day or so before I started working it out in GarageBand.

It feels a little long. Maybe if I could trim a little fat off of it I could use it as an album closer. Something like that.

All of the guitar tracks were done on a Gibson ES-335 through two amps, a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm guitar were a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The leads have a Mooer E-Lady… or ElecLady… what ever it’s called. They make the same flanger with different names and I don’t remember which one I have. It also used the KTR.

B & D
What if I had told you how I really felt
long before the day where we could finally speak
would it change the way that you felt about me
would it make a difference to the way you feel

C
No disguise
Open eyes
do you see the way I do
No surprise
One more time
Do you feel the way I do]]>
If that’s the slowest tempo ever, this is the second slowest tempo ever. 43 bpm in 6/8 time. I can’t even say I did it as a gimmick, the guitar part was worming its way through my head for a day or so before I started working it out in GarageBand.

It feels a little long. Maybe if I could trim a little fat off of it I could use it as an album closer. Something like that.

All of the guitar tracks were done on a Gibson ES-335 through two amps, a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm guitar were a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The leads have a Mooer E-Lady… or ElecLady… what ever it’s called. They make the same flanger with different names and I don’t remember which one I have. It also used the KTR.

B & D
What if I had told you how I really felt
long before the day where we could finally speak
would it change the way that you felt about me
would it make a difference to the way you feel

C
No disguise
Open eyes
do you see the way I do
No surprise
One more time
Do you feel the way I do]]> 5166815 no no Tue, 29 Sep 2020 03:54:54 +0200 2020-09-29T03:54:54+02:00 2:59 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/adventure/
I used exactly the same setup on the rhythm guitars and lead guitars. I don’t know if I’ve done that on any other 50/90 song. It is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

A#1 - No vox, no solo

B#1
possibly
out of control
typically
taking it’s toll

C#1
adventure calling to us
while we are trapped inside
now see us calling it’s bluff
while wearing a disguise

A#2 - solo

B#2
ridicule
cannot ignore
sentiment
nowhere to hide

C#2
can’t stop me taking the shot
without me getting caught
there is no happy ending
there is no curtain call

A#3
No way through
No way through

B#3 - same as B#1

C#3 - solo]]>
I used exactly the same setup on the rhythm guitars and lead guitars. I don’t know if I’ve done that on any other 50/90 song. It is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

A#1 - No vox, no solo

B#1
possibly
out of control
typically
taking it’s toll

C#1
adventure calling to us
while we are trapped inside
now see us calling it’s bluff
while wearing a disguise

A#2 - solo

B#2
ridicule
cannot ignore
sentiment
nowhere to hide

C#2
can’t stop me taking the shot
without me getting caught
there is no happy ending
there is no curtain call

A#3
No way through
No way through

B#3 - same as B#1

C#3 - solo]]> 5166692 no no Tue, 29 Sep 2020 01:47:31 +0200 2020-09-29T01:47:31+02:00 2:18 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nothing-changes/
I kinda like the chorus here. A few sections had melodies that were tough for me to sing. If only I didn’t have the vocal range of a flea.

Rhythm guitars are my Gibson ES-335 into an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Klon KTR into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my Gibson Les Paul into a Dunlop Crybaby into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into the same two amps.

Chorus
on top of the world I’m just smiling
At everything that I can see
You could say that I’m the master of it all
One second before I just hit the wall

Verse 1 & 3
Can you see that view
It comes shining through
something tells me its not what it looks like
how can that be true

Verse 2
to tell you the truth
I don’t miss my youth
all the pain and confusion and sadness
and mental abuse

Middle Eight
Nothing changes
Nothing changes
rearranges
Nothings changed]]>
I kinda like the chorus here. A few sections had melodies that were tough for me to sing. If only I didn’t have the vocal range of a flea.

Rhythm guitars are my Gibson ES-335 into an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Klon KTR into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my Gibson Les Paul into a Dunlop Crybaby into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into the same two amps.

Chorus
on top of the world I’m just smiling
At everything that I can see
You could say that I’m the master of it all
One second before I just hit the wall

Verse 1 & 3
Can you see that view
It comes shining through
something tells me its not what it looks like
how can that be true

Verse 2
to tell you the truth
I don’t miss my youth
all the pain and confusion and sadness
and mental abuse

Middle Eight
Nothing changes
Nothing changes
rearranges
Nothings changed]]> 5166020 no no Mon, 28 Sep 2020 21:44:28 +0200 2020-09-28T21:44:28+02:00 3:45 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/it-doesnt-matter-how-you-get-where-youre-going/
This has two tie backs to the 1980’s. First, the lead guitar. Back in the late 80’s I was not a guitar gear junkie at all. That addiction only developed a few years ago. Back then it was Les Paul -> Wah Wah -> Amplifier. 90% of the time, at least. The exception was a DOD Octoplus pedal. It would take your guitar signal and add in a second pitch one octave down from whatever you were playing. I liked it. I didn’t use it a lot, but it was fun when I did. That pedal spent a couple of years sitting in a gig bag (2012-2014, I think) while I was between bands and when I took it out (in 2014) it was dead. The Octoplus is dead, long live the Octoplus… except there was no new Octoplus. A couple of years ago I picked up a cheap Chinese pitch shift pedal. I use it when my band covers something that had guitarmonies in it. It’s digital, it works. On this song I tried to use it as a replacement for my dearly departed Octave pedal. It worked. It worked too well. The old pedal was analog and ratty and it didn’t track well at all. This guy was close to perfect. It’s just not the same.

The other tie back to the 80’s is more subtle. (“when they do it”) Did you catch it? (“when they show it”) What I did with the song form? (“is it anywhere”) It’s… ABACAB. I am a 70’s Genesis fanatic. 80’s Genesis… not so much. Abacab though, that’s a killer record in any decade.

Rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into a Donner Harmonic Square into the same two amps.

A
it doesn’t matter how you get where you’re going
We only care that you arrive
You only act as though you are all knowing
You only act like you’re alive

B
give yourself a little extra something to prove
give yourself a little bit of nothing to do
If you maybe find a way to get us all out
could you give a little clue to what it’s about

A2
The give and take is gonna give you a headache
But that is really up to you
and when you’re buried underneath a landslide
Don’t let them tell you what to do

A3
it doesn’t matter how you get where you’re going
We only care that you arrive
and when you’re buried underneath a landslide
Don’t let them tell you what to do]]>
This has two tie backs to the 1980’s. First, the lead guitar. Back in the late 80’s I was not a guitar gear junkie at all. That addiction only developed a few years ago. Back then it was Les Paul -> Wah Wah -> Amplifier. 90% of the time, at least. The exception was a DOD Octoplus pedal. It would take your guitar signal and add in a second pitch one octave down from whatever you were playing. I liked it. I didn’t use it a lot, but it was fun when I did. That pedal spent a couple of years sitting in a gig bag (2012-2014, I think) while I was between bands and when I took it out (in 2014) it was dead. The Octoplus is dead, long live the Octoplus… except there was no new Octoplus. A couple of years ago I picked up a cheap Chinese pitch shift pedal. I use it when my band covers something that had guitarmonies in it. It’s digital, it works. On this song I tried to use it as a replacement for my dearly departed Octave pedal. It worked. It worked too well. The old pedal was analog and ratty and it didn’t track well at all. This guy was close to perfect. It’s just not the same.

The other tie back to the 80’s is more subtle. (“when they do it”) Did you catch it? (“when they show it”) What I did with the song form? (“is it anywhere”) It’s… ABACAB. I am a 70’s Genesis fanatic. 80’s Genesis… not so much. Abacab though, that’s a killer record in any decade.

Rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into a Donner Harmonic Square into the same two amps.

A
it doesn’t matter how you get where you’re going
We only care that you arrive
You only act as though you are all knowing
You only act like you’re alive

B
give yourself a little extra something to prove
give yourself a little bit of nothing to do
If you maybe find a way to get us all out
could you give a little clue to what it’s about

A2
The give and take is gonna give you a headache
But that is really up to you
and when you’re buried underneath a landslide
Don’t let them tell you what to do

A3
it doesn’t matter how you get where you’re going
We only care that you arrive
and when you’re buried underneath a landslide
Don’t let them tell you what to do]]> Wah Wah -> Amplifier. 90% of the time, at least. The exception was a DOD Octoplus pedal. It would take your guitar signal and add in a second pitch one octave down from whatever you were playing. I liked it. I didn’t use it a lot, but it was fun when I did. That pedal spent a couple of years sitting in a gig bag (2012-2014, I think) while I was between bands and when I took it out (in 2014) it was dead. The Octoplus is dead, long live the Octoplus… except there was no new Octoplus. A couple of years ago I picked up a cheap Chinese pitch shift pedal. I use it when my band covers something that had guitarmonies in it. It’s digital, it works. On this song I tried to use it as a replacement for my dearly departed Octave pedal. It worked. It worked too well. The old pedal was analog and ratty and it didn’t track well at all. This guy was close to perfect. It’s just not the same. The other tie back to the 80’s is more subtle. (“when they do it”) Did you catch it? (“when they show it”) What I did with the song form? (“is it anywhere”) It’s… ABACAB. I am a 70’s Genesis fanatic. 80’s Genesis… not so much. Abacab though, that’s a killer record in any decade. Rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into a Donner Harmonic Square into the same two amps. A it doesn’t matter how you get where you’re going We only care that you arrive You only act as though you are all knowing You only act like you’re alive B give yourself a little extra something to prove give yourself a little bit of nothing to do If you maybe find a way to get us all out could you give a little clue to what it’s about A2 The give and take is gonna give you a headache But that is really up to you and when you’re buried underneath a landslide Don’t let them tell you what to do A3 it doesn’t matter how you get where you’re going We only care that you arrive and when you’re buried underneath a landslide Don’t let them tell you what to do]]> 5165826 no no Mon, 28 Sep 2020 20:19:36 +0200 2020-09-28T20:19:36+02:00 2:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sun-and-moon/
I already had 50 songs in process for the 50/90 challenge and I was starting to feel like I was going to finish with time to spare. Then my wife and I were having a Facetime call with my step daughter who is away from home in college. As we’re sitting there chatting away this song popped into my head. The entire guitar part at least, start to finish, including the pauses with the feedback and everything. As soon as we were off the call I ran to my bedroom studio/recording nook, setup a click track and played the whole thing. I added the drums and the bass MIDI tracks, and wrote the lyrics and the melody later that night.

It’s the 44th song finished for 50/90, even if it was the 51st started. I like the lyrics as much as it’s possible for someone who hates everything he writes to like his lyrics, and I really dig the melody in the chorus. The guitars solos aren’t bad, and adding the analog delay self oscillation thing on top of the feedback (and then burying them both) is really working for my prog-ish sensibilities.

If there is one song from this year’s 50/90 that will have a life beyond October 1st, it’s this one.

The rhythm and the lead guitar parts are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR pedal into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The self oscillating delay was actually part of the leads but I edited it out during the mix. The delay was a cheapo Donner Yellow Fall. The feedback parts were the same setup as the rhythm parts with a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 added.

Verse 1 & 3
Its been some years since we met
so long ago it was
the overwhelming regret
hold your applause

Chorus
if the sun and the moon both refused to rise
would you think it was part of some bad joke
If the day and the night were both turned around
would you want to be in on it

Verse 2
I trust your word on all things
I know you’re good for me
and what the future may bring
we’re up to it]]>
I already had 50 songs in process for the 50/90 challenge and I was starting to feel like I was going to finish with time to spare. Then my wife and I were having a Facetime call with my step daughter who is away from home in college. As we’re sitting there chatting away this song popped into my head. The entire guitar part at least, start to finish, including the pauses with the feedback and everything. As soon as we were off the call I ran to my bedroom studio/recording nook, setup a click track and played the whole thing. I added the drums and the bass MIDI tracks, and wrote the lyrics and the melody later that night.

It’s the 44th song finished for 50/90, even if it was the 51st started. I like the lyrics as much as it’s possible for someone who hates everything he writes to like his lyrics, and I really dig the melody in the chorus. The guitars solos aren’t bad, and adding the analog delay self oscillation thing on top of the feedback (and then burying them both) is really working for my prog-ish sensibilities.

If there is one song from this year’s 50/90 that will have a life beyond October 1st, it’s this one.

The rhythm and the lead guitar parts are all Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR pedal into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The self oscillating delay was actually part of the leads but I edited it out during the mix. The delay was a cheapo Donner Yellow Fall. The feedback parts were the same setup as the rhythm parts with a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 added.

Verse 1 & 3
Its been some years since we met
so long ago it was
the overwhelming regret
hold your applause

Chorus
if the sun and the moon both refused to rise
would you think it was part of some bad joke
If the day and the night were both turned around
would you want to be in on it

Verse 2
I trust your word on all things
I know you’re good for me
and what the future may bring
we’re up to it]]> 5165531 no no Mon, 28 Sep 2020 18:01:30 +0200 2020-09-28T18:01:30+02:00 5:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/step-in-to-the-light/
The star of the show here is clearly the Garageband session drummer. Garageband has a function where it will come up with a drum track for you. You can tweak it in 100 different ways, but the end result is always better than anything I can play in myself, so I use it all the time. In this case, Benny the Garageband drummer leads the way… which is odd because it’s set to follow the bass track. Whatever, the fills it came up with were sweet.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The leads are a Gibson Les Paul Custom into the same rig. There’s also a touch of Dunlop Crybaby wah in that little buried part under the drum solo-ish thing.

Chorus
Step in to the light
Come out of the night

Verse 1
Here the words he says to you
listen when he speaks
anything you can undo
he’s a lying freak

Verse 2
He will try to break you down
but he won’t succeed
he is just an lying clown
it is guaranteed]]>
The star of the show here is clearly the Garageband session drummer. Garageband has a function where it will come up with a drum track for you. You can tweak it in 100 different ways, but the end result is always better than anything I can play in myself, so I use it all the time. In this case, Benny the Garageband drummer leads the way… which is odd because it’s set to follow the bass track. Whatever, the fills it came up with were sweet.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The leads are a Gibson Les Paul Custom into the same rig. There’s also a touch of Dunlop Crybaby wah in that little buried part under the drum solo-ish thing.

Chorus
Step in to the light
Come out of the night

Verse 1
Here the words he says to you
listen when he speaks
anything you can undo
he’s a lying freak

Verse 2
He will try to break you down
but he won’t succeed
he is just an lying clown
it is guaranteed]]> 5163872 no no Mon, 28 Sep 2020 02:16:50 +0200 2020-09-28T02:16:50+02:00 2:10 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/not-a-second-thought/
Wet/Dry. You play through two amplifiers. One amplifier gets a dry signal and the other gets all of the effects. The idea is you can crank up the effects without having to worry about the sound getting muddy and hard to work with because the dry amp stays clear. When you mix the two signals together it can sound HUGE.

On this song the rhythm guitar part is way too loud in the mix because I just couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one take, played with a Gibson ES-335. There are two tracks, one panned all the way left and the other panned all the way right. In your right speaker you will hear the guitar into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. That’s the dry amp. In the left you hear the guitar through the same overdrive pedal into a Vox AC15. There is a tremolo effect built into the amp and it is on here. Not a lot, but it’s there. In the mix I added a delay that repeats on the quarter note, and some room reverb. That’s the wet amp.

I am kinda loving the way this sounds. The lead guitar was still the ES-335, and it still played through both amps, but it was the same signal path into both, and the same effects were added to both in the mix. Also, the two amps are panned right in the center. There’s also a second overdrive pedal, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

The song itself is okay. I don’t think I was planning on anything this ballad-ish, but I’m pleased with it overall.

Chorus
not a second thought
not another look
not a single glance
at an open book
‘nother battle fought
‘nother victory
time to take a chance
time to let it be

Verse 1
first step is a giant leap
right until you’re in too deep
drag yourself up out of sleep
stand up to the mystery

verse 2
let yourself enjoy the view
check out what it does to you
anything you want to do
everything becoming new]]>
Wet/Dry. You play through two amplifiers. One amplifier gets a dry signal and the other gets all of the effects. The idea is you can crank up the effects without having to worry about the sound getting muddy and hard to work with because the dry amp stays clear. When you mix the two signals together it can sound HUGE.

On this song the rhythm guitar part is way too loud in the mix because I just couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one take, played with a Gibson ES-335. There are two tracks, one panned all the way left and the other panned all the way right. In your right speaker you will hear the guitar into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. That’s the dry amp. In the left you hear the guitar through the same overdrive pedal into a Vox AC15. There is a tremolo effect built into the amp and it is on here. Not a lot, but it’s there. In the mix I added a delay that repeats on the quarter note, and some room reverb. That’s the wet amp.

I am kinda loving the way this sounds. The lead guitar was still the ES-335, and it still played through both amps, but it was the same signal path into both, and the same effects were added to both in the mix. Also, the two amps are panned right in the center. There’s also a second overdrive pedal, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

The song itself is okay. I don’t think I was planning on anything this ballad-ish, but I’m pleased with it overall.

Chorus
not a second thought
not another look
not a single glance
at an open book
‘nother battle fought
‘nother victory
time to take a chance
time to let it be

Verse 1
first step is a giant leap
right until you’re in too deep
drag yourself up out of sleep
stand up to the mystery

verse 2
let yourself enjoy the view
check out what it does to you
anything you want to do
everything becoming new]]> 5159052 no no Sat, 26 Sep 2020 02:06:06 +0200 2020-09-26T02:06:06+02:00 2:59 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/stop-selling-us-out/
Kinda funky. Not bad. Maybe should have taken the sauce off of the rhythm guitar, but it’s not too annoying. I liked the outro where the bass hits the down beat alone and then the guitar hits the second beat alone. I thought it was groovy. Then I went and put a solo over it and ruined the effect. The solo has wah wah though so it all events out in the end.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. All parts used a Klon KTR. The rhythm has an MXR Phase 90, and the leads used a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and a Dunlop Cry Baby wah as well.

Chorus
stop with the lying
stop with the cheating
stop with the selling us out
stop with the faking
stop with the taking
stop with the breaking us down

Verse 1
what you’re selling
we’re not buying
we’re no suckers
what you’re saying
we’re not hearing
quit the lying

Verse 2 & 3
you’re a loser
you are useless
lame pretender
plastic painted
ever hated
just surrender]]>
Kinda funky. Not bad. Maybe should have taken the sauce off of the rhythm guitar, but it’s not too annoying. I liked the outro where the bass hits the down beat alone and then the guitar hits the second beat alone. I thought it was groovy. Then I went and put a solo over it and ruined the effect. The solo has wah wah though so it all events out in the end.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. All parts used a Klon KTR. The rhythm has an MXR Phase 90, and the leads used a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter and a Dunlop Cry Baby wah as well.

Chorus
stop with the lying
stop with the cheating
stop with the selling us out
stop with the faking
stop with the taking
stop with the breaking us down

Verse 1
what you’re selling
we’re not buying
we’re no suckers
what you’re saying
we’re not hearing
quit the lying

Verse 2 & 3
you’re a loser
you are useless
lame pretender
plastic painted
ever hated
just surrender]]> 5158946 no no Sat, 26 Sep 2020 01:12:58 +0200 2020-09-26T01:12:58+02:00 3:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-next-chapter/
I like this one. I don’t love it. I doubled the voice in the chorus because I wanted to add a harmony but I couldn’t find one that worked. Doubling was my way of giving up. I used a Big Muff Pi style pedal on the lead guitars. Earlier today I was on a guitar gear group Facebook page where someone was arguing that Big Muffs aren’t Fuzz pedals because they don’t clean up when you turn down the volume control on the guitar. I fought back. I mean, not only is a Big Muff a fuzz, in my book it’s THE fuzz. Case closed.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro. All guitar tracks used both a Vox AC15 and a Fenderbassbreaker for a duel mono amp rig. The rhythm guitars used a Klon KTR pedal while the leads used the Klon and a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 pedal, which happens to be a clone of the original Triangle Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal.

Chorus
I don’t know what comes after
just so it gets here faster
everyone thing filled with laughter
straight on to the next chapter

verse 1
nothing left to say nothing left to do
give it all away nothing left for you
did you hear the words that he said to them
we comndemn the hate but we’re overwhelmed

verse 2 and 3
have to take the pain that he’s dishing out
that’s the way it is, what it’s all about
I don’t have to tell you it’s on the way
an untimely end to another day

Bridge
coming for you 4x]]>
I like this one. I don’t love it. I doubled the voice in the chorus because I wanted to add a harmony but I couldn’t find one that worked. Doubling was my way of giving up. I used a Big Muff Pi style pedal on the lead guitars. Earlier today I was on a guitar gear group Facebook page where someone was arguing that Big Muffs aren’t Fuzz pedals because they don’t clean up when you turn down the volume control on the guitar. I fought back. I mean, not only is a Big Muff a fuzz, in my book it’s THE fuzz. Case closed.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 Pro. All guitar tracks used both a Vox AC15 and a Fenderbassbreaker for a duel mono amp rig. The rhythm guitars used a Klon KTR pedal while the leads used the Klon and a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 pedal, which happens to be a clone of the original Triangle Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal.

Chorus
I don’t know what comes after
just so it gets here faster
everyone thing filled with laughter
straight on to the next chapter

verse 1
nothing left to say nothing left to do
give it all away nothing left for you
did you hear the words that he said to them
we comndemn the hate but we’re overwhelmed

verse 2 and 3
have to take the pain that he’s dishing out
that’s the way it is, what it’s all about
I don’t have to tell you it’s on the way
an untimely end to another day

Bridge
coming for you 4x]]> 5150166 no no Wed, 23 Sep 2020 04:58:56 +0200 2020-09-23T04:58:56+02:00 2:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/on-one-condition/
My favorite parts of this song are the sections where the rhythm guitar has wah wah. I came close to having wah wah going from start to finish but I was able to restrain myself… somehow.

5/4 time is fun for me. Maybe not as much fun as 7/8 time, but fun. 5/4 time generally feels natural to me. Maybe not as natural as 7/8 time, but pretty natural. Not this one though. Even the simple rhythms kept tripping me up. The verses were surprisingly tough for both the guitar and the vocals. It works out okay, but it should have been a lot easier than it turned out to be,

I kinda like this one. I don’t think much will ever become of it, but it’s good in it’s own quirky way.

The guitars were all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps were all Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 as a duel mono pair. The rhythm parts had a dunlop cry baby wah and a Klon KTR. The leads has the KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. I was trying to go lowish gain for the leads and it didn’t really feel comfortable. There’s also a touch of the ol’ Woman Tone (nods to Mr Clapton) on one of the solos.

I might change the title to “On to Something Bigger”.

Chorus
no longer able
to see the way home
its all unstable
time to give in
I need permission
to change position
on one condition
lets begin

verse 1
time to figure it out
mine to do what I will
time to banish all doubt
mine move in for the kill

verse 2
if you give me a chance
I could help you advance
no tomorrow for me
no more future to see

Break slow
so much left to figure
all so unfamiliar
One thing to consider
on to something bigger]]>
My favorite parts of this song are the sections where the rhythm guitar has wah wah. I came close to having wah wah going from start to finish but I was able to restrain myself… somehow.

5/4 time is fun for me. Maybe not as much fun as 7/8 time, but fun. 5/4 time generally feels natural to me. Maybe not as natural as 7/8 time, but pretty natural. Not this one though. Even the simple rhythms kept tripping me up. The verses were surprisingly tough for both the guitar and the vocals. It works out okay, but it should have been a lot easier than it turned out to be,

I kinda like this one. I don’t think much will ever become of it, but it’s good in it’s own quirky way.

The guitars were all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps were all Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 as a duel mono pair. The rhythm parts had a dunlop cry baby wah and a Klon KTR. The leads has the KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. I was trying to go lowish gain for the leads and it didn’t really feel comfortable. There’s also a touch of the ol’ Woman Tone (nods to Mr Clapton) on one of the solos.

I might change the title to “On to Something Bigger”.

Chorus
no longer able
to see the way home
its all unstable
time to give in
I need permission
to change position
on one condition
lets begin

verse 1
time to figure it out
mine to do what I will
time to banish all doubt
mine move in for the kill

verse 2
if you give me a chance
I could help you advance
no tomorrow for me
no more future to see

Break slow
so much left to figure
all so unfamiliar
One thing to consider
on to something bigger]]> 5150134 no no Wed, 23 Sep 2020 04:16:27 +0200 2020-09-23T04:16:27+02:00 2:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/helps-to-believe-in-someone/
One other interesting aside. For this year’s project I’ve been using a naming convention for the GarageBand files as they are in process. The convention is “2020 5090 #” where # is a counter. The first song I started work on was called 2020 5090 1. What was the work in progress name for this one? 2020 5090 50. Its the 38th song finished, but the file name implies that there are 12 more songs in the pipeline which means there is a distinct possibility that 50/90 will be a success. Hopefully I didn’t jinx it.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES 335 Pro into a Klon KTR pedal (gain set to 0, volume set to 10, boost bonanza) into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are a Gibson Les Paul Custom into the Klon and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The solo at the end also has a Dunlop Crybaby wah. The second (quieter) half of the first solo turned off the BLM and turned on a Mooer E-Lady flanger.

Chrous
Helps to believe in someone
some one besides your self
helps to put trust in someone
have faith in someone else

Verse 1
Give and take
with a little trust
goodness sake
simple readjust
Don’t take it for granted
Look around
this is what you want

Verse 2
do you know
where I’m coming from
is it so
you don’t need to run
Please take me for granted
it is true
I am here for you]]>
One other interesting aside. For this year’s project I’ve been using a naming convention for the GarageBand files as they are in process. The convention is “2020 5090 #” where # is a counter. The first song I started work on was called 2020 5090 1. What was the work in progress name for this one? 2020 5090 50. Its the 38th song finished, but the file name implies that there are 12 more songs in the pipeline which means there is a distinct possibility that 50/90 will be a success. Hopefully I didn’t jinx it.

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES 335 Pro into a Klon KTR pedal (gain set to 0, volume set to 10, boost bonanza) into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are a Gibson Les Paul Custom into the Klon and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The solo at the end also has a Dunlop Crybaby wah. The second (quieter) half of the first solo turned off the BLM and turned on a Mooer E-Lady flanger.

Chrous
Helps to believe in someone
some one besides your self
helps to put trust in someone
have faith in someone else

Verse 1
Give and take
with a little trust
goodness sake
simple readjust
Don’t take it for granted
Look around
this is what you want

Verse 2
do you know
where I’m coming from
is it so
you don’t need to run
Please take me for granted
it is true
I am here for you]]> 5140605 no no Sat, 19 Sep 2020 18:59:14 +0200 2020-09-19T18:59:14+02:00 2:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-cant-live-without-this-pain/
1. The vocals for this song, along with two others, were recorded on a day when I just didn’t have it. I couldn’t hit a pitch if you painted a big target on it.
2. I recorded the lead guitars using a guitar I hadn’t touched for about four months and I had a hard time getting the feel of it again.
3. I’m pretty sure I wrote this song already. There’s a song from my RPM Challenge project back in February that I’m a little nervous to listen to today because I’m pretty sure this is almost exactly the same. Oops.

The cool thing about it is that it was written on guitar. When I get into a project like 50/90 I basically turn into an assembly line and that assembly line almost always starts with bass guitar and drums. MIDI, in other words. Guitars come later. For this one and one other that was written on the same day (which was also sung on the bad singing day) the guitar came first. That’s a nice change of pace.

One other item of note. This song is proof that I am incapable of paying attention to my own plans. In the GarageBand file for this song I have an arrangement track that labels each section of the song, verse chorus bridge, ect. The label on the section that includes the second guitar solo is “Bridge No Vox No Solo.” So much for that plan, eh?

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Klon KTR pedal and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul Custom through the KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter pedal and the same pair of amps.

Chorus
I can’t live without this pain
Never gonna feel the same
The suffering it calls to me and tells me
I can’t live without this pain

Verse 1
my confession
no regretting
nothing left to fight for
if the circumstances were ever changing
No confession for me

Bridge
Its worth knowing the question
There’s no guessing the reason
so keep looking for answers
and keep hoping you’ll find it

Verse 2
no forgiving
no missgiving
no forgetting that day
how the situation called for some action
No forgiving for me]]>
1. The vocals for this song, along with two others, were recorded on a day when I just didn’t have it. I couldn’t hit a pitch if you painted a big target on it.
2. I recorded the lead guitars using a guitar I hadn’t touched for about four months and I had a hard time getting the feel of it again.
3. I’m pretty sure I wrote this song already. There’s a song from my RPM Challenge project back in February that I’m a little nervous to listen to today because I’m pretty sure this is almost exactly the same. Oops.

The cool thing about it is that it was written on guitar. When I get into a project like 50/90 I basically turn into an assembly line and that assembly line almost always starts with bass guitar and drums. MIDI, in other words. Guitars come later. For this one and one other that was written on the same day (which was also sung on the bad singing day) the guitar came first. That’s a nice change of pace.

One other item of note. This song is proof that I am incapable of paying attention to my own plans. In the GarageBand file for this song I have an arrangement track that labels each section of the song, verse chorus bridge, ect. The label on the section that includes the second guitar solo is “Bridge No Vox No Solo.” So much for that plan, eh?

The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 Pro through a Klon KTR pedal and both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul Custom through the KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter pedal and the same pair of amps.

Chorus
I can’t live without this pain
Never gonna feel the same
The suffering it calls to me and tells me
I can’t live without this pain

Verse 1
my confession
no regretting
nothing left to fight for
if the circumstances were ever changing
No confession for me

Bridge
Its worth knowing the question
There’s no guessing the reason
so keep looking for answers
and keep hoping you’ll find it

Verse 2
no forgiving
no missgiving
no forgetting that day
how the situation called for some action
No forgiving for me]]> 5138966 no no Sat, 19 Sep 2020 02:04:33 +0200 2020-09-19T02:04:33+02:00 4:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-had-a-chance-to-make-it-right/
The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR pedal into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter pedal into the same two amps.

Section A #1
I had a chance to make it right
all I could want was in my sight
there was a future it was bright
If I could only get to the light

Section B #1
find the way out
find the way back home
what’s it say about
being alone

Section C
Is this a good day to be starting out
it seems a good day to be stuck inside
If I had the words maybe I’d describe
this mess we’re stuck in right now

Section B #2
oh, the abuse
tell me what’s the use
you’ve the right to choose
be a recluse

Section A #3
I knew that it was coming true
I knew exactly what to do
Comes from somewhere inside of you
As if you ever had a chance]]>
The rhythm guitar is a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR pedal into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter pedal into the same two amps.

Section A #1
I had a chance to make it right
all I could want was in my sight
there was a future it was bright
If I could only get to the light

Section B #1
find the way out
find the way back home
what’s it say about
being alone

Section C
Is this a good day to be starting out
it seems a good day to be stuck inside
If I had the words maybe I’d describe
this mess we’re stuck in right now

Section B #2
oh, the abuse
tell me what’s the use
you’ve the right to choose
be a recluse

Section A #3
I knew that it was coming true
I knew exactly what to do
Comes from somewhere inside of you
As if you ever had a chance]]> 5136507 no no Fri, 18 Sep 2020 05:06:15 +0200 2020-09-18T05:06:15+02:00 3:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/for-the-life-of-me/ 5124539 no no Tue, 15 Sep 2020 02:49:20 +0200 2020-09-15T02:49:20+02:00 3:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/pure-simplicity/
Guitars are all a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads swapped a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 for the BLM and reversed the order with the Klon. Makes sense?

Chorus
accidents happen don’t you know
its just the way that things go
I’ll try to make things right again
I only don’t know just when

verse 1 + 3
negativity
take a look at me
pure simplicity
that could never be
eccentricity

verse 2
electricity
shocking as you please
possibility
accidentally
probability]]>
Guitars are all a Gibson ES-335 into a Klon KTR into a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads swapped a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 for the BLM and reversed the order with the Klon. Makes sense?

Chorus
accidents happen don’t you know
its just the way that things go
I’ll try to make things right again
I only don’t know just when

verse 1 + 3
negativity
take a look at me
pure simplicity
that could never be
eccentricity

verse 2
electricity
shocking as you please
possibility
accidentally
probability]]> 5120779 no no Sun, 13 Sep 2020 21:11:49 +0200 2020-09-13T21:11:49+02:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/dont-try-to-find-me/
Guitars are all Gibson ES-335, Amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. Rhythm parts used a crybaby wah-wah, an MXR Univibe (I had been listening to a lot of Tommy Bolin. The Univibe is his fault), and a Klon KTR. The leads used the crybaby and the Klon along with a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

chorus
don’t try to find me I’ve gone away
buried alive there’s no other way
seeds of destruction my finger tips
throw at the wall and see if it sticks

verse 1
this is how it goes don’t you know
when you’re sinking down far below
never any place you can hide
hardly any chance to survive

Verse 2
now’s the final chance pick a side
now is your last chance for this ride
say what you will about all this
say what you feel somehow it fits

Verse 3
now’s the final chance pick a side

now is your last chance for this ride

never any place you can hide

hardly any chance to survive]]>
Guitars are all Gibson ES-335, Amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. Rhythm parts used a crybaby wah-wah, an MXR Univibe (I had been listening to a lot of Tommy Bolin. The Univibe is his fault), and a Klon KTR. The leads used the crybaby and the Klon along with a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

chorus
don’t try to find me I’ve gone away
buried alive there’s no other way
seeds of destruction my finger tips
throw at the wall and see if it sticks

verse 1
this is how it goes don’t you know
when you’re sinking down far below
never any place you can hide
hardly any chance to survive

Verse 2
now’s the final chance pick a side
now is your last chance for this ride
say what you will about all this
say what you feel somehow it fits

Verse 3
now’s the final chance pick a side

now is your last chance for this ride

never any place you can hide

hardly any chance to survive]]> 5117220 no no Sat, 12 Sep 2020 20:45:24 +0200 2020-09-12T20:45:24+02:00 2:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/guess-you-just-had-to-be-there/
I like this one. It’s really simple but the melody is cool. I’m not sure why I stuck all of the lead guitar at the end, but it’s working for me.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. One of these days I’m going to start using my Les Paul again, but not today. The amps on all tracks are both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar used a Klon KTR. It also had a little bit of the AC15’s tremolo. The lead used the KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. There’s also an MXR Phase 90 on the last three or four notes of the solo. I don’t know why.

Verse 1
guess you just had to be there
had to see for yourself
guess you just had to know it would come back to you

no there wasn’t a reason
for the way it went down
no there wasn’t a thing that you could do about it

Chorus
there is no surrender
there is no accepting
you are the defender
you’re the secret weapon

when the sky is darkest
when the night has fallen
when the knife is sharpest
that’s when you come calling

Verse 2
what else is there to tell you
you can see on your own
what else is there to show you how it all gets done

never mind what they’re saying
they don’t know what it means
never mind that they’re trying to get under your skin]]>
I like this one. It’s really simple but the melody is cool. I’m not sure why I stuck all of the lead guitar at the end, but it’s working for me.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. One of these days I’m going to start using my Les Paul again, but not today. The amps on all tracks are both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar used a Klon KTR. It also had a little bit of the AC15’s tremolo. The lead used the KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. There’s also an MXR Phase 90 on the last three or four notes of the solo. I don’t know why.

Verse 1
guess you just had to be there
had to see for yourself
guess you just had to know it would come back to you

no there wasn’t a reason
for the way it went down
no there wasn’t a thing that you could do about it

Chorus
there is no surrender
there is no accepting
you are the defender
you’re the secret weapon

when the sky is darkest
when the night has fallen
when the knife is sharpest
that’s when you come calling

Verse 2
what else is there to tell you
you can see on your own
what else is there to show you how it all gets done

never mind what they’re saying
they don’t know what it means
never mind that they’re trying to get under your skin]]> 5116882 no no Sat, 12 Sep 2020 17:26:54 +0200 2020-09-12T17:26:54+02:00 2:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/cant-you-come-home/
Did you notice my voice cracked like a teenager at the end of the last verse?

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (two 15 watt amps at once is a pretty sweet rig). The rhythm used a Ryra the Klone pedal and the leads used a Klon KTR.

Verse 1
I know what to do
I know that it’s you
I know it comes through
There’s no turning back

I know that it’s true
I know you withdrew
I know it’s in two
and off of the track

Verse 2
There’s no other way
there’s nothing to say
the end of the day
its all shutting down

We’re going astray
We cannot delay
Its never okay
six feet underground

Chorus
I’m so alone don’t know where else to go
Can’t you come home now please can’t you come home]]>
Did you notice my voice cracked like a teenager at the end of the last verse?

