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Feb 01 2023

TO WHERE I AM NOW

I was awake at noon, I nearly got up but lay down again and unbelievably four hours passed. Sleep took its hypnotic fingers and enticed me back to that mysterious place that we go to each night to wander the streets of our dreams where strange encounters mystify us, confuse us, shock us or inspire our imaginations in worlds that might have been. The problem with getting your body clock upside down in the cold wet dark of winter is that the window of light is short and if you miss it, the next opportunity also has a narrow access because missing it means you are not in bed again till 5 or 6 AM and definitely not awake before noon or later and it’s dark again at 5 PM. So, the answer is, suffer, get up in the light, fight to stay awake, otherwise, you’ll be up all night working and sleeping during the day, wait a minute, isn’t that what we do anyway?

The wind and the rain won today, the unwelcome clouds, low, hanging in the sky like giant dead black moths, the birds nowhere to be seen, avoiding the deluge, huddled in trees that were doing their best to shake them out. The lawn looks sick, dead leaves strewn on its face, the gravel in the road busy with small fallen branches, little sticks, weakened and tumbling onto the driveway. Headlights reflect off the wet road, double dazzling the eyes, the orange glow of street lamps exaggerating the emptiness of the streets, not a soul about, no one dares to raise a challenge to the elements, no defying the spikes and needles of sharpened raindrops, the weather always wins.

We went to Nobbi’s Record Store in Beuel (East Bonn), he was there beating off the rain beast and closing, bringing in the crates from the street, me promising to return tomorrow. It was early evening but nothing seemed to encourage you to stay out, it was like the humans had given up, the restaurants sat empty, half-hearted lights lit their windows, just, the owners resting their weary heads on their chins wondering if it was all worth it. The rain, the dark and the rush hour traffic made it hard to drive. Up the road, close to Königswinter, a traffic jam, the same traffic jam that occurs every night heading south and every morning heading north, the eternal roadworks that never seem to have anyone working.

It’s difficult to imagine how anyone could be against ‘home office’, the money saved, less stress for the employees, less office space cost in expensive cities for the employers. Their conservative reasoning, the ‘team’, the truth, people work harder when they are more comfortable at home, they work longer hours, they get their work finished, they can take breaks that aren’t $12 sandwiches and a rush, indigestion and a queue at the coffee shop. No dress code, often ridiculous mandatory high heels for the women and that stoopid rope tied around your neck for the men. It’s a no-brainer, there’s another way but it takes society so long, so so long to see sense.

Returning to the safety of the house, we are faced with our own new reality – moving when we get back to Porto. Out of the blue, the landlord wants us out (in order to do renovations), perfect timing after being away for three months and UK dates around the corner, no Ariel and only 22 days to find somewhere, sign, move in and leave again, no pressure. What’s the point of arguing against the inevitable? Lots to think about, lots to do (always) but as long as we have music, words, and art, the inconveniences are relieved, really they are.

Music today has been The Wonder (1990), the Tom Verlaine album that I played on (uncredited). I definitely play on Stalingrad, possibly Shimmer but when I played on the record there were no vocals and I was asked to play on this and that so I’m not sure what they used. Susan Myers sent some pics from the show in North Carolina in the late eighties that has Tom playing my 12-string Takamine. Thanks, Susan.

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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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 🎵

📷 @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

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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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