Lindsey Buckingham: The Seeds We Sow

The much awaited, new, Lindsey Buckingham album has just been released... and of course I was among the first in line to get it.... actually, I had just heard about it from a friend the day it came out!  As an avid Lindsey fan I was disappointed that there hadn't been much hype about the album other than what was on his website. However, I believe this is due to his wish to keep a niche audience and break away from the Fleetwood Mac mass appeal and weave his own webs... and sow his own seeds. The album contains some great tracks: my favorite "She Smiled Sweetly" has a sultry and catchy nuance that can be expected of Lindsey's acoustic work. The album is also a testing ground for his acoustic ideas: he played all the instruments and did all the basic recording work himself. It has layering and effects that are not common to any other musician. As a criticism though, I would say that the album lacks professionalism and seems to be more like something a high-school band threw together than a multimillionaire pop/rock star. And the tracks seem very similar to his previous songs on "Under the Skin" and "Gift of Screws"

All in all though, if you're a Lindsey fan, it is a great album and a must. But for people who are unfamiliar with his work, you will find it hard to break into this album and enjoy it. I would suggest listening to "Out of the Cradle" before you listen to his more current work, I believe it will give you perspective on what he is capable of, and give you appreciation for his writing prowess. Take a look at his website for if you are unfamiliar with his work!
Lindsey Buckingham's Official Website

Pros vs. Nos

As a followup to the last post, I received the final master for "This Life" and it sounds great! A little tweaking and video editing and I'll have it up on YouTube next week (Sept. 27...ish)

The Difference Between Home-Grown and Professional

As many of you know, I write music. And as a writer of music, I record it so that millions of people around the world can enjoy my sultry lyrics and lucid tones .... well, maybe not millions, but you get the picture. Because of this, I was forced to become an amateur recording engineer. With my ad-hoc gear and laptop I managed to get a few tracks laid down and I was pleased with the results. However, last week I had the opportunity to assist a friend who is learning to be a professional audio engineer at the Centre for Arts and Technology in Fredericton NB. I went into the studio with my guitar in hand and a song in my heart. I was quickly astonished by the quality and professionalism that one can expect from a professional studio! She had procured some session musicians who are at the peak of their craft and we set about recording my song. Within an hour, I had my tracks complete, another hour, the session musicians finished their work. Now the fun, Nina and her team will master the tracks into a workable song. I have yet to hear the final product, but I am completely sure that it will sound amazing, and will be many orders of magnitude better than the simple recordings I had done in the past. The moral of this story is: Garage Band and a Mac might be good for getting your ideas down, but when it comes to recording a song that will play for multitudes of people... it pays to have it professionally done! (quite literally)

Invisible Scissor Sisters

I'm going to kick off my new blog with a review of an album that was released last summer (2010).  It really seems like decades have passed since last summer. However, I recently rediscovered this CD in my car, and was rather taken aback by how  much I enjoyed it! It's "Night Work" by the Scissor Sisters.  It has great dancy beats and a euro-electro feel.  Because of this, it was rather forgotten in the US and Canada... why? because there is a completely different feel for music in Europe, I don't know why, but there is. I suggest you give the album a listen and judge for yourself. Remember, there are always alternatives to American top 40 music! click the link below!

The Scissor Sisters' Website!!!