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (two 15 watt amps at once is a pretty sweet rig). The rhythm used a Ryra the Klone pedal and the leads used a Klon KTR.

Verse 1
I know what to do
I know that it’s you
I know it comes through
There’s no turning back

I know that it’s true
I know you withdrew
I know it’s in two
and off of the track

Verse 2
There’s no other way
there’s nothing to say
the end of the day
its all shutting down

We’re going astray
We cannot delay
Its never okay
six feet underground

Chorus
I’m so alone don’t know where else to go
Can’t you come home now please can’t you come home]]> 5081672 no no Mon, 31 Aug 2020 03:49:12 +0200 2020-08-31T03:49:12+02:00 2:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/time-for-this/
Except for the last three bars.

There was one rhythm guitar here but it was played through two amplifiers. The right speaker is a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The left is a Vox AC15. The AC15 has a built in tremolo. The Fender does not. For the last three measures of this song, I used the tremolo on the Vox. It’s matched up with a dry signal and it represents the first time I ever messed around with a wet/dry setup and that is AWESOME.

Other than that, this one is a complete turd.

The guitar is a Gibson ES-335. The rhythm guitars used a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive. The lead is an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into a Klon KTR.

Chorus
Its your turn
No concern
Its the time for this
Can you learn from it

Verse 1
I know
Its so
from here
to there
you see
through me
its true
you do

Verse 2 & 3
i feel
its real
a steal
no deal
its time
to shine
its fine
all mine

bridge
are you saying that
you agree with it
are you kidding me?]]>
Except for the last three bars.

There was one rhythm guitar here but it was played through two amplifiers. The right speaker is a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The left is a Vox AC15. The AC15 has a built in tremolo. The Fender does not. For the last three measures of this song, I used the tremolo on the Vox. It’s matched up with a dry signal and it represents the first time I ever messed around with a wet/dry setup and that is AWESOME.

Other than that, this one is a complete turd.

The guitar is a Gibson ES-335. The rhythm guitars used a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive. The lead is an MXR Uni-Vibe into a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into a Klon KTR.

Chorus
Its your turn
No concern
Its the time for this
Can you learn from it

Verse 1
I know
Its so
from here
to there
you see
through me
its true
you do

Verse 2 & 3
i feel
its real
a steal
no deal
its time
to shine
its fine
all mine

bridge
are you saying that
you agree with it
are you kidding me?]]> 5081655 no no Mon, 31 Aug 2020 03:18:00 +0200 2020-08-31T03:18:00+02:00 2:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-can-feel-it-coming-right-after-me/
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone pedal and the leads used an MXR Uni-vibe (blame Tommy Bolin) and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
I can feel it coming right after me
I can tell it’s gonna be bad you’ll see
I can feel, I can tell
I can feel it coming right after me

Verse 1
It’s the way you look at me
something there, in your eyes
sort of how you seem to see
everything that’s wrong

Verse 2
You give me a sense of ease
that’s not there, it’s not real
everything that seems to be
everything you feel]]>
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The rhythm used a Ryra The Klone pedal and the leads used an MXR Uni-vibe (blame Tommy Bolin) and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
I can feel it coming right after me
I can tell it’s gonna be bad you’ll see
I can feel, I can tell
I can feel it coming right after me

Verse 1
It’s the way you look at me
something there, in your eyes
sort of how you seem to see
everything that’s wrong

Verse 2
You give me a sense of ease
that’s not there, it’s not real
everything that seems to be
everything you feel]]> 5081618 no no Mon, 31 Aug 2020 02:35:30 +0200 2020-08-31T02:35:30+02:00 2:22 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/dont-necessarily-think-of-me/
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and the leads used a little Mooer E-Lady into a Klon KTR, into the BLM.

Verse 1
won’t necessarily come to be
won’t necessarily mean a thing
so come to some decision
don’t necessarily think of me

Verse 2
Is there a reason it’s happening
Is this what you’ve been imagining
I don’t care what they’re saying
It seems like it is unraveling

Chorus
How do you justify the things that you do
its like you try to make the evil shiine through
yeah I’ve been thinking, yeah I’ve been wondering
how could we ever let this nightmare come true]]>
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter, and the leads used a little Mooer E-Lady into a Klon KTR, into the BLM.

Verse 1
won’t necessarily come to be
won’t necessarily mean a thing
so come to some decision
don’t necessarily think of me

Verse 2
Is there a reason it’s happening
Is this what you’ve been imagining
I don’t care what they’re saying
It seems like it is unraveling

Chorus
How do you justify the things that you do
its like you try to make the evil shiine through
yeah I’ve been thinking, yeah I’ve been wondering
how could we ever let this nightmare come true]]> 5081255 no no Sun, 30 Aug 2020 22:12:34 +0200 2020-08-30T22:12:34+02:00 4:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/dont-be-naive/
All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts and the first couple of lead sections used a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The second half of the main solo swaps the BLM for a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 and adds a little slap back from a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The solo at the end switches back to the BLM but keeps the Wampler.

Chorus
Come along with me, come and you’ll see
Look to the future but don’t be naive try to believe

Verse 1
Fool you
Fool me
give in to it
you will see

Verse 2
I’m you
You’re me
What you want can
never be

Bridge
come out from under
what do you see
somewhere inside you
what you could be]]>
All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts and the first couple of lead sections used a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The second half of the main solo swaps the BLM for a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 and adds a little slap back from a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The solo at the end switches back to the BLM but keeps the Wampler.

Chorus
Come along with me, come and you’ll see
Look to the future but don’t be naive try to believe

Verse 1
Fool you
Fool me
give in to it
you will see

Verse 2
I’m you
You’re me
What you want can
never be

Bridge
come out from under
what do you see
somewhere inside you
what you could be]]> 5079474 no no Sun, 30 Aug 2020 04:30:17 +0200 2020-08-30T04:30:17+02:00 2:15 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/painfully-clueless/
Still…. it’s a 12-bar blues in 7/8 time. How can you not love that??

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (playing through two amps at once is the dictionary definition of bliss. Go on, look it up). The rhythm part used a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter (both with the gain set to zero). The lead was the same with the gain on the BLM set considerably higher, and there’s a Dunlop Crybaby wah in there at the end too.

Chorus
The time has come to take care of it all
the only way is to brace for the fall
x2
Its just the way its happening
you never knew you could feel quite this small

Verse 1
You’re such a loser
such an abuser
x2
so useless
so miserable
a strung out user

Verse 2
completely hopeless
endlessly useless
x2
no meaning
no benefit
painfully clueless]]>
Still…. it’s a 12-bar blues in 7/8 time. How can you not love that??

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15 (playing through two amps at once is the dictionary definition of bliss. Go on, look it up). The rhythm part used a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter (both with the gain set to zero). The lead was the same with the gain on the BLM set considerably higher, and there’s a Dunlop Crybaby wah in there at the end too.

Chorus
The time has come to take care of it all
the only way is to brace for the fall
x2
Its just the way its happening
you never knew you could feel quite this small

Verse 1
You’re such a loser
such an abuser
x2
so useless
so miserable
a strung out user

Verse 2
completely hopeless
endlessly useless
x2
no meaning
no benefit
painfully clueless]]> 5078313 no no Sat, 29 Aug 2020 17:11:30 +0200 2020-08-29T17:11:30+02:00 3:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/taking-its-sweet-time/
I put delays onto the rhythm guitars where one channel is an 1/8 note and the other is a dotted 1/8 note. Then on the lead I did the same, one amp track got a 1/2 note and the other got a dotted 1/2 note. I think I wanted them to ping pong around. It didn’t really work and then I ended up with about 17 minutes of delay trails at the end of the song. HA! Love it!

Guitars were all ES-335 Pro. All guitar tracks were through two amps at once, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Rhythm guitar used an MXR Univibe because earlier that day I listened to a ton of Tommy Bolin records, a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo for a little slap back. The leads used a Dunlop Crybaby wah and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
Its no use
discussing
excuses
forthcoming

its taking
its sweet time
its making
its way home

Verse 1
there’s no telling
how it’s going
there’s no telling
where its heading

There’s no saying
there’s no guessing
what’s the use now
what’s the use

Verse 2
Would you tell me
what you’re thinking
are you hinting
what you’re feeling

Am I getting
any nearer
Am I moving
close to you

Verse 3
what’s the answer
to your question
the solution
its here somewhere

Am I getting
any nearer
Am I moving
close to you]]>
I put delays onto the rhythm guitars where one channel is an 1/8 note and the other is a dotted 1/8 note. Then on the lead I did the same, one amp track got a 1/2 note and the other got a dotted 1/2 note. I think I wanted them to ping pong around. It didn’t really work and then I ended up with about 17 minutes of delay trails at the end of the song. HA! Love it!

Guitars were all ES-335 Pro. All guitar tracks were through two amps at once, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Rhythm guitar used an MXR Univibe because earlier that day I listened to a ton of Tommy Bolin records, a Klon KTR and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo for a little slap back. The leads used a Dunlop Crybaby wah and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
Its no use
discussing
excuses
forthcoming

its taking
its sweet time
its making
its way home

Verse 1
there’s no telling
how it’s going
there’s no telling
where its heading

There’s no saying
there’s no guessing
what’s the use now
what’s the use

Verse 2
Would you tell me
what you’re thinking
are you hinting
what you’re feeling

Am I getting
any nearer
Am I moving
close to you

Verse 3
what’s the answer
to your question
the solution
its here somewhere

Am I getting
any nearer
Am I moving
close to you]]> 5076617 no no Sat, 29 Aug 2020 02:16:19 +0200 2020-08-29T02:16:19+02:00 3:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/we-still-could-make-it-through/
I like using the old trope of having the instruments come in one at a time the way this does. I’m sure I use it too often, but (as I have said 10000000 times before) what can you do?

Okay, the guitars… let’s see. Everything was a Gibson ES-335, each part used both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Pedals… The not quite cleanish rhythm used an MXR Phase 90 and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The heavier parts in the choruses used the Black Lives Matter with a Klon KTR. For leads, the first half of the solo, the heavier part, is the Klon KTR and Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter again while the cleaner second half is a Dunlop Crybaby (the Bonamassa signature version) and the Klon KTR… and that’s a lot of pedals. All of the reverb and delay were GarageBand plugins that were added in the mix.

Intro
We still could make it through

Chorus
Could you take a chance
take a chance on me
Would you take a risk
take a risk lets see

Verse 1 and 2
if there were some way around this
some way to get through the worst of things
could you imagine the future
would I be part of it

its like we went in with eyes closed
and never saw what was coming on
and when the worst was upon us
we still could make it through

Verse 3
And if there isn’t a way out
and if the future’s a mystery
it doesn’t make any difference
we still could make it through]]>
I like using the old trope of having the instruments come in one at a time the way this does. I’m sure I use it too often, but (as I have said 10000000 times before) what can you do?

Okay, the guitars… let’s see. Everything was a Gibson ES-335, each part used both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Pedals… The not quite cleanish rhythm used an MXR Phase 90 and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The heavier parts in the choruses used the Black Lives Matter with a Klon KTR. For leads, the first half of the solo, the heavier part, is the Klon KTR and Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter again while the cleaner second half is a Dunlop Crybaby (the Bonamassa signature version) and the Klon KTR… and that’s a lot of pedals. All of the reverb and delay were GarageBand plugins that were added in the mix.

Intro
We still could make it through

Chorus
Could you take a chance
take a chance on me
Would you take a risk
take a risk lets see

Verse 1 and 2
if there were some way around this
some way to get through the worst of things
could you imagine the future
would I be part of it

its like we went in with eyes closed
and never saw what was coming on
and when the worst was upon us
we still could make it through

Verse 3
And if there isn’t a way out
and if the future’s a mystery
it doesn’t make any difference
we still could make it through]]> 5073958 no no Fri, 28 Aug 2020 04:12:11 +0200 2020-08-28T04:12:11+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nothing-like-this-anywhere/
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm parts are a Dunlop Crybaby and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
There’s nothing like this anywhere else
There’s nothing like this anywhere

Verse 1
Uncommon
to feel this way
Unlikely
some other day

Verse 2 & 3
A given
this state of things
No knowing
what it could bring]]>
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals on the rhythm parts are a Dunlop Crybaby and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter. The leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
There’s nothing like this anywhere else
There’s nothing like this anywhere

Verse 1
Uncommon
to feel this way
Unlikely
some other day

Verse 2 & 3
A given
this state of things
No knowing
what it could bring]]> 5073732 no no Fri, 28 Aug 2020 01:39:15 +0200 2020-08-28T01:39:15+02:00 2:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/turn-back-the-clock/
Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. Amps on all tracks are a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. Pedals for all tracks is just a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Verse 1 & 3
Now is as good a time
as we’ll ever have together
Do you expect to find
any exit, any way out

Verse 2
its gonna take a while
to recover, to get over
time isn’t on your side
its a loser, its a quitter

Chorus
past can’t come back
it is gone its forever
we must move on
no escape no tomorrow

Bridge
Turn back the clock]]>
Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. Amps on all tracks are a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. Pedals for all tracks is just a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Verse 1 & 3
Now is as good a time
as we’ll ever have together
Do you expect to find
any exit, any way out

Verse 2
its gonna take a while
to recover, to get over
time isn’t on your side
its a loser, its a quitter

Chorus
past can’t come back
it is gone its forever
we must move on
no escape no tomorrow

Bridge
Turn back the clock]]> 5073652 no no Fri, 28 Aug 2020 00:48:26 +0200 2020-08-28T00:48:26+02:00 2:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/please-dont-cry-me-a-river/
I’ve been trying to challenge myself vocally with more complicated melodies and lots of lyrics and things like that, even though I don’t consider myself a singer, or a lyricist, or anything that has anything remotely to do with vocals. It’s interesting as a Covid-19 quarantine experiment, you know?

Given all of that, I still don’t know what the hell I was thinking with this one. I knew it was going to be too difficult to sing each verse without punching, and I did end up splitting the verses into two four bar phrases and recording them separately, but it was still murder. Literally. You can actually hear me die of asphyxiation as I was trying to sing the last line of the first verse. On the word “undone” I literally died, fell over, landed on my hands and somehow gave myself CPR and came back to life. Okay… maybe not literally.

Structurally it’s a little odd too. There is no chorus. It’s just an A section that repeats a few times (I called it a verse but it’s really not a verse) with a break in the middle that I called a chorus but it really wasn’t a chorus. The song as a whole is pretty short. I can’t remember what was going on when I sketched the form out, but I wonder if I was in a rush for some reason. I don’t remember.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. The rhythm guitar used an Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini, and the leads used a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Chorus
Its just how it has to be right now
just hang in there forever

I don’t want to make a thing of this
please don’t cry me a river

Verse 1
what if a situation called for something like a peaceful ending but itstead it just got worse
just try to picture everyone you care about is watching closely as it all comes undone

Verse 2
and if you’re questioning the right from wrong only to then discover that there’s really no such thing
it leaves you guessing as to where to go from here and can you find your way without directions]]>
I’ve been trying to challenge myself vocally with more complicated melodies and lots of lyrics and things like that, even though I don’t consider myself a singer, or a lyricist, or anything that has anything remotely to do with vocals. It’s interesting as a Covid-19 quarantine experiment, you know?

Given all of that, I still don’t know what the hell I was thinking with this one. I knew it was going to be too difficult to sing each verse without punching, and I did end up splitting the verses into two four bar phrases and recording them separately, but it was still murder. Literally. You can actually hear me die of asphyxiation as I was trying to sing the last line of the first verse. On the word “undone” I literally died, fell over, landed on my hands and somehow gave myself CPR and came back to life. Okay… maybe not literally.

Structurally it’s a little odd too. There is no chorus. It’s just an A section that repeats a few times (I called it a verse but it’s really not a verse) with a break in the middle that I called a chorus but it really wasn’t a chorus. The song as a whole is pretty short. I can’t remember what was going on when I sketched the form out, but I wonder if I was in a rush for some reason. I don’t remember.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. The rhythm guitar used an Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini, and the leads used a Klon KTR and a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter.

Chorus
Its just how it has to be right now
just hang in there forever

I don’t want to make a thing of this
please don’t cry me a river

Verse 1
what if a situation called for something like a peaceful ending but itstead it just got worse
just try to picture everyone you care about is watching closely as it all comes undone

Verse 2
and if you’re questioning the right from wrong only to then discover that there’s really no such thing
it leaves you guessing as to where to go from here and can you find your way without directions]]> 5042068 no no Sun, 16 Aug 2020 15:29:27 +0200 2020-08-16T15:29:27+02:00 2:21 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/reaching-for-the-life-line/
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335, the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar used a Ryra the Klone pedal. The leads used a Klon KTR, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter (a sweet fulltone OCD clone, that has all the great sound but none of the racist frat boy bullshit), and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo for a little slap back. The longer delays were post production in Garageband.

stay within
no escape
anything
anything

verse 1
Never leaving
always trapped inside
here forever
all our worlds coliding

verse 2
going under
for the final time
break the surface
reaching for the life line

https://malaiseforever.bigcartel.com/]]>
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335, the amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitar used a Ryra the Klone pedal. The leads used a Klon KTR, a Malaise Forever Black Lives Matter (a sweet fulltone OCD clone, that has all the great sound but none of the racist frat boy bullshit), and a Wampler Faux Tape Echo for a little slap back. The longer delays were post production in Garageband.

stay within
no escape
anything
anything

verse 1
Never leaving
always trapped inside
here forever
all our worlds coliding

verse 2
going under
for the final time
break the surface
reaching for the life line

https://malaiseforever.bigcartel.com/]]> 5042000 no no Sun, 16 Aug 2020 14:47:38 +0200 2020-08-16T14:47:38+02:00 2:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/lets-watch-the-bubble-burst/
Finally a song that is about something specific, even if it doesn’t make much sense… and if it’s kinda lame. The lyrics are about the Miami Marlins having their own little Covid-19 outbreak during the first week of what is passing for a Major League Baseball season. Yeah, playing in a global pandemic was a nice idea, but maybe they shoulda waited ‘till next year. My Red Sox being atrociously awful doesn’t have anything to do with this opinion. I promise.

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335, amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15, both at the same time. The pedals on the rhythm part are an MXR Uni-Vibe and a Klon KTR. For the lead it’s the same thing but with a little Crybaby Wah-wah thrown in.

Chorus
Lets watch the bubble burst
come on and do your worst
don’t want to be the first
the bubble burst

Lets watch the bubble burst
decisions are reversed
The final has been cursed
the bubble burst

Verse 1
started as a good idea
Maybe wait another year
now the end becoming clear
good idea

do you see this working out
do you know what it’s about
never had a single doubt
work it out

Verse 2
developing catastrophe (put a pick up note in front)
it was always meant to be
If they leave it up to me
up to me

I can make the best of it
every single wasted hit
maybe hurts a little bit
best of it]]>
Finally a song that is about something specific, even if it doesn’t make much sense… and if it’s kinda lame. The lyrics are about the Miami Marlins having their own little Covid-19 outbreak during the first week of what is passing for a Major League Baseball season. Yeah, playing in a global pandemic was a nice idea, but maybe they shoulda waited ‘till next year. My Red Sox being atrociously awful doesn’t have anything to do with this opinion. I promise.

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335, amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15, both at the same time. The pedals on the rhythm part are an MXR Uni-Vibe and a Klon KTR. For the lead it’s the same thing but with a little Crybaby Wah-wah thrown in.

Chorus
Lets watch the bubble burst
come on and do your worst
don’t want to be the first
the bubble burst

Lets watch the bubble burst
decisions are reversed
The final has been cursed
the bubble burst

Verse 1
started as a good idea
Maybe wait another year
now the end becoming clear
good idea

do you see this working out
do you know what it’s about
never had a single doubt
work it out

Verse 2
developing catastrophe (put a pick up note in front)
it was always meant to be
If they leave it up to me
up to me

I can make the best of it
every single wasted hit
maybe hurts a little bit
best of it]]> 5040621 no no Sat, 15 Aug 2020 22:58:05 +0200 2020-08-15T22:58:05+02:00 3:25 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/come-watch-the-show/
So 50/90 is about half way through and this is the first time I’ve written a song in 7/8 time. Like… what was the hold up, Robert? Also, this has lots and lots of fuzz boxes. Again, why did I wait this long?

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. The rhythm parts used a Ryra the Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. The leads used a Dunlop Crybaby, a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70, and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
Come watch the show
what do you know
Its up to you
What can you do

Verse 1
its over now
no telling how
its time to cry
no telling why

Verse 2
come on and see
what this can be
this is the way
what do you say]]>
So 50/90 is about half way through and this is the first time I’ve written a song in 7/8 time. Like… what was the hold up, Robert? Also, this has lots and lots of fuzz boxes. Again, why did I wait this long?

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 and amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. The rhythm parts used a Ryra the Klone into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian. The leads used a Dunlop Crybaby, a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70, and a Klon KTR.

Chorus
Come watch the show
what do you know
Its up to you
What can you do

Verse 1
its over now
no telling how
its time to cry
no telling why

Verse 2
come on and see
what this can be
this is the way
what do you say]]> 5038563 no no Sat, 15 Aug 2020 03:44:01 +0200 2020-08-15T03:44:01+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nothing-like-a-lazy-afternoon/
Also, the vocals… well… let’s just say that I am starting to feel like, musically speaking, the creative well is starting to run dry. I’ve been cranking out bad songs non stop since February and they are getting repetitive enough to bug me, and I normally don’t care about repeating myself at all. So what am I doing to combat this feeling of non-creativity? I’m getting a little ridiculous with the whole writing melodies and lyrics that are a challenge to sing. I am not a singer at all, but my first instrument was the saxophone and I pride myself on being able to control my breath for a long time, but even I am losing it on some of the vocal parts I’ve written lately. This one was rough. There’s another one coming soon that was laughably difficult for me, but more on that another day.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. I’m getting the itch to use a different guitar, but the 335 is the only one with reasonably fresh strings. My Les Paul is calling me. So is my SG. The amps on all tracks are both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals for the rhythm parts was just a…. crap, what’s it called… its a very cheap Chinese copy of a Rat. It’s called a… Black Rat, I think and it’s made by… crap… Donner? I think? The leads used the full pedal board that I play with my band and this song used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive, and a Mooer E-Lady flanger on filter ode.

Nothing like a lazy afternoon to put things in perspective
Nothing like a walk outside to clear your head a bit
No one’s gonna tell you what to do so set your own directive
Its time to work things out

how about you get over it
rest yourself for a little bit
give it up and just take the hit
there’s only one way to go on

check it out could be worth a look
what you see its an open book
take the bait and you set the hook
if you can’t do it no one can]]>
Also, the vocals… well… let’s just say that I am starting to feel like, musically speaking, the creative well is starting to run dry. I’ve been cranking out bad songs non stop since February and they are getting repetitive enough to bug me, and I normally don’t care about repeating myself at all. So what am I doing to combat this feeling of non-creativity? I’m getting a little ridiculous with the whole writing melodies and lyrics that are a challenge to sing. I am not a singer at all, but my first instrument was the saxophone and I pride myself on being able to control my breath for a long time, but even I am losing it on some of the vocal parts I’ve written lately. This one was rough. There’s another one coming soon that was laughably difficult for me, but more on that another day.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. I’m getting the itch to use a different guitar, but the 335 is the only one with reasonably fresh strings. My Les Paul is calling me. So is my SG. The amps on all tracks are both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. The pedals for the rhythm parts was just a…. crap, what’s it called… its a very cheap Chinese copy of a Rat. It’s called a… Black Rat, I think and it’s made by… crap… Donner? I think? The leads used the full pedal board that I play with my band and this song used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive, and a Mooer E-Lady flanger on filter ode.

Nothing like a lazy afternoon to put things in perspective
Nothing like a walk outside to clear your head a bit
No one’s gonna tell you what to do so set your own directive
Its time to work things out

how about you get over it
rest yourself for a little bit
give it up and just take the hit
there’s only one way to go on

check it out could be worth a look
what you see its an open book
take the bait and you set the hook
if you can’t do it no one can]]> 5038515 no no Sat, 15 Aug 2020 02:52:57 +0200 2020-08-15T02:52:57+02:00 3:47 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-deeper-meaning/
Guitars are all ES335, amps for all tracks are a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. Rhythm guitar used a Ryra The Klone pedal. Leads used a Mooer E-Lady flanger (just a little bit), a Klon KTR, and a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side).

Chorus
It should have taken some time
for all the songs to be sung
if everything is so fine
just sweep it under the rug

verse 1
I’ve got this feeling
you need some healing
nothing worth stealing
no deeper meaning

verse 2
it leaves me wanting
a better ending
something more hopeful
some new proposal]]>
Guitars are all ES335, amps for all tracks are a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15. Rhythm guitar used a Ryra The Klone pedal. Leads used a Mooer E-Lady flanger (just a little bit), a Klon KTR, and a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side).

Chorus
It should have taken some time
for all the songs to be sung
if everything is so fine
just sweep it under the rug

verse 1
I’ve got this feeling
you need some healing
nothing worth stealing
no deeper meaning

verse 2
it leaves me wanting
a better ending
something more hopeful
some new proposal]]> 5027887 no no Mon, 10 Aug 2020 23:07:37 +0200 2020-08-10T23:07:37+02:00 2:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/its-all-fine/
Gibson ES335 into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitars used a Ryra the Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian, and the lead used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and a Klon KTR. There’s also some Dunlop Crybaby Wah pedal in there too,

Chorus
One more go round
one more time
One more break through
its all fine

verse 1
I don’t know which way to go
I don’t think I’ll ever know.

Verse 2
sweat the details and hit the mark
all the answers hide in the dark]]>
Gibson ES335 into a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm guitars used a Ryra the Klone and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian, and the lead used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and a Klon KTR. There’s also some Dunlop Crybaby Wah pedal in there too,

Chorus
One more go round
one more time
One more break through
its all fine

verse 1
I don’t know which way to go
I don’t think I’ll ever know.

Verse 2
sweat the details and hit the mark
all the answers hide in the dark]]> 5023542 no no Sun, 09 Aug 2020 09:14:14 +0200 2020-08-09T09:14:14+02:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/not-up-for-debate/
I like this. It’s kinda funky and it was fun to play. I like how I ended up with harmony vocals on the verse but not on the chorus. A goofy little twist on the norm. The guitar leads were recorded at the end of a long session and I was clearly out of gas. I probably should have held off and done it another time, but I was really hell bent on getting it done so… I did. Oh well.

The guitars are all Gibson ES335. All tracks were played through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals on the lead were a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and a Klon KTR. The rhythm was just a Ryra The Klone. There was a little tremolo from the AC15 during the last solo but it’s buried in the mix. Oh well. I tried messing with the panning to bring it out, but it’s gone. Sorry.

Chorus
we’re keeping it straight
not up for debate
no telling where we’ll go

remember this date
we can’t hardly wait
we’re going way too slow

Verse 1
the solution for this
disillution of everything

Verse 2
Never telling the truth
Never doing the right thing

Verse 3
things are looking pretty dark
No denying its getting worse]]>
I like this. It’s kinda funky and it was fun to play. I like how I ended up with harmony vocals on the verse but not on the chorus. A goofy little twist on the norm. The guitar leads were recorded at the end of a long session and I was clearly out of gas. I probably should have held off and done it another time, but I was really hell bent on getting it done so… I did. Oh well.

The guitars are all Gibson ES335. All tracks were played through both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals on the lead were a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 and a Klon KTR. The rhythm was just a Ryra The Klone. There was a little tremolo from the AC15 during the last solo but it’s buried in the mix. Oh well. I tried messing with the panning to bring it out, but it’s gone. Sorry.

Chorus
we’re keeping it straight
not up for debate
no telling where we’ll go

remember this date
we can’t hardly wait
we’re going way too slow

Verse 1
the solution for this
disillution of everything

Verse 2
Never telling the truth
Never doing the right thing

Verse 3
things are looking pretty dark
No denying its getting worse]]> 5023405 no no Sun, 09 Aug 2020 07:02:36 +0200 2020-08-09T07:02:36+02:00 2:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/can-you-imagine/
The guitars are all Gibson ES335. All of the tracks used both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a Ryra The Klone (Klon Centaur clone) and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian (Sovtek Big Muff Pi clone). The leads used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side) and for the first half of the first solo, a Donner Harmonic Square (I think it’s an EHX Pitch Fork clone). I wanted to pitch shift up a minor seventh so I could sound like Trevor Rabin in 1980’s Yes, but the 7th setting was playing 5ths so I just went with an octave down. Time to upgrade that little pedal, I think.

Chorus
There’s no way we could know
Theres no telling how this would go down
if you open your eyes you’ll see exactly how it unwound

Verse 1
words can’t describe how bad things are
never believed we’d fall this far
Can you imagine

Verse 2
Did you hear what he said last night
Do you think we could die of fright
Can you believe it

Chorus riff
Can you imagine
can you believe it
can you imagine
believe it]]>
The guitars are all Gibson ES335. All of the tracks used both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a Ryra The Klone (Klon Centaur clone) and a Wren and Cuff Super Russian (Sovtek Big Muff Pi clone). The leads used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side) and for the first half of the first solo, a Donner Harmonic Square (I think it’s an EHX Pitch Fork clone). I wanted to pitch shift up a minor seventh so I could sound like Trevor Rabin in 1980’s Yes, but the 7th setting was playing 5ths so I just went with an octave down. Time to upgrade that little pedal, I think.

Chorus
There’s no way we could know
Theres no telling how this would go down
if you open your eyes you’ll see exactly how it unwound

Verse 1
words can’t describe how bad things are
never believed we’d fall this far
Can you imagine

Verse 2
Did you hear what he said last night
Do you think we could die of fright
Can you believe it

Chorus riff
Can you imagine
can you believe it
can you imagine
believe it]]> 5023226 no no Sun, 09 Aug 2020 04:22:01 +0200 2020-08-09T04:22:01+02:00 3:35 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ive-got-a-feeling-this-is-gonna-go-bad/
Guitars are all Gibson ES335. Amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. Pedals on the rhythm guitar is just an Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini (what, no Klon? blasphemy!) The leads are a Dunlop Crybaby Wah into an MXR Phase 90 into a Klon KTR (there she is!) into a Keeley D&M Drive into a Donner Yellowfall for some slap back.

I do kinda like the way that Tube Screamer sounds. I very rarely dig that pedal out, but everyone now and then it’s a little inspiring.

Chorus
I’ve got a feeling this is gonna go bad
each way you look at it gets harder to understand

Verse 1
how did we think this would work out right
its so clear now we see it in hindsite

Verse 2
I feel like it ended at the start
in one moment it all just fell apart

Middle 8
take a good look at yourself
there is no one else
it isn’t gonna work out
that’s not what this is about]]>
Guitars are all Gibson ES335. Amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15 and Vox AC15. Pedals on the rhythm guitar is just an Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini (what, no Klon? blasphemy!) The leads are a Dunlop Crybaby Wah into an MXR Phase 90 into a Klon KTR (there she is!) into a Keeley D&M Drive into a Donner Yellowfall for some slap back.

I do kinda like the way that Tube Screamer sounds. I very rarely dig that pedal out, but everyone now and then it’s a little inspiring.

Chorus
I’ve got a feeling this is gonna go bad
each way you look at it gets harder to understand

Verse 1
how did we think this would work out right
its so clear now we see it in hindsite

Verse 2
I feel like it ended at the start
in one moment it all just fell apart

Middle 8
take a good look at yourself
there is no one else
it isn’t gonna work out
that’s not what this is about]]> 5020374 no no Sat, 08 Aug 2020 03:13:48 +0200 2020-08-08T03:13:48+02:00 4:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-more-to-say-before-we-go/
This one is acceptable. Pardon me for the very quick, probably awful, mix but I need to get through this tonight and my laptop battery is about to die. I might remix it later (but probably won’t).

The signal path is Gibson ES 335 to a dunlop Crybaby to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod (switched off during the first solo) to a Radial ABY switch whose name escapes me to both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

you don’t believe me
I understand
you can’t deceive me
I have a plan

you hvae the answer
I fall in line
you are the chancer
I never mind

You are a winner
I go along
You can deliver
I just hang on

give and take
give and take
gonna break
gonna break
we can make
we can make
it bend to our will
never more
never more
out the door
out the door
whats it for
whats it for
we’re at a standstill

no more
to say
before
we go]]>
This one is acceptable. Pardon me for the very quick, probably awful, mix but I need to get through this tonight and my laptop battery is about to die. I might remix it later (but probably won’t).

The signal path is Gibson ES 335 to a dunlop Crybaby to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod (switched off during the first solo) to a Radial ABY switch whose name escapes me to both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

you don’t believe me
I understand
you can’t deceive me
I have a plan

you hvae the answer
I fall in line
you are the chancer
I never mind

You are a winner
I go along
You can deliver
I just hang on

give and take
give and take
gonna break
gonna break
we can make
we can make
it bend to our will
never more
never more
out the door
out the door
whats it for
whats it for
we’re at a standstill

no more
to say
before
we go]]> 4994513 no no Thu, 30 Jul 2020 03:53:35 +0200 2020-07-30T03:53:35+02:00 3:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/along-for-the-ride/
First, I don’t know who it was, but some meathead accidentally deleted a harmony vocal track in the last chorus. Again, I don’t know who it was but no amount of command-z’ing would bring it back. I mean, I command-z’d the shit out of that thing. (it was me… it was totally me)

Second, and much more alarming… did I just write a Burger King jingle?

This one isn’t bad. Or at least it’s not as bad as most of the rest of them. I bet you a dollar that I’ve written a riff just like this one before.

The signal path is Gibson ES 335 to a dunlop Crybaby to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod (switched off during the first solo) to a Radial ABY switch whose name escapes me to both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

come along for the ride now
think its time that we learn how
you can say what you want to
you can have it all

have it your way
what can you say
give it one chance
can you advance

do you know me
can we both see
that there is no
way left to go

no time like the present]]>
First, I don’t know who it was, but some meathead accidentally deleted a harmony vocal track in the last chorus. Again, I don’t know who it was but no amount of command-z’ing would bring it back. I mean, I command-z’d the shit out of that thing. (it was me… it was totally me)

Second, and much more alarming… did I just write a Burger King jingle?

This one isn’t bad. Or at least it’s not as bad as most of the rest of them. I bet you a dollar that I’ve written a riff just like this one before.

The signal path is Gibson ES 335 to a dunlop Crybaby to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod (switched off during the first solo) to a Radial ABY switch whose name escapes me to both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

come along for the ride now
think its time that we learn how
you can say what you want to
you can have it all

have it your way
what can you say
give it one chance
can you advance

do you know me
can we both see
that there is no
way left to go

no time like the present]]> 4994486 no no Thu, 30 Jul 2020 03:26:13 +0200 2020-07-30T03:26:13+02:00 2:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/bad-timing/
Not sure about this one. It’s not really holding up in my mind. Too generic? I like the strummy guitar leads. That’s about it.

The signal path is Gibson ES 335 to a dunlop Crybaby to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod (switched off during the first solo) to a Radial ABY switch whose name escapes me to both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

Chorus
Bad timing
defining
through crying
no denying

verse
there is nothing left for us to do
but to stand up for what we know is true
there is nothing left for us to say but
we’re coming
we’re coming

verse 2
Are you saying that you found the way
but its only good for those you say
everyone else needs to go away now
is that what
you’re saying]]>
Not sure about this one. It’s not really holding up in my mind. Too generic? I like the strummy guitar leads. That’s about it.

The signal path is Gibson ES 335 to a dunlop Crybaby to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod (switched off during the first solo) to a Radial ABY switch whose name escapes me to both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15.

Chorus
Bad timing
defining
through crying
no denying

verse
there is nothing left for us to do
but to stand up for what we know is true
there is nothing left for us to say but
we’re coming
we’re coming

verse 2
Are you saying that you found the way
but its only good for those you say
everyone else needs to go away now
is that what
you’re saying]]> 4994406 no no Thu, 30 Jul 2020 02:10:22 +0200 2020-07-30T02:10:22+02:00 2:49 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/please-scream-inside-your-heart/
One of the Disney Parks (I don’t remember which one), as part of it’s Covid-19 re-opening plan, suggested to patrons that screaming on a ride is a good way to spread the coronavirus, so instead they ask everyone to please scream inside your heart.

I’m guessing I won’t be the only person to use this in 50/90 this year. Just a guess.

Know what? I should have tuned this down a step. This would be pretty good if it were a little doomier and gloomier.

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. During the verses I turned off the Keeley and in the leads there is a crybaby wah in front of the Ryra.

