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Been here in Nashville for a few days now. Did a full day recording session on Saturday and it went fabulous! What a treat to hear your own songs come to life with a kick butt band. Slays me! We got eight songs done, so, was pleased with the pace and productivity. I'd call them... two rock songs, two rock ballads, one folk rock, one rockabilly, one texas swing and one latin-style song. I don't know what you call that last one but it's like The Mavericks would do. Love all the songs and the band did, too, so, that was nice. Me on acoustic guitar, then four more in the band... bass, drums, keys, guitars. I put new strings on my J45 standard and I was impressed that all of those guys commented "what a great guitar!" I heard that several times, including from the guitar gunslinger.

 

I didn't have my new J45 Legend at the session but will use it later. Both of my J45's are now in the shop for a setup improvement. I will get them back today from the Gibson R&R place in downtown Nashville. Sure hope they are good!

 

Sessions, especially all day ones, tire me out. It's kind of stressful, hoping you can play your own songs right, lol. And play in time, lol. Plus, producing is stressful. The guys make it easier due to their talent but I always am a bit on edge trying to remember everything to say about this and that for production ideas. Yes, I make notes beforehand, lol. Anyway, it went fantastic! All of the guys had a great time, they all said that, and you could tell they were into it and having a good time. Those eight songs could all go on an album, they came out so good! I think. I will know more today when I get with the engineer to get a better mix on cd so I can listen over and over but I know they are real good. Then, I have to do final vocals, plus, overdub my guitar. And fiddle here and there and get harmony vocals done. This'll take awhile, lol. Sure is fun! All it takes is... save up a bankroll and instead of saving for a boat, come to Nashville!

 

My brother came up, he is learning to play guitar now. I knew he would be blown away and he was! He recorded just about everything on video!

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When recording goes down easy and everything ascends towards the light without being pushed...on its own wings...that’s an indescribably great feeling that can’t be replicated elsewhere, in my experience. Probably why so many greats get driven towards drugs and insanity. Enjoy the wonder!

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When recording goes down easy and everything ascends towards the light without being pushed...on its own wings...that's an indescribably great feeling that can't be replicated elsewhere, in my experience. Probably why so many greats get driven towards drugs and insanity. Enjoy the wonder!

Point taken, , , , but are you saying that this doesn't count for people in other fields like sports and politics, , ,

fx for successful shop-openers,

stock & bond-acrobats,

adventurous journalists,

sparkling then falling TV-hosts,

greengrocers who have a 10 day love affair with Miss World,

mega-fans who travel through several countries on the road with their favorite band,

inventors,

explorers,

entrepreneurs of all kinds,

simply persons with momentum in their respective branch of life'n'passion. .

 

Just curious

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My take on it, is performing live and/or being in the studio creates a super buzz, and too many musicians try to keep that buzz going by taking substances to artificially keep that performing/recording studio buzz going once the performing or recording stops. Rather than just letting themselves naturally crash from the natural ebb and tide from the natural high of performing/being in the studio. Too many musicians have died from trying to keep the natural buzz of performing or being in the studio artificially going....after the show or recording session is over, rather than just accepting the great mundane feeling of being back to the reality of daily life. (When daily life is pretty darn good too and a good time to replenish one’s natural creativity and practice to become a better student of music).

 

That’s my take. My mantra as a performer is to follow the creed I just expressed. It helps me be a better musician, a better performer, and to have a normal home/family life despite regularly gigging. Looking forward to Jinder’s take on it. And, others’.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

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My take on it, is performing live and/or being in the studio creates a super buzz, and too many musicians try to keep that buzz going by taking substances to artificially keep that performing/recording studio buzz going once the performing or recording stops. Rather than just letting themselves naturally crash from the natural enb and tide from the natural high of performing/being in the studio. Too many musicians have died from trying to keep the natural buzz of performing or being in the atjudio artificially going....after the show or recording session is over, rather than just accepting the great mundane feeling of being back to the reality of daily life. (When daily life is pretty darn good too and a good time to replenish one’s natural creativity and practice to become a better student of music).

