This is one of those special moments that was luckily caught on film. This clip, from the film, “Heartworn Highways” shows Townes VanZandt at his best.
The Power of Music
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Favorite Obscure Records: Alvin Lee and Mylon Lefevre “On The Road To Freedom”
"On the Road to Freedom"
Back in the late 70s, I remember perusing my local record store and finding “On The Road to Freedom” by Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre in the bargain bin. As a young blues obsessed, guitar player, I was well aware of Alvin Lee. While his greatest fame came from his work with the powerhouse band, Ten Years After and their memorable performance of “I’m Going Home” in the Woodstock movie, it was his guitar work on the raw and intense “I Woke Up This Morning, that won me over as a devoted fan.
“On the Road to Freedom” was a departure from what I was used to hearing from Alvin Lee. His teaming up with LeFevre, an American Gospel singer seemed to bring out the best in both musicians. I was struck by the prevalence of the acoustic guitar vibe and the stunning combination of Alvin and Mylon’s vocals. Folk, gospel, country and good old fashioned rock n’ roll are all covered on this recording. “On the Road to Freedom” has so many special songs – from fiery title track to the soulful “I Can’t Take It.” When you check out the album’s credits, you will discover a who’s who of musical greats such as George Harrison (Credited as “Harri Goergenson) , Steve Winwood, Ron Wood, Jim Capaldi and Mick Fleetwood. One of the standout songs on the record is Harrison’s “So Sad: No Love of his Own.” With Mylon’s vocals and George’s trademark slide guitar, this track should be ranked up there with some of the all-time great songs. Look for the back to back song combination of “We Will Shine and “Carry My Load,” for examples of Alvin and Mylon’s sweet vocal harmonies.
Why this record is obscure is beyond me. Critics, for whatever reason, have not given Alvin Lee his due respect.If you look back at his career, there is no doubt the guy is a great guitar player and if you have seen him live, you know he’s an excellent performer. His body of work speaks for itself. This obscure record will always have a special place in my record collection and in my heart.
Here are some songs from “On the Road to Freedom”
Levon Helm
With his recent health struggles passing, I thought it would be appropriate to post this video clip that demonstrates just how great “The Band” was. This clip shows how they put together some of their music, including their excellent vocal harmonies. My thoughts and prayers go out to Levon Helm and his family.
Case Study: The 15 Year Evolution of a Song
In the Beginning
In the late 1980’s, while I was living in Pennsylvania, I took my first step into the world of multi-track recording. This is when I purchased a brand new Tascam Porta 05, 4-track cassette recorder. Armed with my new 4 track, a bunch of blank cassettes and a couple of cheap Radio Shack dynamic mics, I started my home recording odyssey.
Tascam Porta 05
The results were mixed, to say the least. Back in those days, the days before “cheap” Chinese electronics, rack effects were well beyond my meager budget. I had to make do with whatever equipment I had. Here’s an example of one of my early recordings – complete with a cheap Casio Keyboard rhythm track and my Gibson ES-335 switched to the rhythm pick-up, with the tone turned down, substituting as my “poor man’s” bass.
1980′s Japanese Electronics to the Rescue
A lucky break occurred when I was able to reconnect with an old friend who just got back into town after finishing up a stint in the United States Air Force. Because he was stationed in Japan, he was able to acquire some very interesting electronics, including a Tascam Porta One, an early drum machine and some cool Boss Pedals. However, there was one device that I really liked – a table top, Yamaha REX 50 multi-effects unit. When I plugged my Gibson ES-335 guitar directly into it, I heard magic. At least my first exposure to late 1980’s Yamaha digital reverb, sounded like magic to me.
Yamaha-REX50
My friend and I ended up collaborating on a few songs, including an early version of my song, “The Swamp.” During that period, he was kind enough to lend me the Yamaha REX 50 device for a week or so. One day, while playing around with the the different reverbs, I got the sudden inspiration for a short instrumental, called “Interlude. “
Here is the original, 4 track version – circa 1989.
Within a year of making this recording, I started to get away from music production. Evenutally, I would lose touch with my friend and later; when I ran into some financial trouble, I ended up selling my old 4 track.
15 Years Later
Fast-forward to 2004. I was living in Seattle and still fascinated by multi-track recording. At this point, I was using my first real Digital Audio Workstation, with Cakewalk Sonar Software. With access to plenty of tracks and more effects – both plug-in and outboard – I felt a new serge of creativity. While many new songs were flowing out of me, some of my older compositions where still nagging at me, including the instrumental, “Interlude.”
With the same Gibson guitar and an assortment of different equipment, I sat down and did the basic tracks for my new version of “Interlude.” For my new version of the song, I added bass guitar and keyboards. The only thing missing were drums. As luck would have it, I was able to hook up with a neighbor named Geoff who was kind enough to add the drum tracks. The newer version of the song, now titled “Electric Guitar Interlude, came into being.
I’m not sure if there is a moral to the story. In looking back at how everything evolved, I realized the equipment we use in our creative endeavors (both physical and emotional) is continually evolving. If there was a lesson here, it would be that we need to stick with our ideas and see them through to the end, no matter how long it takes.