Chorus
please scream inside your heart

verse
between us both the answer lies
inside us both the worst disguise
alone with us the empty prize
along with us the crying eyes

verse 2
I’m looking for some work around
deep down I know it can’t be found
the safest bet is underground
the savior won’t make any sound]]>
One of the Disney Parks (I don’t remember which one), as part of it’s Covid-19 re-opening plan, suggested to patrons that screaming on a ride is a good way to spread the coronavirus, so instead they ask everyone to please scream inside your heart.

I’m guessing I won’t be the only person to use this in 50/90 this year. Just a guess.

Know what? I should have tuned this down a step. This would be pretty good if it were a little doomier and gloomier.

Guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod into both a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. During the verses I turned off the Keeley and in the leads there is a crybaby wah in front of the Ryra.

Chorus
please scream inside your heart

verse
between us both the answer lies
inside us both the worst disguise
alone with us the empty prize
along with us the crying eyes

verse 2
I’m looking for some work around
deep down I know it can’t be found
the safest bet is underground
the savior won’t make any sound]]> 4991720 no no Wed, 29 Jul 2020 04:03:26 +0200 2020-07-29T04:03:26+02:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/here-comes-round-two/
I’d tell you if I had even the slightest idea.

I’m pretty pleased with this one. Well, I don’t completely hate it at least. I think it could have benefited from some rehearsing, which during 50/90 is asking a lot, for me at least. Listen close to the second time through the B section when I fat fingered an A minor chord into an A major. It would also benefit from having an actual capable singer, but that’s asking way too much from me at least.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 into a RYRA The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod into an ABY switch to a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

A
here comes round two
it can’t have you
its comes around again
we can get through

B
we came so far
but here we are
we can’t escape it
beyond a doubt
we’ll work it out
we’ll work it out

C
One more go round
not too profound
we’re back once again
I never wanted this to happen to you

B2
Thought we were safe
in our safe space
not so, not likely
on the attack
its roaring back
its roaring back]]>
I’d tell you if I had even the slightest idea.

I’m pretty pleased with this one. Well, I don’t completely hate it at least. I think it could have benefited from some rehearsing, which during 50/90 is asking a lot, for me at least. Listen close to the second time through the B section when I fat fingered an A minor chord into an A major. It would also benefit from having an actual capable singer, but that’s asking way too much from me at least.

All of the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335 into a RYRA The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod into an ABY switch to a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

A
here comes round two
it can’t have you
its comes around again
we can get through

B
we came so far
but here we are
we can’t escape it
beyond a doubt
we’ll work it out
we’ll work it out

C
One more go round
not too profound
we’re back once again
I never wanted this to happen to you

B2
Thought we were safe
in our safe space
not so, not likely
on the attack
its roaring back
its roaring back]]> 4991606 no no Wed, 29 Jul 2020 02:27:02 +0200 2020-07-29T02:27:02+02:00 3:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/time-to-break-through/
I used to write all of my lyrics on mic. They went from my brain to tape in one take (or so). More recently I’ve been writing the melody and the lyrics ahead of time so I had it all ready to go when I started recording voices. This little nugget was old school. Written on the mic.

All the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335, all the amps are a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals… the rhythm guitars just used a Klon KTR. The leads used a Ryra The Clone, a Keely Super Phat Mod, and sometimes a Dunlop Crybaby. Except for the solo in the middle, which just switched off the Keeley.

its like a story book with a lousy end
its like a mystery with an awful bend
Its like a substitute that you cannot dispute
its like a carnival you cannot attend

coming for me
coming for you
will never undo
know what it’s like
know what it takes
its only mistakes

Its time now
to break through
don’t ask how
just you]]>
I used to write all of my lyrics on mic. They went from my brain to tape in one take (or so). More recently I’ve been writing the melody and the lyrics ahead of time so I had it all ready to go when I started recording voices. This little nugget was old school. Written on the mic.

All the guitar parts are a Gibson ES-335, all the amps are a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The pedals… the rhythm guitars just used a Klon KTR. The leads used a Ryra The Clone, a Keely Super Phat Mod, and sometimes a Dunlop Crybaby. Except for the solo in the middle, which just switched off the Keeley.

its like a story book with a lousy end
its like a mystery with an awful bend
Its like a substitute that you cannot dispute
its like a carnival you cannot attend

coming for me
coming for you
will never undo
know what it’s like
know what it takes
its only mistakes

Its time now
to break through
don’t ask how
just you]]> 4989294 no no Tue, 28 Jul 2020 02:23:39 +0200 2020-07-28T02:23:39+02:00 3:54 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-time-left-for-us/
So… this is song #5 for 50/90. I’m 10% done. Lyrically, I haven’t written about anything yet. They are all just off the top of my head, and therefore they all sound and feel the same. So nothing is really standing out for me. I should probably start writing about things, but if I do it’s probably all going to be social distancing anyway so let’s stick with the stream of consciousness.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads used a Ryra The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The rhythm is a Klon KTR and a Keeley D&M Drive.

A
it seems like nothing’s working
it seems like nothing’s right
it seems we’re crash and burning
it seems we’ve lost the fight

B
no time left for us

A2
It’s like we’re always running
but we’re still left behind
its like we’re always failing
we’re always underminded]]>
So… this is song #5 for 50/90. I’m 10% done. Lyrically, I haven’t written about anything yet. They are all just off the top of my head, and therefore they all sound and feel the same. So nothing is really standing out for me. I should probably start writing about things, but if I do it’s probably all going to be social distancing anyway so let’s stick with the stream of consciousness.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 Pro and the amps are a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads used a Ryra The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The rhythm is a Klon KTR and a Keeley D&M Drive.

A
it seems like nothing’s working
it seems like nothing’s right
it seems we’re crash and burning
it seems we’ve lost the fight

B
no time left for us

A2
It’s like we’re always running
but we’re still left behind
its like we’re always failing
we’re always underminded]]> 4972652 no no Thu, 23 Jul 2020 02:05:18 +0200 2020-07-23T02:05:18+02:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/look-away/
The lyrics are (once again) more or less stream of consciousness. Nothing really to write home about.

ES 335 into Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. Pedals for rhythm are Klon KTR and Mooer Yellowfall for a little slap back. Lead used a Ryra The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod. I’m starting to think I need to try some different overdrive options. Maybe a Tube Screamer into the Ryra? Maybe? We’ll see. Plenty more songs left to go.

Chorus
say the words you need to say
that we need to hear
we won’t last another day
let me make that clear

Verse 1
almost as if you knew what was coming
what was coming
almost a reason why you are running
you’re running

verse 2
almost as if you’re betting on failure
bet on failure
almost as if you wanted a savior
a savior

bridge
look away
look away
not today

come what may
come what may
never say]]>
The lyrics are (once again) more or less stream of consciousness. Nothing really to write home about.

ES 335 into Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. Pedals for rhythm are Klon KTR and Mooer Yellowfall for a little slap back. Lead used a Ryra The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod. I’m starting to think I need to try some different overdrive options. Maybe a Tube Screamer into the Ryra? Maybe? We’ll see. Plenty more songs left to go.

Chorus
say the words you need to say
that we need to hear
we won’t last another day
let me make that clear

Verse 1
almost as if you knew what was coming
what was coming
almost a reason why you are running
you’re running

verse 2
almost as if you’re betting on failure
bet on failure
almost as if you wanted a savior
a savior

bridge
look away
look away
not today

come what may
come what may
never say]]> 4972612 no no Thu, 23 Jul 2020 01:20:46 +0200 2020-07-23T01:20:46+02:00 3:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/somehow-it-holds-together/
I have no idea what the lyrics are about. None at all.

The guitar parts are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive and a Mooer Yellowfall. The lead used a RYRA The Klone, a Keeley Super Phat Mod, and a Dunlop Crybaby (The Bonamassa signature version. I wanted to get the Gary Clark, Jr signature version but amazon was out so I got the Joe instead).

Chorus
here the voice as it speaks inside you
come along for the ride if you will
there’s a way we can make it through this
some how it holds together

its a look from around a corner
everything falls into disorder
given time we can all ignore them
some how it still gets better

verse
talk me through it
there’s a deeper meaning
let me know when
when it all comes to you

verse 2
look right through me
as it all breaks open
what do we see
can’t believe how broken

bridge
I try to find out
where it all means
I try to feel it
Where I should be]]>
I have no idea what the lyrics are about. None at all.

The guitar parts are all Gibson ES-335 Pro. The amps are all Vox AC15 and Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive and a Mooer Yellowfall. The lead used a RYRA The Klone, a Keeley Super Phat Mod, and a Dunlop Crybaby (The Bonamassa signature version. I wanted to get the Gary Clark, Jr signature version but amazon was out so I got the Joe instead).

Chorus
here the voice as it speaks inside you
come along for the ride if you will
there’s a way we can make it through this
some how it holds together

its a look from around a corner
everything falls into disorder
given time we can all ignore them
some how it still gets better

verse
talk me through it
there’s a deeper meaning
let me know when
when it all comes to you

verse 2
look right through me
as it all breaks open
what do we see
can’t believe how broken

bridge
I try to find out
where it all means
I try to feel it
Where I should be]]> 4970298 no no Wed, 22 Jul 2020 02:50:40 +0200 2020-07-22T02:50:40+02:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/soul-collapsing/
The guitars are all Gibson ES335 through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm part used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive, and a Mooer Yellowfall. The leads used a RYRA the Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod.

Chorus
no clue what’s left to do
what’s good for you
so true there’s nothing new
what you’ve been through

verse
unlikely we make it
untimely end to it all
so take this as given
we can’t get over this now

verse 2
I see it so clearly
I get it so completely
I know that old feeling
I get where this is going

bridge
I feel my soul collapsing
it all comes down
I feel my soul collapsing
what can you do]]>
The guitars are all Gibson ES335 through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm part used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive, and a Mooer Yellowfall. The leads used a RYRA the Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod.

Chorus
no clue what’s left to do
what’s good for you
so true there’s nothing new
what you’ve been through

verse
unlikely we make it
untimely end to it all
so take this as given
we can’t get over this now

verse 2
I see it so clearly
I get it so completely
I know that old feeling
I get where this is going

bridge
I feel my soul collapsing
it all comes down
I feel my soul collapsing
what can you do]]> 4967933 no no Tue, 21 Jul 2020 03:36:54 +0200 2020-07-21T03:36:54+02:00 4:17 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/not-over-yet/
Not much to say about this one. I came up with the bass and drums on the first night, really didn’t like it at all after I added the guitars, and then liked it a tiny bit once I had the chorus finished. Overall, nothing special. The lyrics are kind of stream of consciousness combined with four months of COVID-19 quarantine pissyness.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm part used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side), and a Mooer Yellow Fall (I think that’s what it is called). The lead used a RYRA The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod.

Chorus
Not yet
not over yet
(3x)
so close
we’re almost finished

verse 1
the end of days
is coming for us
its almost here

come have your say
about the meaning
then disappear

verse 2
so take a look
at what’s around you
can’t take much more

you took the hook
some kind of sucker
you’re such a fool

Briedge
ever wonder
going under
hear the thunder
no giving in

in the darkness
will disarm us
never harmless
no giving in]]>
Not much to say about this one. I came up with the bass and drums on the first night, really didn’t like it at all after I added the guitars, and then liked it a tiny bit once I had the chorus finished. Overall, nothing special. The lyrics are kind of stream of consciousness combined with four months of COVID-19 quarantine pissyness.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm part used a Klon KTR, a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side), and a Mooer Yellow Fall (I think that’s what it is called). The lead used a RYRA The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod.

Chorus
Not yet
not over yet
(3x)
so close
we’re almost finished

verse 1
the end of days
is coming for us
its almost here

come have your say
about the meaning
then disappear

verse 2
so take a look
at what’s around you
can’t take much more

you took the hook
some kind of sucker
you’re such a fool

Briedge
ever wonder
going under
hear the thunder
no giving in

in the darkness
will disarm us
never harmless
no giving in]]> 4967873 no no Tue, 21 Jul 2020 02:41:15 +0200 2020-07-21T02:41:15+02:00 4:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/like-a-brat-2020-version/
This version is faster, shorter, has a bunch of new key changes, and has a little bit of fat trimmed. It’s also a lot busier in the guitars and the drums. At the last minute I decided to add the radio tuning at the start. The 2013 NaSoAlMo was seven songs all connected with sound effects. It was meant to feel like you were tuning an old radio and hitting the different songs on different stations. Clever? not at all. Fun? Not really. Worth keeping for this version of this song? Probably not, but I did it anyway.

Someone I care a lot about was having trouble with a boss who greatly undervalued him/her and this song was written in defiance for him/her.

When I started this project five years ago I added scratch guitars to this song. I played my Fender Strat and instead of using a slide during the weird little breaks I used the whammy bar. On the original recording it was a slide. I think the whammy bar was almost… almost… cool enough to bring back for this recording, but I had to stay with my Gibson guitars and go back to the slide, even though I am the worst slide player on the planet Earth.

Speaking of guitars, everything here is a Gibson ES-335. All of the rhythm parts used a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The leads used that Fender and a Vox AC15. There is a Klon KTR overdrive pedal on all of the rhythm parts, and a RYRA The Klone on the leads because with each passing moment I become more and more obsessed with Klon style pedals. Shoot me.

You feel the change is coming
you know the end is near
the situation is numbing
and the next move is so clear

what’s with this lack of respect
where do they get off with that
its what you’ve come to expect
acting just like a brat

I get it
I do
they can’t keep up with you
he’s threatened
you know
he knows you’ll steal the show
it makes sense
you see
that fear would be the key
so stand up
be strong
don’t have to play along]]>
This version is faster, shorter, has a bunch of new key changes, and has a little bit of fat trimmed. It’s also a lot busier in the guitars and the drums. At the last minute I decided to add the radio tuning at the start. The 2013 NaSoAlMo was seven songs all connected with sound effects. It was meant to feel like you were tuning an old radio and hitting the different songs on different stations. Clever? not at all. Fun? Not really. Worth keeping for this version of this song? Probably not, but I did it anyway.

Someone I care a lot about was having trouble with a boss who greatly undervalued him/her and this song was written in defiance for him/her.

When I started this project five years ago I added scratch guitars to this song. I played my Fender Strat and instead of using a slide during the weird little breaks I used the whammy bar. On the original recording it was a slide. I think the whammy bar was almost… almost… cool enough to bring back for this recording, but I had to stay with my Gibson guitars and go back to the slide, even though I am the worst slide player on the planet Earth.

Speaking of guitars, everything here is a Gibson ES-335. All of the rhythm parts used a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The leads used that Fender and a Vox AC15. There is a Klon KTR overdrive pedal on all of the rhythm parts, and a RYRA The Klone on the leads because with each passing moment I become more and more obsessed with Klon style pedals. Shoot me.

You feel the change is coming
you know the end is near
the situation is numbing
and the next move is so clear

what’s with this lack of respect
where do they get off with that
its what you’ve come to expect
acting just like a brat

I get it
I do
they can’t keep up with you
he’s threatened
you know
he knows you’ll steal the show
it makes sense
you see
that fear would be the key
so stand up
be strong
don’t have to play along]]> 4944083 no no Mon, 13 Jul 2020 02:10:15 +0200 2020-07-13T02:10:15+02:00 5:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/illuminate-2020-version/
This is pretty much as prog rock as my feeble skills are capable of. There is a lot going on in this mix. Can you hear the piano doing wacky panning tricks during the choruses? Hell, can you hear the piano at all? There’s a buried super fuzzy guitar part, there’s two vocal tracks that are almost all reverb and delay. Most important: Guitarmonies!

Yeah, I might have bit off more than I can chew here, but I do like the song. Even if the choruses are really hard to sing in time.

I looked up my notes from 2013 and all it says about the lyrics is that it’s a song about a sunrise. I’ll buy that.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The rhythm parts used a Fender Bassbreaker 15 as their amp. The leads used both the Fender and a Vocx AC15. Also, KLON!

Verse 1
I look out
It looks back
I look in
It looks through

Verse 2
Look around
Look behind
Look outside yourself
Look inside

Chorus
See it shine
See it climb
See it radiate
see it rise
See it shine
All the time
See it illuminate
It is mine

Break
Do you see?]]>
This is pretty much as prog rock as my feeble skills are capable of. There is a lot going on in this mix. Can you hear the piano doing wacky panning tricks during the choruses? Hell, can you hear the piano at all? There’s a buried super fuzzy guitar part, there’s two vocal tracks that are almost all reverb and delay. Most important: Guitarmonies!

Yeah, I might have bit off more than I can chew here, but I do like the song. Even if the choruses are really hard to sing in time.

I looked up my notes from 2013 and all it says about the lyrics is that it’s a song about a sunrise. I’ll buy that.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The rhythm parts used a Fender Bassbreaker 15 as their amp. The leads used both the Fender and a Vocx AC15. Also, KLON!

Verse 1
I look out
It looks back
I look in
It looks through

Verse 2
Look around
Look behind
Look outside yourself
Look inside

Chorus
See it shine
See it climb
See it radiate
see it rise
See it shine
All the time
See it illuminate
It is mine

Break
Do you see?]]> 4941454 no no Sun, 12 Jul 2020 04:28:37 +0200 2020-07-12T04:28:37+02:00 2:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/should-have-been-mine-2020-version/
Is it the best song I’ve ever written? Not even close. Why then do I insist to myself that it’s the best song I’ve ever written? Why do I need this song to be a ton better than it is?

I think it was 2005… I was in a band, I think, but not the band I’m in now. I woke up from a good night’s sleep with this song almost entirely complete in my head. The lyrics in the verses weren’t there, but everything else was. Melody, riffs, bass lines, lyrics for the chorus (what little there are) were all there, fully formed. It’s not the only time that’s happened to me, but it was by far the best of the bunch.

But was it good? Also, why do I NEED it to be good? I didn’t do anything with it until 2007 when I first heard of the RPM Challenge. I was too late to join in for the month of February so I tried it a month later. This was the first thing I worked on. I didn’t finish writing it until 2011, and then I didn’t make a decent recording of it until 2012. In 2015, when I came up with the wacky idea to re-record some of my less awful music, it was the first song I worked on.

But is it worthy of all this effort? I just can’t tell! Yes? No? Maybe? I don’t know!

Anyway, I now have three versions of this song on this alonetone account. Hopefully this is better than the other two. I think it is, but is it? it’s faster… so it’s got that going for it.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The amps are a Fender Bassbreaker 15 for everything. The leads also have a Vox AC15 as well. Two amps, for the win.

when was the last time
I came out in front
guilty of some crime
I just don’t know what
I’m almost there now
almost just right
just one thing eludes me
one last thing to fight

It should have been mine

some sort of deception
some stone unturned
a misplaced confession
that left me burned
but its getting closer
this thing that I need
just beyond my reach now
I beg and I plead

when was the last time
I came out in front
guilty of some crime
I just don’t know what]]>
Is it the best song I’ve ever written? Not even close. Why then do I insist to myself that it’s the best song I’ve ever written? Why do I need this song to be a ton better than it is?

I think it was 2005… I was in a band, I think, but not the band I’m in now. I woke up from a good night’s sleep with this song almost entirely complete in my head. The lyrics in the verses weren’t there, but everything else was. Melody, riffs, bass lines, lyrics for the chorus (what little there are) were all there, fully formed. It’s not the only time that’s happened to me, but it was by far the best of the bunch.

But was it good? Also, why do I NEED it to be good? I didn’t do anything with it until 2007 when I first heard of the RPM Challenge. I was too late to join in for the month of February so I tried it a month later. This was the first thing I worked on. I didn’t finish writing it until 2011, and then I didn’t make a decent recording of it until 2012. In 2015, when I came up with the wacky idea to re-record some of my less awful music, it was the first song I worked on.

But is it worthy of all this effort? I just can’t tell! Yes? No? Maybe? I don’t know!

Anyway, I now have three versions of this song on this alonetone account. Hopefully this is better than the other two. I think it is, but is it? it’s faster… so it’s got that going for it.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The amps are a Fender Bassbreaker 15 for everything. The leads also have a Vox AC15 as well. Two amps, for the win.

when was the last time
I came out in front
guilty of some crime
I just don’t know what
I’m almost there now
almost just right
just one thing eludes me
one last thing to fight

It should have been mine

some sort of deception
some stone unturned
a misplaced confession
that left me burned
but its getting closer
this thing that I need
just beyond my reach now
I beg and I plead

when was the last time
I came out in front
guilty of some crime
I just don’t know what]]> 4935571 no no Fri, 10 Jul 2020 01:43:51 +0200 2020-07-10T01:43:51+02:00 3:48 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/so-frustrating-2020-version/
This song is as close as I have ever come to metal… and I did it in 3/4 time. Sorry, I just think that’s funny.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The rhythm parts were through a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads were through that amp and a Vox AC15 at the same time because using two amps at once is the textbook definition of awesome.

So frustrated
So fed up
so aggravated
I just want to scream

It never ends
It never tires
It never stops
It never expires
It never quits
It never retires
In never ceases
It opens fire

It is relentless
It is a power
It is eternal
It never cowers
It is a force
it can’t be countered
It is a hell
It pulls you downward]]>
This song is as close as I have ever come to metal… and I did it in 3/4 time. Sorry, I just think that’s funny.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The rhythm parts were through a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads were through that amp and a Vox AC15 at the same time because using two amps at once is the textbook definition of awesome.

So frustrated
So fed up
so aggravated
I just want to scream

It never ends
It never tires
It never stops
It never expires
It never quits
It never retires
In never ceases
It opens fire

It is relentless
It is a power
It is eternal
It never cowers
It is a force
it can’t be countered
It is a hell
It pulls you downward]]> 4932605 no no Thu, 09 Jul 2020 03:37:02 +0200 2020-07-09T03:37:02+02:00 3:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hurricane-time-again-2020-version/
The guitars here are all Gibson ES-335. The amps on the rhythm guitars are a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead has the Fender and a Vox AC15.

It’s raining again
Storm coming through
Batten down
What else can you do

Arthur arrives
The waves are high
Fourth of July
Try to stay dry

Hurricane time
You can’t run away
Try to hide
Stay inside

Wind and rain given a name
Sea and sky prepare to fly
Killer waves get carried away
Peaceful eye hole in the sky]]>
The guitars here are all Gibson ES-335. The amps on the rhythm guitars are a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead has the Fender and a Vox AC15.

It’s raining again
Storm coming through
Batten down
What else can you do

Arthur arrives
The waves are high
Fourth of July
Try to stay dry

Hurricane time
You can’t run away
Try to hide
Stay inside

Wind and rain given a name
Sea and sky prepare to fly
Killer waves get carried away
Peaceful eye hole in the sky]]> 4931664 no no Wed, 08 Jul 2020 19:10:07 +0200 2020-07-08T19:10:07+02:00 3:48 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/blind-eye-2020-version/
This one was originally written during the 2014 50/90. I think it’s the closest I’ll ever come to sounding like The Police… no offense to The Police.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The amps for the rhythm guitars are a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead ran through two amps. The Fender and a Vox AC15. I expect to be using two amps for most things going forward. For now at least.

when it happens don’t you turn a blind eye
when it comes around don’t be staring at the sky
pay attention to what’s happening right now
what you’re waiting for is standing right here

you’ve been waiting
all these years
you’ve been crying
all these tears

that’s all over now

she’s been hiding
in plain site
she’s been waiting
in the light]]>
This one was originally written during the 2014 50/90. I think it’s the closest I’ll ever come to sounding like The Police… no offense to The Police.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The amps for the rhythm guitars are a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead ran through two amps. The Fender and a Vox AC15. I expect to be using two amps for most things going forward. For now at least.

when it happens don’t you turn a blind eye
when it comes around don’t be staring at the sky
pay attention to what’s happening right now
what you’re waiting for is standing right here

you’ve been waiting
all these years
you’ve been crying
all these tears

that’s all over now

she’s been hiding
in plain site
she’s been waiting
in the light]]> 4931035 no no Wed, 08 Jul 2020 15:14:41 +0200 2020-07-08T15:14:41+02:00 2:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/pennsylvania-highway-blues-2020-version/
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The heavy fuzz tracks and the middle eight section used a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads and the lighter fuzz parts in the verses used a Vox AC15.

Verse 1
Taking a ride out on stressful highway #1
gotta keep that wheel steady until the morning comes

Verse 2
Stay in my lane and hope that everyone else does too
See them drift and sway tell me what am I gonna do

Chorus
can’t see anything to my front or to my back
They all push it way too fast and I just know we’re gonna crash]]>
The guitars are all Gibson ES-335. The heavy fuzz tracks and the middle eight section used a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads and the lighter fuzz parts in the verses used a Vox AC15.

Verse 1
Taking a ride out on stressful highway #1
gotta keep that wheel steady until the morning comes

Verse 2
Stay in my lane and hope that everyone else does too
See them drift and sway tell me what am I gonna do

Chorus
can’t see anything to my front or to my back
They all push it way too fast and I just know we’re gonna crash]]> 4915651 no no Sat, 04 Jul 2020 00:44:53 +0200 2020-07-04T00:44:53+02:00 4:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/killer-2020-version/
In 2015, after RPM ended, I asked myself, “now what?” The answer was to take a handful of songs from the previous few years worth of song writing and recording challenges and turn them into “an album.” I started a few songs but that was it. One year later I took it up again (and added this nugget) but didn’t get far. In 2019 I tried again. Now it’s 2020 and on top of doing an album in a month each month I am sneaking a few of these in as well. I’m hoping to get eight songs down for a sort of ep-ish thing.

This one is originally from the 2014 50/90. I wrote it about Robin Williams a day or two after he died.

The guitars here are all Gibson ES-335. The amp on all of the rhythm parts is a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The amp on the lead is a Vox AC15.

you never know who
you never know why
it’s lurking all everywhere
its hidden in their stare

its hard to understand
what makes them like this
you just can’t comprehend
so easy to dismiss

It’s a killer
No remorse

it festers in side
it never goes away
its so hard to hide
can’t get through the day

its hard to understand
what makes us like this
I just can’t comprehend
can no longer dismiss]]>
In 2015, after RPM ended, I asked myself, “now what?” The answer was to take a handful of songs from the previous few years worth of song writing and recording challenges and turn them into “an album.” I started a few songs but that was it. One year later I took it up again (and added this nugget) but didn’t get far. In 2019 I tried again. Now it’s 2020 and on top of doing an album in a month each month I am sneaking a few of these in as well. I’m hoping to get eight songs down for a sort of ep-ish thing.

This one is originally from the 2014 50/90. I wrote it about Robin Williams a day or two after he died.

The guitars here are all Gibson ES-335. The amp on all of the rhythm parts is a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The amp on the lead is a Vox AC15.

you never know who
you never know why
it’s lurking all everywhere
its hidden in their stare

its hard to understand
what makes them like this
you just can’t comprehend
so easy to dismiss

It’s a killer
No remorse

it festers in side
it never goes away
its so hard to hide
can’t get through the day

its hard to understand
what makes us like this
I just can’t comprehend
can no longer dismiss]]> 4914528 no no Fri, 03 Jul 2020 17:14:34 +0200 2020-07-03T17:14:34+02:00 3:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/gibberish/
Guitars are all ES-335 and amps are all Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a RYRA The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ‘70 into a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive, just the boost side. That means it’s a Fuzz pedal boosted by a Klon boosted by a Klon clone. If ever I’ve done anything insane, this is it.

A1
I’m someone
you’re someone
we’re something
anything

B1
You can’t tell me
We won’t come through
can you see me
like I see you

A2
I’m in it
you’re in it
we’re working
We’re winning

B2
Its amazing
its outstanding
its so crazy
understanding

B1

A1

A2]]>
Guitars are all ES-335 and amps are all Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a RYRA The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The leads used a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ‘70 into a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive, just the boost side. That means it’s a Fuzz pedal boosted by a Klon boosted by a Klon clone. If ever I’ve done anything insane, this is it.

A1
I’m someone
you’re someone
we’re something
anything

B1
You can’t tell me
We won’t come through
can you see me
like I see you

A2
I’m in it
you’re in it
we’re working
We’re winning

B2
Its amazing
its outstanding
its so crazy
understanding

B1

A1

A2]]> 4898400 no no Sun, 28 Jun 2020 02:31:02 +0200 2020-06-28T02:31:02+02:00 2:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/also-ran/
I really like this one. Literally everything about it. If I were actually releasing this month’s project as an album this would absolutely be the single and the first track. I really like this one. On some level I’ve been doing an album in a month each month as a way to sort of pre-write songs for next February’s RPM Challenge. If that’s the case then this one has already made the cut. I’m already thinking of things to do to improve it: a few beats per minute faster, maybe tune down from E to Eb to give the vocals a little help with the high notes. Also maybe hire a singer who doesn’t suck.

Two things about the lyrics. I was sitting in the living room with headphones on trying to figure out what to write. My wife and step daughter were there too and they were watching TV. I hit stop on the playback and heard a Joni Mitchell song coming from the TV. Well screw it, I am going to spend an hour or so listening to the most talented song writer I’ve ever heard. I put on Blue and disappeared for a while. I don’t listen to Joni Mitchell often, almost never. Why? She’s too good. She’s too talented. She’s too Earth shatteringly powerful as a writer, as a singer, as a musician. Normally when I listen to someone amazing it inspires me. Not Joni. Joni intimidates me. Joni scares me.

Not on that day (which actually was the first day of Summer, I think). Instead of my usual workflow of stream of consciousness lyric writing, I actually put time and effort into this one. I’m not saying it’s good, but I am saying I actually like what I did. Now if only I were a good enough singer to pull of the melody I wrote. There’s always one flaw, right?

The guitars are all a Gibson ES-335 Pro, the amps are all a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a RYRA The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod, and the leads used a Dunlop Crybaby into a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive. The little feedbacky thing at the end also used an MXR Uni-Vibe. I wasn’t planning on it. I just stomped on it about halfway through the part and really liked the way it sounded. Inspiration, as it were.

B
pour out a glass for the also rans
for it is they who stand for the losers like me
can’t you see

A1
first day of summer and I
can’t seem to fake my way through
first day of summer and I
can’t take much more

its like a dream I once had
that I forgot by morning
I always lose the thread and
can’t seem to get back

A2
first day of summer and I’ve
already given up hope
first day of summer and I
cut myself off

I let the mystery be
its way to much pain for me
I bang my head against each
wall that I come to]]>
I really like this one. Literally everything about it. If I were actually releasing this month’s project as an album this would absolutely be the single and the first track. I really like this one. On some level I’ve been doing an album in a month each month as a way to sort of pre-write songs for next February’s RPM Challenge. If that’s the case then this one has already made the cut. I’m already thinking of things to do to improve it: a few beats per minute faster, maybe tune down from E to Eb to give the vocals a little help with the high notes. Also maybe hire a singer who doesn’t suck.

Two things about the lyrics. I was sitting in the living room with headphones on trying to figure out what to write. My wife and step daughter were there too and they were watching TV. I hit stop on the playback and heard a Joni Mitchell song coming from the TV. Well screw it, I am going to spend an hour or so listening to the most talented song writer I’ve ever heard. I put on Blue and disappeared for a while. I don’t listen to Joni Mitchell often, almost never. Why? She’s too good. She’s too talented. She’s too Earth shatteringly powerful as a writer, as a singer, as a musician. Normally when I listen to someone amazing it inspires me. Not Joni. Joni intimidates me. Joni scares me.

Not on that day (which actually was the first day of Summer, I think). Instead of my usual workflow of stream of consciousness lyric writing, I actually put time and effort into this one. I’m not saying it’s good, but I am saying I actually like what I did. Now if only I were a good enough singer to pull of the melody I wrote. There’s always one flaw, right?

The guitars are all a Gibson ES-335 Pro, the amps are all a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a RYRA The Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod, and the leads used a Dunlop Crybaby into a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive. The little feedbacky thing at the end also used an MXR Uni-Vibe. I wasn’t planning on it. I just stomped on it about halfway through the part and really liked the way it sounded. Inspiration, as it were.

B
pour out a glass for the also rans
for it is they who stand for the losers like me
can’t you see

A1
first day of summer and I
can’t seem to fake my way through
first day of summer and I
can’t take much more

its like a dream I once had
that I forgot by morning
I always lose the thread and
can’t seem to get back

A2
first day of summer and I’ve
already given up hope
first day of summer and I
cut myself off

I let the mystery be
its way to much pain for me
I bang my head against each
wall that I come to]]> 4898176 no no Sun, 28 Jun 2020 01:44:59 +0200 2020-06-28T01:44:59+02:00 3:59 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sometimes-you-just-cant-believe-the-stupid/
I kinda like this one… almost. I should have spent more time on the lead guitar, and the melody is a little tough for my voice. I should have found a better key. Lyrically, if you are curious what is getting me all pissed off today, might I suggest listening to the third verse? Sometimes you really can’t believe the stupid.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The rhythm used a RYRA The Klone overdrive pedal. The lead used an MXR Phase 90, a Klon KTR, and a Keeley D&M Drive. The last solo used a Dunlop Crybaby instead of the Phase 90.

Chorus
sometimes
you just can’t
believe
The stupid

somedays
you don’t see
stupid
coming

Verse 1
there’s a point at whcih
its all just too much
how can anyone
be this moronic

Verse 2
take a second to
realize its this bad
you just can’t believe
they are that stupid

Verse 3
wear the face mask
just wear the damn thing
wear the face mask
just wear the damn thing]]>
I kinda like this one… almost. I should have spent more time on the lead guitar, and the melody is a little tough for my voice. I should have found a better key. Lyrically, if you are curious what is getting me all pissed off today, might I suggest listening to the third verse? Sometimes you really can’t believe the stupid.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The rhythm used a RYRA The Klone overdrive pedal. The lead used an MXR Phase 90, a Klon KTR, and a Keeley D&M Drive. The last solo used a Dunlop Crybaby instead of the Phase 90.

Chorus
sometimes
you just can’t
believe
The stupid

somedays
you don’t see
stupid
coming

Verse 1
there’s a point at whcih
its all just too much
how can anyone
be this moronic

Verse 2
take a second to
realize its this bad
you just can’t believe
they are that stupid

Verse 3
wear the face mask
just wear the damn thing
wear the face mask
just wear the damn thing]]> 4897907 no no Sat, 27 Jun 2020 23:14:58 +0200 2020-06-27T23:14:58+02:00 3:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/a-really-bad-day/
I use this gimmick way too much but I do have fun with it. The bass guitar part on this song an eight bar loop and it never changes from start to finish (with the exception of the quick little key change).

I have to admit that I kinda like this one. The mix is a bit of a mess. Anytime you use a fuzz pedal on a guitar it turns everything into an adventure. Strangely, while I don’t really care for the vocals, the lyrics and the melody are working for me. That’s pretty rare.

The cleanish rhythm guitar in the verses is a Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The heavy parts added a Wren and Cuff Super Russian after the Ryra. The lead is the same guitar and the same amp but the pedals are a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side).

Chorus
This is a real bad day

Verse 1 and 3
It is the way of things
you know that you can see what the future brings
they say it goes that way when you pull the strings
I feel it comes along with the territory wind the spring

Verse 2
Its where the devil lives
details buried inside darkness never gives
away its thoughts and finds where the meaning is
under the secrets hidden in places that are just his]]>
I use this gimmick way too much but I do have fun with it. The bass guitar part on this song an eight bar loop and it never changes from start to finish (with the exception of the quick little key change).

I have to admit that I kinda like this one. The mix is a bit of a mess. Anytime you use a fuzz pedal on a guitar it turns everything into an adventure. Strangely, while I don’t really care for the vocals, the lyrics and the melody are working for me. That’s pretty rare.

The cleanish rhythm guitar in the verses is a Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra The Klone into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The heavy parts added a Wren and Cuff Super Russian after the Ryra. The lead is the same guitar and the same amp but the pedals are a Klon KTR into a Keeley D&M Drive (just the Dan side).

Chorus
This is a real bad day

Verse 1 and 3
It is the way of things
you know that you can see what the future brings
they say it goes that way when you pull the strings
I feel it comes along with the territory wind the spring

Verse 2
Its where the devil lives
details buried inside darkness never gives
away its thoughts and finds where the meaning is
under the secrets hidden in places that are just his]]> 4895837 no no Sat, 27 Jun 2020 04:20:32 +0200 2020-06-27T04:20:32+02:00 2:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/give-me-a-chance/
Rhythm guitar is an Gibson ES-335 to a Ryra The Klone to a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Lead is the same with a Keeley Super Phat Mod just before the amp.

