Busy, Busy, Busy . . .
Things are moving right along on the album. We're waiting for our Drummer to send us drum tracks for the latest songs and in the meantime doing what we can on them. We usually do the basic framework of a song and then send it off to Mike for Drums. Once they come back, we proceed to build everything else on the song. There's other songs with the drums completed that still need parts, or repairs, so we're working on those while we wait. It's not like back in the day when we used to have to start with the drums first. Now we can start songs and do various things before the drums have to be there. Same results, but a different way to get there now. We're still writing and starting new songs all the time too.
We originally thought we were done writing for the record, but then after more writing opportunities came up to write with others and also after reviewing what we had - we decided to continue for awhile. The new songs won't stop coming anyway. Some of our very best material has come most recently. We've written so many songs already, but we're gonna actually record 40 of them for the record. There's about ten slots available, so we'll continue to write and pick the best ones for it.
I gotta say - The material we've committed to recording so far is outstanding. Our left over tracks will be as strong as some peoples best tracks. That's exactly what you want. If you're not to that point then you got to keep writing. Us, we keep writing anyway. We can't help ourselves. Hey, as long as the portal keeps sending them over, we'll keep taking them.
I've personally been doing a lot of writing, editing and comping lately and working on a lot of scratch tracks to the latest batch of songs we've begun recording. I tend not to do any Piano scratch tracks of the Piano based songs. I always just complete the 'album' take of those and then we'll do the drums and everything else, including scratches and then final takes. Getting the exact feel, performance and timing on the piano can take a whole day sometimes. Often even longer if I'm really feeling picky. Only because it's new and I'm usually finishing up writing the parts and rehearsing it at the same time and then immediately recording it. It not easy sometimes, especially when you have to lock into a click while still keeping the feeling real. Once I got it though, it's done and it's good.
At first, I was doing scratch tracks on the piano and now I have to go back and redo, or repair those ones. I prefer doing the real one right away. I'll usually always do scratch tracks though of acoustic guitar, lead vocals and some electric parts. Jimmy likes to scratch everything first, then go back and redo his parts.
We both have our own way of working and it works out well. . .
The last week has seen a large chunk of it taken up by business issues, meetings, negotiations and even some throw downs! Not between Jimmy and I though. Mainly between myself and some on the other side of the table. Like I've said before - We play good cop and bad cop a lot. Jimmy will get involved early on and get the good feelings and momentum on the deal going, then I'll come in and cut to the chase, tear everyone a new one, draw the line on where we stand and see if a deal is really possible. Who is for real and who isn't. Who's serious and who's just jerking us off. Sometimes it goes on for quite awhile.
If it's a bad deal, I go to battle and kill it. If it's good, I bring Jimmy back in and everything gets friendly again and we hammer out last minute high view details - Then it's off to the legal team for real negotiations
Again - The patient lives or dies on our attorney's operating table. That is if we haven't killed it already. lol
Well, the last couple of days I went to war and killed a bad deal for us and we also all but sealed a good deal for legal to take over on. We all have agreed to wait until after the first of the year to proceed on it though. I can't say why.
There's some extremely good things going our way, but we can't talk about them in detail.
There so much stuff going on right now and so many things to think about it's draining on us both. I've ended up with migraines this whole week. The excitement of the good and bad stuff can drain me and trigger those damn things. I have to try and stay in the middle - not too pissed, or too happy.
Jimmy? he's Teflon man! He has his moments too, but by and large he's unaffected. It just rolls off him. . .
Last night Jimmy was working on and writing Bass guitar parts. I recorded the Piano part and started "Just The Truth". Tomorrow I'll review it and see if it's the final take or not. We're doing two versions of it - A long one and a short one. I'll be working on that and some other stuff, including some writing.
Tonight we had a great meeting and a productive writing session. The next two and a half weeks are gonna be a marathon of recording in all studios. All hands on deck. A lot should get done. After that we'll resume the writing sessions too. . .
Step by step, one after another, inching ever closer . . .
- Bret.
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