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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Week 6: "Whoomp! There It Is."





Day #35B: "Township Rebellion," by Rage Against the Machine.


It is "#35B" because I posted two songs on Election Day, by mistake.

In total, I have mis-posted three times now on "Dispatches from the Woodshed." In one case I skipped a day, and in the others I double posted. I have largely hidden all signs of these errors, but there are still certain clues left behind, the tiny little seams I was unable to hide.

If anyone still remembers what a puzzle is, and against all odds, actually enjoys them, here is one for you! Any Sherlock Holmes fans? ((Steven Moffat?!))

Where and when were the other two mistakes?   

Find one, post it first and you shall win.



Three vintage Sainte Croix buttons. They are priceless and rare, and each is like a snow-flake. 100% one of a kind, we press them ourselves while watching Dr Who marathons.
You get any song you request on any (reasonable) day of "Dispatches." "Send in the Clowns" to someone who annoys you, "The Wind Beneath My Wings" to the wind beneath your wings, some Johnny Cash to flip your ex the bird. I don't care, cause you'd be the boss. ;) 

Via US Mail, you shall also receive a handmade CD of rarities, outakes, forgotten, oldies and suggested listenings, which I assure you, will be amazing.

 (I have now, in week eight-ish, nearly completed the construction of a band to finish out dispatches, bringing me one step closer to my ultimate dream of turning this into the Muppet Show on Youtube! So your day in charge will also have the use of our ever improving video/sound/audio technicians.Heehee)


Somy ambitious cover of "Township Rebellion," by Rage Against the Machine, has been confusingly catalogued as Day #35B. 




 (It was  added to "Dispatches from the Woodshed" at 2am before I went to sleep.  I awoke the following morning and groggily uploaded Day #36, "When You Were Young" as well; in a daze and woefully uncaffienated.)


I've loved RATM since I was a kid. I sought out and read many of the books depicted on the inside jacket of the album "Evil Empire." (Not that hippie shit though.)


(I have included Rage's suggested reading list at the end of this blog for anyone curious. It is an insightful  list of  intelligent, classic, dense and controversial works spanning all genres, both fiction and non-fiction.)


RATM was a brilliant act all around, and I've always placed them, along with the Digable Planets, on a higher tier than most of their contemporaries, as they both actively inspired literacy and education in their audiences.


 Zach de la Rocha's lyrics also made me acutely aware of North America's sketchy and shameful history in South America. I'd say more more  but Zach's lyrics also informed me about how US Federal agents assassinated Fred Hampton outright because he actually tried to make use of his supposed "freedom of speech." True Story.


(I recognize that the 60's were a wild, barbaric time and that they wouldn't dream of doing something like that today, but you can never be too careful. ;)
"Free speech is like money. Some people just have more of it than others." - Rage Against the Machine.

(A blog I wrote about voting. It is funny and inflammatory, but I feel it to be a fun and worthwhile read. http://ahistoryofteeth.blogspot.com/2012/06/some-crazy-ideas.html   I would love to hear comments and engage in polite discourse with anyone interested in these subjects.)

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The guitar work, in this performance, is impressive against the agressive vocal phrasings, and I don't impress myself easily. The five finger roll across a harmonic run was really Bouzouki (berserk and other wordly) to me.

 The vocals were recorded too low due to my unbreakable incompetance as a sound engineer. 

Day #36: "When You Were Young" by The Killers.

I love The Killers. This song got played on repeat for an entire summer when it first came out and I once made my brother Joel Ste Croix listen to it 20 times in a row while trekking about Franklin, NH. 
At my very first gig with my very first band, The Trappist Monks, I opened with a very heartfelt cover of this, inspired by the videos of The Killers performing a more subdued version of it Live At Abbey Road.

(a super rare recording of this may or may not be on the prize cd)

Here is a link to it on Facebook for those who enjoy music.                            

 http://youtu.be/whenyouwereyoungliveatabbeyroad


(It is well worth a listen and will make you look super cool on Facebook if you post it amongst friends who have never heard it and aren't familiar with this brilliant band from Las Vegas.) 
Watching Live at Abbey Road sessions is one of my all time favorite pastimes. I distinctly remember an interview from that recording where Brandon Flowers and the drummer, Ronnie Vannucci Jr, conduct a fascinating analysis of the relevance of Dire Straits as a musical mainstay. Again, promoting literacy and education.

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As For My Rendition:


It sounds decent in general. 
 I am singing the words with clear meaning to those who know me, which gives it heart and authenticity.
 I am also, in honor of Brandon Flowers great sense of style, wearing a slick suit and tie I look great in. :)




 It has very little in the way of truly original dynamic.

 The guitar work is lackluster and could have been a little more eloquent.

It has to live in the same world as the Live at Abbey Road version.

(In other words, it is like trying to cover Regina Spektor, Billy Joel, Rich Mullins, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Radiohead, The Velvet Underground, or Steely Dan.)

(Those artists, as well as many others, have been psychologically vexing throughout this project.  I have scrapped about 9 potential Billy Joel attempts and 4 Radiohead offerings. The jury's still out on wether it should have been 10 Billy Joel songs and 5 Radiohead songs, but read on and decide for yourself.)







