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Island Busking


Buc McMaster

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Once the restrictions are lifted (safely I add) it is my intent to spend some time busking on the Galveston seawall...........find a nice bench in the shade of a palm and knock out a few tunes for tips.  Being retired now I'll certainly have the time.........question is, do I have the hutzpah. 😶  Given that plan, I've been trying to build the repertoire a bit and I started wrecking this Steely Dan tune yesterday.  It's come along somewhat but as this video demonstrates, it still has a ways to go if it's to survive the cut.  It's quite difficult to sing and that may, in the end, be the factor that gets this one nixed.  Secondly, I question is this song belongs in a buskers quiver............is this a tune you would take notice of if you were strolling the beachfront?

Here we go, warts and all................

 

Big Blue Texas; Gibson 80/20 lights, half step down; JB pick; raw audio from iPad (no additional EQ or processing)

 

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courage! Make sure someone squeezes ya good for those high notes!

 

My first reaction before i listened was  "oh man that is a tough one to cover with a band, let alone solo.... the harmonies make it... "

 

Then I listened, and realized there is one guy who can pull it off........ That be you. Well done....

 

YES i would notice it.   I would notice it because it is different.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Salfromchatham
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Buc, being a huge Steely Dan fan, you've done a superb job on the instrumental part of this.

It's really hard to compete with Donald Fagan's high end, and you are pushing the limits of yours here.

Hard to know if this will work as a busking tune, since it may be virtually unknown to younger folk, despite it's history.

Your solo instrumental arrangement here is just about perfect.

I miss Fagen and Becker, and still have Aja and Gaucho on my mobile devices. Those are two of the best jazz/rock fusion albums of all time

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Liking it Buc, especially thinking of where it's going to go after you run through it a few more times. 

With respect to being a good busking toon, to me depends on the intent of the busking.  I'd be happy playing outside, and being part of the atmosphere.  If you get a few coins even better, but if not no worries.  Since raking in the dough is not my first concern, I'd be more likely to play what I want vs play what I feel is a good busking toon.  And I think people will respond to this one.

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Thanks, friends, but the vocal here is pretty weak..........very weak, in fact, and a good example of singing from the throat, which I am often guilty of when first learning a tune.  Lots of things going on in the learning process and until there's been sufficient reps some aspects don't get full attention.  As the instrumental part becomes more ingrained and automatic the vocal starts getting more attention and improves (at least to the point where no further improvement can be had!).  After another couple dozen reps yesterday the vocal is much improved and I do think this one will work out okay.  This take?  I'm with Nick:  the instrumental arrangement is good......the vocal is not even close.  But it's coming around!

Thanks for listening!

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Once you have this down — and I think you’re 97-percent there, frankly — this will be a crowd-pleaser. Your high notes may not be “perfect” but they are genuine. I’ll take “genuine” any day of the week. 

A crowd, particularly on the Galveston sea wall, cuts a busker some slack.  They’re appreciating the entertainment. You’ll be great, Buc.

Just make sure you have some Ray Wylie Hubbard on the set list. Maybe some Shake Russell, too....

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This is great...I'm a huge Dan fan and appreciate how serpentine the arrangements of these songs are. I enjoyed the vocal, personally...it feels assured in places and vulnerable in others, which kept me rapt as a listener throughout. Always a joy to hear you, Buc. And the Blue Bird of Texas of course!

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I really, really liked this.  I would definitely stop and listen to this.  Just not something you hear very often with just guitar/voice.  I really like your arrangement, probably my favorite thing you've done since you blew me away when you did 'Being For The Benefit of Mr . Kite' on the uke.

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On 4/16/2020 at 3:48 PM, fortyearspickn said:

Just don't play that old Glen Campbell song.  

 

He could do "Galveston" the way Jimmy Webb wrote it -- slowed w-a-y down. It really turns it into a different song. There are some videos on YouTube of Webb doing it. In one he talks about how Campbell took his anti-war song and sped it up, but I think Webb made a lot of money off it so he didn't complain too loudly.

I've got a song about the Galveston hurricane Buc could cover if he wants. And there's always, "Wasn't That A Mighty Storm."

I actually rode out a hurricane on Galveston once. Got stuck in an elevator for 8 hours.

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6 hours ago, dhanners623 said:

 

I actually rode out a hurricane on Galveston once. Got stuck in an elevator for 8 hours.

 

Ouch.

I rode several out in Lake Charles years ago. I was stuck there for 12 years.....

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Busk the seawall, Buc!  And do that song.  That song will get the attention of people, because it’s different from what buskers typically do.  I can’t recall anyone around here doing it.  And I agree with Jinder—-your voice is vulnerable in the right places and strong in others.  Besides, your rhythm guitar playing is strong enough to grab and hold the attention of people passing-by.  You sound good on it.

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