 

That’s my take. My mantra as a performer is to follow the creed I just expressed. It helps me be a better musician, a better performer, and to have a normal home/family life despite regularly gigging. Looking forward to Jinder’s take on it. And, others’.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

 

Brilliant.

 

That's what my last song was about, the "addiction" of that buzz, and why so many of us continue to do it and simply CAN'T stop.

 

I too, am happy for you livemusic, and hope to hear some of the project.

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Looking forward to the fruits of this

 

Is there a reason for going to Nashville ?

I’m guessing , but maybe wrongly , that it would be a more expensive place to record ?

Is that the truth or am I thinking wrongly

 

The reason for Nashville (in my mind) is that the best session players on planet earth are here. Gobs of them. Professionals in every sense. Always show up, keep dead on perfect time and creative out the wazoo... their on the spot creativity is amazing. Quick!

 

Is it more expensive? Well, they are so quick! My gosh, we got eight songs in one day. To me, that's fast. A studio elsewhere might be just fine sonically, but the players are HERE. Austin would be my second choice for my type of music.

 

As for cost, my brother was thinking it would cost, like, ten times what it costs to get this level of expertise. He had no idea but thought it cost WAY more than it actually is. It ain't cheap, but it's not like he was thinking.

 

I know what songs sound like from being recorded back where I'm from and to me, they don't match up to Nashville's expertise. And... the Nashville crowd is consistent. Every single time.

 

On the other hand, if one does not have the budget and DOES have talent, you can do great on your own. There are people in this very thread that make some mighty fine music. I don't have that level of talent, lol, so, I have to hire it done.

 

It's a blast. On rock songs, they rock! On ballads, they make you weep, it's so purty!

 

I'm a writer, not a great player, not a great singer. Just good enough to get a song across. These guys are mega talents. Over the past few years, I have used, oh, maybe five or six 'sets' of session players and I have used these same guys for the last several sessions because we just 'click' well together.

 

Another thing of note is that all of these session players are very nice people and fun to be around. It's so competitive up here, if you want the call, you are not a jerk, lol.

 

One more time... a huge difference with these Nashville guys and girls is how quick to get it they are. Hear a song one time with just me on acoustic guitar and singing with a little bit of instruction on what I want and off we go.

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I forgot to mention I got my two J45s back from Gibson repair yesterday. The setups are good, they sound great and play better. The J45 Legend will probably get the call today, it sounds great. They J45 standard does, too, I will just have to figure out what is better for each song. The standard is 'thumpier.' My '56 Country Western might get a call, as well. It, too, is an awesome guitar.

 

I also took a Martin D28 into Carter's Vintage Guitar for a setup improvement. Much less expensive setup, I might add. We'll see how that goes but I expect it will be real good work.

 

I have spent hours in Gruhns and also Carters. Wow, what amazing shops full of guitars, old and new!

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I hear ya

In back if mind there was the thought that the guys are so at home in a studio that it would knock hours off the price of the studio hire

 

Aren’t you worried though , and please take this in the right way , that they’re so used to it that you’re maybe getting ‘the same as every other dude’ ?

 

There’s a million songs out there and the ones that stick out are the ones that just that one ‘misplaced’ guy is the one who turns it into something of a an anomaly?

 

For want if a better example I’m thinking Dylan’s like a rolling stone where someone said ‘what’s that guy doing there he’s not a keyboard player’ and sure it’s the thing that makes the song .....

Aside of course fromnthe amazing lyrics and fantastic melody!!

But you know what I’m saying don’t ya ?

 

 

I wish you the best and my points are 100% for the sake of discussion and nothing more !!

 

Hope you’re with me on this thread ofbthought brother 👍

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When recording goes down easy and everything ascends towards the light without being pushed...on its own wings...that’s an indescribably great feeling that can’t be replicated elsewhere, in my experience. Probably why so many greats get driven towards drugs and insanity. Enjoy the wonder!

