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April 6,
2005
My lovely Martin guitar (she is now called Martina) has been
neglected on the Fourth Wall front for a few days, until yesterday here in Kelowna, BC. I was playing around with some different tunings (DADGCF) and
came upon a delightful motif. It's strange because this is an idea I had
completely forgotten about which just happened while I was in Montreal last
year. I didn't think much of it at the time but remember playing it to my
son Rufus on my return and he loved it. I was thinking about him a lot
yesterday and decided to give it another crack. I really like this idea and
it kind of reminds me of Looking For from First Touch. Very
folky. It's begging to be a song so maybe this will be the song on the album
and if so, Rufus will be singing it. I don't have a title for it yet. I
think I will co-write this with him and see what he thinks. So I guess this
is the first Fourth Wall idea. I have exhausted The Bridge and
gone round the houses with different combinations. I really believe I have
this one now so I can put it into hibernation until it's time to record it.
Today is a day off and I feel up to having a go on Serenity. It's so
beautiful here in BC and I find it inspiring. I am in a great mood. I am
loving this tour and feel musically fit.
April 17, 2005
I am back. Been busy on this tour and haven't had much time or inclination
to put any commitment in to Fourth Wall. We are now settled in
Chicago for a few days and yesterday I played what I have so far. I must
admit I am happy with what's there. The Bridge is pretty much
completed. Barok and Iguazu work well together (although I am
still trying to see what else can be done with Barok. I have been
trying some variations). I still haven't visited Serenity even though
I thought I was ready a week or so ago. Clearly not. The folk tune in the
open tuning will definitely live. I will wait until Rufus and I can get
together on that one. I have been listening a lot to a song by Stevie Wonder
called Rocket Love (off the Hotter than July album) and I am
so in love with this tune. To me it is crying out to be recorded as an
instrumental. It feels very much like the kind of stuff I am into. I have a
strong feeling I will make this a great moment for Fourth Wall. The
harmony and emotion seems to fit with what I am doing. I also want to record
The Winner Takes it All by Abba. While I am at it I have a version of
the Star Spangled Banner worth recording. One of those three will
make it on the record (I suspect it will be the Stevie track). So we are
getting a plot now. Sometimes it's good to listen to music rather than
trying to compose. I have been listening a lot recently and been inspired by
the way some people construct music. Now it's my turn. Bring on Serenity!
June 4, 2005
Time to get back into it now. I have left this for a while and feel
ready now. It's quite depressing because I don't know what to say. I picked
up the guitar yesterday (for the first time since I have been back) and
played what I know so far. The tunes feel real and familiar enough to be
sure they will live on the album. This is a good feeling but do I have any
new ideas? Not a crotchet. I tried staring out into space looking for some
message from the heavens but all I heard was Pablo and Misty laughing
upstairs. But this IS the message. This is what I love. The ambient sound of
family. Sounds in the kitchen, the bath running, phone ringing, door bell
going, Fanny saying "put the rubbish (trash to you Americans) out", the
dishwasher finishing its cycle, the neighbours doing whatever they do etc
etc. I haven't heard these sounds consistently for over a year. This is what
I am listening to now. Not the latest Coldplay album, Schumann, Sibelius,
Bizet or even Bach. Call me weird but I like what I am listening to. This is
the inspiration and this is the message. Now all I have to do is put it to
music, or translate it to music. Help!
June 8, 2005
6:00am, London. This morning I will be dropping Misty off to school and then
picking up Rufus to go to the Isle of Wight which is a small island off the
South coast of England. My parents have a place there that my sisters and I
use whenever we want. It's a charming beach house right on the coast. We
will be driving there in a van with a driver. Purpose: to pick up all my
recording gear. I last used it there in December 2002 when I was recording
Third World and incidentally where I came up with the concept for
Shapes. This is a symbolic journey because once I open that equipment
and then fire it up it will mean blood shed. Mine. I have some bleeding to
do. I feel the strong need to get the tunes I have documented now while they
are fresh and knowing I won't change them anymore. If I leave it any later
they might suffer from being over cooked. Kind of like making a soufflé?
Once I finish those tunes I will then pack it up again and probably take it
back to the island and then carry on with the rest of the album. I am glad
Rufus will come with me because he will be part of this journey that is
becoming Fourth Wall. I feel I am coming to the end of the first act.