Video: Grohl on Writing Hit Songs
Sorry for the light posting of late. I have been working on new music and I’ll have some new posts coming up here very soon. In the meantime, here’s something for songwriters:
I came across this video on the always excellent Bobby Owsinski Big Picture Production Blog. Dave Grohl talks about writing hits. It’s silly – but damn if he isn’t on to something.
Dearly Departed Gear: Five Things I Should Have Never Parted With
When thinking about some of the musical gear I have parted with over the years, I sometimes feel remorseful. Sure, there were things I acquired that I am glad I got rid of. (For example, an old Behringer Mixer that was a noisy as Niagara Falls. Good riddance!) There are other pieces of gear, that in retrospect, I wish I still had. At the time, I am sure I had good reason to get rid of some it – financial needs, efficiency or helping out a friend. However valid the reason may have been, I still can’t shake my feelings of regret. Here’s a list of five pieces of gear I wish I still owned:
Premier Spring Reverb Unit
1. Premier Reverberation – In the late 1970′s, I purchased this reverb box new from a small music store in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It was built like a tank and sounded great! The best thing about this unit was what happened when I turned the reverb up to its maximum setting. I would get an eerie, delay effect that sounded so cool. One other memory about this box was the strange grounding issue. I would always get a slight electrical shock when I touched the 1/4″ plug that was attached to the unit. (I wonder if that was common with the reverb box or if it was something with my particular unit?) The Premier Reverberation unit will always have a place in my heart as my favorite all-time reverb. So why did I get rid of it? I was broke and needed the cash.
Fender Bandmaster Silverface
2. Fender Bandmaster Amplifier – This was my first real amplifier and started my love affair with Fender Tube amps. This 65 Watt gem, with the large speaker cabinet, sounded great and was loud. When I cranked up the volume, it literally shook the wood frame of my house. (Why Fender used such a large cabinet to house two, 12″ speakers is a mystery to me.) I will say the tube distortion sounded really good and the piggy back amp looked really bad ass. While the Bandmaster did not have reverb – which is why I ended up getting the above mentioned Premier Reverb Reverberation unit – it did have the classic Fender tremelo. In the early 1990′s, when was broke and unemployed, I had to part with this amp. I sold it for $175.00.
Digitech PDS-2020 Delay
3. Digitech PDS-2020 – I bought this digital delay box in the late 1980s. The PDS-2020 was part of the early crop of all digital effects. It was versatile with different settings for delay – flanging, doubling, echo and Sound on Sound. I would often mess around with the flanging and then engage the hold pedal for a spacey, “siren” effect. My favorite feature on this pedal was the sound on sound. It was an early “looping” pedal and with a ridiculously short repeat time. The looping effect was the catylst for my instrumental song, “D-Day.” I got rid of this pedal because I thought I would no longer use it. What a mistake!
Hondo II Electric Boogaloo
4. Hondo II Less Paul Copy - When I was in 10th grade, my great Uncle Morris left me a couple hundred dollars in his will. It was enough money for me to buy this guitar along with a small Epiphone, 10 watt, solid state amp. This was my first, “real guitar.” While the action sucked and the intonation was probably off, this guitar sounded great to my 15 year-old ears. As a teenager, I was in guitar heaven with my Hondo II Les Paul copy. In the early 1980s, after I acquired my Gibson ES 335 (a gift from my generous brother), I ended up giving this guitar to a friend. Years ago, I lost touch with that friend so I don’t know what ever happened to the old Hondo guitar.
5. Big Muff-pi – Guitar players always remember their first fuzz box. In the late 1970′s after I got my Hondo II Les Paul Copy, I craved some gnarly distortion to enhance my rig. The Big Muff-pi was the obvious choice to fit the bill. Sure it was noisy – but it was cool. I spent many an hour toying with the settings to get just the right fuzz sound. As my musical tastes drifted away from barre chord centric rock, I used my Big Muff-pi less and less. I ended up giving it to a friend, who still uses it and enjoys it.
Video: Ginger Baker in Africa
I have been busy working in the studio – thus my posting this week has been light. Here’s a great clip from the BBC documentary, All You Need Is Love: The Story of Popular Music.
Microphone Review: GLS Audio ES-57 and ES-58
GLS ES-57 & ES58
I first heard about these microphones while browsing though the forums over at Gearslutz. These low cost Shure SM57 and SM58 knockoffs, available through Orange County Speaker, rated very well with people from the on-line recording community. Because they are so inexpensive – as of this writing, the mics sell for $29.99 (U.S.) each (You can get a slightly better deal if you buy them in quantity) – I decided to take the plunge and order one ES-57, (SM57 copy) and one ES-58-S (SM58 copy with an on and off switch). I would find out for myself if the internet hype on these mics was true.
Testing 1…2…3…
So how do these mics compare to their more expensive counterparts? The first mic I tested was a ES-58-S. Right out of the box, I noticed the weight of the microphone. This isn’t some lightweight mic that’s going to fall apart with ordinary use. In fact, it seems built like a tank and can obviously handle the normal wear and tear of both studio and live use.