 

I can relate to this, although I'm a complete hack who only, write, sing, play, and record very basic songs, all done late at night when the kids are asleep. Far from Nashville and no studio in sight. About two years ago I was just about to quit playing guitar. I had spent years trying to learn rudimentary guitar skills and was trying to play songs by other artists. I sounded terrible. The cover versions I managed to put together did absolutely nothing for me (or anyone else, for that matter). I was not improving and found no joy in sounding like a drunk karaoke bar. For some reason I decided one day, just out of the blue, to try and write a song of my own. For some unknown reason, writing songs came so much more easily for me. No masterpieces, by any stretch of the imagination, but still my songs, which where unknown to mankind before I decided to write them, and that ment something to me. I soon found myself with more new songs. I still sounded terrible singing them, but they were my songs. Writing better songs became the goal, and an avalanche of motivation fell on me.

 

Now two years later, I sound just a tad less terrible doing my songs, and I am moving forward learning new things. I'm perhaps even more inspired and shocked by the power of the creative process than I was when I started writing. So I have felt that high you mention. I comes when I find a lyric line, a chord change, or a lick I like. Just small things along the way. What I see as personal achievements, are probably failures to all you talented people around here, but I try not to compare myself to anyone else. I do this for me, and those high points can come at any level, pro or amateur.

 

Lars

 

By the way, I'm staying away from the dope so far... [biggrin]

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Point taken, , , , but are you saying that this doesn't count for people in other fields like sports and politics, , ,

fx for successful shop-openers,

stock & bond-acrobats,

adventurous journalists,

sparkling then falling TV-hosts,

greengrocers who have a 10 day love affair with Miss World,

mega-fans who travel through several countries on the road with their favorite band,

inventors,

explorers,

entrepreneurs of all kinds,

simply persons with momentum in their respective branch of life'n'passion. .

 

Just curious

 

I’d absolutely say it applies for anyone who has breathed the rarefied air at the highest altitude of the chosen field. The moon men are good examples...Aldrin whose life was post-moon was dogged with alcoholism and depression, Armstrong with his fervent religious conversion and obsessions...once you’ve been into space (literally or metaphorically, I mean), what represents beauty to the earthbound can be at great risk of representing the mundane to the cosmonaut.

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I'd absolutely say it applies for anyone who has breathed the rarefied air at the highest altitude of the chosen field. The moon men are good examples...Aldrin whose life was post-moon was dogged with alcoholism and depression, Armstrong with his fervent religious conversion and obsessions...once you've been into space (literally or metaphorically, I mean), what represents beauty to the earthbound can be at great risk of representing the mundane to the cosmonaut.

Agree, , , and when the spacer 'lands second time' the perception of a nite-street, a vase with flowers even a half full ashtray will be of an otherwordly enchanted nature.

The real harvest of the trip.

 

Btw. what happened to Collins. .

 

1969 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VqqSc3aGa8

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The reason for Nashville (in my mind) is that the best session players on planet earth are here. Gobs of them. Professionals in every sense. Always show up, keep dead on perfect time and creative out the wazoo... their on the spot creativity is amazing. Quick!

 

 

 

Nashville cats, play clean as country water...

 

Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew...

 

Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies...

 

Nashville cats, get work before they're two...

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Btw. what happened to Collins. .

 

 

 

He's had a good life, but I suspect that being in space was .... the apogee.

 

I remember when my wife and I came back to the US a couple of days after a life-altering encounter with a rather severe patch of weather (now known as "the perfect storm") while delivering a boat to Bermuda in late October, 1991. We were on such a high for a few days afterward that we thought nothing could touch us, ever.

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I hear ya

In back if mind there was the thought that the guys are so at home in a studio that it would knock hours off the price of the studio hire

 

Aren’t you worried though , and please take this in the right way , that they’re so used to it that you’re maybe getting ‘the same as every other dude’ ?