Chorus
I want to tell you
I want to show you
I want to be you
just me just you
If I could make you
If I could take you
Give me a chance to come through

Verse 1
I give up
its over
tell me
you see

I knew I
would be here
living
giving

Verse 2
it comes to
the ending
witnessed
finished

just answer
one question
trial
final]]>
Rhythm guitar is an Gibson ES-335 to a Ryra The Klone to a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Lead is the same with a Keeley Super Phat Mod just before the amp.

Chorus
I want to tell you
I want to show you
I want to be you
just me just you
If I could make you
If I could take you
Give me a chance to come through

Verse 1
I give up
its over
tell me
you see

I knew I
would be here
living
giving

Verse 2
it comes to
the ending
witnessed
finished

just answer
one question
trial
final]]> 4895793 no no Sat, 27 Jun 2020 03:36:43 +0200 2020-06-27T03:36:43+02:00 3:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-inevitable-breakdown/
If this were the kind of project where I dropped the bad songs, I think this would be on the drop list. The melody is actually okay. The lyrics aren’t my worst. The music is just kinda blah. I did use some woman tone in the guitar solo though. There’s also a groovy panning thing. The guitar solo in the middle of the song is two guitars. They overlap as the first guitar stops and the second starts. At that point the first guitar pans off to one side and the second pans into the middle from the other side.

Other than that… there’s not much here.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra the Klone pedal into a Keeley Super Phat Mod pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
its time now to stop all this
can no longer take the risk
When we stand the world will shake
its time now to come awake

Verse 1
How can we live with ourselves now
we are the cause of this fall out
with the inevitable break down
this is the end game come for us

Verse 2
still can’t believe it’s gone this bad
its like the whole world has been had
a victim of this insane fad
we are all neck deep in it now]]>
If this were the kind of project where I dropped the bad songs, I think this would be on the drop list. The melody is actually okay. The lyrics aren’t my worst. The music is just kinda blah. I did use some woman tone in the guitar solo though. There’s also a groovy panning thing. The guitar solo in the middle of the song is two guitars. They overlap as the first guitar stops and the second starts. At that point the first guitar pans off to one side and the second pans into the middle from the other side.

Other than that… there’s not much here.

All of the guitars are a Gibson ES-335 into a Ryra the Klone pedal into a Keeley Super Phat Mod pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
its time now to stop all this
can no longer take the risk
When we stand the world will shake
its time now to come awake

Verse 1
How can we live with ourselves now
we are the cause of this fall out
with the inevitable break down
this is the end game come for us

Verse 2
still can’t believe it’s gone this bad
its like the whole world has been had
a victim of this insane fad
we are all neck deep in it now]]> 4893018 no no Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:10:00 +0200 2020-06-26T03:10:00+02:00 3:38 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/its-just-the-way-things-go/
I also think 90 beats per minute is as fast as any of the songs this month get. That can’t be true, but it might be.

Also, did you know that one of the GarageBand session drummers played with brushes? I sure didn’t.

The signal path for all the guitar parts is an ES-335 to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod to a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads put a Crybaby wah ahead of the Ryra.

Chorus
call me crazy but it seems so real how everything is screwed
give me one last chance for declarations everything is new

Verse 1
as bad as its been it always gets worse forever
you know you can’t win as if you’ve been cursed whatever

Verse 2
Its sort of the way that everything ends disaster
Its like they all say it always depends hereafter

Bridge
its just the way things go
its just the way things go
just want to let you know
just let it end gracefully]]>
I also think 90 beats per minute is as fast as any of the songs this month get. That can’t be true, but it might be.

Also, did you know that one of the GarageBand session drummers played with brushes? I sure didn’t.

The signal path for all the guitar parts is an ES-335 to a Ryra The Klone to a Keeley Super Phat Mod to a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads put a Crybaby wah ahead of the Ryra.

Chorus
call me crazy but it seems so real how everything is screwed
give me one last chance for declarations everything is new

Verse 1
as bad as its been it always gets worse forever
you know you can’t win as if you’ve been cursed whatever

Verse 2
Its sort of the way that everything ends disaster
Its like they all say it always depends hereafter

Bridge
its just the way things go
its just the way things go
just want to let you know
just let it end gracefully]]> 4890047 no no Thu, 25 Jun 2020 03:49:37 +0200 2020-06-25T03:49:37+02:00 3:25 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/its-about-to-get-crazy-here/
I like playing over a 6/8 groove, but I don’t know if this one is holding up for me. I don’t dislike it entirely, but it seems lacking somehow. I almost like the lyrics but I think I should have found a better musical match for them.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Fender Bassbreaker. The pedal chain for the rhythm parts is a RYRA the Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The lead swapped a Wren and Cuff Super Russian for the Keeley. Super!

Chorus
Its about to get crazy here
its about to get weird
there is no other way
Its about to get crazy here

Verse 1 and 3
So you have no idea
what is coming for you
There’s no other way out
no you haven’t a clue

Verse 2
everything fell apart
when you opened the door
it comes tumbling down
and you can’t take much more]]>
I like playing over a 6/8 groove, but I don’t know if this one is holding up for me. I don’t dislike it entirely, but it seems lacking somehow. I almost like the lyrics but I think I should have found a better musical match for them.

The guitars are all Gibson ES-335 into a Fender Bassbreaker. The pedal chain for the rhythm parts is a RYRA the Klone into a Keeley Super Phat Mod. The lead swapped a Wren and Cuff Super Russian for the Keeley. Super!

Chorus
Its about to get crazy here
its about to get weird
there is no other way
Its about to get crazy here

Verse 1 and 3
So you have no idea
what is coming for you
There’s no other way out
no you haven’t a clue

Verse 2
everything fell apart
when you opened the door
it comes tumbling down
and you can’t take much more]]> 4882417 no no Mon, 22 Jun 2020 13:14:57 +0200 2020-06-22T13:14:57+02:00 3:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/we-always-know/
There’s one little thing here that screwed up GarageBand in a big way. The chorus is a four bar phrase where the first two bars are in 4/4, the third bar is in 3/4, and the last bar is in 4/4. To the best of my limited knowledge, GarageBand doesn’t let you change time signatures. I beat this by making the four bar phrase a single bar of 15/4. It made the session drummer a little weird, and it was brutal punching in where the count off was 15 beats instead of four, but otherwise it got the job done.

The guitars are all ES-335 Pro, the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a RYRA The Klone pedal. The lead used that pedal and a Keeley Super Phat Mod.

Verse 1
Is this letting go
never felt so low
let my feelings show

never come around
never heard a sound
put me in the ground

I have to say
never felt this way
lost in yesterday
its a prison

a catastrophe
never let me be
whats it mean to me

Half Chorus
the story goes - its always moving
it goes to show - we always know

Half Verse
feel like giving up
its just all too much
don’t know who to trust

if you say to me
that it’s got to be
I will never see

Chorus
the story goes - its always moving
it’s moving slow - you’re disaproving
is this the way - that things are going
it goes to show - we always know

Break
know your right - tonight
Know the way - for today
pay the cost - you lost
all the same - just a game

Half verse quiet
Is this letting go
never felt so low
let my feelings show

never come around
never heard a sound
put me in the ground]]>
There’s one little thing here that screwed up GarageBand in a big way. The chorus is a four bar phrase where the first two bars are in 4/4, the third bar is in 3/4, and the last bar is in 4/4. To the best of my limited knowledge, GarageBand doesn’t let you change time signatures. I beat this by making the four bar phrase a single bar of 15/4. It made the session drummer a little weird, and it was brutal punching in where the count off was 15 beats instead of four, but otherwise it got the job done.

The guitars are all ES-335 Pro, the amps are all Fender Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm used a RYRA The Klone pedal. The lead used that pedal and a Keeley Super Phat Mod.

Verse 1
Is this letting go
never felt so low
let my feelings show

never come around
never heard a sound
put me in the ground

I have to say
never felt this way
lost in yesterday
its a prison

a catastrophe
never let me be
whats it mean to me

Half Chorus
the story goes - its always moving
it goes to show - we always know

Half Verse
feel like giving up
its just all too much
don’t know who to trust

if you say to me
that it’s got to be
I will never see

Chorus
the story goes - its always moving
it’s moving slow - you’re disaproving
is this the way - that things are going
it goes to show - we always know

Break
know your right - tonight
Know the way - for today
pay the cost - you lost
all the same - just a game

Half verse quiet
Is this letting go
never felt so low
let my feelings show

never come around
never heard a sound
put me in the ground]]> 4880979 no no Sun, 21 Jun 2020 23:18:02 +0200 2020-06-21T23:18:02+02:00 6:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/division/
The rhythm guitars are an ES-335 Pro to a RYRA The Klone pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same with a Keeley Super Phat Mod added before the amp.

Chorus
we’ve come to the point at last
we’re making the choice at last
we speak with one voice
division destroys
there’s no other way to this point

Verse 1
Don’t look down
come around
take your fill
what you will

Verse 2
Take the chance
make the stance
Its a choice
use your voice

Verse 3
Lost and found
gone to ground
See the sky
See it fly]]>
The rhythm guitars are an ES-335 Pro to a RYRA The Klone pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is the same with a Keeley Super Phat Mod added before the amp.

Chorus
we’ve come to the point at last
we’re making the choice at last
we speak with one voice
division destroys
there’s no other way to this point

Verse 1
Don’t look down
come around
take your fill
what you will

Verse 2
Take the chance
make the stance
Its a choice
use your voice

Verse 3
Lost and found
gone to ground
See the sky
See it fly]]> 4878828 no no Sun, 21 Jun 2020 04:45:35 +0200 2020-06-21T04:45:35+02:00 3:39 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/emptiness/
I broke my album-in-a-month challenge rule that says once you get a take you don’t redo it. I did all of the rhythm guitars twice. Oh well.

All of the guitars are an ES-335 pro into a RYRA The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
Its all around us - emptiness
its every where now - the vastness
we can’t concieve it
we can’t believe it
we can’t unsee it
emptiness

Verse 1
around me
inside me
about me
outside me

between you
within you
about you
without you

Verse 2
among us
include us
about us
exclude us

Verse 3
around me
inside me
about me
outside me]]>
I broke my album-in-a-month challenge rule that says once you get a take you don’t redo it. I did all of the rhythm guitars twice. Oh well.

All of the guitars are an ES-335 pro into a RYRA The Klone and a Keeley Super Phat Mod into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
Its all around us - emptiness
its every where now - the vastness
we can’t concieve it
we can’t believe it
we can’t unsee it
emptiness

Verse 1
around me
inside me
about me
outside me

between you
within you
about you
without you

Verse 2
among us
include us
about us
exclude us

Verse 3
around me
inside me
about me
outside me]]> 4878774 no no Sun, 21 Jun 2020 03:47:00 +0200 2020-06-21T03:47:00+02:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/condemned/
The lyrics are another fuck you, wear a mask. There’s a global pandemic, stop being a selfish prick. I feel kinda strongly about this… you assholes.

This is actually the 11th song in a 10 song project. Why? I don’t know, I just felt like it. It’s actually the 12th song, but song #9 never got past the noodling on my iPad stage.

Rhythm guitar is Les Paul to KTR to Bassbreaker 15. Lead is ES 335 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
Comes a time
when you find
its the end

Comes a time
when you find
you’re condemed

Verse 1
it’s simple to say
its my way
its harder to act
the right way

but given the chance
to not stray
they take up the stance
its my way

Verse 2
There’s no turning back
from chaos
you’ve missed your last chance
betrayed us

You could do it right
and stand tall
you could be the light
but you fall]]>
The lyrics are another fuck you, wear a mask. There’s a global pandemic, stop being a selfish prick. I feel kinda strongly about this… you assholes.

This is actually the 11th song in a 10 song project. Why? I don’t know, I just felt like it. It’s actually the 12th song, but song #9 never got past the noodling on my iPad stage.

Rhythm guitar is Les Paul to KTR to Bassbreaker 15. Lead is ES 335 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
Comes a time
when you find
its the end

Comes a time
when you find
you’re condemed

Verse 1
it’s simple to say
its my way
its harder to act
the right way

but given the chance
to not stray
they take up the stance
its my way

Verse 2
There’s no turning back
from chaos
you’ve missed your last chance
betrayed us

You could do it right
and stand tall
you could be the light
but you fall]]> 4803902 no no Sat, 30 May 2020 04:01:43 +0200 2020-05-30T04:01:43+02:00 5:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-know-you/
This one was supposed to take a little noddle that I do on the guitar all the time (I hit an open string and play scale patterns on the adjacent string) and it sort of worked. In the March and April projects I restricted myself to one guitar, one amp, and one pedal. This month I took those restrictions away and still generally only used a couple of pedals. I forced myself to use fuzz on the rhythm guitars here just because I could and wouldn’t you know it, buried in the mix. I had to crank them pretty hard to get them to cut through a little.

Lyrically this song is a fuck you to all the american fascists who think wearing a mask during a global pandemic is somehow infringing on their Constitutional rights. The Supreme Court says it isn’t, and I think they know better than some nazi wannabee you found on youtube. Fuck you. Wear a mask.

Rhythm guitar is Les Paul to Tri Pi 70 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15. Lead is ES 335 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
you act like the people you’re talking about can’t even hear you
Yes, they can hear you
you act like the people you’re going to kill can’t even hear you
Yes, they can hear you
(the last time through should be:
Yes, we can hear you)

Verse 1 and 3
I see your face
I hear your voice
its what you do
you make your choice

Its what you say
it is your view
its not your life
I know its you

I know you

Verse 2
it is the way
that you deny
an other’s life
you’d let them die

it is the way
that you ignore
the simple truth
that you are wrong

I know you]]>
This one was supposed to take a little noddle that I do on the guitar all the time (I hit an open string and play scale patterns on the adjacent string) and it sort of worked. In the March and April projects I restricted myself to one guitar, one amp, and one pedal. This month I took those restrictions away and still generally only used a couple of pedals. I forced myself to use fuzz on the rhythm guitars here just because I could and wouldn’t you know it, buried in the mix. I had to crank them pretty hard to get them to cut through a little.

Lyrically this song is a fuck you to all the american fascists who think wearing a mask during a global pandemic is somehow infringing on their Constitutional rights. The Supreme Court says it isn’t, and I think they know better than some nazi wannabee you found on youtube. Fuck you. Wear a mask.

Rhythm guitar is Les Paul to Tri Pi 70 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15. Lead is ES 335 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
you act like the people you’re talking about can’t even hear you
Yes, they can hear you
you act like the people you’re going to kill can’t even hear you
Yes, they can hear you
(the last time through should be:
Yes, we can hear you)

Verse 1 and 3
I see your face
I hear your voice
its what you do
you make your choice

Its what you say
it is your view
its not your life
I know its you

I know you

Verse 2
it is the way
that you deny
an other’s life
you’d let them die

it is the way
that you ignore
the simple truth
that you are wrong

I know you]]> 4803588 no no Sat, 30 May 2020 00:50:38 +0200 2020-05-30T00:50:38+02:00 4:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/too-confusing/
The drones run the entire length of the song. It’s three guitars with tons and tons of reverb and some delay and some rotary speaker for luck. I turned the volume on the guitar all the way down, hit a low E, swelled the volume up quickly, and held the note until it started to fade. Then I lowered the volume and repeated… for the whole song. Once I had that track, I did it twice more, making sure I didn’t drop the volume down at the same spot on any of the three tracks. Boom. 6+ minute fake drone thing.

Why? I honestly can’t say. It seemed like a good idea at 1:00 in the morning when I wrote the song. What can ya do, right?

Rhythm guitar is Les Paul to KTR to Bassbreaker 15. The drone is the same with a Tri Pi ’70 (Big Muff Pi clone) in front of the KTR. Lead is 335 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15 with the bright switch on. While I was recording, the bright switch was like a revelation. While mixing… not so much.

Verse 1
If I can get through today
Find a way
Come what may
If I can do it again
So what then
Just say when

Verse 2
Never set out to the world
Take my word
For a whirl
Give me one kick at the can
Take the land
Like a man

Chorus
Things are crazy
Nothing doing
Thinking maybe
Too confusing
Take it lightly
It will beat you
Speak concisely
Total break through]]>
The drones run the entire length of the song. It’s three guitars with tons and tons of reverb and some delay and some rotary speaker for luck. I turned the volume on the guitar all the way down, hit a low E, swelled the volume up quickly, and held the note until it started to fade. Then I lowered the volume and repeated… for the whole song. Once I had that track, I did it twice more, making sure I didn’t drop the volume down at the same spot on any of the three tracks. Boom. 6+ minute fake drone thing.

Why? I honestly can’t say. It seemed like a good idea at 1:00 in the morning when I wrote the song. What can ya do, right?

Rhythm guitar is Les Paul to KTR to Bassbreaker 15. The drone is the same with a Tri Pi ’70 (Big Muff Pi clone) in front of the KTR. Lead is 335 to KTR to Bassbreaker 15 with the bright switch on. While I was recording, the bright switch was like a revelation. While mixing… not so much.

Verse 1
If I can get through today
Find a way
Come what may
If I can do it again
So what then
Just say when

Verse 2
Never set out to the world
Take my word
For a whirl
Give me one kick at the can
Take the land
Like a man

Chorus
Things are crazy
Nothing doing
Thinking maybe
Too confusing
Take it lightly
It will beat you
Speak concisely
Total break through]]> 4799895 no no Fri, 29 May 2020 02:16:38 +0200 2020-05-29T02:16:38+02:00 6:17 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/me-myself-and-i/
The second half was just supposed to be a break in the middle but when I moved it to the end it sort of felt right. I know I am overusing the reverse function in GarageBand but I couldn’t not put a reverse echo on this thing somewhere… so I way over did it and ended up with like a minute and a half of reverse echo. It’s glorious!

w w w WAY DOWN INSIDE
w w w WOMAN
y y y YOU NEED
l l l LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE

Sorry, I can’t help it.

Rhythm for the main song is Les Paul -> Tri Pi 70 -> KTR -> Bassbreaker 15.

Rhythm for the outro is Les Paul -> Uni Vibe -> KTR -> Yellow Fall (for slap back) -> Bassbreaker 15.

Lead is ES 335 -> KTR -> OCD -> Bassbreaker 15

Verse A1
I’m taking
what I want
No questions
No detente

Verse B1
Looking out for yourself
out for yourself

Chorus
Me, myself
I will do
what I want
hell with you

Me, myself
I alone
get it all
my own

Verse A2
My comfort
My privilege
My summer
You dying

Verse B2
Your life is in my way
it’s in my way]]>
The second half was just supposed to be a break in the middle but when I moved it to the end it sort of felt right. I know I am overusing the reverse function in GarageBand but I couldn’t not put a reverse echo on this thing somewhere… so I way over did it and ended up with like a minute and a half of reverse echo. It’s glorious!

w w w WAY DOWN INSIDE
w w w WOMAN
y y y YOU NEED
l l l LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE

Sorry, I can’t help it.

Rhythm for the main song is Les Paul -> Tri Pi 70 -> KTR -> Bassbreaker 15.

Rhythm for the outro is Les Paul -> Uni Vibe -> KTR -> Yellow Fall (for slap back) -> Bassbreaker 15.

Lead is ES 335 -> KTR -> OCD -> Bassbreaker 15

Verse A1
I’m taking
what I want
No questions
No detente

Verse B1
Looking out for yourself
out for yourself

Chorus
Me, myself
I will do
what I want
hell with you

Me, myself
I alone
get it all
my own

Verse A2
My comfort
My privilege
My summer
You dying

Verse B2
Your life is in my way
it’s in my way]]> Tri Pi 70 -> KTR -> Bassbreaker 15. Rhythm for the outro is Les Paul -> Uni Vibe -> KTR -> Yellow Fall (for slap back) -> Bassbreaker 15. Lead is ES 335 -> KTR -> OCD -> Bassbreaker 15 Verse A1 I’m taking what I want No questions No detente Verse B1 Looking out for yourself out for yourself Chorus Me, myself I will do what I want hell with you Me, myself I alone get it all my own Verse A2 My comfort My privilege My summer You dying Verse B2 Your life is in my way it’s in my way]]> 4784914 no no Mon, 25 May 2020 18:39:26 +0200 2020-05-25T18:39:26+02:00 3:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/so-long-childhood/
The rhythm guitars are a Les Paul into a RYRA The Klone pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are an ES 335 into a KTR into an OCD into the Bassbreaker. While mixing this I was shocked that I let lead takes as awful as these get through the QC process. Damn this are sloppy and bad.

Chorus
So far so good
So long child hood

Verse 1
I’ll let you know
When you can go
It’s moving slow
Take your sweet time

It comes around
It could be found
It’s gone to ground
This is mine

Verse 2 and 3
No giving in
Can’t let it win
It is a sin
See it my way

I’ll tell you how
The time is now
A sacred vow
Come what may]]>
The rhythm guitars are a Les Paul into a RYRA The Klone pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are an ES 335 into a KTR into an OCD into the Bassbreaker. While mixing this I was shocked that I let lead takes as awful as these get through the QC process. Damn this are sloppy and bad.

Chorus
So far so good
So long child hood

Verse 1
I’ll let you know
When you can go
It’s moving slow
Take your sweet time

It comes around
It could be found
It’s gone to ground
This is mine

Verse 2 and 3
No giving in
Can’t let it win
It is a sin
See it my way

I’ll tell you how
The time is now
A sacred vow
Come what may]]> 4782029 no no Mon, 25 May 2020 03:31:04 +0200 2020-05-25T03:31:04+02:00 3:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/blue/
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The rhythm only used a RYRA The Klone overdrive pedal. The lead had a Klon KTR, a Fulltone OCD, a cheap little delay whose name I forget, and a TC Hall of Fame mini reverb.

A
And I see you
where you should be
color me blue
Show me how to get through

B
I could tell you something
you don’t know
you could possibly bring
the get go

C
I see you
you see me
we’re together now
I know who
we each need
we’re together now]]>
The guitars are all Gibson Les Paul into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The rhythm only used a RYRA The Klone overdrive pedal. The lead had a Klon KTR, a Fulltone OCD, a cheap little delay whose name I forget, and a TC Hall of Fame mini reverb.

A
And I see you
where you should be
color me blue
Show me how to get through

B
I could tell you something
you don’t know
you could possibly bring
the get go

C
I see you
you see me
we’re together now
I know who
we each need
we’re together now]]> 4781088 no no Sun, 24 May 2020 21:07:08 +0200 2020-05-24T21:07:08+02:00 3:16 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/all-for-nothing/
A couple of things here. First, I don’t really know what I was going for. Quiet, slow, boring? Probably not boring, but there you go. The cool thing happens in the last 8-12 bars or so. First, last month I finally noticed the little reverse playback function in GarageBand audio tracks. Have I been over using it since then? Yeah, a little, but this is different.

The whole song has two rhythm guitars, one panned hard left and one panned hard right. Under the solo that closes things out, I took those two tracks and reversed them. Just for the eight bar phrase. I then added a third guitar track where I played along with the backwards tracks. It was tricky to do because everything fell on the wrong beats and it got confusing quickly. Fortunately, the part I had playing backward was insanely easy so it wasn’t too bad to figure out.

Once I had a track where the changes lined up with my reversed tracks, I re-reversed the two guitar tracks so that they played forward again, and then I reversed the third track and blamm-o, you have a groovy effect. I then panned that backwards track back and forth for the whole eight bars, and added an extra little bit at the end where I played one Eminor chord that rung out for a couple of bars and then reversed that too.

The guitars are all Les Paul, the amps are all Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a RYRA The Klone. The lead used a Phase 90, a KTR, and a Hall of Fame mini.

Chorus
Its all for nothing
Its all for nothing
Its all for nothing
it feels bad
it feels wrong
Its all for nothing

Verse 1
reassure me
Not too sure
so osbcure this
given
one chance
close the door

Verse 2
picture me here
do you see
you could be there
rephrase
always
living free]]>
A couple of things here. First, I don’t really know what I was going for. Quiet, slow, boring? Probably not boring, but there you go. The cool thing happens in the last 8-12 bars or so. First, last month I finally noticed the little reverse playback function in GarageBand audio tracks. Have I been over using it since then? Yeah, a little, but this is different.

The whole song has two rhythm guitars, one panned hard left and one panned hard right. Under the solo that closes things out, I took those two tracks and reversed them. Just for the eight bar phrase. I then added a third guitar track where I played along with the backwards tracks. It was tricky to do because everything fell on the wrong beats and it got confusing quickly. Fortunately, the part I had playing backward was insanely easy so it wasn’t too bad to figure out.

Once I had a track where the changes lined up with my reversed tracks, I re-reversed the two guitar tracks so that they played forward again, and then I reversed the third track and blamm-o, you have a groovy effect. I then panned that backwards track back and forth for the whole eight bars, and added an extra little bit at the end where I played one Eminor chord that rung out for a couple of bars and then reversed that too.

The guitars are all Les Paul, the amps are all Bassbreaker 15. The rhythm parts used a RYRA The Klone. The lead used a Phase 90, a KTR, and a Hall of Fame mini.

Chorus
Its all for nothing
Its all for nothing
Its all for nothing
it feels bad
it feels wrong
Its all for nothing

Verse 1
reassure me
Not too sure
so osbcure this
given
one chance
close the door

Verse 2
picture me here
do you see
you could be there
rephrase
always
living free]]> 4777132 no no Sun, 24 May 2020 00:24:18 +0200 2020-05-24T00:24:18+02:00 4:03 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/bury-myself/
Lyrically… I think this COVID-19 lock down shit might be getting to me.

All the guitars are a Les Paul into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The rhythm guitar also used a RYRA The Klone. The leads used a KTR, a uni-vibe, and a Hall of Fame mini.

Chorus
Somedays I just want to dig a hole and crawl in
bury myself
bury myself
somedays I just want to climb a mountain and then
throw myself off
throw myself off

Verses
the trouble with me
what could it all be
I’m trying to see
if this is the key
something
nothing
maybe
the trouble with me
I wish I could see]]>
Lyrically… I think this COVID-19 lock down shit might be getting to me.

All the guitars are a Les Paul into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 amp. The rhythm guitar also used a RYRA The Klone. The leads used a KTR, a uni-vibe, and a Hall of Fame mini.

Chorus
Somedays I just want to dig a hole and crawl in
bury myself
bury myself
somedays I just want to climb a mountain and then
throw myself off
throw myself off

Verses
the trouble with me
what could it all be
I’m trying to see
if this is the key
something
nothing
maybe
the trouble with me
I wish I could see]]> 4775959 no no Sat, 23 May 2020 21:03:59 +0200 2020-05-23T21:03:59+02:00 3:16 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/were-in-this-together/
Rhythm guitars are my Les Paul into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my ES-335 Pro into a RYRA The Klone overdrive pedal into the Bassbreaker 15. There’s a whole story to explain why I used the 335 but I’m saving that for a blog post. I might link it here later (see below).

Chorus
We’re in this together
If it takes forever
We’re in this together
If it takes forever
its for our friends and neighbors
we make this sacrifice

Verse 1
We take this hit for each other
its for our sisters and brothers
We take this hit for each other
its for our sisters and brothers
together we can make it work
we do this for one another

Bridge
If its to much for you
Don’t think you can get through
If its to much for you
Don’t think you can get through
Don’t care, Don’t care
if you think this is true

Verse 2
Its like we’re called in to service
although it makes us all nervous
Its like we’re called in to service
although it makes us all nervous
so maybe if we do this right
we might get out of this circus

https://robertjames1971.blog/2020/05/22/out-of-retirement/]]>
Rhythm guitars are my Les Paul into a Klon KTR overdrive pedal into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are my ES-335 Pro into a RYRA The Klone overdrive pedal into the Bassbreaker 15. There’s a whole story to explain why I used the 335 but I’m saving that for a blog post. I might link it here later (see below).

Chorus
We’re in this together
If it takes forever
We’re in this together
If it takes forever
its for our friends and neighbors
we make this sacrifice

Verse 1
We take this hit for each other
its for our sisters and brothers
We take this hit for each other
its for our sisters and brothers
together we can make it work
we do this for one another

Bridge
If its to much for you
Don’t think you can get through
If its to much for you
Don’t think you can get through
Don’t care, Don’t care
if you think this is true

Verse 2
Its like we’re called in to service
although it makes us all nervous
Its like we’re called in to service
although it makes us all nervous
so maybe if we do this right
we might get out of this circus

https://robertjames1971.blog/2020/05/22/out-of-retirement/]]> 4771380 no no Sat, 23 May 2020 02:17:41 +0200 2020-05-23T02:17:41+02:00 5:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-sun/
The guitars are all Les Paul.

Chorus
No sun, no sun light
No sun, no sun shine
Inside, stay inside
till the, end of time

Verse 1
No sun rise
No sun shine
No light for you
the darkness
consuming
all things you do

Verse 2
The darkness
is total
its lights out time
the absense
of sunlight
is just a crime

Break
darkness
no sun
absense
of light
I’m giving up

on everything
darkness
no sun]]>
The guitars are all Les Paul.

Chorus
No sun, no sun light
No sun, no sun shine
Inside, stay inside
till the, end of time

Verse 1
No sun rise
No sun shine
No light for you
the darkness
consuming
all things you do

Verse 2
The darkness
is total
its lights out time
the absense
of sunlight
is just a crime

Break
darkness
no sun
absense
of light
I’m giving up

on everything
darkness
no sun]]> 4759821 no no Thu, 21 May 2020 02:20:30 +0200 2020-05-21T02:20:30+02:00 2:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-give-up/
I did the RPM Challenge in February.
In March I did another one… just because.
In April I did the COVID-19 RPM Challenge Bonus edition.
In May I am doing another one… just because.

The music here is a gimmick. With the exception of the two little short bridges, all of the sections are the same just in different keys.

The rhythm guitars are a Gibson Les Paul to Klon KTR to the Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are the same Les Paul to the same KTR to a Fulltone OCD to a Mooer (I think) Yellowfall delay for a little slapback, to a TC Electronic Hall of Fame Mini to the same Fender Bassbreaker 15. I really need to stop listing all of this stuff.

Chorus
the trick to making it through
is not to care
won’t matter what else you do
you’re just not there

Verse 1
I give up
I give up
No way out
no way out

Verse 2
time has come
time has come
No fight left
No fight left

Verse 3
I give up
I give up
No fight left
No fight left]]>
I did the RPM Challenge in February.
In March I did another one… just because.
In April I did the COVID-19 RPM Challenge Bonus edition.
In May I am doing another one… just because.

The music here is a gimmick. With the exception of the two little short bridges, all of the sections are the same just in different keys.

The rhythm guitars are a Gibson Les Paul to Klon KTR to the Fender Bassbreaker 15. The leads are the same Les Paul to the same KTR to a Fulltone OCD to a Mooer (I think) Yellowfall delay for a little slapback, to a TC Electronic Hall of Fame Mini to the same Fender Bassbreaker 15. I really need to stop listing all of this stuff.

Chorus
the trick to making it through
is not to care
won’t matter what else you do
you’re just not there

Verse 1
I give up
I give up
No way out
no way out

Verse 2
time has come
time has come
No fight left
No fight left

Verse 3
I give up
I give up
No fight left
No fight left]]> 4759750 no no Thu, 21 May 2020 01:27:18 +0200 2020-05-21T01:27:18+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/catastrophe/
The problem, I think, is an overall lack of… oomph. It needs to be a whole lot heavier. I was trying to make it a little grungy without being too much, but it needs a lot more gain on the rhythm guitars, a lot more power behind the drums (especially in the chorus), and I think it needs to be at least about 10% faster.

I didn’t have any trouble recording the rhythm guitars (SG-Keeley D&M-Bassbreaker 15) as far as the weird timing was concerned. I didn’t have much trouble with the vocal either, though listening back I think I had more trouble than I realized. The lead guitar through (Les Paul-Keeley D&M-Bassbreaker 15)… the timing had me flailing around like I was dizzy and swinging a stick at a pinata. It just feels wrong and awkward.

Despite all of that, I do like this song. I may have to do it over again in the future.

Chorus
Confusion
calamity
intrusion
catastrophe
seclusion
profanity

verse 1 & 3
keep your distance
the least resistance
no admitance

verse 2
at least six feet
please don’t try to cheat
stay off the street

Break
out the door
nevermore
volunteer]]>
The problem, I think, is an overall lack of… oomph. It needs to be a whole lot heavier. I was trying to make it a little grungy without being too much, but it needs a lot more gain on the rhythm guitars, a lot more power behind the drums (especially in the chorus), and I think it needs to be at least about 10% faster.

I didn’t have any trouble recording the rhythm guitars (SG-Keeley D&M-Bassbreaker 15) as far as the weird timing was concerned. I didn’t have much trouble with the vocal either, though listening back I think I had more trouble than I realized. The lead guitar through (Les Paul-Keeley D&M-Bassbreaker 15)… the timing had me flailing around like I was dizzy and swinging a stick at a pinata. It just feels wrong and awkward.

Despite all of that, I do like this song. I may have to do it over again in the future.

Chorus
Confusion
calamity
intrusion
catastrophe
seclusion
profanity

verse 1 & 3
keep your distance
the least resistance
no admitance

verse 2
at least six feet
please don’t try to cheat
stay off the street

Break
out the door
nevermore
volunteer]]> 4650766 no no Thu, 30 Apr 2020 03:23:20 +0200 2020-04-30T03:23:20+02:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/coming-going/
I started this on guitar. I set up a drum loop and I just started playing. I had high hopes for it, but everything is just… off. The timing on the guitar and the bass, the pitch on the vocals… everything is just a tiny bit wrong, often enough to make the whole song feel wrong.

The verses are a good example of why you shouldn’t write your melody out without singing it first. The modulation from E to A just slaughtered my voice. Even when I hit the high notes I still managed to slide out of tune when I came back down to a manageable register.

There are two gimmicks here that almost redeem the whole thing.

First, just toward the end of the song there are two vocal lines where the audio track plays backward. Awesome.

Second, did you ever listen to Pink Floyd The Wall? Did you notice how at the very start of side one you can hear part of a sentence, but only the end of it? Then at the very end of side four you can hear the first half of that sentence? On this song, if you loop the song at just the right moment you can hear a harmonic played on the guitar on the 4th beat of the last measure, which then continues as it loops so that the rest of the tone is heard at the beginning of the song. How nuts is that??

Rhythm guitars are SG, lead is Les Paul. One pedal used on all tracks, a Keeley D&M Drive, and one amp as well, a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

verse 1 & 3
I’ll tell you
what I’m thinking
come try me
come take a look
i’ll give you this
I’ll give you that
I’ll tell you
what I’m thinking

verse 2
I feel it
that old pressure
I knew it would (add another note)
come back to me
I see you here
I see you there
I feel it
that old pressure

chorus
old days coming going
that old feeling showing
don’t you try to fight it
its all being knowing

break
look around
hear that sound
never found
underground]]>
I started this on guitar. I set up a drum loop and I just started playing. I had high hopes for it, but everything is just… off. The timing on the guitar and the bass, the pitch on the vocals… everything is just a tiny bit wrong, often enough to make the whole song feel wrong.

The verses are a good example of why you shouldn’t write your melody out without singing it first. The modulation from E to A just slaughtered my voice. Even when I hit the high notes I still managed to slide out of tune when I came back down to a manageable register.

There are two gimmicks here that almost redeem the whole thing.

First, just toward the end of the song there are two vocal lines where the audio track plays backward. Awesome.

Second, did you ever listen to Pink Floyd The Wall? Did you notice how at the very start of side one you can hear part of a sentence, but only the end of it? Then at the very end of side four you can hear the first half of that sentence? On this song, if you loop the song at just the right moment you can hear a harmonic played on the guitar on the 4th beat of the last measure, which then continues as it loops so that the rest of the tone is heard at the beginning of the song. How nuts is that??

Rhythm guitars are SG, lead is Les Paul. One pedal used on all tracks, a Keeley D&M Drive, and one amp as well, a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

verse 1 & 3
I’ll tell you
what I’m thinking
come try me
come take a look
i’ll give you this
I’ll give you that
I’ll tell you
what I’m thinking

verse 2
I feel it
that old pressure
I knew it would (add another note)
come back to me
I see you here
I see you there
I feel it
that old pressure

chorus
old days coming going
that old feeling showing
don’t you try to fight it
its all being knowing

break
look around
hear that sound
never found
underground]]> 4650705 no no Thu, 30 Apr 2020 02:42:13 +0200 2020-04-30T02:42:13+02:00 3:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-have-no-idea-what-to-do/
Around that time I noticed a little check box on the GarageBand track editor that is only there for external audio tracks. It’s called “Reverse.”

Gasp!

Could it be? It is! Finally I can play tracks backward without exporting them to another editor and then reimporting them. When the hell did Apple give us this and why didn’t anyone tell me about it! OMG OMG OMG They have created a giant red headed monster!

