Reflections on Music, Life, and "Beauty Gone Wild"

[BassHappy]

Cool deal on the lap steel....thanks for posting that!

On the chicken sandwich deal, I would like to try the chicken big mac and Leah wants to give it a go as well. The chicken supposedly has a tempura batter, so it's supposed to be nice and crispy. If we sample them I will check back with a report.

So yeah, the other reason that the Arp sounded OK on the HTM albums, not just the radical built-in EQ, but also the fact that all of the string parts were broken down and recorded two notes at a time and tuned incrementally in-between takes to give them a little width. They would record the two notes, then double them with a slight detuning then record them again with a slight up tuning. It would fatten the sound and they would do that with all the parts and then bounce the whole shebang to two stereo tracks. So like I said, they sound pretty good actually, it's just that there is very little articulation variation because the Arp was basically a one trick pony as far as the bowing went. It anything, they are a little too articulate, hence the borderline screechiness. So they needed a nice lush string pad shoved underneath to give them more of a softer, ethereal quality. I am guessing that the string parts on other songs might be a bit different than these. But what I love is contrast, a balls-to-the-wall rocking tune with lush strings provides that contrast for me.

As far as the drums go, we will see what Ron thinks of what I have done. I think he will like it but you never know. We talked about me sending him all the Ken Scott drum tracks and having him do the more modern processing on the drums just for giggles. And do a mix from there. Frankly, I think that would take away a lot of the built in Ken Scott character, and the original intention of the piece. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. If he still wants to do this, I am fine with it. I wanted to do what I thought was maximizing the Ken Scott tracks, and then we can start doing whatever mods and craziness we might choose.

Got a great Veteran's Day surprise from my bestie in Indiana, Johnny Chicago. He was part of the HTM light crew for a number of years in the early days. His artwork makes me happy, so colorful and expressive:

 

[BassHappy]

I guess this is as good as a place as any to post this. Just an interesting situation from my Army days. In Kaiserslautern, Germany where I was based in the Army, I had a good friend and roommate who was from the Chicago area. His name was Scott and he was really a smart guy, who from the day I met him, always insisted he was going to be a CPA. This really puzzled me because who really knows what they want to do when they are 18 or 19 years old? But he was insistent and his mind was made up. He had his entire life mapped out in front of him.

So I noticed a few months later, he took a real interest in my bass playing and Happy the Man aspirations. I was getting tapes in the mail and playing a lot of bass in the barracks. I found out later that he had been a drummer in high school and really loved playing the drums and music in general. I didn't really take much of that too seriously because I knew he was going to be a CPA and let's face it - accountants in general can be very dry and I think in some ways I kind of wrote him off as being part of any musical world.

Well a couple of years ago I got an email from him and he had purchased a Ludwig VistaLite plexiglass drum kit, like the one John Bonham of Zeppelin played:

.

Come to find out, he had actually purchased 4 or 5 VistaLite kits of varying descriptions because he loves them. Kind of a collector of VistaLite drum kits. So, needless to say, I was intrigued that he had this interest in music later in his life, and he was amazed that I also had become a fixture in the accounting world. My thing is much different than his, because I only work for music companies and I don't do the tax returns which are his firm's bread and butter. But that doesn't relieve me of being boring. My day job is likely nothing to write home about. But, I am proud of what I do and the business I have built. It has honor and integrity built in and that is what I like.

So fast forward, I sent him "Only Love" when we finished it and he loved it. He confessed that he had built a Pro Tools studio in his house. He sent me some roughs of a tune or two, basic guitar and vocal demos. I gave him some advice on sounds and gear and a helpful critique of his tracks - and he responded in such a favorable way. So last week, he sent me a complete track with guitar, vocals, some percussion and some string parts. While I don't feel the tune is going to set the world on fire, it was enjoyable with a good message. I have a feeling that the vocalist is one of his daughters, or her friend but he hasn't fully fessed up yet. So again, I gave him a critique and positive re-enforcement, and he was very grateful.

I have a feeling that this long distance email pen-pal back and forth will continue. I am happy to do it. Scott is the only link I have really to my Army days. We all say we are going to stay in touch but hardly anyone ever does.

Scott is a really good guy, and I am grateful for his friendship on this Veteran's day 2024.

 

[Indiedog]

Cool deal on the lap steel....thanks for posting that!

On the chicken sandwich deal, I would like to try the chicken big mac and Leah wants to give it a go as well. The chicken supposedly has a tempura batter, so it's supposed to be nice and crispy. If we sample them I will check back with a report.

So yeah, the other reason that the Arp sounded OK on the HTM albums, not just the radical built-in EQ, but also the fact that all of the string parts were broken down and recorded two notes at a time and tuned incrementally in-between takes to give them a little width. They would record the two notes, then double them with a slight detuning then record them again with a slight up tuning. It would fatten the sound and they would do that with all the parts and then bounce the whole shebang to two stereo tracks. So like I said, they sound pretty good actually, it's just that there is very little articulation variation because the Arp was basically a one trick pony as far as the bowing went. It anything, they are a little too articulate, hence the borderline screechiness. So they needed a nice lush string pad shoved underneath to give them more of a softer, ethereal quality. I am guessing that the string parts on other songs might be a bit different than these. But what I love is contrast, a balls-to-the-wall rocking tune with lush strings provides that contrast for me.

