The demo session

We met at Jeff Root's recording studio to attempt to create demos of the seven songs. With these demos, we can shop out the additional parts that might be needed on each song. Things click immediately, as it is obvious that Jeff and Steve get along well and appreciate each others ideas. This will be a wonderful collaborative effort, I can tell.

There was a lot to accomplish, because the songs were still not in their final form. I wrote them 2 years ago and have not played many out. I had gone through the editing process with my songwriting group and refined them lyrically, but the chord progressions needed to be solidified and made uniform for both Steve who will be playing bass, and Jeff who will be on guitar.

We started with "Backroads of New England" which I think is the most difficult song of the bunch. Now a song is a song, and can be beautifully melodic using only three chords, but the underlying chord structure provides a definite character to the tune. Jeff and Steve went through the song discussing various chords and substituted where necessary. It is amazing what a change, such as replacing a C with an Am, can have the feel of a song. Still the same melody, still the same key, but such a difference. And Steve and Jeff are masters at feeling these changes.

It was wonderful to sit back and listen to these guys. Several takes later, we had an acceptable version. The challenge to this piece is that the chorus is very dramatic and melodic and the verses must not seem to be separate from it. Steve and Jeff conceived a gentle, consistent base with retards and breaks where necessary, providing cues for me to come in. It allows for the drama in the lyrics to shine.

What I like about working with Jeff is that he doesn't like to use a "click" track. This kind of track is often necessary because the rhythm needs to be consistent for other players who might come into overdub parts. But Jeff uses his innate sense of rhythm to create a consistent enough backdrop without losing the natural rhythms of the song. This creates a very organic feel. I think that this song, in particular, needed that because it sort of ebbs and flows, just like the lyrics:
"I've stood by the ocean and felt the salty spray; it seems so wild and free sometimes, I have to turn away from the menace in its mist, the power of its fist, the restless clouds of gray."

This is a very poetic song, filled with concrete images, and soaring melodies and has been a difficult one for me to get a handle on. But I am very happy with this version we have come up with.

Next time I will discuss "It's Cold Outside" which is the song I wrote on Day 1.