Rhythm guitars are SG and leads, including the guitarmonies, are Les Paul. Amp is a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and the only pedal is a Keeley D&M Drive.

Verse 1 & 3
caught, caught in the middle
there’s no way out
without betraying
some one I love
without rejecting
someone who is
important to me
I feel so bad

Verse 2
now how do I do this
how can I choose
between two people
who mean so much
they are both equal
I can’t decide
I cannot deal with
the way this feels

chorus
I have no idea what to do
I have no way out of this
I have no good way to proceed
either choice is sure to miss.]]>
Around that time I noticed a little check box on the GarageBand track editor that is only there for external audio tracks. It’s called “Reverse.”

Gasp!

Could it be? It is! Finally I can play tracks backward without exporting them to another editor and then reimporting them. When the hell did Apple give us this and why didn’t anyone tell me about it! OMG OMG OMG They have created a giant red headed monster!

Rhythm guitars are SG and leads, including the guitarmonies, are Les Paul. Amp is a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and the only pedal is a Keeley D&M Drive.

Verse 1 & 3
caught, caught in the middle
there’s no way out
without betraying
some one I love
without rejecting
someone who is
important to me
I feel so bad

Verse 2
now how do I do this
how can I choose
between two people
who mean so much
they are both equal
I can’t decide
I cannot deal with
the way this feels

chorus
I have no idea what to do
I have no way out of this
I have no good way to proceed
either choice is sure to miss.]]> 4650569 no no Thu, 30 Apr 2020 01:48:01 +0200 2020-04-30T01:48:01+02:00 3:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/midnight-goodnight/
The lyrics were supposed to be gibberish. Just random words that fit the melody. Strangely it still seems to fit the “quarantines suck” vibe of most of the songs from this month.

The lead guitars were recorded immediately after listening to Cream’s Disraeli Gears all the way through. Hence the “Woman Tone”.

Leads are Les Paul, rhythm are SG, both use the Keeley D&M Drive into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
star light moon light
darkness closing in
mid night good night
where do we begin
no time like right now
star light moon light
no use fighting it

verse 1
I know now is the time
Today is the day

break 1
when the dawn never comes around
its the day when the night won’t end

verse 2
give us one day to see
if we can change it all]]>
The lyrics were supposed to be gibberish. Just random words that fit the melody. Strangely it still seems to fit the “quarantines suck” vibe of most of the songs from this month.

The lead guitars were recorded immediately after listening to Cream’s Disraeli Gears all the way through. Hence the “Woman Tone”.

Leads are Les Paul, rhythm are SG, both use the Keeley D&M Drive into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus
star light moon light
darkness closing in
mid night good night
where do we begin
no time like right now
star light moon light
no use fighting it

verse 1
I know now is the time
Today is the day

break 1
when the dawn never comes around
its the day when the night won’t end

verse 2
give us one day to see
if we can change it all]]> 4644313 no no Tue, 28 Apr 2020 04:31:05 +0200 2020-04-28T04:31:05+02:00 3:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/were-never-gonna-find-our-way-out-of-this/
The last few projects I’ve done have seen me writing melodies out on a keyboard, then writing lyrics to fit the melody, then recording the vocal tracks. Unfortunately I don’t know my voice that well in terms of how it lines up on the keyboard. That means I often write melodies that are ever so slightly out of my range. I don’t think I did that on this song, but I did the other thing I screw up when I write melodies before I sing them. I sometimes forget to take breathing into account. I had to split the eight bar chorus into two four bar chunks because I couldn’t sing the whole thing without asphyxiating.

Rhythm guitars are SG, leads are Les Paul, both use a Keeley D&M Drive into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

if you were wondering how
to guarantee it falls apart
the thing that you should avoid
is anyone whose smart

its very simple you know
don’t let your leaders use their brains
just let them ramble like fools
and flush them down the drain

take a look around
it’s all come crashing down
we’re never gonna find our way out of all this
There’s not a single brain
we should all be ashamed
we’re never gonna find our way out of this

if you were looking for ways
to care what they all have to say
the best advice I can share
don’t trust them anywhere

and when their planning won’t play
there’s got to be a better way
the explaination you find
is they have lost their minds]]>
The last few projects I’ve done have seen me writing melodies out on a keyboard, then writing lyrics to fit the melody, then recording the vocal tracks. Unfortunately I don’t know my voice that well in terms of how it lines up on the keyboard. That means I often write melodies that are ever so slightly out of my range. I don’t think I did that on this song, but I did the other thing I screw up when I write melodies before I sing them. I sometimes forget to take breathing into account. I had to split the eight bar chorus into two four bar chunks because I couldn’t sing the whole thing without asphyxiating.

Rhythm guitars are SG, leads are Les Paul, both use a Keeley D&M Drive into a Fender Bassbreaker 15.

if you were wondering how
to guarantee it falls apart
the thing that you should avoid
is anyone whose smart

its very simple you know
don’t let your leaders use their brains
just let them ramble like fools
and flush them down the drain

take a look around
it’s all come crashing down
we’re never gonna find our way out of all this
There’s not a single brain
we should all be ashamed
we’re never gonna find our way out of this

if you were looking for ways
to care what they all have to say
the best advice I can share
don’t trust them anywhere

and when their planning won’t play
there’s got to be a better way
the explaination you find
is they have lost their minds]]> 4640535 no no Mon, 27 Apr 2020 03:53:53 +0200 2020-04-27T03:53:53+02:00 2:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/slip-away-with-me/
First.. does that… could it… do you think… Reggae? I wasn’t planning on that but it just sort of happened. I’m not sure how but… I think… I think I might like it.

In a spur of the moment thing, while improvising the guitar solo at about 2:26 I, without forethought, put my Les Paul into 1967 Eric Clapton’s “Woman Tone”. It doesn’t really come off, but you play on the neck pick up with the tone pot rolled all the way down. I only did it on that eight bar solo. The tone pot was rolled back up for the rest of the leads.

Vocals. I was trying to go for a… I guess… more relaxed feel? I guess. What I ended up with was a softer track with some serious pitch problems. If you’re one of those people tortured by Perfect Pitch you should avoid my recordings in general, but especially this one.

Rhythm guitar is SG, lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1 & 3
If you could listen to what I say
If you could follow me on my way
We need to go now. go far away
we won’t be back here for many days

Verse 2
If I had one wish it would be you
together with me out of the way
running and hiding we’re gone for good
It is the right thing or so they say

Chorus
I’ve got something
I should tell you
I’ve got something
That I need to tell you
I want you to
run off with me
I want you to
slip away with me now

Break
We don’t know
how it goes
we don’t know]]>
First.. does that… could it… do you think… Reggae? I wasn’t planning on that but it just sort of happened. I’m not sure how but… I think… I think I might like it.

In a spur of the moment thing, while improvising the guitar solo at about 2:26 I, without forethought, put my Les Paul into 1967 Eric Clapton’s “Woman Tone”. It doesn’t really come off, but you play on the neck pick up with the tone pot rolled all the way down. I only did it on that eight bar solo. The tone pot was rolled back up for the rest of the leads.

Vocals. I was trying to go for a… I guess… more relaxed feel? I guess. What I ended up with was a softer track with some serious pitch problems. If you’re one of those people tortured by Perfect Pitch you should avoid my recordings in general, but especially this one.

Rhythm guitar is SG, lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1 & 3
If you could listen to what I say
If you could follow me on my way
We need to go now. go far away
we won’t be back here for many days

Verse 2
If I had one wish it would be you
together with me out of the way
running and hiding we’re gone for good
It is the right thing or so they say

Chorus
I’ve got something
I should tell you
I’ve got something
That I need to tell you
I want you to
run off with me
I want you to
slip away with me now

Break
We don’t know
how it goes
we don’t know]]> 4586446 no no Wed, 15 Apr 2020 02:31:53 +0200 2020-04-15T02:31:53+02:00 5:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/into-hiding/
The lyrics are about social distance, just like everything else on Earth right now.

Rhythm guitar is SG, lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1
the time has come to hide away
what do you say
so come with me and lock away
what do you say

Verse 2
just you and me we’ll sit this out
Stay in the house
Let’s hunker down and ride this out
stay in the house

Chorus
Go into hiding now
Go into hiding
Go into hiding now
Go into hiding with me

Middle Eight
Shelter-ing in place
Shelter-ing in place with me

Chorus alternate
Give up the fighting now
Give up the fighting
Do what you have to do
Do what you have to do]]>
The lyrics are about social distance, just like everything else on Earth right now.

Rhythm guitar is SG, lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1
the time has come to hide away
what do you say
so come with me and lock away
what do you say

Verse 2
just you and me we’ll sit this out
Stay in the house
Let’s hunker down and ride this out
stay in the house

Chorus
Go into hiding now
Go into hiding
Go into hiding now
Go into hiding with me

Middle Eight
Shelter-ing in place
Shelter-ing in place with me

Chorus alternate
Give up the fighting now
Give up the fighting
Do what you have to do
Do what you have to do]]> 4586388 no no Wed, 15 Apr 2020 01:47:17 +0200 2020-04-15T01:47:17+02:00 3:17 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-giving-in/
This was the first idea I had for the April 2020 RPM Challenge - Social Distance Edition. I used a 1x12 combo amp and originally had two mic’s on it. Why? Because I still had two mic’s setup in my bedroom from February when I used two combo amps. I ended up muting the tracks that came from one of the mics. I just felt silly.

Rhythm guitar is SG, lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus:
There is no question that this is the way
There’s not a thing left for him to say
This is the message that we send to him
Your end is coming and you can’t win

Verse 1
the answer
is simple
No mercy
No giving in

solution
confusion
excuses
no giving in

Verse 2
I ask you
to tell me
the way out
make no mistake

so let me
explain this
its over
make no mistake

Break:
line is getting old
stories no one told
help me send him home
cast the final stone
help send him home

Verse 3:
the answer
is simple
No mercy
No giving in

so let me
explain this
its over
make no mistake]]>
This was the first idea I had for the April 2020 RPM Challenge - Social Distance Edition. I used a 1x12 combo amp and originally had two mic’s on it. Why? Because I still had two mic’s setup in my bedroom from February when I used two combo amps. I ended up muting the tracks that came from one of the mics. I just felt silly.

Rhythm guitar is SG, lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Chorus:
There is no question that this is the way
There’s not a thing left for him to say
This is the message that we send to him
Your end is coming and you can’t win

Verse 1
the answer
is simple
No mercy
No giving in

solution
confusion
excuses
no giving in

Verse 2
I ask you
to tell me
the way out
make no mistake

so let me
explain this
its over
make no mistake

Break:
line is getting old
stories no one told
help me send him home
cast the final stone
help send him home

Verse 3:
the answer
is simple
No mercy
No giving in

so let me
explain this
its over
make no mistake]]> 4570551 no no Sat, 11 Apr 2020 21:20:38 +0200 2020-04-11T21:20:38+02:00 3:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/do-the-social-distance/
Lyrics are getting tough in this the the third straight album in a month project. I almost like these. Can you guess what the guy in the COVID-19 induced social distance was writing about?

Rhythm guitar is SG lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1 & 3:
come on now
give it a chance
lets try this
new circumstance
come with me
lets do this
shelter in place goodness

verse 2:
I’m hearing
you shout out loud
I’m seeking
the lost and found
I’m trying
to tell you
this is our new normal

Chorus:
Lets all
do the
social
distance]]>
Lyrics are getting tough in this the the third straight album in a month project. I almost like these. Can you guess what the guy in the COVID-19 induced social distance was writing about?

Rhythm guitar is SG lead is Les Paul. Both used different sides of the D&M Drive and both used the Bassbreaker 15.

Verse 1 & 3:
come on now
give it a chance
lets try this
new circumstance
come with me
lets do this
shelter in place goodness

verse 2:
I’m hearing
you shout out loud
I’m seeking
the lost and found
I’m trying
to tell you
this is our new normal

Chorus:
Lets all
do the
social
distance]]> 4569916 no no Sat, 11 Apr 2020 18:22:34 +0200 2020-04-11T18:22:34+02:00 2:40 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/stupid-couplets/
The rhythm guitars are a Gibson SG through a Keeley D&M Drive (boost side only) into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul into the drive side of the D&M into the the same amp.

This is the first song finished for the first ever April RPM Challenge. I’m guessing everyone is going to write a bunch of songs about being quarantined. Screw you, COVID-19.

Verse 1:
give it a chance
chance for success
old song and dance
one final mess

Verse 2 & 3:
look down on me
what do you see
home all alone
cover is blown

Chorus:
say it again
it never ends
you always know
which way to go
its up to you
what do you do
put down the phone
and stay at home

middle eight:
so close the door
turn out the light
its what you do

you feel the need
to do what’s right
its up to you]]>
The rhythm guitars are a Gibson SG through a Keeley D&M Drive (boost side only) into a Fender Bassbreaker 15. The lead is a Gibson Les Paul into the drive side of the D&M into the the same amp.

This is the first song finished for the first ever April RPM Challenge. I’m guessing everyone is going to write a bunch of songs about being quarantined. Screw you, COVID-19.

Verse 1:
give it a chance
chance for success
old song and dance
one final mess

Verse 2 & 3:
look down on me
what do you see
home all alone
cover is blown

Chorus:
say it again
it never ends
you always know
which way to go
its up to you
what do you do
put down the phone
and stay at home

middle eight:
so close the door
turn out the light
its what you do

you feel the need
to do what’s right
its up to you]]> 4567660 no no Sat, 11 Apr 2020 03:33:46 +0200 2020-04-11T03:33:46+02:00 2:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/one-chance/
On the day the RPM Challenge website opens up for sign ups for a COVID-19 April Challenge I finish the bonus album in a month challenge I set for myself when February ended. Just like the official February RPM Challenge, my RPMarch was finished on the 29th with a little more than an hour to go before midnight.

This is kind of two songs sandwiched together. The vocal sections in the middle are one song, and the quiet intro and outro are the other. The intro/outro had an attempt at improvising the rhythm guitar part. Not terrible but not really good either.

Rhythm guitar is my SG, lead is my Les Paul both are pedal free into my 15 watt Bassbreaker. Now it's time for sleep. G'night all and I'll see you again in a few days when April starts.

when you get to it
when you break it down
It’s the smartest move
let it come around
let’s examine this
thing in front of us
lets look closely and
lets start to adjust

we have one chance
to make this right
we get one try
move to the light

sieze this mo-ment
do the right thing
no more screrw ups
we are in sync]]>
On the day the RPM Challenge website opens up for sign ups for a COVID-19 April Challenge I finish the bonus album in a month challenge I set for myself when February ended. Just like the official February RPM Challenge, my RPMarch was finished on the 29th with a little more than an hour to go before midnight.

This is kind of two songs sandwiched together. The vocal sections in the middle are one song, and the quiet intro and outro are the other. The intro/outro had an attempt at improvising the rhythm guitar part. Not terrible but not really good either.

Rhythm guitar is my SG, lead is my Les Paul both are pedal free into my 15 watt Bassbreaker. Now it's time for sleep. G'night all and I'll see you again in a few days when April starts.

when you get to it
when you break it down
It’s the smartest move
let it come around
let’s examine this
thing in front of us
lets look closely and
lets start to adjust

we have one chance
to make this right
we get one try
move to the light

sieze this mo-ment
do the right thing
no more screrw ups
we are in sync]]> 4521254 no no Mon, 30 Mar 2020 04:36:16 +0200 2020-03-30T04:36:16+02:00 5:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/come-what-may/
Rhythm guitar is my SG, lead is my Les Paul, amp is my 15 watt Bassbreaker. No pedals. Freak.

depends on how you look at it
but maybe in a little bit
we’ll know for certain
if all of this has been legit

So come what may
another day
we stay inside
we run and hide

I don’t know
what to say
no idea
what to do
we’re going
to do this
just you wait
you will see]]>
Rhythm guitar is my SG, lead is my Les Paul, amp is my 15 watt Bassbreaker. No pedals. Freak.

depends on how you look at it
but maybe in a little bit
we’ll know for certain
if all of this has been legit

So come what may
another day
we stay inside
we run and hide

I don’t know
what to say
no idea
what to do
we’re going
to do this
just you wait
you will see]]> 4521211 no no Mon, 30 Mar 2020 03:59:08 +0200 2020-03-30T03:59:08+02:00 2:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/goals/
I don't think I ever really plan to write a big dumb sludgy rock song, but they always show up and here's yet another one.

The rhythm guitar is my SG, the lead is my Les Paul, both through a Fender Bassbreaker 15 that makes a ton of noise on the high gain channel even when I don't have any pedals in the chain like a heathen.

somewhere out there
hide away
get some fresh air
what you say?
in side out side
perspective
preventive

in this together
okay whatever
give up trying
no denying it
on with it
hypocrite

spring time summer
all over
do what you want
no closer
get on with it
incentive
attentive

you’ve been directed
you must accept it
give me one chance
to be what you need
every day
stay away

the stated goal
safety for all
the way to go
stay at home
stay alone]]>
I don't think I ever really plan to write a big dumb sludgy rock song, but they always show up and here's yet another one.

The rhythm guitar is my SG, the lead is my Les Paul, both through a Fender Bassbreaker 15 that makes a ton of noise on the high gain channel even when I don't have any pedals in the chain like a heathen.

somewhere out there
hide away
get some fresh air
what you say?
in side out side
perspective
preventive

in this together
okay whatever
give up trying
no denying it
on with it
hypocrite

spring time summer
all over
do what you want
no closer
get on with it
incentive
attentive

you’ve been directed
you must accept it
give me one chance
to be what you need
every day
stay away

the stated goal
safety for all
the way to go
stay at home
stay alone]]> 4521180 no no Mon, 30 Mar 2020 03:25:14 +0200 2020-03-30T03:25:14+02:00 4:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/loop/
The rhythm guitar is a Gibson SG, the lead is a Gibson Les Paul, the amp for both is a Fender Bassbreaker 15. No pedals, like some kinda amateur psychopathic nitwit.

Let’s all run with this
this is something new
Let’s try living it
see what we can do
we can’t get away
its got a hold on us
give in to defeat
get back on that bus

there’s no yesterday
there’s no tomorrow too
there’s no end to this
no matter what you do
we’re caught in a loop
and it won’t let go
we try to break out
can’t beat what you don’t know

why try harder
why try at all

take something for nothing
set it free
make something from nothing
set me free]]>
The rhythm guitar is a Gibson SG, the lead is a Gibson Les Paul, the amp for both is a Fender Bassbreaker 15. No pedals, like some kinda amateur psychopathic nitwit.

Let’s all run with this
this is something new
Let’s try living it
see what we can do
we can’t get away
its got a hold on us
give in to defeat
get back on that bus

there’s no yesterday
there’s no tomorrow too
there’s no end to this
no matter what you do
we’re caught in a loop
and it won’t let go
we try to break out
can’t beat what you don’t know

why try harder
why try at all

take something for nothing
set it free
make something from nothing
set me free]]> 4521052 no no Mon, 30 Mar 2020 02:11:45 +0200 2020-03-30T02:11:45+02:00 5:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/where-did-i-go-wrong/
Another pitfall (pratfall) is when I am writing the rhythm guitar parts and plan to use the same part for two different things. By that I mean a verse and a bridge (for example) will have the same music but a different melody. Unfortunately, I don’t write that plan down and then when I start working on melody I forget and everything gets weird. That happened with this song. I had to do some cutting and pasting with the guitars in order to fix an arrangement mistake. Oh well.

I used to be okay
I used to have a say
Why must it be this way
Why must it be

I’ve become the bad guy
where did I go wrong
(repeat)

The guitars are all Les Paul into Bassbreaker 15 with no pedals, like some kinda savage.]]>
Another pitfall (pratfall) is when I am writing the rhythm guitar parts and plan to use the same part for two different things. By that I mean a verse and a bridge (for example) will have the same music but a different melody. Unfortunately, I don’t write that plan down and then when I start working on melody I forget and everything gets weird. That happened with this song. I had to do some cutting and pasting with the guitars in order to fix an arrangement mistake. Oh well.

I used to be okay
I used to have a say
Why must it be this way
Why must it be

I’ve become the bad guy
where did I go wrong
(repeat)

The guitars are all Les Paul into Bassbreaker 15 with no pedals, like some kinda savage.]]> 4520994 no no Mon, 30 Mar 2020 01:32:33 +0200 2020-03-30T01:32:33+02:00 3:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/can-you-see-the-way-out/
All of the guitar parts are my Les Paul into my Fender Bassbreaker 15. No pedals.

can you see the way
the way out of here
do you know the way
the way out

On some other day
there could be a way
you can have your say
let it out

can you look inside
there’s no place to hide
its a kind of crime
give it up]]>
All of the guitar parts are my Les Paul into my Fender Bassbreaker 15. No pedals.

can you see the way
the way out of here
do you know the way
the way out

On some other day
there could be a way
you can have your say
let it out

can you look inside
there’s no place to hide
its a kind of crime
give it up]]> 4520528 no no Sun, 29 Mar 2020 22:09:38 +0200 2020-03-29T22:09:38+02:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-way-home/
The rhythm guitar is Les Paul, the lead is SG. Both direct into the 15 watt bassbreaker.

Nothing going on
Nothing doing
everything gone wrong
trouble brewing
take some time away
by your lonesome
spend another day
under its thumb

we always new
there was a chance
we’d all fall apart
coming soon
what can you do
you can’t advance
that wouldn’t be smart
no way

no way
out now
no way
home

Just play along
as it goes on
just give it a try
for the best
We’ll stay at home
we’ll never roam
and try not to die
from it]]>
The rhythm guitar is Les Paul, the lead is SG. Both direct into the 15 watt bassbreaker.

Nothing going on
Nothing doing
everything gone wrong
trouble brewing
take some time away
by your lonesome
spend another day
under its thumb

we always new
there was a chance
we’d all fall apart
coming soon
what can you do
you can’t advance
that wouldn’t be smart
no way

no way
out now
no way
home

Just play along
as it goes on
just give it a try
for the best
We’ll stay at home
we’ll never roam
and try not to die
from it]]> 4519442 no no Sun, 29 Mar 2020 16:10:46 +0200 2020-03-29T16:10:46+02:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/small-sacrifice/
I have this need to try and make 3/4 time rock. This one is okay. Recording the vocals in the car on a Friday morning before work is even weirder than usual when you account for the whole quarantinish thing we’ve got going on.

Rhythm guitar is a Les Paul, lead is an SG. No pedals at all, both plugged straight into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 like some kind of savage.

Chorus:
we can’t give up now
we can’t give in
we have to fight it
keep on living

Verse 1 and 3
you can’t get away
you’re going to stay
right there where you are
you’re not going far

Verse 2
we’re closing the door
we know what it’s for
we can’t run away
there’s no other way

Break:
there’s only
one option here
one option here (doesn’t actually fit the melody)
its such a
small sacrifice
small sacrifice]]>
I have this need to try and make 3/4 time rock. This one is okay. Recording the vocals in the car on a Friday morning before work is even weirder than usual when you account for the whole quarantinish thing we’ve got going on.

Rhythm guitar is a Les Paul, lead is an SG. No pedals at all, both plugged straight into a Fender Bassbreaker 15 like some kind of savage.

Chorus:
we can’t give up now
we can’t give in
we have to fight it
keep on living

Verse 1 and 3
you can’t get away
you’re going to stay
right there where you are
you’re not going far

Verse 2
we’re closing the door
we know what it’s for
we can’t run away
there’s no other way

Break:
there’s only
one option here
one option here (doesn’t actually fit the melody)
its such a
small sacrifice
small sacrifice]]> 4514538 no no Sat, 28 Mar 2020 14:00:30 +0100 2020-03-28T14:00:30+01:00 2:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/dark-times-are-coming/ 4474009 no no Sun, 15 Mar 2020 17:48:41 +0100 2020-03-15T17:48:41+01:00 3:54 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/embrace-the-pain/ 4474008 no no Sun, 15 Mar 2020 17:48:38 +0100 2020-03-15T17:48:38+01:00 2:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-cpap-in-the-house-of-mouse/
I used some studio tools on this one that I usually don’t like to use. Both lead guitar tracks have a noise gate. I HATE using noise gates, but I don’t have time to come up with another way to get rid of the ground noise. The ES 335 has strings that are almost two years old so I used a lot of effects to try and bring the deadness to life. It really didn’t work.]]>
I used some studio tools on this one that I usually don’t like to use. Both lead guitar tracks have a noise gate. I HATE using noise gates, but I don’t have time to come up with another way to get rid of the ground noise. The ES 335 has strings that are almost two years old so I used a lot of effects to try and bring the deadness to life. It really didn’t work.]]> 4434656 no no Sun, 01 Mar 2020 05:30:21 +0100 2020-03-01T05:30:21+01:00 3:42 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/liar-lies/
Verse 1
every time he drops a lie
everyone closes their eyes
they don’t hear they don’t ask why
Liar

Verse 2
doesn’t even try to hide
when he tells his massive lies
a little part of me just dies
lia

chorus
catch him in a lie
no one seems to care
catch him in a lie
no one ever cares]]>
Verse 1
every time he drops a lie
everyone closes their eyes
they don’t hear they don’t ask why
Liar

Verse 2
doesn’t even try to hide
when he tells his massive lies
a little part of me just dies
lia

chorus
catch him in a lie
no one seems to care
catch him in a lie
no one ever cares]]> 4423019 no no Fri, 28 Feb 2020 03:24:25 +0100 2020-02-28T03:24:25+01:00 2:47 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/evidence/
The guitars are all Les Paul into two Fender Bassbreakers, using a Klon KTR and a Fulltone OCD.

What’s the significance
Where is the evidence

What are we heading for
When are we getting more

What are we coming to
What are we gonna do]]>
The guitars are all Les Paul into two Fender Bassbreakers, using a Klon KTR and a Fulltone OCD.

What’s the significance
Where is the evidence

What are we heading for
When are we getting more

What are we coming to
What are we gonna do]]> 4420301 no no Thu, 27 Feb 2020 01:19:10 +0100 2020-02-27T01:19:10+01:00 2:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/secrets/
On the upside, it’s song #14 so FAWM is complete. I’m pleased with that. The guitars are all Les Paul into a Klon KTR into a Fulltone OCD, into two Fender Bassbreakers. With the exception of the 15 watt amp this is the sound I use with my band… so that’s cool.

Chorus
Secrets
all those secrets
a question
a mystery

Verse 1
All those secrets
All those secrets
all those questions
all those questions

Always lying
always lying
always cheating
always cheating]]>
On the upside, it’s song #14 so FAWM is complete. I’m pleased with that. The guitars are all Les Paul into a Klon KTR into a Fulltone OCD, into two Fender Bassbreakers. With the exception of the 15 watt amp this is the sound I use with my band… so that’s cool.

Chorus
Secrets
all those secrets
a question
a mystery

Verse 1
All those secrets
All those secrets
all those questions
all those questions

Always lying
always lying
always cheating
always cheating]]> 4420232 no no Wed, 26 Feb 2020 23:46:58 +0100 2020-02-26T23:46:58+01:00 3:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/where-i-belong/
The lyrics are about how I used to be a cynical asshole when it came to love and relationships and then I met my wife and suddenly I’m a walking/talking teen pop love song. Oh well. It worked out in the end, right?

Musically this song is a good example of a crutch I’ve been leaning on this RPM/FAWM season: The long drawn out quieter section. Guitar wise it continues my current tonal love affair with the Klon KTR overdrive pedal, and the Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ‘70, Big Muff Pi clone. Every guitar part I’ve recorded this year has been through a mic’d amp, but strangely (for me) I think this is the only song that has guitar feedback. I usually put that stuff on everything.

The guitars are all Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers.

Chorus
I used to think that I could handle things alone
I never knew that I was wrong
I thought that I could maybe keep myself afloat
But now I know where I belong

Verse 1
back in time when I was so much younger
all alone always lost by myself
then I found my true opposite number
That’s when life began

since that day when she first appeared to me
when my place in the world had to change
Now it starts to make sense and I can see
I can be that man

Verse 2
sing a song to the one who completes you
open up to the one you adore
all the walls start to fall it’s a breakthrough
It means so much more

back in time when I was so much younger
all alone always lost by myself
then I found my true opposite number
Opened every door]]>
The lyrics are about how I used to be a cynical asshole when it came to love and relationships and then I met my wife and suddenly I’m a walking/talking teen pop love song. Oh well. It worked out in the end, right?

Musically this song is a good example of a crutch I’ve been leaning on this RPM/FAWM season: The long drawn out quieter section. Guitar wise it continues my current tonal love affair with the Klon KTR overdrive pedal, and the Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ‘70, Big Muff Pi clone. Every guitar part I’ve recorded this year has been through a mic’d amp, but strangely (for me) I think this is the only song that has guitar feedback. I usually put that stuff on everything.

The guitars are all Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers.

Chorus
I used to think that I could handle things alone
I never knew that I was wrong
I thought that I could maybe keep myself afloat
But now I know where I belong

Verse 1
back in time when I was so much younger
all alone always lost by myself
then I found my true opposite number
That’s when life began

since that day when she first appeared to me
when my place in the world had to change
Now it starts to make sense and I can see
I can be that man

Verse 2
sing a song to the one who completes you
open up to the one you adore
all the walls start to fall it’s a breakthrough
It means so much more

back in time when I was so much younger
all alone always lost by myself
then I found my true opposite number
Opened every door]]> 4418190 no no Wed, 26 Feb 2020 03:59:22 +0100 2020-02-26T03:59:22+01:00 4:18 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/deja-vu-bar-band-mix/ https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/deja-vu-coffee-shoppe-mix/]]> https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/deja-vu-coffee-shoppe-mix/]]> 4414552 no no Mon, 24 Feb 2020 12:27:29 +0100 2020-02-24T12:27:29+01:00 3:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/deja-vu-coffee-shoppe-mix/
Strangely enough though, I don’t hate the lyrics. They are okay by my exceptionally low standards.

Chorus
another time another place
another life another face

another time another place
another life another face

could you believe it
could you conceive it

could you accept its come to pass
its come to pass

Verse 1
I’ve seen this before
I’ve lived this before
Now live it once again

Verse 2
We’ve been here before
We’ll be here once more
One tired old refrain]]>
Strangely enough though, I don’t hate the lyrics. They are okay by my exceptionally low standards.

Chorus
another time another place
another life another face

another time another place
another life another face

could you believe it
could you conceive it

could you accept its come to pass
its come to pass

Verse 1
I’ve seen this before
I’ve lived this before
Now live it once again

Verse 2
We’ve been here before
We’ll be here once more
One tired old refrain]]> 4414548 no no Mon, 24 Feb 2020 12:22:48 +0100 2020-02-24T12:22:48+01:00 2:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ending-forever-bar-band-mix/ https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ending-forever-coffee-shoppe-mix/]]> https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ending-forever-coffee-shoppe-mix/]]> 4414528 no no Mon, 24 Feb 2020 12:14:26 +0100 2020-02-24T12:14:26+01:00 2:15 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ending-forever-coffee-shoppe-mix/
Noteworthy: I mixed this while staying in the Yacht Club resort at Disney World. True story.

Chorus
look at everything around
around you
is there anything you see
around that’s out of place

verse 1
It’s come undone
it’s over now
not lost or won
just ending forever]]>
Noteworthy: I mixed this while staying in the Yacht Club resort at Disney World. True story.

Chorus
look at everything around
around you
is there anything you see
around that’s out of place

verse 1
It’s come undone
it’s over now
not lost or won
just ending forever]]> 4414521 no no Mon, 24 Feb 2020 12:09:52 +0100 2020-02-24T12:09:52+01:00 2:15 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/good-people-coffee-shoppe-mix/
Verse 1
look with me
and you’ll see
its not how
it should be
if only
we could be
good people

Verse 2 (and 3)
I stand here
half amazed
we blew it
all away
we never
had a chance
against this

Chorus
How do you stand against a foe
who does not believe in truth
How do you fight against a hate
who does not believe in you]]>
Verse 1
look with me
and you’ll see
its not how
it should be
if only
we could be
good people

Verse 2 (and 3)
I stand here
half amazed
we blew it
all away
we never
had a chance
against this

Chorus
How do you stand against a foe
who does not believe in truth
How do you fight against a hate
who does not believe in you]]> 4409274 no no Sat, 22 Feb 2020 04:42:53 +0100 2020-02-22T04:42:53+01:00 2:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/cant-defeat-us/
All the guitars are Les Paul into two Fender Bassbreakers. Rhythm uses a Klon KTR and a little MXR Phase 90? I think? The lead has a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into the KTR. Filthy.

Chorus
please release us
can’t defeat us
try to cheat us
won’t mistreat us

please releases us
can’t defeat us
there’s no chance in hell you can beat us

Vesre 1
The day is getting closer now
We feel it getting better now
they’re never gonna break us down
We are all together now

Verse 2
we’re coming to the bitter end
he can’t even comprehend
all he does is condescend
now watch us as we apprehend

Bridge
Judge and jury
put him away]]>
All the guitars are Les Paul into two Fender Bassbreakers. Rhythm uses a Klon KTR and a little MXR Phase 90? I think? The lead has a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi 70 into the KTR. Filthy.

Chorus
please release us
can’t defeat us
try to cheat us
won’t mistreat us

please releases us
can’t defeat us
there’s no chance in hell you can beat us

Vesre 1
The day is getting closer now
We feel it getting better now
they’re never gonna break us down
We are all together now

Verse 2
we’re coming to the bitter end
he can’t even comprehend
all he does is condescend
now watch us as we apprehend

Bridge
Judge and jury
put him away]]> 4409214 no no Sat, 22 Feb 2020 03:52:50 +0100 2020-02-22T03:52:50+01:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-way-no-say/
The guitar is a Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers and the pedals continue my absolute love affair with the Klon KTR. There’s an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Mooer e-Lady, and a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah in there too.

So it’s the end
Take a look around
What can you recommend to me

One after another the pieces start to fall
You might have to dream up the meaning of it all

You can’t pretend
That there’s a better way
That you can have a say on it

no time like tomorrow
nowhere else to go]]>
The guitar is a Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers and the pedals continue my absolute love affair with the Klon KTR. There’s an MXR Uni-Vibe, a Mooer e-Lady, and a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah in there too.

So it’s the end
Take a look around
What can you recommend to me

One after another the pieces start to fall
You might have to dream up the meaning of it all

You can’t pretend
That there’s a better way
That you can have a say on it

no time like tomorrow
nowhere else to go]]> 4406452 no no Fri, 21 Feb 2020 03:56:32 +0100 2020-02-21T03:56:32+01:00 3:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/times-up-bar-band-mix/ https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/time's-up-(coffee-shoppe-mix)

The acoustic guitar and the vocals are the same on both mixes. Everything else is different.

Today’s the day
the end of days
I think we need to accept it
Time’s run out
its all about
how we can never reverse it

Looks like we;re done
look what we;ve become
the very thing that we hated
Could it be worse
some kind of curse
and it can never be sated

Times up
Times up
so long and good luck
Times up
sure ‘nuff
its all run amuck]]> https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/time's-up-(coffee-shoppe-mix)

The acoustic guitar and the vocals are the same on both mixes. Everything else is different.

Today’s the day
the end of days
I think we need to accept it
Time’s run out
its all about
how we can never reverse it

Looks like we;re done
look what we;ve become
the very thing that we hated
Could it be worse
some kind of curse
and it can never be sated

Times up
Times up
so long and good luck
Times up
sure ‘nuff
its all run amuck]]> 4406246 no no Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:31:27 +0100 2020-02-21T00:31:27+01:00 2:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/null-and-void-band-mix/
The electric guitar is Les Paul through two Bassbreakers with just a KTR overdrive and a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe wah.

The coffee shoppe version is here:
https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/null-and-void

Intro
Verse 1 - Cut this in half?
Chorus - Cut this one in half too?
Break no vox
Verse 2
Extra bar
Chorus
Extra bar
Intro
Verse solo

Verse 1
There’s got to be a better way
We to have another say
There has to come another day
We need it now we can’t delay

We’ve got to fight with all we have
We can’t sit back we must attack
We have to force things back on track
We have to stop that maniac

Chorus
Null and void
Seeing a hole where the future used to be]]>
The electric guitar is Les Paul through two Bassbreakers with just a KTR overdrive and a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe wah.