As far as the drums go, we will see what Ron thinks of what I have done. I think he will like it but you never know. We talked about me sending him all the Ken Scott drum tracks and having him do the more modern processing on the drums just for giggles. And do a mix from there. Frankly, I think that would take away a lot of the built in Ken Scott character, and the original intention of the piece. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. If he still wants to do this, I am fine with it. I wanted to do what I thought was maximizing the Ken Scott tracks, and then we can start doing whatever mods and craziness we might choose.

Got a great Veteran's Day surprise from my bestie in Indiana, Johnny Chicago. He was part of the HTM light crew for a number of years in the early days. His artwork makes me happy, so colorful and expressive:

View attachment 7075456

Working Backwards:

Vistalites. While many players gravitated to them when they were released, the model is most-associated with Bonham of course. The transparency combined with colors made them the New Shiny Toy. I actually had a set too, but with a twist. But another step back…my first set was an eighth grade graduation gift from my parents in 1973. I had been transfixed by my Mom’s brother’s drum set over the precious 8 years. I know I mentioned here in the past that we went to Manny’s in NYC and got a 3-piece “Micasonic” set in red sparkle for $100. It seemed like a fortune at the time. Ha. I was in heaven as I played to “Venus” and “Evil Ways” at home.

Flash forward to 1984/5 when I was out of college and working at a local market in Tucson. The old set was still in NY and I always felt sad I didn’t have them to play. A customer was leaving town and said he was going to sell his Ludwig set. He only wanted $150 AND he delivered them to this car-less-boy’s converted garage home. They were a 4- or 5-piece set in relatively large sizes and wrapped in black vinyl, I assume from the Factory. But yes, they were light blue Vistalites underneath. There were a number of scuffs and such that revealed the blue peeking through. I would have preferred the full-on blue. But of course I was thrilled to have a set again. It came with some ordinary cymbals…a mix of brands IIRC. When I was preparing to make a huge mistake (enter a marriage with a woman 11 years my junior that only lasted three months and required a move to Utah). I felt I had to sell them…because Adulthood. Ha. My main passion—bicycling—provided the opportunity. A nice guy at my bike shop heard about them and bought them for $100. I had been realizing that I wanted traditional wood drums so felt I would eventually get another set.

That did not happen until 2002 when my father died. My mom nicely gave us all a portion of his life insurance and off I went to choose a set. I got a lovely Pearl Masters BRX (Birch) set in an natural, un-stained finish (the grain is lovely) and then slowly added drums from the line and dipped into my passion for bronze with some lovely Zildjian and a few Paistes and UFIPs. That is the magnificent set I have today.

But that is fascinating how your Army friend both paralleled your business interest and your passion. How cool that a CPA would be so nuts for Vistalites. I believe they are quite collectible. Just the Bonham fans alone keep the Vistalites being popular.

But to me the point here is influence and destiny. We all experience both. A few people like him know from an early age what they wanted to do. My friend the MD knew he wanted to be one when he was a kid. Your pal knew accounting was his career. But influences from others are huge for all of us. Who has not experienced that? I obviously was crazily influenced by my “cool Uncle” Roger. Even my middle name is the same as his (wasn’t that sweet of mom to do that in honor of her little bro?). Even though I only visited St. Louis a handful of times when young, that dashing man influenced me and my brothers. We thought his Mustang and slot cars and Martin guitars and drums (and girlfriends) were the center of Cool. And he was the real deal; he had real musical talent. He played gigs as a singer/guitarist. He played gigs on the drums. Some of the Mel Bay guitar books have his hands in the photos! He totally made me want to play drums.

Many times we are not fully aware of how we are influenced and especially, how we influence others. I know each one of us have influenced people over the years. You rubbed off on Scott in a big way back then. And you are doing it know. You undoubtably influenced tons of people with your HTM career and your financial career. And of course, I know from your history how influential your rellies (relatives) and friends were on you. This is no small thing. Influence works on so many levels.

I must say that you (and Mapleglo and kesslari and Mr. Owl and others here) have heavily influenced me for the better. You inspire me in such a positive, productive way (put that “inspire” in italics!). What is better than that?

Unfortunately, it works in a bad way: prejudice. Recent times have underscored how hateful ideas and paranoias are so easily perpetuated and hoisted on the innocent young. We often influence people in bad ways through ignorance. I prefer the “Be Kind” movement that is fighting against that. Perhaps more on all that another time.

Johnny Chicago: I love the name. I love his Art. And he was on the Lighting crew, eh? How…symbolic! These people from our past, like Scott from your Army days are lights that brighten our world. The story of your life French involves guys and gals that were on the HTM crew and in other bands you encountered. That is just wonderful. So many people shine a light of influence and of awareness into our dark worlds. Again, influences are crazy-important.

