Ever seen spacedogshit? - 'Tired Head'

Song: Tired Head

Session Date: somewhere in 2002

Recording Gear: Korg D12

Music Gear: Yairi Spanish guitar, Stagg condensator mic, Yamaha RY-10 drumcomputer

Log: This is one of the 'Korg D12 sessions'-songs. The original mix contained the sound of a car claxon that was incidentally caught on 'tape' and that I repeated using the 'scene'-function of the D12 ('scene'-programming was really horrible and extremely time-absorbing). This mix hasn't been retrieved yet, and this version was mixed by my friend Temme Sikkema, who borrowed me the Korg D12. In the words of a retired rock-journalist:

"The original mix entices the audience to come back every time and push that rewind button, because it contains a really beautifully captured honking car [no sampling devices used]. This story ofcourse reminds the reader of the Rolling Stones track Country Honk on the Let It Bleed album. However, a not so talented technician apparently cut this "version" of the track, explaining the omission of the honking car. A not-so-subtle pan shift in the vocal track sadly reminds one of the first stereo mixes that were done in the early sixties, when it was more used as an "effect" and not as a spatial concept. For fans only."

Lyrics: Into outer space / Flying like a lady-bird / I know I can't keep pace / With a universe / This absurd / Come home / Wait no more / Wipe the gore / From your tired head / From your tired head / Look down at the earth / That is where / You are / Come home / That is where you are /Look up at the stars / That is where you'll be / Into streets unknown / Hovering like spacedogshit / I know I'm on my own / And I still rehearse: / 'I have been hit' / Come home / Wait no more / Wipe the gore / From your tired head / From your tired head..

Early John Lee Hooker Style: 'Chaos Blues'

Song: Chaos Blues

Session Date: August 18th 2006

Recording Gear: Victory LT-200 mp3 player

Music Gear: Yairi spanish guitar

Log: I'm amazed how well my new ultracheap mp3-player records. OK, it's got a 8 Khz sample rate, but the mic is quite OK! It does a better job than the headsetmic we bought a while ago.

This blues improvisation was edited in Audacity. Basically, I added iZotope Vinyl. As a kid I listened a lot to 'Tupalo Blues', one of the early records of John Lee Hooker. That was before they took him to the city and gave him an electric guitar. All acoustic and magnificently idiomatic and spontaneous. And oh, that deep, dark, warm voice..

Well, too bad I'm a white boy. For a long time I have been dreaming of playing the blues like early John Lee Hooker. I find it hardest to sing the blues, in sync with my guitar. And I find it hard to improvize and switch between strumming and soloing and keeping the rhythm up. But this small afford inspires me to perhaps give it a try again and record some old school blues songs one day.

Lyrics: It is a chaos in my life / Chaos, chaos, chaos.. / How am I ever / Gonna order / All the chaos / All the chaos in my room, in my house, in my mind..

Newsflash: I've Launched My 1000th Blog!!!

News: I've launched a new blog. It's gonna be an allround blog, but probably focused on (personal) life, theology and music ('cause Meite U is a listener too). I've been working for ages on the template and I think it's pretty neat. So go have a look at DOCTERBLOG.