The coffee shoppe version is here:
https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/null-and-void

Intro
Verse 1 - Cut this in half?
Chorus - Cut this one in half too?
Break no vox
Verse 2
Extra bar
Chorus
Extra bar
Intro
Verse solo

Verse 1
There’s got to be a better way
We to have another say
There has to come another day
We need it now we can’t delay

We’ve got to fight with all we have
We can’t sit back we must attack
We have to force things back on track
We have to stop that maniac

Chorus
Null and void
Seeing a hole where the future used to be]]> 4403909 no no Thu, 20 Feb 2020 04:28:27 +0100 2020-02-20T04:28:27+01:00 2:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-end-is-coming-band-mix/
This song will be from side three. I am planning on an alternate version of each coffee shoppe song that adds a bass guitar, and replaces the cajon with drums and the sax with electric guitar.

The coffee shoppe mix is here:
https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/the-end-is-coming

The acoustic guitar is my Takamine 12-string whose model name escapes me. The electric is my Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers with a Klon KTR overdrive pedal and a Mooer e-Lady (or elec-lady, I’m not sure which version I have) flanger in filter mode.

Verse 1
How did you think this was gonna to go
How did you think this would end
You couldn’t see we were going low
so clear to me

Break
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we can’t avoid the wall
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we’re gonna the wall

Verse 2
And now we watch, as it all comes apart
The pieces scattered around
They took the knife, and stabbed us through the heart
It’s over now

Chorus
The end is coming
The end is coming soon
The end is coming soon
It is here, It is here]]>
This song will be from side three. I am planning on an alternate version of each coffee shoppe song that adds a bass guitar, and replaces the cajon with drums and the sax with electric guitar.

The coffee shoppe mix is here:
https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/the-end-is-coming

The acoustic guitar is my Takamine 12-string whose model name escapes me. The electric is my Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers with a Klon KTR overdrive pedal and a Mooer e-Lady (or elec-lady, I’m not sure which version I have) flanger in filter mode.

Verse 1
How did you think this was gonna to go
How did you think this would end
You couldn’t see we were going low
so clear to me

Break
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we can’t avoid the wall
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we’re gonna the wall

Verse 2
And now we watch, as it all comes apart
The pieces scattered around
They took the knife, and stabbed us through the heart
It’s over now

Chorus
The end is coming
The end is coming soon
The end is coming soon
It is here, It is here]]> 4403873 no no Thu, 20 Feb 2020 03:57:59 +0100 2020-02-20T03:57:59+01:00 2:35 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/rubber-stamp/
The lyrics are the first time I ever turned a tweet into a song. When the US Senate acquitted the fascist Donald Trump in the impeachment “trial” and thus set the legal precedent that the president can rig elections without fear of consequences I tweeted something along the lines of the Senate just rubber stamped evil. Someone fav’d that tweet just before I started writing the lyrics to this song and booom, a twitter tune was born.

The guitars are all Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers. There’s a Klon KTR and a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe and maybe a touch of MXR Phase 90.

Verse 1
watch how
it slips right by
see now
what a tough guy
he can do
anything
he wants to

Chorus
And now you put a rubber stamp on his evil
on his evil
And now you give approval to all his crimes
all his crimes

Verse 2
we had
a real nice run
we had
ourselves some fun
and now we
stand by as
it all ends

Verse 3
Crumbling
it all comes down
Ending
give him his crown
say good night
it’s over
good bye]]>
The lyrics are the first time I ever turned a tweet into a song. When the US Senate acquitted the fascist Donald Trump in the impeachment “trial” and thus set the legal precedent that the president can rig elections without fear of consequences I tweeted something along the lines of the Senate just rubber stamped evil. Someone fav’d that tweet just before I started writing the lyrics to this song and booom, a twitter tune was born.

The guitars are all Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers. There’s a Klon KTR and a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe and maybe a touch of MXR Phase 90.

Verse 1
watch how
it slips right by
see now
what a tough guy
he can do
anything
he wants to

Chorus
And now you put a rubber stamp on his evil
on his evil
And now you give approval to all his crimes
all his crimes

Verse 2
we had
a real nice run
we had
ourselves some fun
and now we
stand by as
it all ends

Verse 3
Crumbling
it all comes down
Ending
give him his crown
say good night
it’s over
good bye]]> 4403819 no no Thu, 20 Feb 2020 03:27:10 +0100 2020-02-20T03:27:10+01:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/once-in-a-lifetime/
The guitars are all Les Paul, the amps are two Fender Bassbreakers (the 15 watt and the 18/30 at 18 watts), there is a Klon KTR pedal on every track and that overdrive pedal is sweeeeeeeeeeet. The lead also has a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 which is a clone of the original Big Muff Pi fuzz circuit. That, friends, is all the gear nerd I can give you today.

Its not one thing its another
once again
I’m left there staring in wonder
in the end

Give me some reason for action
I’ll be there
Give me some cry for attention
anywhere

Just when you thought it was over
it comes around
just when you thought you were free

Once in a lifetime
Once every life
Once every night time
Once every night]]>
The guitars are all Les Paul, the amps are two Fender Bassbreakers (the 15 watt and the 18/30 at 18 watts), there is a Klon KTR pedal on every track and that overdrive pedal is sweeeeeeeeeeet. The lead also has a Wren and Cuff Tri Pi ’70 which is a clone of the original Big Muff Pi fuzz circuit. That, friends, is all the gear nerd I can give you today.

Its not one thing its another
once again
I’m left there staring in wonder
in the end

Give me some reason for action
I’ll be there
Give me some cry for attention
anywhere

Just when you thought it was over
it comes around
just when you thought you were free

Once in a lifetime
Once every life
Once every night time
Once every night]]> 4403798 no no Thu, 20 Feb 2020 02:38:17 +0100 2020-02-20T02:38:17+01:00 3:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-end-is-coming/
I dropped out before my inability to pass Calculus would kick me out and I quickly stopped being a sax player who could also play guitar and I became a guitar player who used to play sax. Every now and then I get the urge to make sure I can still do it, and I am in that frame of mind right now in a big way. So much so that I am challenging myself to have sax be the lead instrument on half of my RPM/FAMW songs this year. I haven’t touched my horn since 2013 but I can still play. I can’t play well, but I can still get by… mostly. It’s not quite like riding a bike, but it’s in the ball park.

Note that almost all of my lyrics this year about my belief that democracy in the United States of America is dead and buried and we are living through the birth of a fascist dictatorship. You know, a light little topic for a pop record.

Verse 1
How did you think this was gonna to go
How did you think this would end
You couldn’t see we were going low
so clear to me

Break
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we can’t avoid the wall
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we’re gonna the wall

Verse 2
And now we watch, as it all comes apart
The pieces scattered around
They took the knife, and stabbed us through the heart
It’s over now

Chorus
The end is coming
The end is coming soon
The end is coming soon
It is here, It is here]]>
I dropped out before my inability to pass Calculus would kick me out and I quickly stopped being a sax player who could also play guitar and I became a guitar player who used to play sax. Every now and then I get the urge to make sure I can still do it, and I am in that frame of mind right now in a big way. So much so that I am challenging myself to have sax be the lead instrument on half of my RPM/FAMW songs this year. I haven’t touched my horn since 2013 but I can still play. I can’t play well, but I can still get by… mostly. It’s not quite like riding a bike, but it’s in the ball park.

Note that almost all of my lyrics this year about my belief that democracy in the United States of America is dead and buried and we are living through the birth of a fascist dictatorship. You know, a light little topic for a pop record.

Verse 1
How did you think this was gonna to go
How did you think this would end
You couldn’t see we were going low
so clear to me

Break
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we can’t avoid the wall
right around the corner it’s so obvious
we’re gonna the wall

Verse 2
And now we watch, as it all comes apart
The pieces scattered around
They took the knife, and stabbed us through the heart
It’s over now

Chorus
The end is coming
The end is coming soon
The end is coming soon
It is here, It is here]]> 4398784 no no Tue, 18 Feb 2020 01:44:44 +0100 2020-02-18T01:44:44+01:00 2:27 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/null-and-void/
Verse 1
There’s got to be a better way
We to have another say
There has to come another day
We need it now we can’t delay

We’ve got to fight with all we have
We can’t sit back we must attack
We have to force things back on track
We have to stop that maniac

Chorus
Null and void
Seeing a hole where the future used to be]]>
Verse 1
There’s got to be a better way
We to have another say
There has to come another day
We need it now we can’t delay

We’ve got to fight with all we have
We can’t sit back we must attack
We have to force things back on track
We have to stop that maniac

Chorus
Null and void
Seeing a hole where the future used to be]]> 4395201 no no Mon, 17 Feb 2020 04:09:09 +0100 2020-02-17T04:09:09+01:00 2:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/times-up/ or, What the hell is a cajon anyway?

I listen to a podcast about cover bands. One of the hosts is a drummer and he plays in an acoustic group. He said he played his cajon at the acoustic gigs. I thought, what the hell is a cajon?

Google informed me that it’s this box thing that you sit on and smack with your hands. There is a hole in it somewhere and even some snares and depending on where you whack it you get a bass drum-ish sound or a snare drum-ish sound. It’s kinda neat.

Fast forward a few months and I’m sitting alone in Epcot center, just outside of Soarin’ (true story) and I was tapping away on GarageBand on my iPhone trying to come up with something different from my usual power trio arrangements. Turns out one of the percussion settings in the drummer function had a cajon. I started thinking like a hippie in a coffee house and thought, cajon, acoustic guitar, and cello. Well, GarageBand’s string sounds are crap and the cello was scratched in it’s place I thought maybe I could dust off my alto sax and use that as the soloist. I hadn’t played my sax since 2013 (I think) and it was time.

Nothing ever became of that Epcot Center song idea, but when RPM 2020 came around I came back to that idea. I decided to make half of my album the usual rock band stuff, and the other half this goofy coffee shoppe thing. If time permits I am going to do a rock band mix of the coffee shoppe songs too, but we’ll see.

This song is about how the US Senate gave the fascist in the white house legal permission to rig elections.

Today’s the day
the end of days
I think we need to accept it
Time’s run out
its all about
how we can never reverse it

Looks like we;re done
look what we;ve become
the very thing that we hated
Could it be worse
some kind of curse
and it can never be sated

Times up
Times up
so long and good luck
Times up
sure ‘nuff
its all run amuck]]> or, What the hell is a cajon anyway?

I listen to a podcast about cover bands. One of the hosts is a drummer and he plays in an acoustic group. He said he played his cajon at the acoustic gigs. I thought, what the hell is a cajon?

Google informed me that it’s this box thing that you sit on and smack with your hands. There is a hole in it somewhere and even some snares and depending on where you whack it you get a bass drum-ish sound or a snare drum-ish sound. It’s kinda neat.

Fast forward a few months and I’m sitting alone in Epcot center, just outside of Soarin’ (true story) and I was tapping away on GarageBand on my iPhone trying to come up with something different from my usual power trio arrangements. Turns out one of the percussion settings in the drummer function had a cajon. I started thinking like a hippie in a coffee house and thought, cajon, acoustic guitar, and cello. Well, GarageBand’s string sounds are crap and the cello was scratched in it’s place I thought maybe I could dust off my alto sax and use that as the soloist. I hadn’t played my sax since 2013 (I think) and it was time.

Nothing ever became of that Epcot Center song idea, but when RPM 2020 came around I came back to that idea. I decided to make half of my album the usual rock band stuff, and the other half this goofy coffee shoppe thing. If time permits I am going to do a rock band mix of the coffee shoppe songs too, but we’ll see.

This song is about how the US Senate gave the fascist in the white house legal permission to rig elections.

Today’s the day
the end of days
I think we need to accept it
Time’s run out
its all about
how we can never reverse it

Looks like we;re done
look what we;ve become
the very thing that we hated
Could it be worse
some kind of curse
and it can never be sated

Times up
Times up
so long and good luck
Times up
sure ‘nuff
its all run amuck]]> 4393576 no no Sun, 16 Feb 2020 16:37:09 +0100 2020-02-16T16:37:09+01:00 2:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/were-coming-for-you/
The guitars are all Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers.

Verse 1
you can’t hide from it, you’re neck deep
you gave in to it, sad little sheep

no credibility, no one believes
no one will stand with you, everyone will leave

you can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth

you sold us out and we’re
coming for you

Chorus
You can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth
There is no coming back for you

verse 2
we stood up to him, you lied down
you defended him, gave him his crown

everything we once stood for, under your boot
there’s no denying it, you are his clown

there’s no escaping this
you are his pawn

there’s no way out for you
you crooked con]]>
The guitars are all Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers.

Verse 1
you can’t hide from it, you’re neck deep
you gave in to it, sad little sheep

no credibility, no one believes
no one will stand with you, everyone will leave

you can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth

you sold us out and we’re
coming for you

Chorus
You can blame the rest of them but
we know the truth
There is no coming back for you

verse 2
we stood up to him, you lied down
you defended him, gave him his crown

everything we once stood for, under your boot
there’s no denying it, you are his clown

there’s no escaping this
you are his pawn

there’s no way out for you
you crooked con]]> 4392433 no no Sun, 16 Feb 2020 05:05:45 +0100 2020-02-16T05:05:45+01:00 5:03 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-only-believe-in-truth-band-mix/
The other version is here:
https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/i-only-believe-in-truth-(coffee-shoppe-mix)

The electric guitar is my Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers.

I don’t believe what I want to believe
I only believe in truth

Not with a bang but a wimper
That’s how the story goes
Nothing remains but a cinder
there’s nothing left to show

and now the end is upon us
there’s nothing left to do
there’s no way back from the chaos
and its all down to you]]>
The other version is here:
https://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/i-only-believe-in-truth-(coffee-shoppe-mix)

The electric guitar is my Les Paul through two Fender Bassbreakers.

I don’t believe what I want to believe
I only believe in truth

Not with a bang but a wimper
That’s how the story goes
Nothing remains but a cinder
there’s nothing left to show

and now the end is upon us
there’s nothing left to do
there’s no way back from the chaos
and its all down to you]]> 4392379 no no Sun, 16 Feb 2020 04:16:12 +0100 2020-02-16T04:16:12+01:00 3:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/i-only-believe-in-truth/
I don’t believe what I want to believe
I only believe in truth

Not with a bang but a wimper
That’s how the story goes
Nothing remains but a cinder
there’s nothing left to show

and now the end is upon us
there’s nothing left to do
there’s no way back from the chaos
and its all down to you]]>
I don’t believe what I want to believe
I only believe in truth

Not with a bang but a wimper
That’s how the story goes
Nothing remains but a cinder
there’s nothing left to show

and now the end is upon us
there’s nothing left to do
there’s no way back from the chaos
and its all down to you]]> 4392359 no no Sun, 16 Feb 2020 03:33:38 +0100 2020-02-16T03:33:38+01:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03-get-out-of-the-way/ 4134661 no no Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:12:37 +0100 2019-12-05T17:12:37+01:00 2:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02-a-little-change-will-do-you-good/ 4134660 no no Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:12:31 +0100 2019-12-05T17:12:31+01:00 2:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-repeats/ 4134662 no no Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:12:20 +0100 2019-12-05T17:12:20+01:00 3:48 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-get-it-right-the-first-time/ 4134663 no no Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:12:13 +0100 2019-12-05T17:12:13+01:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-fivers/ 4134665 no no Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:12:07 +0100 2019-12-05T17:12:07+01:00 3:25 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/07-noise/ 4134664 no no Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:11:31 +0100 2019-12-05T17:11:31+01:00 1:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/7rnxogpfoazx0eln7jagoerw1de3/ 3930700 no no Thu, 24 Oct 2019 18:37:35 +0200 2019-10-24T18:37:35+02:00 4:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/readyforit/ 3031216 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:09:19 +0200 2019-04-21T03:09:19+02:00 3:38 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/theendofthestory/ 3031202 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:04:43 +0200 2019-04-21T03:04:43+02:00 4:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/mysong4/ 3031201 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:04:32 +0200 2019-04-21T03:04:32+02:00 4:12 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thedayitallwenttopieces/ 3031203 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:04:22 +0200 2019-04-21T03:04:22+02:00 3:27 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/debut/ 3031204 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:04:16 +0200 2019-04-21T03:04:16+02:00 3:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/traffic/ 3031205 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:04:05 +0200 2019-04-21T03:04:05+02:00 2:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/showdownatcanobielakeparkm4a/ 3031206 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:03:58 +0200 2019-04-21T03:03:58+02:00 2:27 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/fightorflight/ 3031207 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:03:44 +0200 2019-04-21T03:03:44+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/heartlanddeniestheobvioustruth/ 3031208 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:03:36 +0200 2019-04-21T03:03:36+02:00 4:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/closeencounter/ 3031209 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:03:29 +0200 2019-04-21T03:03:29+02:00 2:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/muchtomysurprise/ 3031210 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:03:23 +0200 2019-04-21T03:03:23+02:00 3:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/stayonmission/ 3031211 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:03:16 +0200 2019-04-21T03:03:16+02:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/quietlazysong/ 3031212 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 03:02:55 +0200 2019-04-21T03:02:55+02:00 4:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nevergivein/ 3031178 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:52:22 +0200 2019-04-21T02:52:22+02:00 3:47 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sofrustrating/ 3031177 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:52:14 +0200 2019-04-21T02:52:14+02:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/whatyouaretome/ 3031179 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:52:08 +0200 2019-04-21T02:52:08+02:00 5:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/optimism/ 3031181 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:52:02 +0200 2019-04-21T02:52:02+02:00 2:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/teachme/ 3031180 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:53 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:53+02:00 10:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/illuminate/ 3031183 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:48 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:48+02:00 2:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sympathyandempathy/ 3031184 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:37 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:37+02:00 2:10 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thereandgone/ 3031185 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:31 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:31+02:00 5:49 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thequietlife/ 3031186 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:23 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:23+02:00 2:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/tunguskaevent/ 3031187 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:17 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:17+02:00 3:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/somethingaboutyou/ 3031188 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:11 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:11+02:00 3:39 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/fineline/ 3031189 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:51:05 +0200 2019-04-21T02:51:05+02:00 2:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/iknowyouregonnamakeit/ 3031190 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:50:59 +0200 2019-04-21T02:50:59+02:00 3:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/dontbeafraid/ 3031191 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:50:38 +0200 2019-04-21T02:50:38+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thetimewillcome13/ 3031165 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:42:12 +0200 2019-04-21T02:42:12+02:00 4:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/oneononeduel1/ 3031164 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:42:05 +0200 2019-04-21T02:42:05+02:00 3:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/outofcontrol2/ 3031166 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:41:57 +0200 2019-04-21T02:41:57+02:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/justadream13/ 3031167 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:41:51 +0200 2019-04-21T02:41:51+02:00 5:36 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/toiletwaterfromhell13/ 3031168 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:41:44 +0200 2019-04-21T02:41:44+02:00 3:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/timeforachange1/ 3031169 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:41:37 +0200 2019-04-21T02:41:37+02:00 6:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/laughing2/ 3031170 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:41:29 +0200 2019-04-21T02:41:29+02:00 4:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thoughts/ 3031171 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:41:22 +0200 2019-04-21T02:41:22+02:00 4:35 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/themonicasong2/ 3031172 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:41:15 +0200 2019-04-21T02:41:15+02:00 3:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thefirstday-redux/ 3031173 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:40:53 +0200 2019-04-21T02:40:53+02:00 2:48 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/shouldhavebeenmineredux/ 3031129 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:04:00 +0200 2019-04-21T02:04:00+02:00 4:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/gowestyoungman/ 3031128 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:53 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:53+02:00 4:57 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hidden/ 3031130 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:49 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:49+02:00 3:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/93secondsinatimemachine1/ 3031132 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:44 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:44+02:00 1:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/novembermedleyremix/ 3031131 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:33 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:33+02:00 3:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thisisasham/ 3031133 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:26 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:26+02:00 4:06 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nonsense/
This started in GarageBand for iOS on my iPhone. The last bar of the bass part in the main section has a mistake in (the little chromatic thingie) that sounded better than what I was actually trying to do. I also sketched out the guitar parts in MIDI. I usually don’t do that, but I’ve done it a lot this month. I replaced those crummy MIDI guitars with real guitars, of course. It sounds pretty similar to my original noodles. Better, but similar.

The title of the song describes the lyrics… nonsense. I kinda dig the droning fuzz guitar parts. Get used to that, you’ll see more of it in the coming week or so.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15 (all parts go through both amps. Duel mono for the win). As for pedals, the pseudo funky rhythm part used a Ryra The Klone, the drone used the Ryra into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian fuzz pedal, and the solos used the Ryra into a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini. There’s also a Dunlop Crybaby at the end. The Gary Clark, Jr signature model.

Verse 1
Can’t see it coming
No way you could know
One chance remaining
it moves so slow
I grasp at something
for something to show
It’s always moving
too far below

Verse 2
The deeper meaning
I can’t understand
Seeing’s believing
Out of your hand
Queue up the message
under all the pain
rip off the bandage
Its all the same

Chorus
Its all nonsense
All this suspense
Meant no offense
No way you could see this coming for you

Break
Hear me calling
In some forbidden language
Hear me screaming
about some disadvantage

Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]>
This started in GarageBand for iOS on my iPhone. The last bar of the bass part in the main section has a mistake in (the little chromatic thingie) that sounded better than what I was actually trying to do. I also sketched out the guitar parts in MIDI. I usually don’t do that, but I’ve done it a lot this month. I replaced those crummy MIDI guitars with real guitars, of course. It sounds pretty similar to my original noodles. Better, but similar.

The title of the song describes the lyrics… nonsense. I kinda dig the droning fuzz guitar parts. Get used to that, you’ll see more of it in the coming week or so.

All of the guitar parts are my Gibson ES-335 Pro through both a Fender Bassbreaker 15 and a Vox AC15 (all parts go through both amps. Duel mono for the win). As for pedals, the pseudo funky rhythm part used a Ryra The Klone, the drone used the Ryra into a Wren and Cuff Super Russian fuzz pedal, and the solos used the Ryra into a Wampler Plexi Drive Mini. There’s also a Dunlop Crybaby at the end. The Gary Clark, Jr signature model.

Verse 1
Can’t see it coming
No way you could know
One chance remaining
it moves so slow
I grasp at something
for something to show
It’s always moving
too far below

Verse 2
The deeper meaning
I can’t understand
Seeing’s believing
Out of your hand
Queue up the message
under all the pain
rip off the bandage
Its all the same

Chorus
Its all nonsense
All this suspense
Meant no offense
No way you could see this coming for you

Break
Hear me calling
In some forbidden language
Hear me screaming
about some disadvantage

Verse 1
Chorus
Chorus]]> 3031134 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:21 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:21+02:00 2:18 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/mediocresaviorredux3/ 3031135 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:15 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:15+02:00 3:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/bluesforawallyworld/ 3031137 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:10 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:10+02:00 5:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/repetitivesensation/ 3031139 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:03:04 +0200 2019-04-21T02:03:04+02:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thereisalwaysachoice/ 3031138 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:02:57 +0200 2019-04-21T02:02:57+02:00 4:45 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/whatimaboutrewriteofhidden/ 3031141 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 02:02:36 +0200 2019-04-21T02:02:36+02:00 3:12 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/radio2013nasoalmo-C4m/ 3031105 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:48:24 +0200 2019-04-21T01:48:24+02:00 34:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/deadsheep/ 3031098 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:46:34 +0200 2019-04-21T01:46:34+02:00 4:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/driftawaym4a/ 3031099 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:46:27 +0200 2019-04-21T01:46:27+02:00 5:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/thesky2/ 3031100 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:46:20 +0200 2019-04-21T01:46:20+02:00 4:38 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/overexposed2/ 3031101 no no Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:46:04 +0200 2019-04-21T01:46:04+02:00 3:32 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/johnathans-curse/ 3026861 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:48 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:48+02:00 3:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/mrs-woodman/ 3026862 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:41 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:41+02:00 4:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/dudleytown-just-cant-catch-a-break/ 3026863 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:36 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:36+02:00 3:17 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-dead-ship-of-harpswell/ 3026864 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:25 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:25+02:00 2:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/mercy-the-vampire/ 3026865 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:19 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:19+02:00 3:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/nixs-mate-island/ 3026866 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:13 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:13+02:00 3:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/owls-head-lighthouse/ 3026867 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:08 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:08+02:00 3:38 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/face-in-the-windows/ 3026868 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:32:03 +0200 2019-04-19T04:32:03+02:00 3:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-lady-in-the-black-dress/ 3026869 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:31:57 +0200 2019-04-19T04:31:57+02:00 3:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/gold-brook-bridge/ 3026870 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:31:51 +0200 2019-04-19T04:31:51+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/moving-on/ 3026849 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:29:04 +0200 2019-04-19T04:29:04+02:00 2:27 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/until-the-end/ 3026848 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:58 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:58+02:00 2:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/anxiety/ 3026850 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:46 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:46+02:00 3:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/method/ 3026851 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:41 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:41+02:00 2:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/empty/ 3026852 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:35 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:35+02:00 2:59 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-voice/ 3026853 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:30 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:30+02:00 2:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/whats-going-on/ 3026854 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:24 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:24+02:00 3:25 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/state-of-the-union/ 3026855 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:19 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:19+02:00 2:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sleeper/ 3026856 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:12 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:12+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/two-steps-behind/ 3026857 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:28:10 +0200 2019-04-19T04:28:10+02:00 4:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/ifyouaskedmewhy/ 3026846 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:25:29 +0200 2019-04-19T04:25:29+02:00 2:22 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/patienceweek11/ 3026845 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:25:23 +0200 2019-04-19T04:25:23+02:00 4:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/timefliesweek9/ 3026844 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:25:18 +0200 2019-04-19T04:25:18+02:00 2:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/bloodfromstoneweek13/ 3026847 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:24:42 +0200 2019-04-19T04:24:42+02:00 5:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/soupyending/ 3026839 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:22:55 +0200 2019-04-19T04:22:55+02:00 4:12 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/feelslikehome/ 3026838 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:22:48 +0200 2019-04-19T04:22:48+02:00 2:22 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/swingless/ 3026840 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:22:42 +0200 2019-04-19T04:22:42+02:00 4:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/threeandathird/ 3026841 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:22:35 +0200 2019-04-19T04:22:35+02:00 5:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/midterms/ 3026843 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:22:29 +0200 2019-04-19T04:22:29+02:00 4:03 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/igetitnow/ 3026842 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:22:04 +0200 2019-04-19T04:22:04+02:00 2:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/08lookingforward/ 3026827 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:18:34 +0200 2019-04-19T04:18:34+02:00 4:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05unobtainable/ 3026826 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:18:21 +0200 2019-04-19T04:18:21+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01defiant/ 3026828 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:18:11 +0200 2019-04-19T04:18:11+02:00 3:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03iwontbreak/ 3026830 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:17:59 +0200 2019-04-19T04:17:59+02:00 2:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/11woke/ 3026829 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:17:49 +0200 2019-04-19T04:17:49+02:00 3:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/09burnout/ 3026831 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:17:40 +0200 2019-04-19T04:17:40+02:00 2:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06analysisparalysis/ 3026833 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:17:24 +0200 2019-04-19T04:17:24+02:00 2:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/10fog/ 3026832 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:17:16 +0200 2019-04-19T04:17:16+02:00 2:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02timeoffrequest/ 3026834 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:17:08 +0200 2019-04-19T04:17:08+02:00 2:40 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04oneborneveryminute/ 3026835 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:17:00 +0200 2019-04-19T04:17:00+02:00 2:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/07invisible/ 3026836 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:13:18 +0200 2019-04-19T04:13:18+02:00 4:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/fightback/ 3026814 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:09:04 +0200 2019-04-19T04:09:04+02:00 5:10 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/letyourvoicebeheard/ 3026813 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:08:54 +0200 2019-04-19T04:08:54+02:00 3:22 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/resistance/ 3026815 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:08:45 +0200 2019-04-19T04:08:45+02:00 3:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/caveman/ 3026816 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:08:34 +0200 2019-04-19T04:08:34+02:00 3:54 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hooklineandsinker/ 3026817 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:08:22 +0200 2019-04-19T04:08:22+02:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hypocrite/ 3026818 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:08:13 +0200 2019-04-19T04:08:13+02:00 3:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sucker/ 3026819 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:08:07 +0200 2019-04-19T04:08:07+02:00 3:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/notomorrow/ 3026820 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:08:02 +0200 2019-04-19T04:08:02+02:00 2:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/rpmrag/ 3026821 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:07:56 +0200 2019-04-19T04:07:56+02:00 2:49 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/truth/ 3026822 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:07:36 +0200 2019-04-19T04:07:36+02:00 2:24 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/tothestreets/ 3026823 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:07:30 +0200 2019-04-19T04:07:30+02:00 3:42 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/maybethingswillbebetter/ 3026824 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:07:03 +0200 2019-04-19T04:07:03+02:00 3:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/27detour/ 3026807 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:03:45 +0200 2019-04-19T04:03:45+02:00 2:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/21turnthepageagain/ 3026809 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:03:37 +0200 2019-04-19T04:03:37+02:00 3:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/22nohappyend/ 3026808 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:03:25 +0200 2019-04-19T04:03:25+02:00 4:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/20turnmearound/ 3026810 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:03:18 +0200 2019-04-19T04:03:18+02:00 3:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/29meetmeontheroadahead/ 3026811 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:03:12 +0200 2019-04-19T04:03:12+02:00 4:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/30dontlistentome/ 3026812 no no Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:03:05 +0200 2019-04-19T04:03:05+02:00 1:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/28-oh-wont-you-tell-me-where-the-time-goes/
My demo plans for 2016 are proving to be way too elaborate so I wrote and recorded this in GarageBand on my iPad in one sitting. The music is overly simple and the lyrics are throw away, but it’s done. Guitars are all Les Pauls.

Oh won’t you tell me where the time goes
Oh won’t you tell me where it goes
Oh can you make it last forever
It seems like everybody knows

Seems like we’re spinning round In Circles
Seems like we’re spinning round again
We never get to where we’re going
And everyone just takes offense

That’s okay
That’s all right
That’s what we need
That’s okay
That’s all right
Everyone will see

So many ways to go
So many things to know
So many faces to see
So many places to be]]>
My demo plans for 2016 are proving to be way too elaborate so I wrote and recorded this in GarageBand on my iPad in one sitting. The music is overly simple and the lyrics are throw away, but it’s done. Guitars are all Les Pauls.

Oh won’t you tell me where the time goes
Oh won’t you tell me where it goes
Oh can you make it last forever
It seems like everybody knows

Seems like we’re spinning round In Circles
Seems like we’re spinning round again
We never get to where we’re going
And everyone just takes offense

That’s okay
That’s all right
That’s what we need
That’s okay
That’s all right
Everyone will see

So many ways to go
So many things to know
So many faces to see
So many places to be]]> 1022462 no no Thu, 08 Sep 2016 00:55:33 +0200 2016-09-08T00:55:33+02:00 3:24 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/its-raining-again/
It’s raining again
time to wash away those tears
It’s raining again
Time to do away with fears

Times like these
I don’t know where to turn
Times like these
I don’t want to get burned

Here’s to you
and all the things that you do
Here’s to you
how you help me get through]]>
It’s raining again
time to wash away those tears
It’s raining again
Time to do away with fears

Times like these
I don’t know where to turn
Times like these
I don’t want to get burned

Here’s to you
and all the things that you do
Here’s to you
how you help me get through]]> 750592 no no Fri, 04 Mar 2016 17:46:33 +0100 2016-03-04T17:46:33+01:00 3:36 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/did-i-offend-you/
Lyrically, if my picking on people who believe the Earth is flat, or support Donald Trump’s run for the Presidency, then I am very sorry that I am not sorry. I don’t care. I know what’s what and I could care less if you disagree.

chorus

It looks like I offended you
That wasn’t what I set out to do
but when we get down to it
I don’t really care

Just doesn’t matter
Just don’t care

I don’t care at all
I just don’t care

verse 1

you say
I’ve got it wrong
you say
you knew all along
you know
the way it works
you know
all the right words

Verse 2

If you think
that I care at all
If you think
that I’m being small
I think
you waste my time
I think
that’s well and fine

outtro

I say what I feel
I say what I mean
If you Don’t like it
Don’t read it

….and with the posting of this, the 18th finished song for this month, I declare the 2016 RPM Challenge and FAWM to be done and done. It’s time to go to sleep!]]>
Lyrically, if my picking on people who believe the Earth is flat, or support Donald Trump’s run for the Presidency, then I am very sorry that I am not sorry. I don’t care. I know what’s what and I could care less if you disagree.

chorus

It looks like I offended you
That wasn’t what I set out to do
but when we get down to it
I don’t really care

Just doesn’t matter
Just don’t care

I don’t care at all
I just don’t care

verse 1

you say
I’ve got it wrong
you say
you knew all along
you know
the way it works
you know
all the right words

Verse 2

If you think
that I care at all
If you think
that I’m being small
I think
you waste my time
I think
that’s well and fine

outtro

I say what I feel
I say what I mean
If you Don’t like it
Don’t read it

….and with the posting of this, the 18th finished song for this month, I declare the 2016 RPM Challenge and FAWM to be done and done. It’s time to go to sleep!]]> 752577 no no Tue, 01 Mar 2016 04:11:47 +0100 2016-03-01T04:11:47+01:00 4:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/feeling-it/
I think this is my favorite song from the whole month. Weird how that happens, eh?

The lyrics are political and they are supposed to be positive. Senator Sanders is getting my vote in the Massachusetts primary tomorrow, but I really don’t think he can win the nomination. So the song is positive in that I believe in the guy, but negative in that I think he’s going to lose. Yeah, I just suck at positivity.

Chorus

They say that you can’t win
They say that there’s no chance
They say that it’s a lost cause
They say you can’t advance

verse 1

radical ideas
against the status quo
change the way we do things
the system moves too slow

verse 2

they’re too big to fail
they will put up a fight
stand against the mainstream
stand for what’s right

middle 8

there’s always hope for the underdog
There’s always room for new ways
there’s always people who can go that far
who cares what others say]]>
I think this is my favorite song from the whole month. Weird how that happens, eh?

The lyrics are political and they are supposed to be positive. Senator Sanders is getting my vote in the Massachusetts primary tomorrow, but I really don’t think he can win the nomination. So the song is positive in that I believe in the guy, but negative in that I think he’s going to lose. Yeah, I just suck at positivity.

Chorus

They say that you can’t win
They say that there’s no chance
They say that it’s a lost cause
They say you can’t advance

verse 1

radical ideas
against the status quo
change the way we do things
the system moves too slow

verse 2

they’re too big to fail
they will put up a fight
stand against the mainstream
stand for what’s right

middle 8

there’s always hope for the underdog
There’s always room for new ways
there’s always people who can go that far
who cares what others say]]> 752472 no no Tue, 01 Mar 2016 02:47:29 +0100 2016-03-01T02:47:29+01:00 3:36 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/anything/
Chorus:

Anything you say
anything you want
anything you need
I’ll take care of you

Verse 1:

I’m always here for you
What can I do
So much support for you
I’ll see it though

Verse 2:

Make it a point to be
exactly what you need
Out of my way to see
to the smallest deeds

Bridge:

At the drop of a hat
You wish is my command]]>
Chorus:

Anything you say
anything you want
anything you need
I’ll take care of you

Verse 1:

I’m always here for you
What can I do
So much support for you
I’ll see it though

Verse 2:

Make it a point to be
exactly what you need
Out of my way to see
to the smallest deeds

Bridge:

At the drop of a hat
You wish is my command]]> 752436 no no Tue, 01 Mar 2016 01:29:30 +0100 2016-03-01T01:29:30+01:00 3:16 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/be-afraid/
I thought it would be cool to write something in drop D and then play it on a 12 string. Then I could drop two D’s! HarHarHar.

The lyrics are about how scary some of Donald Trumps followers are. If he wins in November I’m moving to Europe.

Rhythm guitars are my Takamine F 400S. Lead is my Gibson ES 335 Pro.

i dont know whats scarier
the man or the people he leads
so much hate surrounding them
the fear is just out of control
I never imagined
I never believed I’d see
things get this crazy
the ball is beginning to roll

be afraid of everything
the monsters coming for you
be afraid of everyone
no matter what they do

can we restore our greatness
building on just fear
paranoid delusions
this will end in tears]]>
I thought it would be cool to write something in drop D and then play it on a 12 string. Then I could drop two D’s! HarHarHar.

The lyrics are about how scary some of Donald Trumps followers are. If he wins in November I’m moving to Europe.

Rhythm guitars are my Takamine F 400S. Lead is my Gibson ES 335 Pro.

i dont know whats scarier
the man or the people he leads
so much hate surrounding them
the fear is just out of control
I never imagined
I never believed I’d see
things get this crazy
the ball is beginning to roll

be afraid of everything
the monsters coming for you
be afraid of everyone
no matter what they do

can we restore our greatness
building on just fear
paranoid delusions
this will end in tears]]> 750486 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2016 21:26:32 +0100 2016-02-28T21:26:32+01:00 2:59 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-pressure-is-on-again/
The lyrics are about when a good thing starts going bad, and the guitars are all ES 335 Pro.