Multi tracks and mixing: you describe some very important points with Ron’s drum tracks. There are delicate balance points between improving older recordings through re-mixing. One wants to improve them but yet not take away from the characteristics of the original mix. Clearly, the Ken Scott fingerprint is part of your legacy. Honoring that should e a goal, but improving things in subtle ways is very much OK in my world. (Re-mixes of classic albums are so controversial. I generally am so excited when a master like Jakko or Steven Wilson re-mix these amazing albums from our youth. I generally find them to be far better than the original mix because paradoxically I hear more of what was intended by the artists and the Producers…those intents were often hidden under layers of distortion and smutz inherent in the somewhat low-tech state of Recording/Pressing at the time. To me, guys like Wilson strip away the mess and reveal more of the Art. They reveal the intention. Perhaps no record reveals this more than Relayer. The re-mix allows so much more of the energy, brilliance, and sheer intensity to come through) Again, this topic is big and hard to encapsulate quickly, so enough for now.

But yes, it would be cool to see what Ron thinks and does if he has the opportunity to mess with his tracks. From my chats with him, he is brilliant and highly capable. He is the Wolf of Drums (wink).

Kit’s ARP tracks: I LOVE how you all tackled that. Tweaking by recording smaller portions with the adjustments to pitch and EQ are so clever, and they really made a huge difference. Synth fans often give all the credit to the old boards, but in reality, they generally sounded terrible by themselves. They needed bright people playing them and smart producers to bring them up to that level. There are many lessons there about understanding our tools and our brains.

Chicken! I have to admit that I am intrigued but eh Chicken Big Mac. You have me really hungry again! But with my procedure Thursday, I’ll have to wait until the weekend at least. We really have discussed food a fair bit over the years here, so I always welcome discussions. Food keeps us alive. We could eat C-Rations or have the most boring food pass our lips. It would keep us alive. But there is more to life and to Art than just doing the bare minimum. We elevate our life and enjoy more when we shoot for something better. When we strive for the best we can be we not only improve the lives of those around us, but we also inspire and influence people to also elevate their perspectives and enjoy life more. What is better??

This life of ours is just like that old proverb…we are but the brief flashes of a firefly, but my goodness, the satisfaction and growth we experience by treasuring and sharing those flashes of light brighten everyone else’s night.

Flash on!

At times like this I also try to say that LEAH is a beam of light, and of course, the reason for this thread. She just has such a uniquely-colored light. It is like no-one else’s. I really intend to weave in more of her album “Dreamed” into our discussions…it is On-Topic and her albums are criminally ignored. She deserves more attention and praise for her light.

 

[Indiedog]

Man, between my brain and my spotty keyboard, there is no end to my ability to make typographic errors.

In the first paragraph I meant to say “previous” not “precious.” I guess my inner-Gollum took over.

And perhaps Gollum is the perfect pivot point to look at something just as shiny and unobtainable as Gollum’s ring: this brand new 40th Anniversary PRS “Dragon” guitar (we previously watched the Paul Reed Smith video where he mentioned the “Dragons.” When I was on the PRS Forum there was a chap (Markie I think) that had several Dragons and oodles of crazy-sweet PRSs).

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de..._ek=2024-11-12T18:30:09Z&bsft_lx=7&bsft_tv=31

 

[kesslari]

First gig with new band "Fusion Cuisine". First tune of the set. This band promises to be fun.

 

[Indiedog]

First gig with new band "Fusion Cuisine". First tune of the set. This band promises to be fun.

Ding Dong! What funky fun! That was great! You guys are hot. I love your Fretless tone. Nice little spotlight moment on you 2/3 through. Tou guys can be proud.

The keyboards to the side looks great but there was not a player on that song, right? Is the rig for you guys (on most songs) or for a later band?

 

[kesslari]

Ding Dong! What funky fun! That was great! You guys are hot. I love your Fretless tone. Nice little spotlight moment on you 2/3 through. Tou guys can be proud.

The keyboards to the side looks great but there was not a player on that song, right? Is the rig for you guys (on most songs) or for a later band?

Thank you! Keys are for the next band. We want a keyboard player, just haven't found one yet.

 

[Indiedog]

Thank you! Keys are for the next band. We want a keyboard player, just haven't found one yet.

Because you three were quite effectively Slaying It, I figured it was the next band.

 

[Indiedog]

Holy Deja Vu, Batman!!

Quite a few years ago I started this Thread because I felt strongly about several things: Leah Waybright’s “Beauty Gone Wild” was at once completely innovative, unique, yet strangely reminiscent of Happy the Man. Perhaps as strongly I felt it was terrible that so few people knew about it. Of course, we spent no small amount of time discussing just why that was…mostly because of the Happy the Man alums that were on it. And while Gary Blu was not in HTM his brilliance and experience allowed him to provide lovely, crazy-difficult performances that were both totally him and also somewhat evocative of Frank Wyatt.

The music wasn’t quite full on Rock, nor was it really New Age. Again, we discussed some of the ins and outs of how the drum tracks made it too rocky for the New Age label. That in-between set of moving moods and vibes meant it was wickedly creative and to me, highly addictive. It is rare that I find myself re-playing an album over and over because it continually gave new and different gifts. Sometimes, I literally wondered if Leah had Brian Eno somehow make her tunes be like what he thinks “records” should be: totally different each time they are played due to Regenerative/Random combinations and mixes. Yes, her compositions had so much depth, layers, and details that I seemed to not be able to fully comprehend them even after 20 or 30 listens. THAT is the mark of a fine composition. Sure, a pop hit that is simple and straightforward can hit hard, but how many times do you hear new things? I mean, really new things. Leah and the guys achieved that.

