Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I Make "Something."

Wasn't it last Monday night that I played on Bourbon Street and got a 5 dollar bill and a 1 dollar bill, and then left to get a large Hurricane Lager then stood and watched football outside a bar; and then found a bunch of excellent food; and went back to my spot and got to sleep relatively early; and woke up Tuesday morning with a couple dollars and change on me?
I think that was last Monday.
Well, I basically did the same thing; again.
With the exception of Leslie having invited me to crash at his place at around 10 p.m.
And with the exception of not being spit upon by a "dog skeezer."
By the time midnight came and I had gotten sandwiches, corn, lemon rice, fresh broccoli, apples and a pear from Rouses "friends of the homeless" Market, I forgot all about Leslies offer, and went back to the sign spot on Basin Street.
A Nightlight?
The newly renovated Saenger Theater across the street from where I sleep has installed a big sign over its entrance which was glowing with a hundred light bulbs last night; illuminating me too much and forcing me deeper into the brush.
I hope that they have it lit just to publicize the fact that the theater is almost ready to re-open; and don't plan to keep it on every night, like the Joy Theater does on the other side of Canal Street...
Homeostasis
Now, I am off to see if I can improve upon last Tuesday.
It seems like I have reached a point where I am putting out a steady amount of music and getting back a consistent amount of just a bit less than what I need.
Last night, I sounded out the chords to "Something," by the Beatles and am only hazy about one particular chord...
I have been able to put songs together faster, lately.
Doing things first thing in the morning helps; and cutting back on drinking at night has, too.
I am coming up with a list of songs to eventually go on my first CD...
  • The Bum Song
  • Hubert's Trip
  • Crazy About A Crazy Girl
  • Terrapin Station
  • A Day In The Life
  • The Man Who Couldn't Decide What Flavor He Wanted
  • Computer Technician Blues
 
Plus, I've started a couple new songs, one tentatively entitled "I Didn't Have Time To Write This Song," and another one called "Purple Heart," about a homeless guy I knew in Jacksonville, Florida who had one...
And, I might try to polish off one of the songs that I wrote when I was 14 or 15 years old and only knew major and minor chords; and try to give it some New Orleans flavor.
"Hubert's Trip," kind of falls into this category, as it was based upon a simple bass guitar riff which I would play at the same time as I sang. I'm able to play more complex things and sing now, and thus will be looking for a way to jazz it up.
Paul, of Doreens Jazz Band, seems to like the lyrics and has asked me if any recordings of the song survive.
Unfortunately, all those cassettes have been lost in transit.
There was one version which had a vibraphone mixed in; which I thought was cool.
It was made at the house of a person who collected exotic instruments (native indian and such) which was being house-sat by a friend of mine; back around 1988.

2 comments:

  1. Once you get material enough for a CD, it turns out CDs are cheap and easy to burn. I'm using 2005-2006 era computers these days (a Thinkpad that originally cost $2500 or so and cost me $100 and a PowerBook that likewise cost me $100 and was probably about $1500 or a bit more new lol) and CD-burning is easy peasy. And it's old enough tech that CDs cost me 30c each. I know this because I'm burning CDs as part of my work.

    I'd emphasize funny, quirky, songs that people are not going to get somewhere else. If you can be the Weird Al Yankovic of New Orleans, people will really like that and you'll have fun.

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  2. Yeah, and I might be able to borrow the right camcorder (maybe set it up in Dorise' living room) to get the audio for the CD along with both to throw on Metube...I would be amazed if Dorise did not have (probably a pretty kick-ass) camcorder; and I know it would be pretentious to take for granted that she would let me use it; she's the type of person who would; and has been "right under my nose" this whole time...
    Wendell, the guy who guards their playing spot from sunup until they arrive has a CD; and I bet T&D assisted in its production in some capacity lol
    It can't hurt to ask...maybe she has a "handheld" digital recorder type thing...
    The idea is getting me to work on arrangements and memorizing lyrics etc...so there is already a reward for just thinking about making a CD...

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