June 10, 2005
Had a great day out with Rufus. I dropped Misty off to my school and then
went to my lock-up to get the van. The driver and I then picked up Rufus and
we headed down to the coast. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a good
chat. Rufus is very excited because he has got into Goldsmith's College (the
Harvard of art schools). This is such a great result and he is so happy. So
am I because I am glad he isn't just doing music. He has real talent as a
painter but also writes songs and plays guitar. We had a good chat about
this on the way there and back. We returned and I put all the gear in my
studio (a room in my house). It is all there in cases now and I am feeling
very excited about setting it all up. To me, musical equipment or a studio
is like a church. It's a sacred place to go and pray. It's a place to show
one's faith and in some cases a place to open up and confess. I take it very
seriously. Some people write in the studio and I am not criticising them but
I just don't do it that way. I don't like to go to that place unless I have
something to say (or on a deeper lever, to share with my higher power). Now
I do. I will set it up today and on Sunday will go away for a week. On my
return I will go there. It can be quite a dark place sometimes. But there is
always some light to be found in darkness. This is the light that shines
brightly in my world. I will be sure to let you know how the first few days
go.
July 15, 2005
Yesterday I recorded the first piece. It was a beautiful sunny day
here in London. It took me less than an hour to do this because it was
ready. I sat with my guitar going over it a couple of times at the kitchen
table in the morning knowing I would be recording it very soon. Kind of like
making final preparations for a speech or presentation. I was 90% secure
with my plan and left the customary 10% for any little miracles or changes
that would inevitably happen or arrive as they always do. On this occasion
it was more like 80/20. An unexpected melodic accident came like a gift for
which I am grateful. I am so excited and feel the relief of having disclosed
some kind of deep secret within. It's hard to describe what it feels like to
document one's thoughts. It's something like making a diary entry but in big
letters or carved in stone and coloured in blood. I may sound over dramatic
and maybe no one cares what I have to disclose but this is my story and it
has to and had to be told. I have now set the pace for these admissions and
look forward to making more of them. The tune I recorded has the working
title of Barock which is of course pretty stupid. I will come up with
a better title in due course.
September 16, 2005
Since I have got back from vacation I have been recording. I have made
serious progress with this album. I started by recording Alessando
Marcello's Concerto in D Minor (for piano) purely as an exercise to
get me back into match fitness. The piece is beautiful and I got somewhat
carried away with it. In fact I love it so much I think it's a keeper. When
I finished it I started playing Iguazu. This sounded perfect next to
the Marcello so I recorded it. They are now joined and complement oneanother.
I made some real breakthroughs with Iguazu. I also recorded The
Bridge which was very natural but quite hard to play accurately and
loosely at the same time (this is something I strive for). I got there in
the end and it's done. I also made a good discovery with that one. Rufus
came here yesterday and we put down our duet. He wrote the song on the spot.
This is how he wanted to do it and I agreed. So it was a magical day and he
was amazing. I love this song so much. We are both proud of it. We are
calling this one All for now but that may change. So I am now well
into it and feel I have the right momentum to carry on. I will be doing this
for the rest of the month and the first week of October. It's hard to
describe what it feels like to be in this space. Call it a sort of madness.
I am so immersed in this it must be hard for anyone to be near me as I
appear to be on another planet. My wife told be about who she'd had lunch
with which I acknowledged but I then asked her at dinner if she'd seen her
friend (Sarah) recently? Today I will be recording Barock again. I
have decided to change the key. This will be my first retake. I am seriously
looking forward to recording Serenity. Maybe tomorrow. I will let you
know how I get on.
October 1, 2005
Busy times. I have recorded a version of Villa Lobos' Bachiana
which is a stunning piece of music by the Brazilian composer. I took this
from an
Egberto Gismonti
piano album from the 80's. I worked this one out by ear (like the Marcello).
It is a real challenge working out the chords without the sheet music but I
find it very satisfying doing it this way because it makes me feel more
attached to the essence of the harmony. It's very difficult sometimes to
pick out some of these chords which sometimes have hidden notes. These are
the important notes or colours. It now looks like I am doing an album which
consists of some classical tunes and some of my own. I suppose it's kind of
like First Touch meets Shapes. I now don't see the point in
recording two separate albums. All I am doing now is documenting who I am
right now as a musician and this can't possibly go without the Marcello,
Villa Lobos and of course Bach. I haven't yet chosen which Bach piece I will
do but I am sure there will be at least one. The favourite is the G minor
Partita (first one in the book for violin). It sounds like it was written
for guitar. I have finished Barock which accidentally went into a new
entity which I was just jamming at the end. I now think this is the missing
link to this tune. I am really happy with the way Iguazu turned out.
I did some synth and keyboard bass overdubs which really enhance the tune.
The Bridge is complete. All is now called Take it All
and I am thrilled with this one. Misty added a couple of ad lib vocals so it
has become a real 'family' track. This is now one of my favourites. (I had
to break the momentum by going to Poland with Sting to do a show. It is
alleged there were close to half a million people at this show, the biggest
in my career. Quite incredible playing to that many people). For some reason
I can't get my head around recording Serenity. Call it lack of
courage. The truth is more like I haven't got real direction with this one.
It isn't really arranged. It is more a mood than a composition so I am now
having second thoughts about it. Maybe it sucks, I don't know. So I will put
this one aside (again) and continue with something else. Why not the Bach? I
will let you know either way.
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