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Mar 27 2022

TO WHERE I AM NOW

Not having been outside when it happened, I didn’t notice that there was an extra hour of light. I was buried in trying to fix up my pedalboard and placing amps in appropriate places in what was once called the lounge and now has officially been renamed the studio. Trying not to make too much noise and trying my best to not become a slave to the technology, it’s a tricky balance. I keep on hearing music that sounds modern whilst already sounding dated, Thompson Twins sounded modern, try listening to them now. Try wearing their clothes, haha. This might not just apply to the horror of eighties drum sounds when the engineers had a successful coup d’état and started forcing modern technology onto unsuspecting bands who felt left behind if they didn’t go along with the gated snare drum. Every era thinks it’s on the pulse until the next era comes along and wipes them out. The exceptions were mostly already so big that they were impossible to destroy or so underground that they weren’t competing on the same contemporary level – which might actually give them more longevity. It seems it’s the drums that determine whether something is old or out. Sixties, they were mostly buried, seventies, they were mostly dry, eighties they were mostly wet, then everything went mostly retro then everything went mostly programmed and the 21st century saw the post-modern mix, everything shaken up in a big bag and spilt out in all shapes and sizes.

In the end, it’s all taste and for me, I like drum machines when they are supposed to sound like drum machines. When I hear drum machines emulating drummers I usually don’t like it. It seems pointless, it might be cheaper and easier to record without making a god awful noise but this kind of programming always sounds like a less than worthy superficial version of what a great drummer would do, presuming you can find one. You won’t find a quiet one but you might find a budget for a good quick one.

I never had a problem with the Cocteau Twins’ drum machines or This Mortal Coil. I never had a problem with Kraftwerk’s machine rhythms but CAN would not have been the giants they were without Jaki Liebezeit despite the fact that you might imagine a band like that could have had machines instead. It’s obvious that The Zep wouldn’t have machines, it’s obvious that most contemporary R&B and hip hop needs machines, having said that, I really don’t want to hear the 808 claps ever again (it’s a sound that reoccurs too much from a certain drum machine called an 808).

The reason I mention all this is because I listened to a pop group today from Austin, Texas called Night Traveler, very catchy songs, good singers, some cheesy lyrics but a very well produced and good sounding record…with machines, and it would have been so much better with a good drummer. The machines are emulating what a drummer would do, or is it that the drummer has been edited and fixed so much that he has become a machine? The album is called Dreams You Don’t Forget (2021). I think that often, contemporary music demands that bands like this don’t have a real drummer, it’s not just budget. This is why I’d like to stay alive for another 50 years, just to see what happens with the sound of drums in future music.

There was a point there where a younger generation went for electronic music, which might be better served with drum machines, leaving behind “old music” but for me, I didn’t hear Kraftwerk and not want to hear Van der Graaf Generator or T. Rex. I didn’t hear Sex Pistols and not want to hear Steve Hillage and as far as electronic sounds, well, being 18 in Germany in 1971 might have been one of the best times to be into electronic music. Every genre has its worthy flag bearers from Flying Lotus to Simon & Garfunkel. Just liking punk rock is like eating the same dinner, although I must admit when I ate fish and played with All About Eve we used to rehearse and write at “The Barn” in Herefordshire, I ate trout every night for weeks. These days I like a serving of Solange for a starter followed by some Free, a taste of FKA Twigs and a good dose of The Kinks with Stravinsky for dessert.

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.

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Rockin' the MOAT t-shirt next to the real deal! #m Rockin' the MOAT t-shirt next to the real deal! #moatband #poisonstream 🤘🏰

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Photo by @oliviaelektra 

#schoolkidsrecords #nikoröhlcke #wellscathedral
Peter Walsh and I getting down at the Heron Tower Peter Walsh and I getting down at the Heron Tower disco 🕺🏻 #heyday
Soundchecking at Birmingham Symphony Hall, 10th Fe Soundchecking at Birmingham Symphony Hall, 10th February, 2001. All About Eve supporting Fairport Convention.

📷 by @derektimbrell
Thanks to The Wernickis for a little glimpse into Thanks to The Wernickis for a little glimpse into their new New Mexico listening space 🌵 #nightjar #schoolkidsrecords
Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵 📷 @oliviaelek Redeyed lad of the lowlands 🎵

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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 🎵

📷 @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

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📷 @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

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📷 @argirgirl 

#paisleypark #prince
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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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