We have also seen how Rick’s musical DNA came through in the recording and arranging. How could that influence (which of course evokes classic HTM) not color her tunes? But it never was distracting. No one would say it was HTM, but yet it just gave off some of the same colors and scents that HTM explored, hence my insistence that HTM Fans buy it. It was a perfect balance.

I could still write much more about how magical that floral-centric album is. It just has such great timbres, twists, and turns. The electric “tine” pianos are of course one of my favorite elements. Gary’s lines are superb. Rick’s bass perfectly anchors, propels, and binds the shifting compositions. Ron’s drumming was like candy to this drum-obsessed lad. So darn tricky, clever, and exciting. Stanley Whitaker’s guitar work naturally implies HTM, but because he is the pro that he is (that covers a wide range of material in his gigs), his guitar work also somehow sounded completely Leah-like. He plays to the song and managed to have both a newness and a similarity to his HTM work.

I say all this to change the focus and see some of the same things in this year’s follow-up “Dreamed.” I see and hear much of the same cool things going on. The record is a natural progression from “BGW.” Yet is totally new. Gary and Stan returned of course. Their work is just as great as their contributions on “BGW.” I think they eclipsed their previous work though. These men just get better and better. And I know that Leah got better too as a player and as a composer. It is THE main thing that lingers with me. I cannot quite figure out where on earth (um, heaven) that she fished these brilliant tunes, but she did. They have even more depth and detail. They work on even more levels.

What is so cool are the arrangements. As we have discussed, piano takes more of the stage than the EPs. That always works for me because if I could only have one instrument in my life it would be the piano. Her piano lines blend even more with the other layers. What is especially cool is that not all the tunes are piano-driven. Rick and Gary take on more duties in delivering and stating the composition. It is sort of like how a classical composition written for orchestra succeeds or fails on the merit of the writing, not the orchestration or a solo instrument. The playing of the ensemble is like one person when the composition is good enough and the orchestration is done by a master.

Rick gets lots of credit of course, but I sense that Leah was in the driving seat most of the time. Rick often mentioned how carefully Leah vetted any new ideas for orchestration, timbres, patterns, and of course, drum tracks. I know Rick and Leah worked together at a high level to achieve the amazing arrangements that make “Dreamed” such a fine record.

Of course, I feel that a huge compliment needs to go to Rick for his drum tracks. I have a decent sense of drumming, but have little talent for putting together truly effective and natural sounding drum tracks from samples and such. I mean, it really sounds like a Ron Riddle or similar player sat down and played. Rick’s bass work is superb of course, and truly binds all the elements together so perfectly. Rhythm and harmony. That is the magic of a bass guitar. Rick commands both; he could possibly overwhelm the composition with his chops and many ideas, but the most important element in all of Rick’s lines over the years is their effectiveness within the structure of the song. He always serves the song. He always reduces the complexity and the “look at me” nature of his initial ideas so that he provides only the perfect proportion. Never too little, never too much.

And again, while it is 100% Leah, there is that HTM feel on “Dreamed.” Rick is the beating heart of HTM, so naturally there is a HTM-ness to “Dreamed.” But I am going to take a flyer here and surmise that there is something more going on. I think Leah has been subtlety influenced by HTM over the years. Here is another hunch I have: Kit Watkins provided so much of the unique character to HTM, and I think much of his musical DNA came from his father the superb piano Professor. Well, as we know, Leah studied under him as well, so I really feel that Mr. Watkins is a common and very important influence to Kit, the band, and Leah. I find this fascinating.

And just like “BGW,” every time I listen to “Dreamed” I swear I hear something totally new. Did you get Eno to doctor this one too? Ha ha. It truly rewards repeated listening. I need to listen to it often.

Yet so few people have heard it! Why has it not galvanized more attention? Well, it is always difficult to get even superb songs and albums noticed when one is not a Huge Name. there is so much static and well, music out there. After all, even HTM experience this when they released the wonderful “Only Love” and “Lock ‘Em Up” tracks earlier this year. Why did those tunes not get more ears?? So many radio stations or platforms cater to only one small genre or pigeon hole. So much same old same old out there (yes, I am looking at you Classic Rock Stations). Perhaps there is an unfortunate side effect of music that is complex and creative enough to only be appreciated after more than a listen or two. Perhaps the public expects the simple, easily digestible, one-note sambas. Are we crazy to expect listeners to put in some effort?

Hell no, I say! Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Art is always that way. Diligence and hard work and complexity are well-worth the effort. And lest you think I am saying Leah does not come across in one listen, paradoxically, I feel her tunes immediately scream “Killer!” They really do impact straight away. So on balance, I feel that far too many people just have not been clued in. they don’t know this fine stuff exists. And perhaps when they DO listen to it is only on an iPad or computer speaker. The glory, the crystalline timbres, and the sheer gutsy quality of the bass and drums make the compositions glisten like gems when played at volume on a decent system. The light reflects off of all these musical facets, and I just want to hear the record again. (Yes, I used that “gem” metaphor a lot in the beginning of this thread, and I still feel it best describes Leah’s fantastic compositions.)