 

There’s a million songs out there and the ones that stick out are the ones that just that one ‘misplaced’ guy is the one who turns it into something of a an anomaly?

 

For want if a better example I’m thinking Dylan’s like a rolling stone where someone said ‘what’s that guy doing there he’s not a keyboard player’ and sure it’s the thing that makes the song .....

Aside of course fromnthe amazing lyrics and fantastic melody!!

But you know what I’m saying don’t ya ?

 

 

I wish you the best and my points are 100% for the sake of discussion and nothing more !!

 

Hope you’re with me on this thread ofbthought brother 👍

 

Say, BBG, I'm on your team, I like your posts on this forum, lol.

 

Do I think I get the same as every other dude? Well, yes and no. First, they are pro's, so, yes, everybody gets a good product from them. But they do like me and my songs, lol, so, that helps. If I have anything going for me, it's unique subject matter. I have some very 'different' songs. They like that.

 

As for creating something truly unique, you really don't have time for that in a session. If I had a label and could spend months in a studio, no telling what would happen. I sometimes read of this artist or that artist doing 37 takes on this song or that song and I'm like, what? Who can do that? Nobody can unless they have a label backing them. And that's not going to happen for a 64 year old dude from Small Town, USA (me). I am just doing it because I want to and I *think* I can write something worthy. Nashville cats help make it sound purty.

 

Like, for instance, I rewrote one of the most iconic songs in rock history and we recorded it. I dramatically changed the lyric and wrote a bridge that isn't in the original. I think it is a public domain song, so, in the folk tradition, I rewrote it. I will get it cleared before I release it. (I mostly write totally original songs but I like to do some covers.) You guys can hear this 'altered' cover, eventually. It's the type of thing a dude like me could do and if the track turns out well (and I think it did), it's possible I can get some 'airtime' here and there.

 

I'll likely never make much from all of this. Hard to make money these days from music (especially original) but with the internet, there is, actually, some opportunity to get the songs to audiences you never could before. Making a lot of money isn't the point. I am just doing it because it's like I have to do it, lol. I have spent a bazillion hours at writing, I hope to, at least, prove I can write some good songs. I certainly do enjoy it. I have no kids, this is it. I hope to make a profit but if not, at least, I tried. The businessman in me wants to get my money back and keep doing it, lol.

 

BTW, today, I did acoustic guitar overdubs and I have a certain unique sounding guitar and we experimented with that song I mentioned above. We'll see how it comes out in the mix but it is certainly unique. Don't have time to do stuff like in a Nashville session. Well, you can, but it's kind of not the point. You are laying down basic tracks and then you can do whatever you want after that, lol. Which is what I did!

 

Let me put it this way. I am enamored with good musicians. I am blown away with what these cats can do in less than an hour. Thousands... tens of thousands of bands have recorded records over the past fifty years and there are not many 'iconic' songs like Dylan's masterpieces. That had to do with a genius, plus, timing and promotion. There are tens of thousands of songs that were never and will never be heard by millions of people but they are still totally good songs. Great musicians help them sound really good!

 

I like your stuff BBG and as I mentioned, you and others in this thread do really good music. I have been mighty impressed many times on this very forum by people in this thread.

 

I will also mention that even somebody who just wants a guitar/vocal song 'improved' can give one of these Nashville cats a guitar/vocal track and they can make it shine just by adding another track or two. I have *never* been disappointed by these guys. They do stuff for people all over the world by email! Music has changed in that way.

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I totally get it.

 

Me and a partner paid for a studio cd project about 20 years ago. It was very expensive but we did it anyhow. Because we had a band and hit the road, we actually made money on the project and had a helluva good time.

 

But.....

 

That was 20 years ago.

 

I can see the idea of having a high quality, well produced, polished product in a short time for a fair price.

 

Best of luck, and I'm sure I speak for the entire Forum when I say we are looking forward to hearing it.

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