Thursday, February 22, 2024

Flight of the Corvus

 I collect guitars. It's a well known fact. Below are two of them. 

(2002 Burns Bison & recent Squire 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster.)


I started playing as a teenager, with a borrowed Univox Hi Flyer my brother left behind. I graduated to a Gibson Les Paul JR, but needed something with a broader tonal range, so played an Ibanez Roadstar for a number of years, before graduating to the Fender Stratocaster. My love of Fenders took me to a budget 1982 Squire Telecaster, which I still own today. In the following years, I sold the Strats, and found a 1989 Gibson Flying Vee - Nothing really compares to that guitars' attitude, but I've owned a number of ones I have enjoyed playing onstage, at home or in the studio.

1980 Fender Lead 2


1980 Gibson Marauder




2002 Burns Steer & Steer Custom


2014 Epiphone Firebird LTD


2018 Fender Player Series Stratocaster (replacing the two I sold 20 years ago).


2011 Epiphone Junior (replacing the Gibson I sold in 2016).


I've sold some guitars over time, but I've bought more than I've gotten rid of, so on the same day that one sold (an electric acoustic I no longer used) something unusual and interesting arrived from Tulsa.


 another rare, oddball instrument from the 1980s


Enter The Corvus.


Introduced in 1982, and discontinued in 1983: The Gibson Corvus was supposed to resemble a bird n flight, but it looks more like a can opener, or a Pac Man. It was also supposed to be headless, to resemble a Steinberger, but that didn't happen. Was it too far ahead of its time... or a bad idea from the start? In either case, it didn't catch on with the market, and nobody thinks about them much. I find it very comfortable to play, and tote around, as the body on it is as small and light as any electric I've ever played. The pickup in it screams, and it looks like the perfect thing to break out during a show that makes people say, "What the hell is that?"











Saturday, February 17, 2024

I Shall Be Released

 A new year, A new recording session!


At home recording 11 songs from my past. The most recent years have been a blur to me, but looking back into my war chest of tunes, I was able to come up with a group of songs that somehow belong together. Ranging from Anthemic Rock to Alternative Country to Blues Retro Americana and Blues. All of it uptempo and fun. I wrote way too many sad songs, which I can use for some other project down the road.


In the basement, I have a small drum kit made up of various pieces from the early '70s and late '60s. The floor tom is a vintage Rogers, the Kick is a converted Floor tom made by Gambles (early Pearl/Tama) and the snare is a wonderfully trashy miscelaneous model made in Taiwan.


I've been fascinated with the drums since is was very young.


I ended up playing all of the intruments myself, but the vocals will have assistance by a few of my good friends, as I was told long ago by my friend and former producer David Lindley that layering your own voice on harmonies doesn't sound as good as having other complimentary voices. 
















Saturday, January 13, 2024

Walk The Walk



Last year, I made a New Year's resolution to do more exercise. I went for extended walks if the conditions allowed it. 


During the Pandemic, I was shut in and not doing much. As a result, I gained a few unwanted pounds. I walked most of it off. But Spring and Summer came, and it was either too buggy, too hot, or I was suffering from assorted seasonal allergies. I ended up almost back where I started.


But I kept at it from late Fall into the the year's end, and am doubling down on things for 2024.









 

Monday, January 8, 2024

Brand New Oldies

 


Celebrated a New Year at the Aqua Turf with my girlfriend, and had a wonderful time. Stayed overnight at a brand spanking newly remodeled Holiday Inn. New Years resolution of mine was to finish recording some original songs we wrote during the pandemic. I recorded the basics at home, but would prefer cutting the vocals in a more professional environment with another set of ears and more expensive recording gear.



Having bought a very sweet Jazzmaster a few months ago has further opened up my playing, and old songs sound new to me now. I have about 60 originals, including the 10 I'm looking to complete. I may re-record some of my other songs in the basement. I have the Saskatchewan/Stegner album, as well as my Alt-Country project, and some assorted Rock & Popo tunes I need to sort through and decide what fits and what sounds too dated (they all sound pretty damn old to me!)




 

Thursday, December 28, 2023

'twas the Week Before Christmas

I got called in at the last minute to sing some Christmas Carols at the Storrowton Tavern. The final week before the holiday. I hadn't even finished my shopping yet! People were very happy to see us and often sang along with us during our shows. The people I worked with were very good this year, and I was grateful for that!


On my time off work, my girlfriend and I went to see a Jethro Tull tribute band play in Holyoke, and that was a blast! I grew up with two older brothers in the '70s, and they played a lot of Progressive Rock, so I knew most of the songs they played. Sadly, the club is closing at the end of the year, and leaves the town without a live music option. That doesn't take away from how great a night it was. 



Holyoke's loss is ultimately Northampton's gain (as well as Amherst and Eathampton) as the Iron Horse and the Calvin Theater will both be reopening. 2024 looks like a promising year for live music.


Ultimately, I got into the Holiday spirit with the help of the people I love, in the place I've called home for 23 years. My girlfriend took me out for my birthday, and we took in dinner and a movie in Amherst. The students were gone and so the town was oddly peaceful and quiet. One of our first dates was at the Amherst Cinema, and it was a nice 5 year anniversary.






 

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Mountain of Sorrow


The Holidays are upon us once again, and I should be happy. 


Truth be told, the last ten years have often been enshrouded in sadness. Now being ten years of holidays without my mom, and now nearly half that time without my dad. Even though my current place should feel like a good one. My mind still knows they are both gone, and it makes the holidays a little bit harder to celebrate.
 
 I recently came across an old band picture from 30 years ago, and was reminded immediately that one of the members had passed away last year. I found out about it after the fact, but we were friends online, and I knew he was going through some health problems. When I saw his name show up, it immediately triggered the same feelings of sorrow I felt for my mother in her final days. Seeing a final picture of him in a hospice situation was more than I could take. 

I woke up the next morning alone on a mountain, and realized I was tired of feeling so uphappy.


When I go on my daily walks, I'm usually spending that time thinking about why I'm so sad, and not about why I should feel happy. Life comes with its share of challenges and setbacks, and it's easy to dwell on matters such as failure and loss. Taking pleasure in positive moments or accomplishments seems trival at best when compared to morbid or tragic memories. The bitter and the sweet should counter each other to balance things out, yet I was raised to only focus on the negatives, whether I could do anything to correct them or not.


And so these feelings never got sorted out, they just followed me around to point out all of the wrong that can't be righted. There's no resolution other than to feel sad, or feel numb... with the latter often served on the rocks. 


My family never talked about anything of real substance growing up. We were left to mostly find our way, answer whatever questions we may have had growing up, and then never asked for anything once we were out of the house. Holidays were usually pleasant, however, as we would spend an afternoon over dinners, exchanging in our usual light-hearted conversations. Once that was gone, a giant void took its place, and never totally went away.


I do realize the last thing they would have wanted would be for any of to hang onto such dark feelings of sadness. They would rather prefer us to remember them fondly, and obviously miss them from time to time. It's long overdue time that I come down from this mountain of sorrow, and try to fully embrace the joy that has been waiting for me all these years.













 

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

The Coyotes Call

 




We played a rare full band set (well, two songs) at the Shea Theater as a tribute to our friends The Stone Coyotes. 


Amy managed to sing with several of the other acts, and knocked it out of the park. 


After our set, we hung out on the floor and watched our friend The Unband close the show.