For instance, I feel that track 3–“Dreamprints”—demonstrates so much of what I am speaking of here. What stands out? The composition. It just stand fully as a song. The piano is there, but Gary’s saxes and clarinet state and expound on the melody and structure. Stanley’s guitar is essential to the composition and also reveals the harmonic complexity. Rick exploits the abilities of the bass and the drums to complete the piece. It just works. It sounds like it was band composed. Well, it manages to achieve that even though compositions like this are rarely achieved by compromise when three composers are trying to complete a tune. What it is the perfect combination of writing and arrangement. It can be picked apart to reveal tons of clever, creative techniques and combinations But it just “pops” as a thoroughly-composed and refine gem.

The drums are endlessly creative. The bass hold it together yet has such fun movement in both rhythm and harmony. Stan just slays it, yet he is perfectly serving the composition. The last third of the tune shifts and moths in subtle yet really cool ways. I just don’t quite understand what is going on, but damn, I love the totality of the tune.

As I once said, “yeah, I like it. A lot!”

 

[BassHappy]

This is amazing Stephen....as we both wipe the tears of joy from our eyes...

 

[Indiedog]

 

[Indiedog]

Because we discuss it all here:
colonoscopy: I hate the preparation! Results: The usual one polyp that will be checked. 10-14 day wait for results.

 

[Indiedog]

Rockin’ Good News: no cancer at all in the polyp and they say that this kind never has a cancer risk so I am pushed into the “next scope in TEN years” category. My doctor friends immediately cried fowl because of my history, so I followed up with my Doc and he says these are NEW guidlines established recently by the American Gastro group. He said I would have no problem getting a 5 year check done if I felt nervous or had any symptoms.

All this to encourage any readers sitting on the fence. These simple (generally free) checks can save lives. Even more important (for guys) is to get that prostate checked. Don’t end up like one of my favorite bassists, David Troncoso who died from it even though he knew he had symptoms.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled, Weird Thread. I will be “doing” another LeahToon later…

 

[SDC1-ClickClack]

Rockin’ Good News: no cancer at all in the polyp and they say that this kind never has a cancer risk so I am pushed into the “next scope in TEN years” category. My doctor friends immediately cried fowl because of my history, so I followed up with my Doc and he says these are NEW guidlines established recently by the American Gastro group. He said I would have no problem getting a 5 year check done if I felt nervous or had any symptoms.

All this to encourage any readers sitting on the fence. These simple (generally free) checks can save lives. Even more important (for guys) is to get that prostate checked. Don’t end up like one of my favorite bassists, David Troncoso who died from it even though he knew he had symptoms.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled, Weird Thread. I will be “doing” another LeahToon later…

Excellent news, Indie! Congrats on the results!
I, too, underwent the dreaded colonoscopy prep and not-at-all-bad-itself colonoscopy a couple of months ago because I was due for a follow-up since a couple of polyps were found during my last one 5 years ago. Fortunately for me, they were benign then, and the same held true for the one found this time. Heck, if it were not for the unpleasantness of the prep, I would happily get a colonoscopy every year if so advised.

As for prostate cancer, that was the main thing that ended Frank Zappa's life at only age 52. Lung cancer is another bad one, especially because some people experience no major worrisome symptoms and end up not being diagnosed until it is advanced and has spread. That's what happened to my father just under 10 years ago. If caught early, modern medicine can often enable you to vanquish it before it can do the same to you.

Sorry to be a downer; back to music and good vibes!

 

[BassHappy]

Rockin’ Good News: no cancer at all in the polyp and they say that this kind never has a cancer risk so I am pushed into the “next scope in TEN years” category. My doctor friends immediately cried fowl because of my history, so I followed up with my Doc and he says these are NEW guidlines established recently by the American Gastro group. He said I would have no problem getting a 5 year check done if I felt nervous or had any symptoms.

All this to encourage any readers sitting on the fence. These simple (generally free) checks can save lives. Even more important (for guys) is to get that prostate checked. Don’t end up like one of my favorite bassists, David Troncoso who died from it even though he knew he had symptoms.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled, Weird Thread. I will be “doing” another LeahToon later…

Geeeeez, so glad to hear that your health is good! We had our 7th Covid shot yesterday and we both felt like we had been hit by a truck all day today. Feeling a little better tonight.

And thanks so much for the lengthy and super complimentary post. Very cool! I wouldn't even know where to start in commenting on that!

So I finished a mix of "Service" and I sent it off to Ron and Stanley. I also sent it to Michael and Kit just in case they wanted to put an ear on it. Haven't heard from the two of them, but Stanley said he loved the mix. Finally, they are starting to realize just how good the band sounds when the bass and rhythm section mix is right. The bass really pushes the tune forward on this one and when it's too light in the mix, the feel just isn't really there. Stanley was like - I finally get what you have been talking about all these years.

Funny, it was Ron's birthday the day I sent it to him, and I had no idea it was his birthday. Later on he sent me a quick text telling me it was the best birthday present ever and he sent a love heart emoji. So I guess he likes the mix.

Started in on Ibby and wow, very challenging. The real harpsichord sounds so amazing on that tune:

Having a blast mixing it and I should have it nailed by the weekend. I am in no hurry with any of these mixes, at this point I am just mixing them for my own personal listening enjoyment. What fun!

So big thanksgiving plans, the lawyers are hosting - and us and the Brink's are bringing dishes. Looking forward to it, although there is supposed to be a ton of bad weather again here on wednesday. We already had our first snow storm which brought around 6" due to the lake effect.

