datamusicata

On Wednesday night, Eveline and I went downtown to the Nokia Theatre to hear Hall & Oates.    I’ve always thought that their recordings were infectious and in terms of grooves, just undeniable.    I’ve never heard You’re Making My Dreams Come True loud enough.     It just makes me happy to hear it and I can’t stop moving.   (www.hallandoates.com) (live@darrylshouse.com)    And in terms of vocals, they really are masters.    Try to do all the vocal licks in Sara Smile sometime.   They are underrated, but I suspect that is changing. 

In any event, as I was listening and watching, I realized how simple they individual parts were.   Together they wove a contrapuntal rhythmic groove, but the parts were simple.  I immediately thought about a tune that I’ve been recording called Do As You’re Told.     I had the groove for the verses, but the chorus had been throwing me.

I  initially layed down four guitar parts for the chorus and then had my Santa Cruz pal, Len Collins, guitar wunderkind, come down and work for  three or four days on the entire album.   We both agreed that this chorus just was not working as we had hoped.

But after H&O, I had a revelation.  I came home and went right to work.    I took out all but two guitars one part doubled) on the song and just listened like that.

After going through the whole song, I made note of  where the changes needed to be.    Where there had to be lift off; an elevation of the tension; a delivery on the promise of destination.

Once I knew where these really were, I went back and began adding the other guitars one at a time; auditioning each part to see how it stood up by itself and how it worked with each of the other parts; and how many parts did I need to make the chorus groove?

By pulling out, thinning out, the chorus, I was able to hear the background vocals which really make the chorus anyhow and I made them the main focus and put pieces of the other guitars around them.

I also solo’d the guitars in various configurations to make certain that they complimented each other, then I solo’d them with the drums, I even solo’d them with the drum fills to make certain that there was no clashing, no cacophony, no confusion.  

And I made each part simpler.  NOW the song COOKS.    Do As You’re Told.   Wait til you hear it.