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May 28 2022

TO WHERE I AM NOW

Up early today, leaving Porto for Cologne. I’ve got Mohamad and his family coming to stay in our flat. It’s a beautiful day, hot, I’m still clearing up, hoovering, mopping, packing, and emptying the fridge of the half-finished. I showed them where the psychedelic psupermarket was and explained the eccentricities of the washing machine before leaving them to it. They brought us baked beans and tea, records, chocolates and my fixed computer. I took a taxi to the airport. You know that feeling when a holiday has come to an end and you have to go back to where you really live? That’s what it felt like today, except at some point I realised that this holiday isn’t over, I actually live here and I’ll be back.

Unhelpful Air wasn’t as bad as I expected. It was a breeze actually, a bit of waiting around, although I was worried when the man at check-in said to me, “so you are going to Copenhagen today?”. He asked me if I had any Port in my bag. I told him I had one bottle as a present. He said that people try to bring 20 bottles back in their luggage.

In the queue were Kevin and Eva who I was about to meet because they were trying to tune a ukulele as they waited in line (as you do). I told them I could help them and after we checked in we sat in a cafe, Kevin bought me a decaf espresso and I tuned the uke as best as I could but I think one string was an octave too low. I have no experience of ukes so I wasn’t sure and I didn’t want to break a string, as Kevin said it was mainly a souvenir anyway of their week in Porto, their first holiday as a couple, cute. On the plane coincidentally they were sitting behind me. They were from Wuppertal, the place with the weird train, which incidentally Olivia and I rode on from one end to the other (as you do).

Porto to Cologne is two hours thirty-five minutes. I had a window seat and watched the rivers and the fields, the towns and their bridges flow slowly by. The fluffy clouds were thick, like surreal landmasses, anchored, not moving at all as if they were frozen in time.

I had my iPod, I listened to Alizée’s song Moi…Lolita (2001), a famous French hit.

Peter Robinson from NME highly acclaimed the song, stated: “It’s pop as pop should be: the perfect marriage of innocence and experience of which the French, from Birkin to Paradis, have always seemed overwhelmingly capable. All this plus it has one of the most electrifying middle eights ever committed to record.

But I decided that as I was going to Cologne I should listen to CAN, so I did. I nodded off, came to and listened to Kate Bush‘s The Kick Inside (1978).

I was wondering if I was going to be shocked by the temperature change as I headed north in shorts and T-shirt but I was pleasantly surprised to arrive in Cologne and not freeze to death. Gerd, Olivia’s dad picked me up and we made it to the Champions League final in time as it was delayed by half an hour. Somehow Liverpool lost with over 20 shots on goal, Courtois, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, was the man of the match. Gerd cooked me dinner, veggie sausages.

So. I’m here at Olivia’s childhood home in a little village above the Rhine. The village clock chimes eerily and when I open the window it’s total silence. Olivia’s mum is here today, she’s Swedish, so we speak in her language often. Olivia isn’t here, she’s celebrating her friend’s wedding and won’t be back till tomorrow. Long day, sleep.

Music choice today has to be Cologne’s CAN’s classic album Ege Bamyası (1972).

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

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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

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📷 @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
Marty & Pablo! 📷 Rod MacQuarrie Marty & Pablo!

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

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

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With @salimnourallah and @joereyesmusic

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

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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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