My first test was to use it for a vocal recording. I have to say, the results were astonishing. The mic seemed to have more of a Beta 58 sound than that of a standard SM58. The mids and highs were clear and crisp.
After my promising start with the ES-58, I was anxious to crack open the ES-57 to see what it could do. Once again, I was impressed by the feel and the weight of the mic. My first test with the ES-57 was to see what kind of results I could get recording an acoustic guitar. I aimed the mic near the 12th fret of my trusty Guild D4 guitar, positioned it about 6 inches away and started playing. The results were excellent and in my opinion, just as good as an SM57.
To further test these mics, I recorded snare drum hits, with both sticks and brushes, and also tried them out on some hi-hats. Again the results were excellent and definitely comparable to the more expensive SM57 or SM58.
Conclusion
The bottom line – these mics are winners! I will definitely be utilizing them in future recordings. Since you can get three of these mics for less than the price of one of the higher priced Shure microphones, it’s obviously a great deal. If you are looking for new dynamic mics for your band or for your studio, you can’t go wrong with the GLS Audio mics.
SPECS
Specifications:
Model Number: ES-57
Uni-Directional Dynamic Microphone
Designed for Musical Instruments & Drums
Sensitivity: -72dB at 1,000 Hz (Open Circuit Voltage)
Frequency Range: 40 Hz – 15,000 Hz
Lo-Z XLR 3 Pin Balanced
Impedance: 300 ohms at 1,000 Hz
Size: 6 3/8″ long x 1 3/8″ Head x 7/8″ End
Specifications:
Model Number: ES-58
Uni-Directional Dynamic Vocal Microphone
Frequency Response: 50 Hz – 15,000 Hz
Sensitivity: -72dB at 1,000 Hz (Open Circuit Voltage)
Dual Z Compatibility
(Lo-Z XLR 3 Pin Balanced & Hi-Z 1/4″)
Impedance: 300 ohms at 1,000 Hz
Size: 6 7/8″ long x 2″ Ball x 7/8″ End
Introducing the New Inkster Recordings – Skreened T-shirts
This is a t-shirt I am selling through Skreened. Click the image or the link below the image for more information.
Inkster Recording T-Shirt
Musician DIY: How I Made A Music Video For Free
The Idea
I had an instrumental song, “Electric Guitar Interlude,” that I thought had the potential of being an interesting soundtrack for a video. After all, having a music video is an excellent way to promote your music. Creating such a video, however, can be a daunting challenge for the independent musician – especially for musicians with limited video production experience and cash flow.
In contemplating what to do, I weighed the options. On one hand, I didn’t want to invest in video cameras and equipment. Paying someone to shoot footage was also out of the question. If I wanted to have a video, I would have to do it myself.
The Internet Archive to the Rescue
I decided that I would turn to the web and search out free or public domain video footage. Within seconds, I found the mother lode of public domain and copyright free footage – the Internet Archive. What’s the internet archive? According to their description:
The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded to build an Internet library. Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, collections that exist in digital format…
I can go on about the wonders of the archive, including the vast amount of free music, but that is something I would suggest you spend some time exploring yourself.
Searching for the right footage
My challenge was to find film footage that would fit with my song. I narrowed down my search within the moving picture archive, where I found the “Prelinger” and Ephemera collection of films. These collections offer a huge selection of public domain, moving pictures. The variety of available material is mind boggling! Everything from old educational and industrial films, (including films showing nuclear bomb tests) and some very strange old television commercials are available within these collections. For my video, I found an appropriate match for the “spacey” theme of my song, an old early 1961 educational film called, “Way Stations in Space.”
One quick note – to avoid any future hassles, make sure you double check the “rights” attached with the video footage you want to use. Public Domain is the best. Some of the Creative Commons material, while “free” come with stipulations. Make sure you understand the rights before you proceed with your video.
Creating The Video
Now it was time to get down to actually putting the music video together. I decided on using a free – but sometimes a pain in the ass program, which happened to be on my computer- Windows Movie Maker. I would prefer having a better program to use for video editing. Since I was going for cheap or better yet free, this is the program I decided to use.
After doing a simple download of the movie, my first task was to convert the file into a Windows Media Video (WMV) format. I did a google search and found “Any Video Converter,” a free file converter.The program was simple enough to use and did the job without any hitch. Once I had the video file in the right WMV format, I was ready to import it into Windows Movie Maker. I found a section of the film that seemed to fit my song, cut it down and was ready to put my video together. For this project, I was lucky that I found a film that matched my music and didn’t need much editing. My last task was to create a still frame “Head and Tail” with my information , including my website. I used a simple photo editor that came with my digital camera. I added the still frames to the beginning and end of my video and I was finished. All told, it took me about 6 hours to complete the project.
My Video Header
Subsequently I put the music video up on Youtube and archive.org (As of this writing, over 200 people have downloaded “Electric Guitar Interlude” from the archive. So overall, while my video did not become a viral sensation, I consider my endeavor successful. I have had people visit my website as a result of seeing the video. Who knows? If you do things correctly with your video, you might create something that goes viral and gets you noticed on the vast internet!
Here’s the finished version:
