I haven't been blogging much lately because everything I want to say I've been putting into my songs.

I'm hoping that by Christmas I'll have demo' d all of the songs for this album I want to make. It's taking longer than I wanted but I'll have to learn patience I suppose.

Everything is written in my notebooks and usually on guitar (though there's one that I started on Banjo so who knows where that might lead ?). I have a Dictaphone from Radio Shack and have been filling those little tapes with songs as they progress from a nugget of an idea through to completed verses and choruses. Dan P. has been a good sounding board - keeping me confident that I'm not going to make a tit of myself. I've played about 4 or 5 of these live at open mics and have learned a bit from that.

Once I've worked through a few attempts on the Dictaphone and have listened to the results on the iPod while driving I get a better idea for how I'll start to arrange them. Garageband is a brilliant brilliant tool for me and I've demo' d a few bits on it already. There's a couple of simple guitar + vocal demos on my MySpace site.

So far I've got the following

Interference. Words are a poor tool for communication. Who's jamming your signal ?

Pretty Little Thing. It's about my pretty little thing who laughs because she can. Do you remember being a child and just rolling around on the floor laughing because you could ?

The Sky Is Falling. This is an interesting song because so far all I've got is my Dictaphone demo with the banjo and a vague idea that it might be about the tabloid press. Very influenced by Simple Kid.

Man In The Moon. If I ruled the world I'd get Richard Hawley to record this song. This is the first time I've written a song that I can imagine someone else recording. I'm hoping this will be similar to some of his material from Coles Corner.

Devil & The Deep Blue Sea. Our eldest girl is growing up fast. I have to come to terms with the fact that her expression of needing me for 'stuff' is changing. I can't save her from monsters and bad dreams anymore.

Dive. Was written in April at Bore Place with Danny Higgins (the link is to my blog entry about that magic weekend). Since that weekend I've added an introduction and a middle 8 (which I wrote last Friday !). I changed the chorus melody ever so slightly.

(Gonna) Be Alright. Appeared on a Saturday afternoon and has been with me ever since. A very simple song in A minor telling us that the glass is half full.

There's a couple of others that need a bit more graft before they're ready. I might never do anything with them.

Namebadge was started when we were on holiday in France and I really really want to do something with this because I've got something to say and this song might be saying it.

One of those Days is a bit too whiny and self indulgent so I'm thinking of rewriting it to become 'One Of Those Girls' because the chorus is good and I don't want to lose it.

Who's Calling The Shots is written about a friend. Who's wearing the pants in that relationship ? This one needs more work, it's a bit too obvious to be honest and I can't convince myself.

Words Don't Work I performed at my first gig back in June. My mother-in-law is challenging. In so many ways. What part of fuck-the-fuck-off don't you understand ?

So my cold turned into a pair of blocked ears and general unwellness.

This sucks. I'm supposed to be going to see Simple Kid (http://www.simplekid.com) tonight in Whelans but right now I just want to curl up into a ball.

I tried writing a song last night and it turned out like something David Gray might do.

If I'm feeling well enough by the weekend I'm going to demo it and I might even play a gig next week.

Meanwhile I'm at home fighting off the vertigo.

I wrote an introduction to the Beatles for someone on a forum who confessed that he had just bought Abbey Road and was listening to it for the first time. Another person responded saying they didn't really know anything about this music.
A peek inside my mind...

White Album - 'Long Long Long' a great beautiful Harrison track.


Beatles For Sale - 'Words of Love' and you'll see just how influenced they were by Buddy Holly if you ever hear Holly's original recording of this.


A Hard Days Night - 'If I Fell' is 2minutes 24seconds of pop balladry with close harmonies. Attention all boy bands: listen to these harmonies and learn how it's done.


Help! - 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away' this was mentioned above and rightly so. Lennon does Dylan. Written about Epstein who had to keep his sexuality hidden. A very poignant video montage in the Anthology DVD is used with this track. Sod off with 'Glad to be Gay' or any disco because this is the real gay anthem of the 20th century.


Let It Be (Naked) - I can't recommend anything off the Spector version of the Let It Be album because it didn't represent the vision of the artists. Get the recently released 'Naked' album which is closer to the bootlegs. If you get your hands on any of the original versions of the 'Get Back' album they will show you what the band was really trying to do.
'The Long And Winding Road' is a killer track without all those f**king strings and choirs. Also check out Harrisons 'I Me Mine'


'Magical Mystery Tour' - although technically not a Beatles album (it was a double EP set that was released on 12" vinyl because the American pressing plants couldn't package and distribute a double EP set). Check out the obvious stuff like 'Strawberry Fields Forever' but also take a listen to the brilliant 'Fool On The Hill' and 'Baby You're A Rich Man' which is a good laugh.


Past Masters 1 & 2 - these were compilations of non-album tracks b-sides, EP tracks and obscure releases. You'll find some of the rock & roll that influenced them (Kansas City, Matchbox) along with Lennon's attempt at Ska 'I Call Your Name') on volume 1. On volume 2 check out 'Rain' 'The Inner Light' and the original recording of 'Across The Universe' which p*sses all over the version hacked together by Spector for Let It Be. 'You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)' pure madness featuring Brian Jones on sax. Recorded over 3 years. (Original version is on the Anthology series).

Please Please Me - sit down and listen to this in one sitting. They recorded this in a SINGLE DAY. You hear that ? That's a proper band. X Factor please note.


'Revolver' - released the day after I was born. Where the f**k do I start with this album? It's just amazing from start to finish. Every time I listen to this album something new jumps out at me. Every f**king time. You listening Noel Gallagher ? This is how to write an ALBUM pal.

'Rubber Soul' was released about 6 months before Revolver. How fast were these boys writing and learning ? 'Norwegian Wood' is Lennon writing a letter "dear Cynthia I'm having another affair with a well known journalist" and listen to the jangly guitars on "If I Needed Someone"

Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band what hasn't been said about this album ? Every home should have a copy. If you're looking for bootleg outtakes there's not much there but recently some remixes surfaced from what appears to be recent sessions to create a 5.1 version of the album. The track 'She's Leaving Home' has a few edits in it that I hadn't heard until recently.

With The Beatles - they were still learning their craft with this album but check out 'All I've Got To Do'. They introduced me to the sublime Smokey Robinson with their version of 'You've Really Got A Hold On Me' and for that I'll always be grateful.

Yellow Submarine (Songtrack) When the movie was reissued a couple of years ago they remastered and resequenced the album - dumping all the George Martin orchestra pieces. 'Hey Bulldog' is brilliant and if you ever see the video for it (it's on YouTube) they're having a right laugh.

I first started listening to and collecting their recordings about 35 years ago. I'm still amazed at what they do.

So, only eight weeks left in the year and I've not blogged since late August. I've been too busy living to spend time writing about it :-) Maybe next week... Today I have a cold and don't feel very creative.