Chorus:

the pressures on again
what more can you do
where do you go from here
how will they get to you

Verse 1:

I believe that the time has come
I believe that you need to run

Verse 2:

In your hands, you hold the key
Not your fault if they chose not to see

Bridge:

There is no reason]]>
The lyrics are about when a good thing starts going bad, and the guitars are all ES 335 Pro.

Chorus:

the pressures on again
what more can you do
where do you go from here
how will they get to you

Verse 1:

I believe that the time has come
I believe that you need to run

Verse 2:

In your hands, you hold the key
Not your fault if they chose not to see

Bridge:

There is no reason]]> 750364 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2016 19:24:56 +0100 2016-02-28T19:24:56+01:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/wendys-new-gator/
Also, lyrics inspired by a post on the Florida Man twitter account (link below).

Everything I was doing was slow and kinda quiet. So I wrote something fast and noisy and gave it lyrics about a guy who tries to pay for his order at the Wendy’s drive through with a three foot long alligator. You can’t make this stuff up.

Not sure I like the mix. In the big push to get everything for the RPM Challenge done by the end of February, my ears are starting to get mushy.

The guitars are all ES 335 Pro.

Chorus

Though it seems odd to you
It seemed like the thing to do
It makes perfect sense to me
Nothing in life is free

Verse 1:

I stopped at the drive through
On my way home from work
I left them a three foot tip
And they call me a jerk

Three feet from nose to tail
With teeth to spare

Verse 2:

I paid them a fair price
but I’m feeling betrayed
The cops came to get me
and they put me away

razor sharp jaws of steel
its a killing machine

Bridge

Wendy has a brand new gator

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/loxahatchee-acreage/man-accused-of-tossing-gator-into-wendys-drive-thru-window]]>
Also, lyrics inspired by a post on the Florida Man twitter account (link below).

Everything I was doing was slow and kinda quiet. So I wrote something fast and noisy and gave it lyrics about a guy who tries to pay for his order at the Wendy’s drive through with a three foot long alligator. You can’t make this stuff up.

Not sure I like the mix. In the big push to get everything for the RPM Challenge done by the end of February, my ears are starting to get mushy.

The guitars are all ES 335 Pro.

Chorus

Though it seems odd to you
It seemed like the thing to do
It makes perfect sense to me
Nothing in life is free

Verse 1:

I stopped at the drive through
On my way home from work
I left them a three foot tip
And they call me a jerk

Three feet from nose to tail
With teeth to spare

Verse 2:

I paid them a fair price
but I’m feeling betrayed
The cops came to get me
and they put me away

razor sharp jaws of steel
its a killing machine

Bridge

Wendy has a brand new gator

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/loxahatchee-acreage/man-accused-of-tossing-gator-into-wendys-drive-thru-window]]> 750297 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2016 18:37:33 +0100 2016-02-28T18:37:33+01:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/not-unless-you-mean-it/
For the lyrics, do you ever have the feeling that someone says something to you so often that what they say loses it’s meaning?

The lead guitar is my Gibson ES 335 Pro, and the rhythm is my Takamine F 400S.

ou say it all the time
do you know what it means
your words have weight for me
do you know what that means

words can be powerful, words can be strong
is there a meaning to what you say

Don’t say it unless you mean it
Don’t say it unless it’s true]]>
For the lyrics, do you ever have the feeling that someone says something to you so often that what they say loses it’s meaning?

The lead guitar is my Gibson ES 335 Pro, and the rhythm is my Takamine F 400S.

ou say it all the time
do you know what it means
your words have weight for me
do you know what that means

words can be powerful, words can be strong
is there a meaning to what you say

Don’t say it unless you mean it
Don’t say it unless it’s true]]> 750229 no no Sun, 28 Feb 2016 17:42:28 +0100 2016-02-28T17:42:28+01:00 3:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/antipodes/
The lyrics are about a theory that Flat Earthers apparently used to argue about. If our civilization exists on top of the flat Earth, is there another civilization that exists underneath the flat Earth. The opposite Earth was called the Antipode. I found it funny, reading up on the debate, how vehemently some people laughed it off. It sounded much like the argument against the flat Earth today. Basically, it was sort of what are you stupid? Look at the evidence! I thought it was funny and I stole the debate for this year’s album.

The guitars are all ES 335 Pro. The mix is… not so good. I might have to redo it. We’ll see. I should also mention how the GarageBand drummer function seems to be unable to add fills in ¾ time. It just turns into Keith Moon, basically soloing throughout the entire song. I like when drummers overplay, but this is just dumb. Oh well.

Chorus:

What lies beneath
What lives below
Its such conceit
You cannot know

Verse 1:

There are actually people who really believe
there is some kind of race down beneath our feet
if you were to believe them then you’d have to say
there’s a civilization that we’ll never see

Verse 2:

upward is downward and downward is up
daytime is nighttime and darkness is light
The Earth is above them the sky is below
foreward is backward and that can’t be right

Bridge:

Don’t believe it]]>
The lyrics are about a theory that Flat Earthers apparently used to argue about. If our civilization exists on top of the flat Earth, is there another civilization that exists underneath the flat Earth. The opposite Earth was called the Antipode. I found it funny, reading up on the debate, how vehemently some people laughed it off. It sounded much like the argument against the flat Earth today. Basically, it was sort of what are you stupid? Look at the evidence! I thought it was funny and I stole the debate for this year’s album.

The guitars are all ES 335 Pro. The mix is… not so good. I might have to redo it. We’ll see. I should also mention how the GarageBand drummer function seems to be unable to add fills in ¾ time. It just turns into Keith Moon, basically soloing throughout the entire song. I like when drummers overplay, but this is just dumb. Oh well.

Chorus:

What lies beneath
What lives below
Its such conceit
You cannot know

Verse 1:

There are actually people who really believe
there is some kind of race down beneath our feet
if you were to believe them then you’d have to say
there’s a civilization that we’ll never see

Verse 2:

upward is downward and downward is up
daytime is nighttime and darkness is light
The Earth is above them the sky is below
foreward is backward and that can’t be right

Bridge:

Don’t believe it]]> 749377 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:51:05 +0100 2016-02-27T23:51:05+01:00 2:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/if-youre-lucky/
The lyrics though… this one bothered me. My step son was recently taken very ill and spent some time in the hospital. The whole experience, especially the first night in the emergency room, is the most scared I’ve ever been in my life. It was worse than when we found out my mother had a brain tumor. Worse than my uncle bleeding to death. By far the most helpless terror I’d ever felt. I found myself writing these lyrics and the whole time I was thinking that this was too public an airing of my feelings from those few days. I couldn’t stop myself though. It was a weird state of mind, I tell you.

As I was getting toward the end of the song though, I started thinking about a friend who lost a child a few years ago. What the hell was I complaining about? My step son is fine. He’s home. He goes to school. He just became a teenager. He gets to live his life. My friend’s son doesn’t. He went into the hospital at age seven and never came out. I have no right to be telling the story of how scared I was when our ending was so infinitely happier than my friends. Once I started looking at things from that point of view I started feeling like an asshole. You putz, you’re the lucky one. You’ve been the lucky one the whole time. Even when you were sitting in the hospital, frozen with fear for your step son’s life, you were the lucky one.

Chorus:

You’ll never be
As scared as we were
You’ll never feel
that kind of fear

You’ll never know
How close you can come
If you’re lucky
You’ll never feel this way

Verse 1:

Look at him lie there
Helpless as can be
How did he get here
What does it all mean

Verse 2:

What are they saying
I don’t understand this
Everything’s crazy
So much to deal with

Ending:

He pulled through
its all right now
Life has changed
But it’s okay

think back to
how it was for you
I don’t know
what I would do

It could have been worse
I keep telling myself
As bad as it was
it’s all right now

He gets to go home
He gets to go on
Maybe it’s us
The lucky ones]]>
The lyrics though… this one bothered me. My step son was recently taken very ill and spent some time in the hospital. The whole experience, especially the first night in the emergency room, is the most scared I’ve ever been in my life. It was worse than when we found out my mother had a brain tumor. Worse than my uncle bleeding to death. By far the most helpless terror I’d ever felt. I found myself writing these lyrics and the whole time I was thinking that this was too public an airing of my feelings from those few days. I couldn’t stop myself though. It was a weird state of mind, I tell you.

As I was getting toward the end of the song though, I started thinking about a friend who lost a child a few years ago. What the hell was I complaining about? My step son is fine. He’s home. He goes to school. He just became a teenager. He gets to live his life. My friend’s son doesn’t. He went into the hospital at age seven and never came out. I have no right to be telling the story of how scared I was when our ending was so infinitely happier than my friends. Once I started looking at things from that point of view I started feeling like an asshole. You putz, you’re the lucky one. You’ve been the lucky one the whole time. Even when you were sitting in the hospital, frozen with fear for your step son’s life, you were the lucky one.

Chorus:

You’ll never be
As scared as we were
You’ll never feel
that kind of fear

You’ll never know
How close you can come
If you’re lucky
You’ll never feel this way

Verse 1:

Look at him lie there
Helpless as can be
How did he get here
What does it all mean

Verse 2:

What are they saying
I don’t understand this
Everything’s crazy
So much to deal with

Ending:

He pulled through
its all right now
Life has changed
But it’s okay

think back to
how it was for you
I don’t know
what I would do

It could have been worse
I keep telling myself
As bad as it was
it’s all right now

He gets to go home
He gets to go on
Maybe it’s us
The lucky ones]]> 749328 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2016 22:34:29 +0100 2016-02-27T22:34:29+01:00 5:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/too-small-to-see-it/
But she don’t know blues.

She decided to try out for her high school jazz band as a pianist and was told that she would need to play a 12-bar blues and solo using a blues scale. The day she asked me what those things were stands as one of my proudest. Step Daughter dear, welcome to the most musical fun you’ll ever have. Welcome to the foundation of my musical existence. Unfortunately the sheet music her teacher gave her had a 12-bar blues that went to a ii chord. I was offended. I was so disappointed in the entire school system. No there are no ii chords in a 12-bar blues. I - IV - I - V - IV - I. Anything else is blasphemy!

The next day I wrote up a little 12-bar blues for RPM… and did it in 7/8 time. Screw You, musical establishment!

The lyrics are more arguments against the flat Earth. The lead guitar is my Gibson ES 335 Pro, and the rhythm is my Takaminie F 400 S 12-string.

Chorus:

Its so obvious
anyone can see
Its so obvious
anyone can see
Open your eyes for me
and you will agree

Verse 1:

Tell you something you don’t know
Have a bit of the truth
Tell you something you don’t know
Have a bit of the truth
I can see for ever now
I can show you how

Verse 2:

climbing higher and higher
and you still don’t see
climbing higher and higher
and you still don’t see
Need to get higher still
for you to take this pill

Quiet Verse:

What I’m trying to tell you
Is that you’re very small
What I’m trying to tell you
Is that you’re very small
The world around you is so big
you’re mind will never know]]>
But she don’t know blues.

She decided to try out for her high school jazz band as a pianist and was told that she would need to play a 12-bar blues and solo using a blues scale. The day she asked me what those things were stands as one of my proudest. Step Daughter dear, welcome to the most musical fun you’ll ever have. Welcome to the foundation of my musical existence. Unfortunately the sheet music her teacher gave her had a 12-bar blues that went to a ii chord. I was offended. I was so disappointed in the entire school system. No there are no ii chords in a 12-bar blues. I - IV - I - V - IV - I. Anything else is blasphemy!

The next day I wrote up a little 12-bar blues for RPM… and did it in 7/8 time. Screw You, musical establishment!

The lyrics are more arguments against the flat Earth. The lead guitar is my Gibson ES 335 Pro, and the rhythm is my Takaminie F 400 S 12-string.

Chorus:

Its so obvious
anyone can see
Its so obvious
anyone can see
Open your eyes for me
and you will agree

Verse 1:

Tell you something you don’t know
Have a bit of the truth
Tell you something you don’t know
Have a bit of the truth
I can see for ever now
I can show you how

Verse 2:

climbing higher and higher
and you still don’t see
climbing higher and higher
and you still don’t see
Need to get higher still
for you to take this pill

Quiet Verse:

What I’m trying to tell you
Is that you’re very small
What I’m trying to tell you
Is that you’re very small
The world around you is so big
you’re mind will never know]]> 749218 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2016 21:00:46 +0100 2016-02-27T21:00:46+01:00 3:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/flat-earth-society-blues/
Anyway, 7/8 time. Lots of wah-wah. Prog rock heaven. My only complaint about this one is that I wish I had pushed the tempo a bit. A live drummer could have played a little ahead of the beat, and that might have been enough. I know when I was first writing the two songs I wanted them to plod a little, but before I recorded the guitars on the rebuttal I upped the tempo quite a bit. I think that could have helped this one too. A little hyperactivity would have helped the argument.

The guitars are all ES 335 Pro.

Chorus:

at the limit
of what i see
at the limit
its beyond me

Verse 1:

Evidence is suspect
I need more proof
thousand years of progress
is just a giant spoof

Verse 2:

columbus sailed the ocean
lied to everyone
lunatic in motion
see the damage done

Bridge:

I climb to the highest peak
It still looks straight to me
(Earth still feels flat to me)

Verse 3:

if they try to tell you
that the facts are clear
nothing that you can do
but ignore their fear

Other Bridge:

Don’t fall for it
Don’t believe the lies]]>
Anyway, 7/8 time. Lots of wah-wah. Prog rock heaven. My only complaint about this one is that I wish I had pushed the tempo a bit. A live drummer could have played a little ahead of the beat, and that might have been enough. I know when I was first writing the two songs I wanted them to plod a little, but before I recorded the guitars on the rebuttal I upped the tempo quite a bit. I think that could have helped this one too. A little hyperactivity would have helped the argument.

The guitars are all ES 335 Pro.

Chorus:

at the limit
of what i see
at the limit
its beyond me

Verse 1:

Evidence is suspect
I need more proof
thousand years of progress
is just a giant spoof

Verse 2:

columbus sailed the ocean
lied to everyone
lunatic in motion
see the damage done

Bridge:

I climb to the highest peak
It still looks straight to me
(Earth still feels flat to me)

Verse 3:

if they try to tell you
that the facts are clear
nothing that you can do
but ignore their fear

Other Bridge:

Don’t fall for it
Don’t believe the lies]]> 749152 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2016 19:59:27 +0100 2016-02-27T19:59:27+01:00 4:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/no-skin-off-my-back-bro/
Chorus:

You can believe what you want to believe
It doesn’t matter to me
You can think what you want to think
It makes no difference to me

Verse 1:

I’m not impressed
With your irrational mind
might I suggest
you waste someone else’s time

Verse 2:

You’ve got the news
Nobody wants to hear
You found a way
To make the kill of the year

Bridge:

Not this time

Middle 8:

I think you’re crazy
But I still don’t care
Your logic’s hazy
And I still don’t care

Other bridge:

And another thing

Verse 3:

I’m not impressed
With anything that you say
You might have guessed
I prefer it this way]]>
Chorus:

You can believe what you want to believe
It doesn’t matter to me
You can think what you want to think
It makes no difference to me

Verse 1:

I’m not impressed
With your irrational mind
might I suggest
you waste someone else’s time

Verse 2:

You’ve got the news
Nobody wants to hear
You found a way
To make the kill of the year

Bridge:

Not this time

Middle 8:

I think you’re crazy
But I still don’t care
Your logic’s hazy
And I still don’t care

Other bridge:

And another thing

Verse 3:

I’m not impressed
With anything that you say
You might have guessed
I prefer it this way]]> 748184 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2016 04:06:49 +0100 2016-02-27T04:06:49+01:00 3:42 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/in-denial-again/
As with everything this year, the electric guitar is a Gibson ES 335 Pro, and the acoustic is a Takamine F 400 S.

In denial again

Keep my eyes closed

If I can’t see you then you can’t see me

See nothing I see nothing]]>
As with everything this year, the electric guitar is a Gibson ES 335 Pro, and the acoustic is a Takamine F 400 S.

In denial again

Keep my eyes closed

If I can’t see you then you can’t see me

See nothing I see nothing]]> 748151 no no Sat, 27 Feb 2016 02:44:40 +0100 2016-02-27T02:44:40+01:00 3:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-baron/
The lyrics are even worse. It was an attempt to honor Paul Kantner’s memory but all it is is stolen lines and song titles. Crap on top of crap. I am so sorry, Paul. This is probably the kind of garbage that made him leave Jefferson Starship. Urgh.

we can be together
we can reach the stars
we can travel higher
we can get that far

I looked inside that broken clock
but theres no one left inside

I looked around the house on the corner
but theres no one there to find

we all knew it was bound to happen
it was due in time
we looked into the tigers eyes
and we saw a wild time

cant we just have one more Saturday
wont you try]]>
The lyrics are even worse. It was an attempt to honor Paul Kantner’s memory but all it is is stolen lines and song titles. Crap on top of crap. I am so sorry, Paul. This is probably the kind of garbage that made him leave Jefferson Starship. Urgh.

we can be together
we can reach the stars
we can travel higher
we can get that far

I looked inside that broken clock
but theres no one left inside

I looked around the house on the corner
but theres no one there to find

we all knew it was bound to happen
it was due in time
we looked into the tigers eyes
and we saw a wild time

cant we just have one more Saturday
wont you try]]> 731699 no no Sun, 21 Feb 2016 03:46:29 +0100 2016-02-21T03:46:29+01:00 2:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/its-not-funny-anymore/
So yeah, Trump is on my mind this year.

The guitar part here pissed me off to no end. I wrote it using GarageBand on an iPad. Using the crappy guitar sounds as a place holder until I could record the real thing. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t play the effin’ chorus. I ended up surrendering to my lack of talent and split it into two separate parts. I feel like a failure.

The guitars are all ES-335, like all the electric guitars in this year’s RPM Challenge.

Its Not Funny Anymore

Chorus:

Its not funny anymore
The joke is on us all
Its not funny anymore
Get ready for the fall

Its not funny anymore
Can’t we call it quits
It’s not funny anymore
enough with hateful glitz

Verse 1:

Hatefulness, fear and greed
Is that what we stand for
All for one and none for all
You answer that call

Verse 2:

Us vs them, Me against you
We’ve Seen this all before
Divide conquer alienate
hear them cheer for more

Break:

Plays well in the sticks
Looks good on TV
Terrify the hicks
Make them love me]]>
So yeah, Trump is on my mind this year.

The guitar part here pissed me off to no end. I wrote it using GarageBand on an iPad. Using the crappy guitar sounds as a place holder until I could record the real thing. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t play the effin’ chorus. I ended up surrendering to my lack of talent and split it into two separate parts. I feel like a failure.

The guitars are all ES-335, like all the electric guitars in this year’s RPM Challenge.

Its Not Funny Anymore

Chorus:

Its not funny anymore
The joke is on us all
Its not funny anymore
Get ready for the fall

Its not funny anymore
Can’t we call it quits
It’s not funny anymore
enough with hateful glitz

Verse 1:

Hatefulness, fear and greed
Is that what we stand for
All for one and none for all
You answer that call

Verse 2:

Us vs them, Me against you
We’ve Seen this all before
Divide conquer alienate
hear them cheer for more

Break:

Plays well in the sticks
Looks good on TV
Terrify the hicks
Make them love me]]> 731611 no no Sun, 21 Feb 2016 02:43:45 +0100 2016-02-21T02:43:45+01:00 4:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-flat-earth-rebuttal/
It has also become the lyrical theme for a lot of this year’s RPM Challenge.

This is one of a pair of songs that is supposed to represent an argument between a flat Earth shit for brains and a rational, normal person. This particular song is the rational person’s response to the idiot’s argument, hence the title.

The guitars are all ES-335, just like all of the electric guitars this year. I have decided to go sans-solid body guitars across the board. Just the 335 and an acoustic when necessary.

Chorus:

You’re so small
You can’t see it all
You’re so small
You can’t take the fall

Earth so big
You can’t comprehend
Earth so big
You can’t see the end

Verse 1:

You say that you can see
far enough away
You think you’re big enough
To see all the way

Verse 2:

You think you’re high enough
You should see the curve
You climb the highest high
still you can’t observe

Bridge:

You’re wrong
So wrong

Wah Bridge:

Small
So Small

Quiet Section:

How can you
Look at the world
Through the eyes
of such backward minds]]>
It has also become the lyrical theme for a lot of this year’s RPM Challenge.

This is one of a pair of songs that is supposed to represent an argument between a flat Earth shit for brains and a rational, normal person. This particular song is the rational person’s response to the idiot’s argument, hence the title.

The guitars are all ES-335, just like all of the electric guitars this year. I have decided to go sans-solid body guitars across the board. Just the 335 and an acoustic when necessary.

Chorus:

You’re so small
You can’t see it all
You’re so small
You can’t take the fall

Earth so big
You can’t comprehend
Earth so big
You can’t see the end

Verse 1:

You say that you can see
far enough away
You think you’re big enough
To see all the way

Verse 2:

You think you’re high enough
You should see the curve
You climb the highest high
still you can’t observe

Bridge:

You’re wrong
So wrong

Wah Bridge:

Small
So Small

Quiet Section:

How can you
Look at the world
Through the eyes
of such backward minds]]> 728086 no no Fri, 19 Feb 2016 04:55:36 +0100 2016-02-19T04:55:36+01:00 4:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/feels-like-somethings-coming/
The lyrics consist of one verse repeated forever. I was thinking of a Big Dipper song called “The Ghost of Emily” which does the same thing. Simple, yet somehow cool. Of course the Big Dipper song rules and this song is crap-o-la, but I digress.

Feels like somethings coming
Feels like something new
Feels like a new day dawning
Feels like something good]]>
The lyrics consist of one verse repeated forever. I was thinking of a Big Dipper song called “The Ghost of Emily” which does the same thing. Simple, yet somehow cool. Of course the Big Dipper song rules and this song is crap-o-la, but I digress.

Feels like somethings coming
Feels like something new
Feels like a new day dawning
Feels like something good]]> 724724 no no Thu, 18 Feb 2016 03:36:04 +0100 2016-02-18T03:36:04+01:00 3:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/sothisiswhatitfeelslike/ 441413 no no Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:11:36 +0200 2015-10-01T15:11:36+02:00 4:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/new-horizons/
The guitars are all ES-335.

three billion miles in nine years
and still far to go
no eyes have ever seen
but soon you will know

a landmark in speed and distance
this thing we’ve achieved
a breakthrough on every level
and you will succeed

beyond comprehension
how far you have gone
no way to relate to it
and still you fly on

The fastest thing ever
no ship can come close
36 thousand miles per hour
and you’ll never slow]]>
The guitars are all ES-335.

three billion miles in nine years
and still far to go
no eyes have ever seen
but soon you will know

a landmark in speed and distance
this thing we’ve achieved
a breakthrough on every level
and you will succeed

beyond comprehension
how far you have gone
no way to relate to it
and still you fly on

The fastest thing ever
no ship can come close
36 thousand miles per hour
and you’ll never slow]]> 171183 no no Sat, 28 Feb 2015 04:36:40 +0100 2015-02-28T04:36:40+01:00 5:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/falling-water/
The guitar is my ES-335 and the amp is my old Fender Stage which once was completely submerged in a flood of Concord River water and gasoline.]]>
The guitar is my ES-335 and the amp is my old Fender Stage which once was completely submerged in a flood of Concord River water and gasoline.]]> 170743 no no Fri, 27 Feb 2015 04:27:34 +0100 2015-02-27T04:27:34+01:00 3:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/two-years-left/
Musically this is super simple. Really, really slow with almost nothing but a little noodling in the rhythm guitars to break things up. This is the only RPM/FAWM song that doesn’t have every vocal track doubled. I figured one exception to the rule would be nice, although its harmonized all the way through.

The guitars are all ES-335.

two years left to do
everything that’s left to you
Two years and that’s all
two years left to think
every thought you have to think
two years and that’s all

how do you accept it
how do you comprehend
how can you believe it
how can you defend

can you be defiant
can you stand and fight
the truth is so clear now
how can it be right

two years used to be
an eternity
now it’s all that I have left]]>
Musically this is super simple. Really, really slow with almost nothing but a little noodling in the rhythm guitars to break things up. This is the only RPM/FAWM song that doesn’t have every vocal track doubled. I figured one exception to the rule would be nice, although its harmonized all the way through.

The guitars are all ES-335.

two years left to do
everything that’s left to you
Two years and that’s all
two years left to think
every thought you have to think
two years and that’s all

how do you accept it
how do you comprehend
how can you believe it
how can you defend

can you be defiant
can you stand and fight
the truth is so clear now
how can it be right

two years used to be
an eternity
now it’s all that I have left]]> 170734 no no Fri, 27 Feb 2015 03:51:24 +0100 2015-02-27T03:51:24+01:00 5:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/one-for-the-road/
The guitars are all ES-335 and the amp is my flammable old Fender Stage.

Trying to squeeze this last one in
No time left so why begin
Trying to make this last one fit
One more time and this is it

with a deadline looming can I get it done on time
when the clock is ticking can I find the perfect rhyme
with the moments fading can I have the final word
and with no one listening do I care that it’s unheard

If I cross the finish it won’t really mean a thing
If I am I winner still no one will hear me sing
now the ends in site and I can’t seem to let it go
though it doesn’t matter no one else will ever know

with a deadline looming can I get it done on time
when the clock is ticking can I find the perfect rhyme
now the ends in site and I can’t seem to let it go
though it doesn’t matter no one else will ever know]]>
The guitars are all ES-335 and the amp is my flammable old Fender Stage.

Trying to squeeze this last one in
No time left so why begin
Trying to make this last one fit
One more time and this is it

with a deadline looming can I get it done on time
when the clock is ticking can I find the perfect rhyme
with the moments fading can I have the final word
and with no one listening do I care that it’s unheard

If I cross the finish it won’t really mean a thing
If I am I winner still no one will hear me sing
now the ends in site and I can’t seem to let it go
though it doesn’t matter no one else will ever know

with a deadline looming can I get it done on time
when the clock is ticking can I find the perfect rhyme
now the ends in site and I can’t seem to let it go
though it doesn’t matter no one else will ever know]]> 170265 no no Thu, 26 Feb 2015 04:29:05 +0100 2015-02-26T04:29:05+01:00 5:40 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-thing-you-fear-the-most/
Still, after all of that back and forth, re-recording, over and over again...

I think this is my favorite song of the month now. Maybe.

The guitars are all ES-335 and the amp is my old Fender, except for the harmony leads at the end. Those used GarageBand amp simulator.


and still it’s coming
coming to find you
you hear it running
running you down

its always back there
its right behind you
never escape it
it always comes true

Good luck to you
You’ll never get away
Safe trip to you
you have a debt to pay

creeping in corners
watching you’re every move
hiding in shadows
completely disapprove

you think you lost it
but it is always there
you try to see it
but it will disappear

you can never get away from the
thing you fear the most]]>
Still, after all of that back and forth, re-recording, over and over again...

I think this is my favorite song of the month now. Maybe.

The guitars are all ES-335 and the amp is my old Fender, except for the harmony leads at the end. Those used GarageBand amp simulator.


and still it’s coming
coming to find you
you hear it running
running you down

its always back there
its right behind you
never escape it
it always comes true

Good luck to you
You’ll never get away
Safe trip to you
you have a debt to pay

creeping in corners
watching you’re every move
hiding in shadows
completely disapprove

you think you lost it
but it is always there
you try to see it
but it will disappear

you can never get away from the
thing you fear the most]]> 170168 no no Wed, 25 Feb 2015 22:23:24 +0100 2015-02-25T22:23:24+01:00 6:38 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/rageface-remix/
This is the second mix with drastically reduced reverb.

The guitars are all ES-335

you laugh at my rage face
I’m a clown to you
I vanish with no trace
I never come through

another twist
another turn
another chance to feel it burn
another way
another day
another trip with no return

where theres a will
there is a way
and I know I’ll have to pay
another lie
another sigh
like you ever really try]]>
This is the second mix with drastically reduced reverb.

The guitars are all ES-335

you laugh at my rage face
I’m a clown to you
I vanish with no trace
I never come through

another twist
another turn
another chance to feel it burn
another way
another day
another trip with no return

where theres a will
there is a way
and I know I’ll have to pay
another lie
another sigh
like you ever really try]]> 170118 no no Wed, 25 Feb 2015 20:47:59 +0100 2015-02-25T20:47:59+01:00 2:27 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/career-advice/
Now my step daughter is about to start high school and the inevitable “what do you want to be when you grow up” discussions are starting to happen. She doesn’t know yet, but music is just as much of a passion for her as it was for me. Broadway is starting to call to her. She has more talent in her pinky finger then 10 of me have, but I know what’s waiting for her and I don’t want her to fail the way I did. One of her parents is probably going to forbid her from studying music as a career. The other, my wife, is like me. If it’s what she truly loves, we have to let her go for it. Personally, if I were to tell her no then I would be the world’s biggest hypocrite. We have a few years still. I’ll let you all know how it turns out.

Musically, I thought about a swingie 12-bar, but cut the phrases down a little instead. I always include a 12-bar in my RPM projects, but I’m trying to avoid it this year. I also used this song as an excuse to add in a lot of key changes and damn it if that didn’t bite me on the ass.

I recorded everything but the vocals and included a key change in the final chorus. Then I recorded the vocals in sections and copy and pasted them throughout the song… forgetting about the key change. Damn it! So everything but the last chorus was recorded using GarageBand for iPad last Thursday in my living room. The last chorus was recorded in the car today while waiting for my step son’s guitar lesson to end using GarageBand for OSX. I had to monkey to get them sort of sounding similar, but the difference sticks out to me like a sore thumb.

The guitars are all ES-335.

Give it a go
and see where it leads
you know it’s worth a shot
You never know
It might be okay
give it some thought

I’ve been there
I’ve done that
It did not
work out for me
I tried it
I failed
just like so
many before

This is not
about me
It’s your turn
you must decide

I can not
forbid you
I would not
tell you no]]>
Now my step daughter is about to start high school and the inevitable “what do you want to be when you grow up” discussions are starting to happen. She doesn’t know yet, but music is just as much of a passion for her as it was for me. Broadway is starting to call to her. She has more talent in her pinky finger then 10 of me have, but I know what’s waiting for her and I don’t want her to fail the way I did. One of her parents is probably going to forbid her from studying music as a career. The other, my wife, is like me. If it’s what she truly loves, we have to let her go for it. Personally, if I were to tell her no then I would be the world’s biggest hypocrite. We have a few years still. I’ll let you all know how it turns out.

Musically, I thought about a swingie 12-bar, but cut the phrases down a little instead. I always include a 12-bar in my RPM projects, but I’m trying to avoid it this year. I also used this song as an excuse to add in a lot of key changes and damn it if that didn’t bite me on the ass.

I recorded everything but the vocals and included a key change in the final chorus. Then I recorded the vocals in sections and copy and pasted them throughout the song… forgetting about the key change. Damn it! So everything but the last chorus was recorded using GarageBand for iPad last Thursday in my living room. The last chorus was recorded in the car today while waiting for my step son’s guitar lesson to end using GarageBand for OSX. I had to monkey to get them sort of sounding similar, but the difference sticks out to me like a sore thumb.

The guitars are all ES-335.

Give it a go
and see where it leads
you know it’s worth a shot
You never know
It might be okay
give it some thought

I’ve been there
I’ve done that
It did not
work out for me
I tried it
I failed
just like so
many before

This is not
about me
It’s your turn
you must decide

I can not
forbid you
I would not
tell you no]]> 168336 no no Sun, 22 Feb 2015 04:58:03 +0100 2015-02-22T04:58:03+01:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/song-for-charles/
I don’t know where the idea for writing about Darwin came from, but for me when an idea comes I just have to roll with it. Even if it doesn’t work too well.

I started writing this song at about 10:00am on Saturday 2/21 and finished mixing it at about 8:30pm on Saturday 2/21. Over the course of the day I probably spent 3 hours on it. I don’t know why, but I think it’s cool to write a whole song in one day. Someday I’ll do an album in a day, but for today it’s cool to write a song in a day.

The guitars are all ES-335, and the vocals were recorded while sitting in my car in a piano store parking lot.

dont you dare deny it
dont you dare complain
everythings evolving
nothing stays the same

you dont see the changes
but they’re always there
miniscule mutations
happen everywhere

and you curse him
for his words
and you blame him
for the world

then you twist him
to your needs
and you lie to
everyone you see

its a theory
its hypothesis
its reality

words and numbers
facts and figures
add it up it tells the truth
observations
solid data
put it to world changing use]]>
I don’t know where the idea for writing about Darwin came from, but for me when an idea comes I just have to roll with it. Even if it doesn’t work too well.

I started writing this song at about 10:00am on Saturday 2/21 and finished mixing it at about 8:30pm on Saturday 2/21. Over the course of the day I probably spent 3 hours on it. I don’t know why, but I think it’s cool to write a whole song in one day. Someday I’ll do an album in a day, but for today it’s cool to write a song in a day.

The guitars are all ES-335, and the vocals were recorded while sitting in my car in a piano store parking lot.

dont you dare deny it
dont you dare complain
everythings evolving
nothing stays the same

you dont see the changes
but they’re always there
miniscule mutations
happen everywhere

and you curse him
for his words
and you blame him
for the world

then you twist him
to your needs
and you lie to
everyone you see

its a theory
its hypothesis
its reality

words and numbers
facts and figures
add it up it tells the truth
observations
solid data
put it to world changing use]]> 168280 no no Sun, 22 Feb 2015 02:42:33 +0100 2015-02-22T02:42:33+01:00 3:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/the-ghost-in-314/
Everything I had for the month was really slow until this fell into my lap. I sort of forced it, but it was fun to record.

The lyrics are a ghost story about a spirit that haunts the Mt Washington hotel. I included a link to the blog post that inspired the song.

All the guitars are ES-335.

The Ghost in 314

They built a deterrent
in the number of steps
each stairway is different
They don’t know what to expect

she knew her way ‘round
and they couldn’t fool her
so after she passed on
she found her way back again

In room 314
Carolyn can still be seen

On mount washington
The family business is never done

The balcony looks down
on the people below
She still out shines them
and still nobody knows.

http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-haunted-mt-washington-hotel.html]]>
Everything I had for the month was really slow until this fell into my lap. I sort of forced it, but it was fun to record.

The lyrics are a ghost story about a spirit that haunts the Mt Washington hotel. I included a link to the blog post that inspired the song.

All the guitars are ES-335.

The Ghost in 314

They built a deterrent
in the number of steps
each stairway is different
They don’t know what to expect

she knew her way ‘round
and they couldn’t fool her
so after she passed on
she found her way back again

In room 314
Carolyn can still be seen

On mount washington
The family business is never done

The balcony looks down
on the people below
She still out shines them
and still nobody knows.

http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-haunted-mt-washington-hotel.html]]> 167207 no no Fri, 20 Feb 2015 13:57:04 +0100 2015-02-20T13:57:04+01:00 2:47 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/seasonal-affective-disorder/
The music is really simple and that was by design. I’d sketched out a few songs that seemed more complicated than they needed to be. This was a response to that.

The guitars are all ES-335 and the amp was my old gasoline soaked (really) Fender Stage.

Lock the doors at night
and put out the light
batten down the hatches
hiding from the white
some might call this life

seasonal
affective disorder

can’t escape the fog
fastest mode is plod
can’t get out of your own way
swimming through the smog
like a beaten dog]]>
The music is really simple and that was by design. I’d sketched out a few songs that seemed more complicated than they needed to be. This was a response to that.

The guitars are all ES-335 and the amp was my old gasoline soaked (really) Fender Stage.

Lock the doors at night
and put out the light
batten down the hatches
hiding from the white
some might call this life

seasonal
affective disorder

can’t escape the fog
fastest mode is plod
can’t get out of your own way
swimming through the smog
like a beaten dog]]> 166670 no no Thu, 19 Feb 2015 04:36:26 +0100 2015-02-19T04:36:26+01:00 4:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/that-time-of-year/
This was originally just a few separate 8 bar phrases. Normally I’d spread them out and create some sort of song form out of them. This time though I had been listening to them without any form, just one after the other, and I got used to it and kept it. I just repeated the whole thing once and then stretched the end a bit. Not sure if I like it, but I have a feeling we’ll see something like this again before February is over.