Also found out our favorite BBQ haunt is closing at the end of December. Not happy about that at all but what can you do? Leah is dropping off either a capon or a full size boneless turkey breast along with a couple of thick ribeye steaks wedmesday. Before they close they are going to smoke them for me in their smoker, which is amazing and we can pick them up wednesday night.

Other than that - life goes on for sure and for certain...

 

[BassHappy]

Working Backwards:

Vistalites. While many players gravitated to them when they were released, the model is most-associated with Bonham of course. The transparency combined with colors made them the New Shiny Toy. I actually had a set too, but with a twist. But another step back…my first set was an eighth grade graduation gift from my parents in 1973. I had been transfixed by my Mom’s brother’s drum set over the precious 8 years. I know I mentioned here in the past that we went to Manny’s in NYC and got a 3-piece “Micasonic” set in red sparkle for $100. It seemed like a fortune at the time. Ha. I was in heaven as I played to “Venus” and “Evil Ways” at home.

Flash forward to 1984/5 when I was out of college and working at a local market in Tucson. The old set was still in NY and I always felt sad I didn’t have them to play. A customer was leaving town and said he was going to sell his Ludwig set. He only wanted $150 AND he delivered them to this car-less-boy’s converted garage home. They were a 4- or 5-piece set in relatively large sizes and wrapped in black vinyl, I assume from the Factory. But yes, they were light blue Vistalites underneath. There were a number of scuffs and such that revealed the blue peeking through. I would have preferred the full-on blue. But of course I was thrilled to have a set again. It came with some ordinary cymbals…a mix of brands IIRC. When I was preparing to make a huge mistake (enter a marriage with a woman 11 years my junior that only lasted three months and required a move to Utah). I felt I had to sell them…because Adulthood. Ha. My main passion—bicycling—provided the opportunity. A nice guy at my bike shop heard about them and bought them for $100. I had been realizing that I wanted traditional wood drums so felt I would eventually get another set.

That did not happen until 2002 when my father died. My mom nicely gave us all a portion of his life insurance and off I went to choose a set. I got a lovely Pearl Masters BRX (Birch) set in an natural, un-stained finish (the grain is lovely) and then slowly added drums from the line and dipped into my passion for bronze with some lovely Zildjian and a few Paistes and UFIPs. That is the magnificent set I have today.

But that is fascinating how your Army friend both paralleled your business interest and your passion. How cool that a CPA would be so nuts for Vistalites. I believe they are quite collectible. Just the Bonham fans alone keep the Vistalites being popular.

But to me the point here is influence and destiny. We all experience both. A few people like him know from an early age what they wanted to do. My friend the MD knew he wanted to be one when he was a kid. Your pal knew accounting was his career. But influences from others are huge for all of us. Who has not experienced that? I obviously was crazily influenced by my “cool Uncle” Roger. Even my middle name is the same as his (wasn’t that sweet of mom to do that in honor of her little bro?). Even though I only visited St. Louis a handful of times when young, that dashing man influenced me and my brothers. We thought his Mustang and slot cars and Martin guitars and drums (and girlfriends) were the center of Cool. And he was the real deal; he had real musical talent. He played gigs as a singer/guitarist. He played gigs on the drums. Some of the Mel Bay guitar books have his hands in the photos! He totally made me want to play drums.

Many times we are not fully aware of how we are influenced and especially, how we influence others. I know each one of us have influenced people over the years. You rubbed off on Scott in a big way back then. And you are doing it know. You undoubtably influenced tons of people with your HTM career and your financial career. And of course, I know from your history how influential your rellies (relatives) and friends were on you. This is no small thing. Influence works on so many levels.

I must say that you (and Mapleglo and kesslari and Mr. Owl and others here) have heavily influenced me for the better. You inspire me in such a positive, productive way (put that “inspire” in italics!). What is better than that?

Unfortunately, it works in a bad way: prejudice. Recent times have underscored how hateful ideas and paranoias are so easily perpetuated and hoisted on the innocent young. We often influence people in bad ways through ignorance. I prefer the “Be Kind” movement that is fighting against that. Perhaps more on all that another time.

Johnny Chicago: I love the name. I love his Art. And he was on the Lighting crew, eh? How…symbolic! These people from our past, like Scott from your Army days are lights that brighten our world. The story of your life French involves guys and gals that were on the HTM crew and in other bands you encountered. That is just wonderful. So many people shine a light of influence and of awareness into our dark worlds. Again, influences are crazy-important.

Multi tracks and mixing: you describe some very important points with Ron’s drum tracks. There are delicate balance points between improving older recordings through re-mixing. One wants to improve them but yet not take away from the characteristics of the original mix. Clearly, the Ken Scott fingerprint is part of your legacy. Honoring that should e a goal, but improving things in subtle ways is very much OK in my world. (Re-mixes of classic albums are so controversial. I generally am so excited when a master like Jakko or Steven Wilson re-mix these amazing albums from our youth. I generally find them to be far better than the original mix because paradoxically I hear more of what was intended by the artists and the Producers…those intents were often hidden under layers of distortion and smutz inherent in the somewhat low-tech state of Recording/Pressing at the time. To me, guys like Wilson strip away the mess and reveal more of the Art. They reveal the intention. Perhaps no record reveals this more than Relayer. The re-mix allows so much more of the energy, brilliance, and sheer intensity to come through) Again, this topic is big and hard to encapsulate quickly, so enough for now.

