• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Bands & Projects
    • Marty Willson-Piper
    • Marty & Olivia
    • Noctorum
    • MOAT
    • Atlantæum Flood
    • Anekdoten
      • How I Joined Anekdoten
    • The Church
      • Sleeve Notes
    • All About Eve
  • Discography
  • Gear
  • Talking
  • Lyrics
    • SOLO ALBUMS
      • In Reflection
      • Art Attack
      • Rhyme
      • Spirit Level
      • Hanging Out In Heaven
      • Nightjar
    • NOCTORUM
      • Sparks Lane
      • Offer The Light
      • Honey Mink Forever
      • The Afterlife
    • MOAT
      • Moat
      • Poison Stream
    • Seeing Stars
  • Sleeve Notes
    • Of Skins And Heart
    • The Blurred Crusade
    • Seance
    • Heyday
    • Starfish
    • Gold Afternoon Fix
    • Priest = Aura
  • Bandcamp

Marty Willson-Piper

The official home of Marty Willson-Piper

  • News
  • Blog
  • Shows
  • Songwriting & Guitar Guidance
  • In Deep Music Archive
  • Contact

Mar 16 2022

TO WHERE I AM NOW

I swam 100 lengths in the pool today, not because I’m desperate to lose weight but because I like it. Losing weight is a positive side effect of intense laps. I came to the disturbing but somewhat hilarious conclusion that when your belly protrudes horizontally out beyond your chest, it’s time to act. The problem is the slow pace that it happens and the even slower pace you urge it to retreat. I feel like I have to have a sense of humour about growing older, the inexorable descent (or ascent) to meet your maker, metaphysically speaking. The photos from the past when you were a stick and all the under forties in the swimming pool who haven’t had a fight on their hands – yet remind you of when you were just automatically thin. Then there are the ones that don’t make it to the swimming pool who might be lucky but will quite possibly lose the fight as the years go by. I can’t stop ageing but I can ease the pain with a healthy attitude, physical and mental, stay creative, eat well, keep a childlike inquisitive nature, make your cynicism healthy cynicism. Of course, the list of wise actions versus dodgy ones is long and you can’t account for circumstances, live long and prosper.

The Dog Man was in the square today with his three still dogs. He was talking intensely to someone sitting on the bench. It seemed like he’d found a person he didn’t know to present his ideas to. Coming out of the square a very fragile old man seemed like the green light that alerted pedestrians to cross wasn’t quite giving him the confidence to cross before the light turned red again. I asked him if he was ok as he started across, he gave me the thumbs up, “Obrigado,” he said. I imagine myself in that position if I make it to 80, inquiring after an older person might be something somebody does for me. The case of René Robert comes to mind.

I had another amusing thought in the shower today. There are a few familiar faces in the changing rooms and one old Portuguese man is always singing what sounded like old traditional Portuguese songs in classic vibrato. A friendly fellow, he knows I’m English and finds it amusing and occasionally says an English word or half a greeting in a strong accent. Today he spoke to me in Portuguese ’em Portugues’ “Boa Tarde,” he said (Good Afternoon) and left with a beaming smile. It occurred to me that my generation might be in the showers in 20 years singing, “We all came down from Montreux” or “There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold”.

I’ve been teaching Thiago, one of the lifeguards, an English word every time I see him, he reciprocates with the Portuguese translation. So far we have Ankle – Tornozelo, Shin – Canela, Hips – Ancas, Calf – Gémeo (only in Portugal). Yes, we’re on body parts. Another connection to the pool and the gym was a man in the psychedelic psupermarket speaking English to his son. I spoke to him and he said he recognised me from the gym, I don’t know if I recognised him because he had his mask on all the time. His name was Rob from Detroit. He told me that pool really irritated his skin, the pool irritates my nose, chlorine is the culprit but without it, there wouldn’t be a pool. He retired here with the five points checklist – warm, friendly, cheap, safe, beautiful.

Music today has been Spirit’s The Family That Plays Together (1968). It was their second album and opens with the song I Got A Line On You. An interesting story about this single from the album that seems impossible to understand these days is that the song was released in October 1968 and hit its highest position on the US chart 6 months later in March 1969 reaching number 25. Spirit seem to be something of a forgotten band. I’ve written about them before on the In Deep page. The original lineup was Jay Ferguson on vocals and guitar, Randy California on guitar and vocals, Ed Cassidy on drums, Mark Andes on bass and John Locke on keyboards. They made four great albums with this lineup between 1968 and 1970. Self-titled and The Family That Plays Together were released in 1968, Clear in 1969 and Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus in 1970. If you don’t remember these people from the distant past, you may know the music from the American version of The Office, composed by Jay Ferguson. Ferguson and Andes left Spirit to form Jo Jo Gunne – you may remember Run, Run, Run, a top ten hit in England in 1972. Randy California drowned at the age of 45 saving his son from drowning in Hawaii in 1997. John Locke died in 2006, Ed Cassidy in 2012.

Music 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.

11209512_1669022976719710_7288437867089763325_n

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

  • spotify
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • youtube

Liking the blog?

Tour Dates

Instagram

Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵 📷 @oliviaelek Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵

📷 @oliviaelektra 

#danelectro #danelectrobass #redeyerecords #pleasantrylane #pleasantrylanestudio
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 🎵

📷 @drewliophoto 

#galacticheadquarters #happinessarecordlabel #pleasantrylanestudio #salimnourallah #oliviawillsonpiper
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

KEEP IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/mwillsonpiper

📷 @salimnourallah 

#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

KEEP IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/mwillsonpiper

📷 @argirgirl 

#paisleypark #prince
Marty & Pablo! 📷 Rod MacQuarrie Marty & Pablo!

📷 Rod MacQuarrie
At last, a proper door stop. 📷 @judgeschamber At last, a proper door stop.

📷 @judgeschamber 

#grammysitting 👵
🌵 Texas Acoustic Dates 🌵 31 December - DALL 🌵 Texas Acoustic Dates 🌵

31 December - DALLAS
7 January - CELINA
12 January - HOUSTON
14 January - AUSTIN
15 January - SAN ANTONIO

With @salimnourallah and @joereyesmusic

More info here: https://mailchi.mp/e47ede06acd6/texas-acoustic-dates
Doors & Delays 🎸 @workshop21_guitarclinic #the Doors & Delays 🎸

@workshop21_guitarclinic #thedoors #fenderstratocaster #fenderhotroddeville #nashtelecaster #rickenbacker
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Mailing List

In Deep Music Archive

Songwriting & Guitar Guidance with Marty Willson-Piper
ORDER HERE

"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

MARTY WILLSON-PIPER © 2023 - Front Page Images by Hajo Müller