The guitars are all ES-335.

there’s only so much time to waste
so many words to say
pressure building up on you
get it done today

clock keeps ticking
deadline coming
time is short
no more bluffing

No sense pretending you are
in it deep
Have to get moving you have
promises to keep

That time of year
Have to go through it again
Just one more time
Have to keep pusing ahead]]>
This was originally just a few separate 8 bar phrases. Normally I’d spread them out and create some sort of song form out of them. This time though I had been listening to them without any form, just one after the other, and I got used to it and kept it. I just repeated the whole thing once and then stretched the end a bit. Not sure if I like it, but I have a feeling we’ll see something like this again before February is over.

The guitars are all ES-335.

there’s only so much time to waste
so many words to say
pressure building up on you
get it done today

clock keeps ticking
deadline coming
time is short
no more bluffing

No sense pretending you are
in it deep
Have to get moving you have
promises to keep

That time of year
Have to go through it again
Just one more time
Have to keep pusing ahead]]> 166189 no no Wed, 18 Feb 2015 04:25:49 +0100 2015-02-18T04:25:49+01:00 4:32 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/white-out/
The guitars are all ES-335 and the Amp is my old Fender Stage.

Just another day
Everything’s the same
Never going to end
don’t bother to pretend

Always be this way
nothing left to say
futures looking grey
make it through today

What’s left to say what’s left to do
There’s nothing left for me and you
I can’t explain what we’ve gone through
The world is emptiness its true

The sky is falling to the ground
It covers everything around
The world is lost and can’t be found
There is no chance we will rebound

There is no escape
There is no mistake
buried half alive
we will not survive]]>
The guitars are all ES-335 and the Amp is my old Fender Stage.

Just another day
Everything’s the same
Never going to end
don’t bother to pretend

Always be this way
nothing left to say
futures looking grey
make it through today

What’s left to say what’s left to do
There’s nothing left for me and you
I can’t explain what we’ve gone through
The world is emptiness its true

The sky is falling to the ground
It covers everything around
The world is lost and can’t be found
There is no chance we will rebound

There is no escape
There is no mistake
buried half alive
we will not survive]]> 164775 no no Sun, 15 Feb 2015 03:46:38 +0100 2015-02-15T03:46:38+01:00 5:49 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/hindsight/
My plan to double all rhythm guitar and vocal parts means the chorus on this song has four voices (two part harmony with each part doubled) and I really like the way it sounds. Maybe before RPM is over I’ll try quadruple tracking three part harmony. It’ll probably sound like a huge choir. Coool.

The guitars are all ES-335.

If I only knew
What I put you through
I would make it easier on you

If I could ever say
Why it feels this way
I would know just what to do

If it could all have been true
I’d have had a clue
I would never have delayed]]>
My plan to double all rhythm guitar and vocal parts means the chorus on this song has four voices (two part harmony with each part doubled) and I really like the way it sounds. Maybe before RPM is over I’ll try quadruple tracking three part harmony. It’ll probably sound like a huge choir. Coool.

The guitars are all ES-335.

If I only knew
What I put you through
I would make it easier on you

If I could ever say
Why it feels this way
I would know just what to do

If it could all have been true
I’d have had a clue
I would never have delayed]]> 164438 no no Sat, 14 Feb 2015 05:52:43 +0100 2015-02-14T05:52:43+01:00 3:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/critical-mass/
Not sure I’m happy with this. I’m too tired to know if the mix is any good, and I might have to re-do the rhythm guitars. Is my D string flat in the chorus?

The lyrics are meaningless. The first verse was written independent of the music, which is pretty rare for me.

The guitars are all ES-335 through a Fender Stage amp that may or may not have the slightest hint of 17 year old gasoline.

Once again I find myself here
Looking out on an empty space
Spin around there’s nothing for miles
nothing left to hold me in place

approaching critical mass
running low on gas
shatter like I’m made of glass
Let me take a pass

One more time
Let’s do this
One more time
Let’s roll

Any chance to move ahead
road blocks and danger signs
In a trap and I can’t get free
just another sign of the times]]>
Not sure I’m happy with this. I’m too tired to know if the mix is any good, and I might have to re-do the rhythm guitars. Is my D string flat in the chorus?

The lyrics are meaningless. The first verse was written independent of the music, which is pretty rare for me.

The guitars are all ES-335 through a Fender Stage amp that may or may not have the slightest hint of 17 year old gasoline.

Once again I find myself here
Looking out on an empty space
Spin around there’s nothing for miles
nothing left to hold me in place

approaching critical mass
running low on gas
shatter like I’m made of glass
Let me take a pass

One more time
Let’s do this
One more time
Let’s roll

Any chance to move ahead
road blocks and danger signs
In a trap and I can’t get free
just another sign of the times]]> 159974 no no Fri, 06 Feb 2015 05:47:02 +0100 2015-02-06T05:47:02+01:00 4:06 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/blink-your-eyemp3/
The lyrics are about the last two days I spent working in a dead end job that I had found myself stuck in for two years. After leaving I went back to school and started straightening my life out. So in that respect it’s pretty monumental.

The guitars are all my Les Paul.

Given up dealing with this
every day it’s always the same
gonna put a stop to it
gonna put an end to this pain

You’d be nothing if not for me
You’d have nothing for me

don’t even start
I’m smarter than that
smarter than your whole group combined
don’t deny me I deserve more than that
and you are just a waste of my time

don’t even think about it
don’t even try to insult me
don’t waste your time
don’t even start
don’t even think
I’ll be gone before you blink your eye]]>
The lyrics are about the last two days I spent working in a dead end job that I had found myself stuck in for two years. After leaving I went back to school and started straightening my life out. So in that respect it’s pretty monumental.

The guitars are all my Les Paul.

Given up dealing with this
every day it’s always the same
gonna put a stop to it
gonna put an end to this pain

You’d be nothing if not for me
You’d have nothing for me

don’t even start
I’m smarter than that
smarter than your whole group combined
don’t deny me I deserve more than that
and you are just a waste of my time

don’t even think about it
don’t even try to insult me
don’t waste your time
don’t even start
don’t even think
I’ll be gone before you blink your eye]]> 154280 no no Sun, 25 Jan 2015 04:19:09 +0100 2015-01-25T04:19:09+01:00 3:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/moving-targetmp3/
The guitars are all Les Pauls except the second solo (the one without the guitarmonies) which is ES-335.

Verse 1
somewhere between now and forever
I could have turned out so much better
I tried to make it look like it happened
for some great purpose
I was mistaken

somewhere between this now and forever
I tried to make it all last forever
The sky was golden the air was breezy
now I am broken helpless and crazy

Chorus
Is it just me or is it everyone
It just seems like I’m the only one
Is someone there somebody answer me
This can’t be how it’s supposed to be

Verse 2
somewhere between faithful and hopeless
I went from happy to totally useless
I didn’t mean to I tried to change things
But I continue to keep on failing

Somewhere between now and forever
I could have turned out so much better
I tried to make it look like it happened
for some great purpose
I was mistaken

outro
I am still I’m never moving
all alone I’m done with running
If I try to start things going
then I’d be a moving target]]>
The guitars are all Les Pauls except the second solo (the one without the guitarmonies) which is ES-335.

Verse 1
somewhere between now and forever
I could have turned out so much better
I tried to make it look like it happened
for some great purpose
I was mistaken

somewhere between this now and forever
I tried to make it all last forever
The sky was golden the air was breezy
now I am broken helpless and crazy

Chorus
Is it just me or is it everyone
It just seems like I’m the only one
Is someone there somebody answer me
This can’t be how it’s supposed to be

Verse 2
somewhere between faithful and hopeless
I went from happy to totally useless
I didn’t mean to I tried to change things
But I continue to keep on failing

Somewhere between now and forever
I could have turned out so much better
I tried to make it look like it happened
for some great purpose
I was mistaken

outro
I am still I’m never moving
all alone I’m done with running
If I try to start things going
then I’d be a moving target]]> 154102 no no Sat, 24 Jan 2015 19:04:23 +0100 2015-01-24T19:04:23+01:00 4:13 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/halloween/
The guitars are Les Paul.

I went to the window
to look at the rain
I wished it away
but still on it came

I tried to avoid it
hoped it would pass by
But it wouldn’t miss me
it was useless to try

Why can’t I get away
Why can’t I get through today
What mistakes did I make
What is real and what’s fake

I stood in the doorway
the wind in my face
I wanted to step out
get out of this place

the wind blew against me
and froze me in place
unable to move now
I’ll never escape]]>
The guitars are Les Paul.

I went to the window
to look at the rain
I wished it away
but still on it came

I tried to avoid it
hoped it would pass by
But it wouldn’t miss me
it was useless to try

Why can’t I get away
Why can’t I get through today
What mistakes did I make
What is real and what’s fake

I stood in the doorway
the wind in my face
I wanted to step out
get out of this place

the wind blew against me
and froze me in place
unable to move now
I’ll never escape]]> 153356 no no Fri, 23 Jan 2015 05:04:41 +0100 2015-01-23T05:04:41+01:00 5:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/instinct/
The guitars here are all Les Paul.

Neither of us knows what’s going to happen
neither of us has the slightest clue
other people give us their opinions
but we’ve no idea what we should do

Maybe we should stop
thinking everything through
we over analyze
something we should just do

why don’t we turn it off
turn off our minds for a while
thinking gets in the way
let’s let instinct have it’s say

was it ever meant for us to happen
I think about it but I can’t be sure
were we ever meant to see the real world
do we even know what this is for]]>
The guitars here are all Les Paul.

Neither of us knows what’s going to happen
neither of us has the slightest clue
other people give us their opinions
but we’ve no idea what we should do

Maybe we should stop
thinking everything through
we over analyze
something we should just do

why don’t we turn it off
turn off our minds for a while
thinking gets in the way
let’s let instinct have it’s say

was it ever meant for us to happen
I think about it but I can’t be sure
were we ever meant to see the real world
do we even know what this is for]]> 152907 no no Thu, 22 Jan 2015 04:17:23 +0100 2015-01-22T04:17:23+01:00 2:45 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/it-happens/
All of the guitars are Les Paul.

every once in a while
no matter how hard I try
I can figure things out
I can get things right

it doesn’t happen too often
its certainly not the norm
when all the stars are aligned
it seems to come out right

chorus
it happens I know that it happens
I cant wait until it happens again
it happens I know it can happen
all I have to do is figure out when

its almost like magic
things just go right for me
so when I feel tragic
I just think of today

every once in a while
things just don’t seem so bad
I wish I could hold it
and always feel this way]]>
All of the guitars are Les Paul.

every once in a while
no matter how hard I try
I can figure things out
I can get things right

it doesn’t happen too often
its certainly not the norm
when all the stars are aligned
it seems to come out right

chorus
it happens I know that it happens
I cant wait until it happens again
it happens I know it can happen
all I have to do is figure out when

its almost like magic
things just go right for me
so when I feel tragic
I just think of today

every once in a while
things just don’t seem so bad
I wish I could hold it
and always feel this way]]> 152028 no no Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:51:28 +0100 2015-01-20T02:51:28+01:00 4:27 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/08-excede-expectations/
I had six songs recorded and mixed before I realized I didn’t have a single time signature other than 4/4. I remedied that right quick.

This is the final song for my 2014 NaSoAlMo. I’m done with yet another monthly writing/recording challenge.

All of the guitars are ES-335.

given time
you’ll know what to do
given a chance
you’ll know who to trust

give it a try
you will find your way
give it a shot
you will be okay

be yourself
that is easiest
don’t give in
to the temptation

you are strong
you can handle it
you’re not wrong
no need to submit

Keep your head
don’t give up
Move ahead
its okay

You succeed
you can make it
you exceede
expectations

you can make it
you will thrive
you can make it
you will survive]]>
I had six songs recorded and mixed before I realized I didn’t have a single time signature other than 4/4. I remedied that right quick.

This is the final song for my 2014 NaSoAlMo. I’m done with yet another monthly writing/recording challenge.

All of the guitars are ES-335.

given time
you’ll know what to do
given a chance
you’ll know who to trust

give it a try
you will find your way
give it a shot
you will be okay

be yourself
that is easiest
don’t give in
to the temptation

you are strong
you can handle it
you’re not wrong
no need to submit

Keep your head
don’t give up
Move ahead
its okay

You succeed
you can make it
you exceede
expectations

you can make it
you will thrive
you can make it
you will survive]]> 121474 no no Fri, 28 Nov 2014 21:19:50 +0100 2014-11-28T21:19:50+01:00 4:42 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/10-sing-me-to-sleep/
I have no idea of what the lyrics are about, but the guitars are all ES-335 and the meter is 5/4… so it’s got that going for it.

I don’t want it to end like this
I don’t want it to end at all

Coming round again
never knowing when
things must change it’s said
all good things must end

They say time heals all
wounds both large and small
like a slow exhale
it will tip the scale

sing me to sleep
out of my misery]]>
I have no idea of what the lyrics are about, but the guitars are all ES-335 and the meter is 5/4… so it’s got that going for it.

I don’t want it to end like this
I don’t want it to end at all

Coming round again
never knowing when
things must change it’s said
all good things must end

They say time heals all
wounds both large and small
like a slow exhale
it will tip the scale

sing me to sleep
out of my misery]]> 121341 no no Fri, 28 Nov 2014 16:56:26 +0100 2014-11-28T16:56:26+01:00 3:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/11-thanksgiving-day/
Today is Thanksgiving and we did not cook. I decided to take a few minutes and put together an instrumental song to take the place of the vocal-less song. It is pretty lame, but it works. This was written, recorded, and mixed all in one day.

All of the guitars are ES-335.]]>
Today is Thanksgiving and we did not cook. I decided to take a few minutes and put together an instrumental song to take the place of the vocal-less song. It is pretty lame, but it works. This was written, recorded, and mixed all in one day.

All of the guitars are ES-335.]]> 120973 no no Fri, 28 Nov 2014 05:00:39 +0100 2014-11-28T05:00:39+01:00 5:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/09-just-say-yes/
This marks the end of both of my mini-goals for November. I wanted every song to have at least a little acoustic 12-string guitar, and I wanted every song to be on the longish side. This is neither.

The lyrics are about the kind of folks who let the media form their opinions for them. Specifically I was thinking of Fox News sheeple, but it applies to more than just the right.

The guitars are all ES-335.

just say yes to everything
don’t have to think at all
every word you hear is fact
every word they scrawl

I know I’m right
because they told me so
like a voice from heaven above
I am in the know

You are so wrong
that’s what my master says
my opinion written in stone
from someone else’s head]]>
This marks the end of both of my mini-goals for November. I wanted every song to have at least a little acoustic 12-string guitar, and I wanted every song to be on the longish side. This is neither.

The lyrics are about the kind of folks who let the media form their opinions for them. Specifically I was thinking of Fox News sheeple, but it applies to more than just the right.

The guitars are all ES-335.

just say yes to everything
don’t have to think at all
every word you hear is fact
every word they scrawl

I know I’m right
because they told me so
like a voice from heaven above
I am in the know

You are so wrong
that’s what my master says
my opinion written in stone
from someone else’s head]]> 120234 no no Thu, 27 Nov 2014 02:15:02 +0100 2014-11-27T02:15:02+01:00 2:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-eugene/
If I told you that the lyrics to this were based on an episode of The Walking Dead, would you know which episode I was talking about?

The guitars are all ES-335.

I can’t take another day
I can’t take another day
I won’t last another day
I can’t take another day

Caught in a lie
why do I try
self preservation
don’t want to die

I led you here
out of nowhere
I am responsible
my cross to bear

I lied to you
It’s what I do
there’s no excuse for it
I tell you true

You want to leave
so I believe
might as well kill me now
I’m not naive

Can’t right the wrong
It’s too late now

I did what I did to survive
Say what you want but I’m still alive
Question my moves if you must
That’s more important than your trust]]>
If I told you that the lyrics to this were based on an episode of The Walking Dead, would you know which episode I was talking about?

The guitars are all ES-335.

I can’t take another day
I can’t take another day
I won’t last another day
I can’t take another day

Caught in a lie
why do I try
self preservation
don’t want to die

I led you here
out of nowhere
I am responsible
my cross to bear

I lied to you
It’s what I do
there’s no excuse for it
I tell you true

You want to leave
so I believe
might as well kill me now
I’m not naive

Can’t right the wrong
It’s too late now

I did what I did to survive
Say what you want but I’m still alive
Question my moves if you must
That’s more important than your trust]]> 118671 no no Tue, 25 Nov 2014 03:24:42 +0100 2014-11-25T03:24:42+01:00 4:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-status-quo/
The electric guitar is my ES-335.

I can see
everything
I can see
how things go

I can know
all of it
I can know
status quo

Give me a reason
Give me a sign
Give me completion
Give me what’s mine

don’t take it lightly
don’t take it blind
it’s only slightly
left behind

have to look out for
the simplest things
keep your eyes open
whatever it brings

there’s nothing wrong with me
there’s nothing wrong with you]]>
The electric guitar is my ES-335.

I can see
everything
I can see
how things go

I can know
all of it
I can know
status quo

Give me a reason
Give me a sign
Give me completion
Give me what’s mine

don’t take it lightly
don’t take it blind
it’s only slightly
left behind

have to look out for
the simplest things
keep your eyes open
whatever it brings

there’s nothing wrong with me
there’s nothing wrong with you]]> 116385 no no Sat, 22 Nov 2014 03:28:52 +0100 2014-11-22T03:28:52+01:00 4:42 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-rolling-along/
The electric guitar is the Stratocaster.

happens to the best of us
no matter what you do
try not to be so serious
and you will make it through

I thought I was there
I thought I was right
I thought I was rolling along
I thought I saw the light

Making good time
Keeping up to speed
Coming out one after another
supply is meeting need

That’s when it all went bad
That’s when it all fell apart
That’s when it all came down
Should have known from the start

I keep it in line
It’s good for a time
maybe I was over optimistic
I never saw the sign

maybe
look behind
maybe
see what you’ll find

Keep rolling
Keep rolling along]]>
The electric guitar is the Stratocaster.

happens to the best of us
no matter what you do
try not to be so serious
and you will make it through

I thought I was there
I thought I was right
I thought I was rolling along
I thought I saw the light

Making good time
Keeping up to speed
Coming out one after another
supply is meeting need

That’s when it all went bad
That’s when it all fell apart
That’s when it all came down
Should have known from the start

I keep it in line
It’s good for a time
maybe I was over optimistic
I never saw the sign

maybe
look behind
maybe
see what you’ll find

Keep rolling
Keep rolling along]]> 115433 no no Thu, 20 Nov 2014 04:52:40 +0100 2014-11-20T04:52:40+01:00 6:30 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03-cant-go-home-again/
I sort of like the chorus on this one, but the verses aren't all that hot. The lyrics are just whatever popped into my head while the mic was on.

The electric guitars are all Stratocaster.


I sit alone
thoughts are my own
I can’t go home again

Waste away to nothing
sit and pass the time
I’m only bluffing
since when is that a crime

I give it everything
and still I end up last
Time to close the books
there’s time for one last blast

Don’t you feel stupid
Don’t you feel small
So much time(life) wasted
Why try at all

A life time of wonder
A moment’s remorse

That’s just how it is
]]>
I sort of like the chorus on this one, but the verses aren't all that hot. The lyrics are just whatever popped into my head while the mic was on.

The electric guitars are all Stratocaster.


I sit alone
thoughts are my own
I can’t go home again

Waste away to nothing
sit and pass the time
I’m only bluffing
since when is that a crime

I give it everything
and still I end up last
Time to close the books
there’s time for one last blast

Don’t you feel stupid
Don’t you feel small
So much time(life) wasted
Why try at all

A life time of wonder
A moment’s remorse

That’s just how it is
]]> 113229 no no Mon, 17 Nov 2014 01:54:16 +0100 2014-11-17T01:54:16+01:00 6:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02-band-wagon/
The electric guitars are all Stratocaster.

all aboard the train
its only a game
everything is the same
what’s in a name

Jump up on that wagon
All your friends are there
Think it makes a difference
show me when and where

take your victory dance
as if it meant something
take a look around you now
doesn’t change a thing

simple mathematics
State of entropy
Nothing ever changes
call it chemistry

Ride on your bandwagon
Ride on to the sun
Let your voice be heard
By absolutely no one

You might think
it matters
You might be
dead wrong]]>
The electric guitars are all Stratocaster.

all aboard the train
its only a game
everything is the same
what’s in a name

Jump up on that wagon
All your friends are there
Think it makes a difference
show me when and where

take your victory dance
as if it meant something
take a look around you now
doesn’t change a thing

simple mathematics
State of entropy
Nothing ever changes
call it chemistry

Ride on your bandwagon
Ride on to the sun
Let your voice be heard
By absolutely no one

You might think
it matters
You might be
dead wrong]]> 112691 no no Sun, 16 Nov 2014 05:49:41 +0100 2014-11-16T05:49:41+01:00 6:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01-its-my-call/
It's November again, so it's time for another NaSoAlMo. This year I am thinking of trying to write longish songs, and I would like to find a way to get my 12-string into every song somehow. This one meets both goals.

The lyrics are sort of inspired by the Brittany Maynard, death with dignity story. I'm not really sure how I feel about it, but if anything I think it should be up to the patient.

The rhythm guitars are Stratocaster and Takamine, and the lead is ES-335.


Who’s to say that it’s not my call
Who’s to blame if not me
Who can know that I’ve hit the wall
Who can tell who else can see

Write down the date
mark the time
That’s when I reach
the end of my line

I’ve thought it through
Can’t you agree
Can’t take any more
Won’t you please see

Sing me to sleep
Hold my hand
We’ll meet again
In the next land

I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while
I can’t take anymore The pain is too much

I am feeling like this is the end of the line
keep my dignity and let me move on

this is up to me, this will be my call
]]>
It's November again, so it's time for another NaSoAlMo. This year I am thinking of trying to write longish songs, and I would like to find a way to get my 12-string into every song somehow. This one meets both goals.

The lyrics are sort of inspired by the Brittany Maynard, death with dignity story. I'm not really sure how I feel about it, but if anything I think it should be up to the patient.

The rhythm guitars are Stratocaster and Takamine, and the lead is ES-335.


Who’s to say that it’s not my call
Who’s to blame if not me
Who can know that I’ve hit the wall
Who can tell who else can see

Write down the date
mark the time
That’s when I reach
the end of my line

I’ve thought it through
Can’t you agree
Can’t take any more
Won’t you please see

Sing me to sleep
Hold my hand
We’ll meet again
In the next land

I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while
I can’t take anymore The pain is too much

I am feeling like this is the end of the line
keep my dignity and let me move on

this is up to me, this will be my call
]]> 107540 no no Sun, 09 Nov 2014 06:25:45 +0100 2014-11-09T06:25:45+01:00 7:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/radio2013nasoalmo/ 103829 no no Wed, 05 Nov 2014 20:35:24 +0100 2014-11-05T20:35:24+01:00 34:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-falling-behind-again/ 85515 no no Sat, 18 Oct 2014 04:41:31 +0200 2014-10-18T04:41:31+02:00 2:24 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01-aint-that-the-truth/ 84884 no no Fri, 17 Oct 2014 04:54:44 +0200 2014-10-17T04:54:44+02:00 5:49 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-i-hear-your-call/ 84122 no no Wed, 15 Oct 2014 04:29:00 +0200 2014-10-15T04:29:00+02:00 6:36 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-no-lights-tonight/ 83365 no no Mon, 13 Oct 2014 05:18:07 +0200 2014-10-13T05:18:07+02:00 3:40 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02-overreaction/ 78851 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:22:27 +0200 2014-10-02T02:22:27+02:00 4:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01-small/ 78849 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:22:07 +0200 2014-10-02T02:22:07+02:00 4:03 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-confidence/ 78850 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:21:52 +0200 2014-10-02T02:21:52+02:00 4:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01-overkill/ 78833 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:21:31 +0200 2014-10-02T02:21:31+02:00 3:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/07-interlude/ 78853 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:21:08 +0200 2014-10-02T02:21:08+02:00 1:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03-bad-guy/ 78848 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:20:35 +0200 2014-10-02T02:20:35+02:00 4:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-not-in-this-lifetime/ 78847 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:20:24 +0200 2014-10-02T02:20:24+02:00 2:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-cold/ 78852 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:20:11 +0200 2014-10-02T02:20:11+02:00 4:18 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/08-cant-find-the-words/ 78854 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:19:56 +0200 2014-10-02T02:19:56+02:00 3:22 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/11-ufo/ 78855 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:19:34 +0200 2014-10-02T02:19:34+02:00 2:36 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/13-not-if-i-see-you-first/ 78857 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:19:24 +0200 2014-10-02T02:19:24+02:00 2:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/10-yes/ 78856 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:19:13 +0200 2014-10-02T02:19:13+02:00 2:39 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/09-bridget-and-john/ 78858 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:18:59 +0200 2014-10-02T02:18:59+02:00 5:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/12-that-certain-someone/ 78859 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:18:46 +0200 2014-10-02T02:18:46+02:00 4:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/10-accidents-happen/ 78836 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:33:45 +0200 2014-10-02T01:33:45+02:00 5:38 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/09-the-universe-next-door/ 78835 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:32:52 +0200 2014-10-02T01:32:52+02:00 3:18 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/08-midnight-hours/ 78837 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:32:36 +0200 2014-10-02T01:32:36+02:00 6:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02-freedoms-cracked-wing/ 78829 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:32:16 +0200 2014-10-02T01:32:16+02:00 2:56 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03-i-just-explode/ 78831 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:32:01 +0200 2014-10-02T01:32:01+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-jen-rob-version-2/ 78830 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:31:35 +0200 2014-10-02T01:31:35+02:00 2:53 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-what-are-you-thinking/ 78828 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:31:11 +0200 2014-10-02T01:31:11+02:00 2:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-bulldozer-neighbor/ 78832 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:30:57 +0200 2014-10-02T01:30:57+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/07-sunrise/ 78834 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:30:37 +0200 2014-10-02T01:30:37+02:00 2:36 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/21-i-cant-wait-much-longer-robin-trower-cover/ 78826 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:23:59 +0200 2014-10-02T01:23:59+02:00 5:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/10-how-she-makes-me-feel/ 78816 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:08:03 +0200 2014-10-02T01:08:03+02:00 3:15 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/08-the-deer-tick-rag/ 78818 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:07:40 +0200 2014-10-02T01:07:40+02:00 3:44 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-reintegration/ 78817 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:07:29 +0200 2014-10-02T01:07:29+02:00 2:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/09-falling-star/ 78819 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:07:20 +0200 2014-10-02T01:07:20+02:00 5:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/07-bribes-and-threats/ 78820 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:07:03 +0200 2014-10-02T01:07:03+02:00 4:59 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-its-not-easy/ 78822 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:06:50 +0200 2014-10-02T01:06:50+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03-time-has-almost-caught-us-my-friend-remix/ 78821 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:06:37 +0200 2014-10-02T01:06:37+02:00 4:32 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-why-cant-you-be-cool-remix/ 78823 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:06:23 +0200 2014-10-02T01:06:23+02:00 3:39 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01-the-anti-vaxers-lament/ 78824 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:06:13 +0200 2014-10-02T01:06:13+02:00 7:30 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02-believedeceive/ 78825 no no Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:06:04 +0200 2014-10-02T01:06:04+02:00 5:57 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-the-price-mac-mix/ 76686 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:23:12 +0200 2014-09-26T01:23:12+02:00 4:03 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/09-like-magic-mac-mix/ 76690 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:22:58 +0200 2014-09-26T01:22:58+02:00 2:58 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02-its-only-love-mac-mix/ 76689 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:22:46 +0200 2014-09-26T01:22:46+02:00 3:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/08-destiny-mac-mix/ 76688 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:22:29 +0200 2014-09-26T01:22:29+02:00 3:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/07-broken-connection-mac-mix/ 76687 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:22:16 +0200 2014-09-26T01:22:16+02:00 2:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-who-wrote-the-rules-mac-mix/ 76693 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 01:22:02 +0200 2014-09-26T01:22:02+02:00 2:30 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-higgs-boson-blues-mac-mix/ 76692 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:21:31 +0200 2014-09-26T00:21:31+02:00 3:37 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01-welcome-to-the-routine-mac-mix/ 76691 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:21:19 +0200 2014-09-26T00:21:19+02:00 4:48 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/10-no-clue-mac-mix/ 76697 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:21:07 +0200 2014-09-26T00:21:07+02:00 3:17 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/12-live-your-life-mac-mix/ 76696 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:20:53 +0200 2014-09-26T00:20:53+02:00 2:42 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/11-sleepless-mac-mix/ 76695 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:20:37 +0200 2014-09-26T00:20:37+02:00 5:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03-is-it-me-mac-mix/ 76694 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:20:09 +0200 2014-09-26T00:20:09+02:00 3:40 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/14-the-last-few-pieces-mac-mix/ 76699 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:19:27 +0200 2014-09-26T00:19:27+02:00 3:40 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/13-change-of-perspective-mac-mix/ 76698 no no Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:19:02 +0200 2014-09-26T00:19:02+02:00 3:20 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/24-i-surrender-remix/ 76512 no no Thu, 25 Sep 2014 14:16:55 +0200 2014-09-25T14:16:55+02:00 4:35 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/41-troll/ 76047 no no Tue, 23 Sep 2014 21:23:37 +0200 2014-09-23T21:23:37+02:00 4:30 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/38-wont-you-let-me-try/ 76004 no no Tue, 23 Sep 2014 19:09:44 +0200 2014-09-23T19:09:44+02:00 2:45 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/39-ocean-born-mary/ 75997 no no Tue, 23 Sep 2014 18:20:49 +0200 2014-09-23T18:20:49+02:00 4:06 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/49-how-do-we-handle-this/ 75225 no no Sun, 21 Sep 2014 07:49:34 +0200 2014-09-21T07:49:34+02:00 5:34 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/40-protect-and-serve/ 74911 no no Sat, 20 Sep 2014 04:03:53 +0200 2014-09-20T04:03:53+02:00 4:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/50-sappy-love-song/ 74524 no no Fri, 19 Sep 2014 05:08:34 +0200 2014-09-19T05:08:34+02:00 5:50 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/43-the-introvert-rag/ 72878 no no Mon, 15 Sep 2014 03:44:27 +0200 2014-09-15T03:44:27+02:00 3:08 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/48-man-in-the-street/ 72509 no no Sun, 14 Sep 2014 00:40:53 +0200 2014-09-14T00:40:53+02:00 3:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/47-mixed-up/ 72493 no no Sat, 13 Sep 2014 22:52:39 +0200 2014-09-13T22:52:39+02:00 4:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/46-side-by-side/ 72242 no no Sat, 13 Sep 2014 03:13:51 +0200 2014-09-13T03:13:51+02:00 3:35 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/44-good-luck-with-that/ 71037 no no Tue, 09 Sep 2014 05:15:27 +0200 2014-09-09T05:15:27+02:00 5:33 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/36-fawmers-blues/ 71030 no no Tue, 09 Sep 2014 04:23:11 +0200 2014-09-09T04:23:11+02:00 5:19 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/37-troubleshooting/ 70691 no no Mon, 08 Sep 2014 04:15:24 +0200 2014-09-08T04:15:24+02:00 4:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/45-bill-saunders-sad-story-remix/ 70684 no no Mon, 08 Sep 2014 03:33:41 +0200 2014-09-08T03:33:41+02:00 2:55 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/19-i-see-the-light/ 70298 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:24:48 +0200 2014-09-07T05:24:48+02:00 3:28 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/17-enjoy-what-youve-got/ 70299 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:24:15 +0200 2014-09-07T05:24:15+02:00 3:51 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/15-lets-hear-it-for-good-days/ 70296 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:23:44 +0200 2014-09-07T05:23:44+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/14-bleed/ 70289 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:22:53 +0200 2014-09-07T05:22:53+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/10-be-there-soon/ 70290 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:22:29 +0200 2014-09-07T05:22:29+02:00 2:54 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/20-young-and-stupid/ 70300 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:22:04 +0200 2014-09-07T05:22:04+02:00 4:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/26-seems-a-breeze/ 70307 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:21:42 +0200 2014-09-07T05:21:42+02:00 3:01 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/22-send-me-to-jail/ 70303 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:20:51 +0200 2014-09-07T05:20:51+02:00 3:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/21-you-lie-like-sam-hyde/ 70301 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:20:31 +0200 2014-09-07T05:20:31+02:00 2:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/30-killer/ 70311 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:20:13 +0200 2014-09-07T05:20:13+02:00 3:41 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/27-supernatural/ 70308 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:19:53 +0200 2014-09-07T05:19:53+02:00 4:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/25-up-to-me/ 70309 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:19:37 +0200 2014-09-07T05:19:37+02:00 5:43 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/13-grass-roots/ 70291 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:19:03 +0200 2014-09-07T05:19:03+02:00 3:04 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/32-take-two/ 70315 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:18:37 +0200 2014-09-07T05:18:37+02:00 3:22 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/33-mad-henry/ 70314 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:18:00 +0200 2014-09-07T05:18:00+02:00 2:00 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/31-disrespected/ 70313 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:17:47 +0200 2014-09-07T05:17:47+02:00 3:31 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/34-labor-day-weekend-in-boston/ 70318 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:17:32 +0200 2014-09-07T05:17:32+02:00 4:14 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/35-break-time-pt2/ 70317 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:17:22 +0200 2014-09-07T05:17:22+02:00 3:07 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/16-tens-of-millions-lost/ 70297 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:17:07 +0200 2014-09-07T05:17:07+02:00 2:59 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/28-riot-police/ 70310 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:16:57 +0200 2014-09-07T05:16:57+02:00 3:23 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/23-how-deep-it-runs/ 70304 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:16:35 +0200 2014-09-07T05:16:35+02:00 4:42 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/18-evidence/ 70302 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:16:18 +0200 2014-09-07T05:16:18+02:00 3:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/42-family-vacation/ 70319 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:16:08 +0200 2014-09-07T05:16:08+02:00 4:02 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/29-hands-up/ 70312 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:15:57 +0200 2014-09-07T05:15:57+02:00 4:26 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/09-blind-eye/ 70288 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:15:20 +0200 2014-09-07T05:15:20+02:00 2:03 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/08-run-and-hide/ 70286 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:14:14 +0200 2014-09-07T05:14:14+02:00 4:21 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/07-designated-for-assignment-aj-pierzynskis-blues/ 70287 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:12:02 +0200 2014-09-07T05:12:02+02:00 4:09 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/05-no-dice/ 70285 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:07:08 +0200 2014-09-07T05:07:08+02:00 4:11 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/04-hurricane-time-again/ 70284 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:06:38 +0200 2014-09-07T05:06:38+02:00 3:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/03-this-and-that/ 70283 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:06:16 +0200 2014-09-07T05:06:16+02:00 2:40 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/06-i-dont-care/ 70282 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:05:54 +0200 2014-09-07T05:05:54+02:00 2:46 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/11-break-time-pt1/ 70292 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 05:05:19 +0200 2014-09-07T05:05:19+02:00 3:52 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/12-no-life-to-give/ 70293 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 04:59:10 +0200 2014-09-07T04:59:10+02:00 3:29 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/02-the-sun-shines/
The guitars are all ES 335.

The sun shines on you
Let it light the way
The road clears for you
Let it make your day

get up get out of bed
its time to get things done
look up and look ahead
morning’s favorite son

so much to do today
just take a look ahead
i’ve got a good idea
i’ll roll over instead]]>
The guitars are all ES 335.

The sun shines on you
Let it light the way
The road clears for you
Let it make your day

get up get out of bed
its time to get things done
look up and look ahead
morning’s favorite son

so much to do today
just take a look ahead
i’ve got a good idea
i’ll roll over instead]]> 70281 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 04:54:11 +0200 2014-09-07T04:54:11+02:00 4:05 https://hearthis.at/roberjames1971/01-who-cares/
The lyrics aren’t about anything, I just made them up and they fit. The guitars are all ES 335.

I don’t have to tell you
just how bad it gets
overwhelming, untrue
just a total mess

I don’t have a reason
I don’t have the time
Nothing to believe in
victimless crime

what ever
who cares
its not your place to say
what ever
who cares
get out of my way]]>
The lyrics aren’t about anything, I just made them up and they fit. The guitars are all ES 335.

I don’t have to tell you
just how bad it gets
overwhelming, untrue
just a total mess

I don’t have a reason
I don’t have the time
Nothing to believe in
victimless crime

what ever
who cares
its not your place to say
what ever
who cares
get out of my way]]> 70279 no no Sun, 07 Sep 2014 04:43:41 +0200 2014-09-07T04:43:41+02:00 3:05