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This is a blog created/kept unkempt by the band A Relative Term to express the process of recording their next full length album. They will poke each other in the eyes, whack each other's noses, butt heads repeatedly, and run in circles on the floor for your enjoyment.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Bury me deep and someplace by the water.


Hey it’s pretty much good news all around. 

Fresh ears on the ‘Tonight’ track proves that there is hope for that one after all.  We added a couple of tracks, bass and a clean electric, and the track is far from dead.  Nobody’s jumping up and down about it quite yet but that would be an unpleasant sight and, probably, grounds for my downstairs neighbors to really kick up a fuss anyhow.  Jake opted for the Tele for the clean track, the Lollar P-90 sounds really great. 

Mark then announced that we’d be tracking ‘Mapmaker’ tonight.  A sure fire crowd pleaser if the crowd happens to be Jake and I. 

In a coincidental twist of every day coincidence the very writer of the tune, a bona fide gentle giant- Brandon Schmitt.  Schmitty was calling about getting Moke Albini and the All*Stars back together up near the Canadian border and Mark let him know that we were tracking his song for the record.  Schmitt proceeded to call us ‘ass-wipes’ but it felt like he meant it with love.

So, take one felt great but Mark leaned a little hard on the old Yamaha LL-6 and we got ourselves a digital peak.  Boooooooo.

It was otherwise a really hypnotic take.

So, after being blessed by Mr. Schmitt himself, take two was damned good too.

Then came the electric guitar.

It was decided that each pass would feature a different guitar and a different close mic.  Jake was pleased that he got to play back to back the Telecaster, his SG and then the 63 Jag for clean swells. 

A cornucopia of great guitar tones and each part slightly different but highly skilled.  I can’t wait to hear the rough mix of this one.

As I tracked bass Mark discussed the need for something static, droney and before anybody knew what was happening Jake had the organ set up and we embarked on some noise-making that put smiles on faces.   There was some very creative droning and one sweet and low organ track that might be the first time I’ve impressed Mark in a decade. 

That was after my finger slipped of the keys a couple times causing us to have to retake what should be the simplest part on the entire record. 

Hey, it was the High Life I tell you, not me.

There’s talk that we’ll get Blackbeard from The Two Jakes to do his (highly unique) thing on this track but talk is cheap and Blackbeard is not.  Maybe Mark can get him some Johnny Walker Black.

All in all, it was a good night of good sounds and mediocre beer.

Sounds about right for A Relative Term.




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