Guitars and Life

Holy Moly I've been busy whilst on a three day break from work. Another new song. You're Gone - originally written as a solo acoustic piece, this is typical of my main type of writing as a solo singer songwriter I think.  This one is about a relationship breakup - not mine just written from the position of someone who has lost a lover, and it looks like the lover was itchy not to stay in one place ... or with one person maybe?... Anyway this also features my home build guitar Amber in her first real recording foray - that is the electric sparse chords on her. Enjoy... comments etc. welcome.

A couple of days holiday from work so I've been busy recording... :-) Two new songs. Sense Sense first broke cover when I did the Live in the Living Room thing, this is the full studio version! And here is Homeward bound. Homeward Bound has been a chord pattern looking for a song/lyrics for years, last year I finally wrote the lyrics and this is the final version. The solo was semi-worked out but then took a life of its own. It is possible to jam with yourself? I seem to have done so here the ending just a jam based on how the rhythm part first recorded ended! I was going to fade the solo out but this seems to (almost) work as an ending so left it in! Enjoy Postscript - In the end I deleted the first version of Sense I'd uploaded and re-uploaded it.  The compression really messed up the sound of the 12 string at the start.  Exporting from Audacity (where I do my final editing) to an uncompressed WAV gave much better result than either MP3 or WAV Compr...

For anyone in the UK you'll not have failed to notice it is the annual 6nations rugby championship. For some, me included, this is sporting highlight of the winter. 3 games in and England are unbeaten and head the table. My observations. England have not been 100% in everything but the team has looked very committed and confident the premiership system of releasing  players to the national side is paying off not just in a solid side but those back at the clubs getting match time to grow and show themselves so now we have a load of players competing for all positions. Discipline has been very good less of the daft penalties and good in defence as well not panicking when close to the line. Players - Brad Barritt at centre has been superb, not perhaps hitting the headlines but brilliant in attack and defence.  Owen Farrell has shown a maturity and composure beyond his years, I hope that his commitment though doesn't lead to any yellow cards as he has been a bit close on a co...

Mrs F and I are going to a wedding in April - a good friend and colleague of my wife is getting married. Mrs F and Daughter-of-Furtheron went off to the cathedral of consumerism that is Bluewater yesterday on an "outfit buying" day.  Mrs F was extremely pleased with herself having found a dress, jacket, shoes and handbag.  All good.  She shows me all this when I arrive home last night.  Then came the statement "When are you going to sort out your stuff?".  "What "stuff"?" I ask.  There is one of those moments when Mrs F rolls her eyes.  "You have to at least buy a new shirt and tie!".  "What's wrong with the ones I have?"... I'll never learn will I.   Daughter-of-Furtheron just looks on laughing at my discomfort. I'm off to do some shopping soon I think...

Last week has been variable ... sounds like I'm giving the shipping forecast here doesn't it! Monday.  I attended the funeral of an AA friend.  A lovely, bubbly, funny, fun person sadly cut down too early in life through cancer.  The chapel was packed, with a large number of AA friends there showing just how much she was loved and how much she meant to so many of us.  The service was a non religious one, which was very nice.  At one point the lady leading it mentioned a prayer that meant a lot to Lynn and started to recite the Serenity Prayer - the adopted prayer of AA.  Without prompting the AA members present all joined in.  I had to stop before the end as I was so choked up. I don't drink.  I go to AA meetings and am involved in AA service to hopefully spread the word to those suffering alcoholism and to keep me sober.  It has just become a way of life.  Every now and then I'm really really shown how lucky and important this all is...

Finally got round to recording "Amber"... Demo is through a Hughes & Ketner 60W 2x12 Dual 6L6 combo, first bit through the clean channel which is a Fender like channel and then through the distortion channel for the second bit.