But yes, it would be cool to see what Ron thinks and does if he has the opportunity to mess with his tracks. From my chats with him, he is brilliant and highly capable. He is the Wolf of Drums (wink).

Kit’s ARP tracks: I LOVE how you all tackled that. Tweaking by recording smaller portions with the adjustments to pitch and EQ are so clever, and they really made a huge difference. Synth fans often give all the credit to the old boards, but in reality, they generally sounded terrible by themselves. They needed bright people playing them and smart producers to bring them up to that level. There are many lessons there about understanding our tools and our brains.

Chicken! I have to admit that I am intrigued but eh Chicken Big Mac. You have me really hungry again! But with my procedure Thursday, I’ll have to wait until the weekend at least. We really have discussed food a fair bit over the years here, so I always welcome discussions. Food keeps us alive. We could eat C-Rations or have the most boring food pass our lips. It would keep us alive. But there is more to life and to Art than just doing the bare minimum. We elevate our life and enjoy more when we shoot for something better. When we strive for the best we can be we not only improve the lives of those around us, but we also inspire and influence people to also elevate their perspectives and enjoy life more. What is better??

This life of ours is just like that old proverb…we are but the brief flashes of a firefly, but my goodness, the satisfaction and growth we experience by treasuring and sharing those flashes of light brighten everyone else’s night.

Flash on!

At times like this I also try to say that LEAH is a beam of light, and of course, the reason for this thread. She just has such a uniquely-colored light. It is like no-one else’s. I really intend to weave in more of her album “Dreamed” into our discussions…it is On-Topic and her albums are criminally ignored. She deserves more attention and praise for her light.

Hey Stephen

Somehow I missed responding to this post. But here it is.

Yeah, I don't know much about the vistalites, i don't think I have ever seen them close up or heard them in person for that matter, so I don't have much of an opinion. But I loved your story/adventure about them!

Great points about different personality types and how some folks know exactly what they want to do and others (like me) were clueless. And I wholeheartedly agree that the folks on this forum have influenced me tremendously. In case I don't say it enough, and chances are I don't, the folks on here inspire me to no end. I love our little world.

One of the things I am a little concerned about is that Ken allowed us to pick one band member to mix the albums with him, and we chose Kit. I fear in my criticisms to the band about the mix being a little sterile and lacking feel, I may have offended Kit, because he was in on the mix as well. He has been awfully quiet lately, but I understand it. I mean Ken and Kit are both perfection guys and very Spock-like. I think that attitude was reflected just a bit in the mix. It's no one's fault, I mean jeeeeeez, the mixes have stood up for nearly 50 years, and they did an incredible job at the time. It's just that to me, the feel is what needs to be improved upon and I am a feel guy, so I hope I didn't offend Kit with my attitude. I would have been a little more tactful if I had remembered that Kit was in on the mixes. I mean, they were mutually done by the both of them. So anyways, band politics, there is no escaping it.

Yes, we all need to FLASH on, as you say and I agree totally with what you said about Leah.

Life is for the living....

 

[Indiedog]

Hey Stephen

Somehow I missed responding to this post. But here it is.

Yeah, I don't know much about the vistalites, i don't think I have ever seen them close up or heard them in person for that matter, so I don't have much of an opinion. But I loved your story/adventure about them!

Great points about different personality types and how some folks know exactly what they want to do and others (like me) were clueless. And I wholeheartedly agree that the folks on this forum have influenced me tremendously. In case I don't say it enough, and chances are I don't, the folks on here inspire me to no end. I love our little world.

One of the things I am a little concerned about is that Ken allowed us to pick one band member to mix the albums with him, and we chose Kit. I fear in my criticisms to the band about the mix being a little sterile and lacking feel, I may have offended Kit, because he was in on the mix as well. He has been awfully quiet lately, but I understand it. I mean Ken and Kit are both perfection guys and very Spock-like. I think that attitude was reflected just a bit in the mix. It's no one's fault, I mean jeeeeeez, the mixes have stood up for nearly 50 years, and they did an incredible job at the time. It's just that to me, the feel is what needs to be improved upon and I am a feel guy, so I hope I didn't offend Kit with my attitude. I would have been a little more tactful if I had remembered that Kit was in on the mixes. I mean, they were mutually done by the both of them. So anyways, band politics, there is no escaping it.

Yes, we all need to FLASH on, as you say and I agree totally with what you said about Leah.

Life is for the living....

Life is indeed for the living!

And I am so glad you and Leah are doing everything to protect your health. I am glad you both are past the COVID shot effects. As I mentioned, we got the flu and the booster the same day, so couldn’t be sure which was the one that bothered us. But since they were in different arms, we could say that the flu shot hurt the most at the site.

Thank you for your responses to my various ramblings. I really do feel that the way we influence other people for the better is one of the main reasons we are here. As the local Tucson charity (Ben’s Bells) says, “Be Kind.”

