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Sep 17 2020

TO WHERE I AM NOW

After spending all day yesterday in the studio, today I was determined to get down to the sea, but first I went up to the pool for the midday mile. It was strange weather out there in the world, a cloudless sky, a dynamic blue ceiling, hot, but very windy. In the pool, the fast large woman told me she was still sticking to the medium lane, another fast small woman told her to come in the fast lane, which she did until she returned to the medium lane when more fast large and small swimmers arrived. She completely misread the rhythm of the medium lane, always catching everyone up, making them stop to let her by. She was like a guitarist playing the solo before the singer had finished singing the verse, the trials and tribulations of the swimming pool, I tell ya. Then she climbed out early perhaps seeing how her soloing wasn’t fitting in with the arrangement. I swam on like a madman, thinking I wasn’t going to make the mile in time and managed it in 47 minutes, a recent record but I went for it like a crazy fish. When I came out the showers weren’t working, first world problems.

Down in pasty land and greengrocer land, the day was shaping up to be another no courier day and potential sea jaunt experience. Olivia made me one of those protein drinks, vanilla flavour, mmm and we went to Specsavers so I could get them to put a screw in my glasses arm. You aren’t allowed in without an appointment and inside all the staff look like they are wearing hazmat suits. But I was astonished when the lady took my glasses at the door, fixed them and 10 minutes later returned with the arm securely screwed back on. From where we were standing we could see the sea in the harbour and it was really choppy in the wind. It was mint green with marshmallow tufts and at the harbour, the yachts and dinghies rolled on the water’s surge. The tide was high but unlike yesterday Blondie was cased up. We walked past the boats towards the prom and stood by the wall near the swimming pool and watched the sea crash into the rocks. It was churning like an angry monster, spitting and cursing, throwing out sheets of spray. It looked like danger, beautiful danger, nature’s ire but under a glorious sky on a beautiful day.

There were two biggish ships anchored off shore and as we walked past the Jubilee Pool there were sandpipers, swooping and diving into the wind at fantastic speeds. A lone seagull sat on top of the waves like the whole experience was a fairground ride. The spray was now coming over the sea wall and as we walked on the other side of the construction the sea was coming over onto where they were trying to lay new concrete on the almost completed ground part of the new promenade. I talked to one of the workmen, he said they were nearly done but it was pretty hard to work with this weather. He didn’t think the prom would be finished for quite a while, hopefully by Christmas I thought but then I realised we’d be long gone by then virus permitting as Olivia and I attempt to find a life for travellers in the new climate of Brexit and all the complications it has inspired.

There were parts of the walk where the wind just dropped and then appeared again. On the pebble beach, the tide was higher than I’d ever seen it and there were thousands of strange sea insects obviously disturbed by the gusty wind. One wonders where they were before, possibly dormant in the seaweed but today the seaweed was being thrown up in the air and any creatures that lived in it were thrown out too. We headed back to the studio via the supermarket, worn about by the walk, the wind (and the swim) and soon I had a preliminary session with Daniel in Tennessee. After an episode of Humans, I caught up with some emails (some) and then did French – Day 105 before wondering what I was going to write about today and what I was going to listen to. Every day is a surprise and I wonder what it will be like experiencing different cultures, travelling again and having new adventures that take me from the town limits out beyond the wild sea and into the wild world.

Music today comes from the uniquely named Fresh Maggots, a duo consisting of Mick Burgoyne and Leigh Dolphin from Nuneaton in Warwickshire. Their one and only album was released in 1971 and this is why I’m grateful for the resurgence of interest in vinyl as Sunbeam Records have re-released it as a double album with extra tracks. It would be impossible to find otherwise unless you have a spare £1000 and then it wouldn’t be a mint copy. But what’s it like? It’s early seventies 12 stringy, flutey Folk that sounds a bit like The Incredible String Band but not as mad and with fuzzy guitars. On Frustration, the final track, they are joined by frenzied strings. It’s the same school as Tyrannosaurus Rex but not as cosmic. Highly recommended, but it depends on what you like.