Day #37 "Do It Again" by Steely Dan. My first work with acclaimed guitarist R.V.Drudger.  


His grungy but concise approach to music has really challenged me throughout our recording sessions, the first of which was the performance one take warm up performance you are about to see. 
The Dreaded Dan!!
I chose "Do it Again" because, as I understand it, Fagen and Becker strongly dislike it. Steely Dan already makes me feel like like William Hung, so I figured it would be less intimidating to do a song they they may not really feel strongly about.
(I thought it fitting that he played it smooth and calm at times and restless and eclectic at others,  like a young Denny Dias, a man I may never meet but who I will hound in heaven until he is sick to death of me.)




Compared to the rest of their work, "Do it Again" is comprised of rather simple chord progressions. As this was me and Mr Drudgers first time playing together, a less theory-dense selection seemed ideal.



It may had been improved had we stopped to "Do It Again," but I liked the accolades of it being a completely organic happening and hit with one attempt.


(To play with any member of Steely Dan is a lifelong ambition of mine, which means that ill either have to live in the woodshed for some time or wait until Mr Fagen is too senile to hear rhythm in micro-seconds any longer.)

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I successfully land a few signature Steely Dan "mu chords." I know what you're thinking, is he making that up to get a free (1 Up), or is it really something about which I am 100% ignorant and should research. 
Inspiring literacy and education. ;)
That being the case, maybe they would even "like" it on ironic grounds, like the way America secretly loved William Hung or Flava Flav. Maybe Becker and Fagen would like to see me derail this cast away masterpiece of theirs into the marginally relevant train wreck you are about to see.



A Steely Dan cover with "0" bottom! Not even a bass? Let alone tight, dynamic drum work?
I struggle throughout  locating appropriate, let alone dynamic, chord voicings. This might slide for covers of The Grateful Dead, but is a shameful misstep for any Steely Dan cover attempt.








Day #38, Leonard Cohen's American folk classic, "Hallelujah." 
No "song a day a year" playlist would be complete without this song. It is timeless and while having been made super trendy through its many soundtrack appearances, Damien Rice and, of course, the masterpiece rendition by the late Mr. Jeff Buckley, I still feel that this song is a Bohemian anthem now and belongs to all of us. Like "Dre Day" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Iconic.


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It is better than Bob Dylan's attempt. That may sound pompous, but if you dont believe me, listen for yourself. Unfortunately you will have to find it for yourself, it seems to have been eradicated from Youtube along with Elvis Costello's SNL performance of "Radio, Radio" which got him blacklisted from the show for nearly a decade.

Harmonies, though not 100% realized, are original and impressive for me.
and.................



 Nothing uniquely stirring?

Noone wants to hear another "Hallelujah" cover. Just another tree in a forest.



Day #39. My best effort at "Karma Police" by Radiohead. 
Wish I could undo the decision to release it.

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 The scene is shot in a very cool way.

It was a one shot attempt, and the water boiler clearly collaborates with me there at the beginning  If only that clunky machine had a soul and a three piece jazz kit.

It makes Radiohead look even cooler. Same logic as  a Hot or Not picture taken with your homeliest friend. (Trust me, it helped your "Hotness" percentage everytime.;)



The rhythm is not precise enough to stand as a radiohead cover.
 I sing the words without any heart at times.
 
 Attitude and Innovation are both fairly vacant.
I absolutely bail the most climatic vocal parts at the bridge, overextending my voice and making those unsure moments sound amateur and thin.
All this despite the fact that I had the advantage of the "reverby basement" to help out the acoustics.
I actually released this video, though I truly knew in my gut that it was an altogether undercooked and unsavory.
I did this despite the staunch advice of my primary editor not to.


Day #40 "Both of Us'll Feel the Blast" by Waterdeep  (cover by Ian and Nicole Ste Croix in the water boiler room.)

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 X2
Nicole Ste Croix is beautiful and her performance sublime!               
Nicole Ste Croix  is sporting a extraordinarily rare "Modern Gypsy" cap. (Handcrafted by the brilliant designer/artist Lea Panteliodis! Ideal wear for bohemians, scalawags and style-hounds  of any sort.)

The water boiler held its silence, therefore the recording never experienced the potential "blast" referenced in the song's lyrics.





The guitar mix is chaotic and counterproductive; its details drowned out by poorly planned acoustics.



Day #41"Badlands" by Bruce Springsteen (live acoustic cover by Ian Ste Croix)

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Is is a stand up performance, overall.

I truly meant every word.

If the lighting were even a hair better, the image would be iconic.


If the lighting were even a hair better, the image would be iconic.




Final Score:
x19
x20





In the kitchen cause he likes the heat.






Ian Ste Croix.



PS: There may or may not be some numerical and/or consistency errors in this very blog,




or even some things that were correct. Surprise Bonus to anyone who finds one.!











(Rage Against the Machine's suggested reading list as promised.)

Books Listed inside the cover of Rage Against the Machines album "Evil Empire"


Mumia Abu-Jamal

Gibbs M. Smith




















"Zapata of Mexico"




James Peck, Editor






Frederick Douglass




Noam Chomsky







Compiled by June Milne



Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky































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