RUST OR TRUST / SP ALBUM UPDATE
Senor Howard got his wish, as we began with MONUMENTS; the cause celeb. Fitting the new arrangement, I was quickly able to build up an arrangement that accentuated rather than fought the noir: drums, keys, bass, and a sublimated guitar that aped said bass. Jeff was next, copying the signature melody line. Howard frowned.
“What the f&%! do you want from me?” Jeff exploded, smashing to bits his guitar.
Actually that didn’t happen, except the part about Howard frowning; which effectively killed Jeff’s ‘moment.’ I interjected. ‘Look, the song is essentially unchanged from my original demo. So let’s just accept that it can only more forward by shades.’ And I said this as I swept up the chards of Jeff’s aborted try.
A fresh take on OVERJOYED was next, the once COUGARED arm-waver that was set aside precisely because it reminded us of bands we: hate (?). despise (?), do not admire (?), wish we could share success with (PC). I started slow, but soon Herr Willing was egging on a speed-up.
“What the f#%! do you want from me,” I shouted, smashing my vintage acoustic to bits.
Actually that didn’t happen, except for the part about Howard wanting every song to be made for aerobics. A compromise was reached: tempo 91. Slow strings over a simmering beat, and charmed melodies de-oxygenating my once virile lungs. Down we went a ½ step, then a whole.
“No,” Howard frowned. “I liked it higher.” To that I suggested he would be responsible for the onstage defibrillation.
“What do you want from me?” shouted our producer, smashing his walker to the ground; its floor-protective tennis balls scattering. “I. Can’t. Do. This. Any. More!”
Actually that didn’t happen. Except for the part about him asking me to asphyxiate myself for pop-rock glory. End result: OVERJOYED out of mothballs.
But wait, there’s more, as I suggested the song might be better suited for future hit makers EX-COPS. “I’d hold onto this one,” said Jeff, holding Howard’s hand as he wept for joy.
BEING BEIGE received a pass, the demo deemed good enough ‘for now.’
DRUM AND FIFE got the once over, and a weak pass at decent military drum programming. In that, I fell asleep. But when rousted I’d spit out a new arrangement all liked.
That left AELITA as the last (for DORIAN too had received a cursory pass), and I mentioned to Jeff that the best thing to do was keep hacking at it. So in short order: a re-arrangement, a new verse melody, with the original verse moved to the simmering middle 8. Now we just need DLR (of VH) to show me how it’s done and I’m good. For those mean streets never change.
In secretive news, LaLa Surprise is in motion and soon to be sprung. Beware!
Have a blessed Easter
W.P.C.
