I Hope You Like Our New Direction
The remaining tracks on the record are being laid down in a slightly different fashion. For these tunes, I'm less concerned about keeping a perfect tempo throughout the song, and less concerned with layering tones of instruments (though always reserve the right to do so if the song begs for it). We're writing these tunes with the intent to track the principle rhythm parts live as a band. We're slightly limited by space and by available inputs, so Cranfill mans the desk while we track. He then overdubs his parts as needed.
This batch of songs are all simpler than the first half as well. The difference between them isn't night and day, but there is a distinctive simplicity that is appealing and attractive... much in the same way that the many ebs and flows of Leviathan are attractive. These tunes are:
Whiskey Drinking Woman
Off The Wall
Buffalo
Rock and Roll (This is What It Takes)
As I Lay In The Red Earth
A Brief Aside
There may be others, but at this point, that's where the record feels like it will end. There are other pieces on the fringes of this record that may wind up on an EP in the future, or may make the core of the next record. Mel has a beautifully haunting song called Love Unfinished. This one may actually make the record, and serve a similar thematic role as "Dissemination Part 1" from Marionette. There are also several pieces that I've worked up and have demoed for the band, but we simply haven't had the time spent of them yet. We may choose to include them in the sessions, but it's more likely that they get more time after we finish tracking this record. All that to say, we're in a rather prolific time as a band, and it's a wonderful time to writing new music in Rochester, a town that is rip for revival! [end of aside]
And... Back To Our Story
The first of these tunes we cut was Whiskey Drinking Woman. This tune was originally very different. Tyler did a clever rewrite to it, giving it a little bit of a swagger to it and channeling a bit of Black Crowes, some early Zeppelin and some alt-country. I put together the bridge which is heavily Crowes influenced. For those looking for musical quotes, you will find the Mel makes a reference to an old Theophilus song within the keys feature. I'll leave to you, gentle reader, to find said quote. The rhythm tracks (guitar, bass and drums) were all cut live. If memory serves me, the take that will make the record is around take 6 or 7. It didn't require more than 2 hours to find the pocket. We then overdubbed the remaining instruments during the following session. The guitar tracks on this tune are all done with my Budda Superdrive 30 through a 1x12 cabinet loaded with a Peavey 'Greenback' clone. The short lead adds a new germanium fuzz I found called a Sybil by Retroman. It's big and wooly and awesome. Interesting note on the snare drum sound: I wanted a slightly choked, early 70's tone from the snare. Scott swapped out his babinga snare for a Pacific snare with all-wood suspended rims. We then turned it lower than the previous snare for less of a 'crack'... but it still needed some deadening. The solution: drape half of a t-shirt over the batter head. The resulting sound is a little spitty and muffled... exactly what I was shooting for.
We followed that tune with Off The Wall. This is one of Mel's tunes, and practically wrote itself in one rehearsal. We did some polishing to it, but the core of the song as Mel presented it was solid enough that we just added our personal flavors. The outro was a Hendrixy jam that we added to it, and may lead to a song of its own one day, but is a fun out for the song. Again, the rhythm instruments (drums, bass, electric guitar and keys) were all cut live with very few 'fixes'. We required a few more takes on this one, oddly enough. In the end, we did about 10 or so, then started goofing around. That goofy take didn't lead to anything of quality, but loosened everyone up and we had a good laugh. The take immediately following it is the keeper take and will make the record. Again, acoustic guitar are overdubbed. Cranfill used a mid-90's Guild to track the two acoustic parts. The first is his main chording, the second is voiced higher and appears on the choruses. This will help the song have a three dimensional aspect, contracting during the verses and widening on the choruses.
Next on the docket will be either Buffalo, a tune I penned somewhat tongue-in-cheek that has a lovely smack to it, or Rock And Roll, Tyler's ironic take on what it takes to be a rock-and-roller. Both are really fun tunes, and we hope you will enjoy!
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