The first Blackfield album (2004) arrived in the post yesterday and I don’t need much of an excuse to play either this or the second album. The collaboration between Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen has given the world some lovely pastoral string-heavy Progressive Pop. Guitars, pianos, melodies and some thoughtful songs, moody, catchy, it’s intelligent Easy Listening. Highly recommended, but it depends on what you like.

Song Of The Daze

Written by Marty Willson-Piper · Categorized: Blog

Missing

This is my stolen 1965 Rickenbacker 12-string, serial number EB157. If there's any chance of this guitar coming back to me before I go to meet my maker, then that would be wonderful. Please contact me if you have any information.

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You usually don’t spend the day in the studio an You usually don’t spend the day in the studio and the night at a gig but if you put the studio next to the gig then there’s a greater chance. So @salimnourallah did just that, he put the gig and the studio next to each other and made it possible for me to spend the day recording and the evening playing live 🎵

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TO WHERE I AM NOW A visit in the studio today fro TO WHERE I AM NOW

A visit in the studio today from old mate Mark Burgess from The Chameleons who has been hanging in Texas recently. I was thinking about the two of us growing up in the northwest of England and all these years later finding ourselves in such an unlikely spot together. We fixed a few issues in the universe and I carried on recording some guitars until Mark had to leave. Mark had played at the Galactic Headquarters next to the studio this year as Olivia and I had four years ago and this reminded me to remind myself to remind everyone to remind their friends that we will be playing there with Salim on Saturday, New Year’s Eve, for the ultimate in intimate performance. You can get tickets here (follow link below).

CONTINUE READING: https://martywillson-piper.com/2022/12/to-where-i-am-now-1045

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#markburgess #thechameleons #chameleonsvox #pleasantrylanestudio #happinessarecordlabel #martywillsonpiper #oliviawillsonpiper #moatband
📷 @argirgirl 📷 @argirgirl
TO WHERE I AM NOW Sadness manifested in a buildin TO WHERE I AM NOW

Sadness manifested in a building, today we went to visit Paisley Park. Prince built Paisley Park in Chanhassen, about twenty minutes southwest of Minneapolis. It opened in 1987 and he recorded his later albums there. Apart from Prince, REM also recorded and mixed Out Of Time there, recording Kate Pearson’s vocal on Shiny Happy People vocal. Madonna had Prince play guitar on three songs from Like A Prayer and the two co-wrote Love Song, finishing it remotely due to Madonna not being able to stand the cold weather and the rather desolate location of the studio. Of course, there are things around but it’s not in the city and it’s not in the countryside, it’s in a suburb, no distractions, just what Prince wanted.

CONTINUE READING: https://martywillson-piper.com/2022/12/to-where-i-am-now-1032

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In Deep Music Archive

Songwriting & Guitar Guidance with Marty Willson-Piper
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"These are awesome sessions that I highly recommend for guitar players of all levels. Very informative, frank discussions on everything related to guitar and music in general. Definitely a must for anyone pursuing songwriting."
(Stephen G., VA, USA)

"Marty knows how to bypass scales and get to the heart of feel and timing. His musical knowledge spans multiple cultures and genres. Perhaps most importantly, Marty is a cool dude. I highly recommend his guitar guidance." (Jed B., MN, USA)

"Ok, so you’re sitting in your home and Marty is across the world but is actually right here teaching you how to play guitar and write songs. He is a delight to talk to and he is your teacher, meaning he wants to see you get something out of his lessons. You know he’s paying attention and wants to steer you in the right direction. I am so grateful and humbled that he offers his time in this manner. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who admires anything from his enormous body of work. How often do you get to learn from somebody that inspired you in the first place? Amazing." (Ann S., CA, USA)

Missing

This is my stolen 1965 Rickenbacker 12-string, serial number EB157. If there’s any chance of this guitar coming back to me before I go to meet my maker, then that would be wonderful. Please contact me if you have any information.

11209512_1669022976719710_7288437867089763325_n

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