Speaking of influences, I always have a few things up for sale (I have too much stuff and not enough $), so I often encounter interesting people. One was a guitarist/singer that used to play all the restaurants here in the 80s and 90s. He unfortunately did not buy my lap steel even after a day worth of chatting and negotiating and driving to meet him. But it was a cool encounter. And then yesterday I had a lovely woman come by with her friend (a percussionist). Since there was a large amount of Happy the Man synchronicity, I gave them a copy of Leah’s BGW. Here is the text I sent Leah:

So part of my crazy busy day yesterday was having our new friend Laura and her friend Jamie over to purchase a few of my extra instruments for her Healing Music project. She is an Uber-animal (dogs and horses) rescue angel. Her friend Jamie is a percussionist that is 64. So being one year older, when I stated my favorite bands he started nodding in agreement. When I said Happy the Man he said “that’s one of my favorites, I lived in the DC and spoke to their soundman one time when I was young!” So I mentioned Rick’s book and eventually crowed about the wonderful Ms Leah. I gave her one of my remaining copies of BGW. She was so intrigued. Hence her big smile as she holds the CD.
Thanks again for letting me sow the seeds of BGW in fertile minds.

I really was blown away; synchronicities everywhere! They were fascinating to listen to. I sold a Ibanez 4 string bass, my extra Dan Tranh (Vietnamese zither, like a gu Zheng), and a small lap harp, plus a few sundries. We both felt great about the deal. Jamie had the phrase of the day when he said, “Is this neighborhood zoned for a music store?” I guess he felt my keyboard rig and extra large drum set were…koo koo crazy. Lol.

I am pleased to hear of the progress of “Service.” I fully agree about the way a properly mixed track is propelled by a proper (substantial) bass/drum balance. I think we all can relate because it is not only improperly-mixed tracks that reveal the necessity of a solid bottom end. It is also apparent when listening to a good mix on a less-than muscular stereo. So many cars, portable speakers, and modest stereos have almost no real bass response. If one does not have reasonably large/well-designed speakers, a subwoofer is necessary. I think we all are tuned into that when we are trying to figure out a bassline or a drum part (bass drum in particular). And yes, HtM recordings had that issue.

Which leads to your mention of feeling awkward about the possibility of hurting Kit’s feelings since he was there for the mixing. But to me, the way you ave described the sequence, it was not Kit that allowed the problems. It isn’t really Ken either. It was that the length of the albums didn’t allow for the deeper grooves in the cutting process. Of course, even though they tried it again, there was just no improvement. The laws of Physics cannot be changed. One could argue that it was the decision to put as much music on the albums as possible, but I bet most fans (me) would say that weI would have hated not hearing any of the music that you guys recorded, so I think it is a worthwhile trade off. Naturally, the only solution is what you are doing: re-mixing the multitracks and re-releasing. THAT will make everything OK. My subwoofer is waiting!

I love that you sent the tickle mix to Ron on his birthday. And I love that photo of the harpsichord, and of course, really dig it in “Ibby.” This instrument geek long ago fell in love with the harpsichord. When I was in HS I went with my parents over to the home of the neighbor of Gene Krupa in Yonkers. They were friends of his and bought Gene’s old piano. I got to play it. They also had a harpsichord which transfixed me. I have always wanted one, and want to build my own clavichord (far simpler in size and construction). I have always love hearing one in the right place of a mix. And my father had a work friend that was a professional harpsichordist. She was the first one to play concerts in China, and I got to hear her in concert in Tucson after that tour. (More Krupa: Another neighbor—a senior at my HS when I was a sophomore) bought Gene’s old Mustang, and I went to HS for two years in a car pool in it).

I never cared for the driving skills of that neighbor, nor his musical tastes, but of course, he controlled that Mustang’s radio. You could not control all aspects of the HTM band mates or the label’s dynamics. Sometimes we cannot control everything. That is a very important lesson to remember. It goes for making great art, politics, and well, FOOD! Your favorite restaurant closing is a bummer. I hate to see a good business go away. There is far too much of that. But we can adapt and make the best of the situation. So you running down some food to be smoked is a great example.

Thanksgiving often shines a light on that sort of thing. We all want a relaxing holiday full of great food and convivial relations and discussions. But Aunt Mary or your crazy cousin can sometimes ruin it. Or, the host being too uptight. Or a turkey disaster. We can all be better at accepting the realities and then maximizing the good stuff. I always dislike when a big group fractures into 9 different, private conversations. It minimizes information sharing and seems to emphasize the individual, not the family and friends community. My wife and I would say about those: “Did you have any meaningful conversations with anyone??” That is because all the multiple mini-chats repeat the same things…”how have you been? What is new? I love when a group has the patience and interest to have a group conversation. Asking a question and then letting people answer it one by one can be soooo cool. We all share. We all get love. I think that approach requires a “Host” approach. When Mom or Grandma has some gravitas and respect, they have the ability to hold the interest, and then group conversations can happen and can be darn magical.

We often reflect this time of the year, so take control of what you can, be OK with what you and your friends are, and above all, as Rick says, “Love what you have.” Show appreciation. Rick and Leah are shining stars in my life. Happy Thanksgiving to all here! I am very much richer for spending virtual time with y’all. “Thank you’s” to everyone here!

(And so I am repeating my call to my lost cat-loving TB member: @The Owl. How ARE you???)