2 Thousand + 5teen

The last blog, before I go.
So what did I do to make my life a little more bearable and more complete in 2015? I've listened. My ears seem to filter out the junk more quicker than before and that's a lot! That saved me a lot of time to focus on the writings, recording and releasing of a bunch of new songs. Thanks world.

As with 2014, the death celebrities of our time, become more frequent as age always proves to be the ultimate killer. Here are a "few" that have more or less influenced my state of being (source http://goo.gl/8871CK):

P.F.Sloan (Eve Of Destruction), Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor (Moterhead's drummer of Ace Of Spades), Andy White (Beatles "Love Me Do" drummer), Daevid Allen (Gong frontman, The Magick Brother), Chris Rainbow (Vocalist, Alan Parsons), Allen Toussaint (composer, producer, arranger, pianist, talentscout, inspirator, what a loss of talent!), Joost Zwagerman (schrijver), Drs P. (dutch singer, poet of humoristic absurdism), Gunnar Hansen (remember the original Leatherface?), Maureen O'Hara (John Wayne's favorite company on screen), Phil Woods (played alto sax on so many of my favorite albums of the seventies, like Billy Joel and Paul Simon), Oliver Sacks (the one who really used his brains), Rico Rodriquez (ska trombonist of the Specials), Wes Craven (horror director), Bob Johnston (sixties producer of Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel), Cilla Black (her rendition of bacharach's "Alfie" especially), Omar Sharif (screen legend), Patrick Macnee (remember when tv was " John Steed" cool), Chris Squire (Yes bassist-extraordinaire), Ornette Coleman (free jazz sax blower), Ron Moody (Oliver's Fagin), Christopher Lee (the best Dracula actor next to Bela Lugosi), BB King (subtle "Lucille" bluesplayer), Errol Brown (Hot Chocolate's "Every1's a Winner"), Andy Fraser (Free bassist, composer of Robert Palmer's "Every Kinda People"), Percy Sledge (voice of "When a Man Loves a Woman"), Ben E King (voice of "Stand By Me"), Günter Grass ("The Tin Drum" writer), Clark Terry (Fluegelhorn/ Trompet player), Lew Soloff (trumpet player of Blood, Sweat & Tears, loved those horn arrangements), Leonard Nimoy (logical Spock versus emotional Kirk), John Renbourn (british folk finger-picking guitarist), Rod McKuen (composer, poet), Anita Ekberg (Fellini's "La Dolce Vita"), Rod Taylor (actor of "The Time Machine"), Armand (60s protestsinger), Thé Lau (singer/songwriter), Hirth Martinez (singer/songwriter).

What did I work on in 2015? I've been having my own fun, writing, playing, recording and releasing two albums:  
                                                                  Lightning Dutchman

A few song hit the radio waves, like: Unscrew yourself, Don't Do It Again, Paranoiac With A Gun, Guru In A Lovetown, Limo, Rock'n Roll Me In Or Out

                                 
                                                and an instrumental For Your Pleasure vol.2

(more and more people seem to be interested in using my music for their viseo projects)

So what about the music of 2015?
The word "emo" fits the description. But is it emotion?
Only a few new albums made it, because as I grow older and greyer (bored? Nope!), the more I seem to dwell back to the sounds I used to listen when I was this green innocent seventies lad. Except for the much younger generations like Mercury Rev, Tame Impala and Steven Wilson maybe, but nothing else seem to linger.....  aaah, I'm such a romantic fool. It's just that a lot of the old guys keep coming back with a more fresher sound... Well not all the "older" ones though. I was very dissapointed by the releases of Prince (I mean HITnRUN Phase One, P. how do you sleep? but...his Phase 2 is just classic P.!). Ben Folds (pretentious, but vague chamber noodlings), Jeff Lynne's ELO (=Jeff Lynne...) or Seal (Trevor Horn is back, but...without any surprises).  All too predictable and safe.
It's the fault of these retro times. Now, every "new" production can reproduce qualities from the thirties up to the sixties, uuuhm, seventies and ....mmm...the eighties to my bemefit, because my mind seems to wander off easily to what I've already heard. It's just like these newbies are saying "Joost, I know you've got that somewhere on vinyl, but who really cares?". It says a lot of these smug, arrogant, narcistic times. Who will rise to the occasion to do the unexpected?

In the meantime, here are my faves of 2015:
                                                              
                                                                              J.D.Souther - Tenderness

Veteran songwriter surprises with less is more. Subtle arrangements, production, subtle songwriting, title says it all.


                                                                    Steve Martin & Edie Brickell - So Familiar

Bluegrass? BanJoost? No, this is just a very comforting listen, very Up, very welcome in these times.


                                                                                       Boz Scaggs - A Fool To Care

The only Boss for me, age can do good. Eclectic and very soulful. That voice never bores me. Less is so much more...


                                                                                     Joe Jackson - Fast Forward

Welcome back Joe the composer, arranger of wide, colourful canvases. Musicians from Berlin, New York, Amsterdam and New Orleans keep this album fresh.

                                                                         David Gilmour- Rattle That Lock

I just love his tone in voice and guitar. The surpringly jazzy "The Girl In The Yellow Dress (Orchestral Version)". The instrumentals don't add anything specific, but overall there's still a comfortable Floyd in the air.

                                                                         Tom Robinson - Only The Now

 
Welcome back Tom! You're still angry and I feel it. Wild, edgy, actual and in your face, the subtle arrangements in quieter moments (title song) though especially, draw me in.

                                                                     James Taylor - Before This World

A new JT album? I've kept playing it a few times more than I'd expect. Songcrafting they call it. Just James Taylor. Nothing less.

                                                                         Prince - HITnRUN Phase Two

I have a love/hate relation with the purple one. But I think this is his most matured collection (with a few exceptions like Screwdriver) since.......fill me in! A more colourful production, especially the organic feel in the arrangements do the trick, if you like horns and slapping basses.

Books.
What usually happens when I read a biography, is the documenting part of it. I obsessively dig up everything I have in my possession (music to listen to, I listen to it again or movies I've watched, I watch again) or try to find it on www.
For example, The Grateful Dead, all the albums I once  indifferently listened to, I can appreciate and understand them better now, especially after reading a biography. The same happened with Alex Harvey, quite a lad! Another band that I've admired since 1977, Talking heads, I appreciate even more now (Remain In Light is my personal fave) than ever. So I read!

Quoting former post 2014:"And for the sensational background information, here's a few books I've read this year. As usual, mostly sleezy (auto)biographies. Recommended:"

Bobby Whitlock - A Rock'n Roll Biography (a lot of misfortunes, Eric Clapton, Derek & The Dominoes singer/keyboardsman)

David Byrne - How Music Works (this works a lot)

Dennis Mcnally - A Long Strange Trip Grateful Dead (the music man, LSD anyone?)

Donald L Barlett - Howard Hughes, his life & madness (exentric guy, strange times)

Gene Wilder - Kiss Me Like A Stranger My Search for Love and Art (talented guy)

John Neil Munro - The Sensational Alex Harvey (what a life!)

Jonathan Lethem - Talking Heads' Fear of Music (the first album I bought of TH in 1979 that made me an obsessive fan)

Martin Kielty - SAHB Story (the versatile band behind Alex Harvey)

Pamela De Barres - I'm With The Band (narcistic tale of obsessive groupie)

Rod Stewart - The Autobio (Rod does Rod)

David Bowman- Talking Heads This Must Be The Place (one of the best bands in the period 1977-1983 that made the eighties bearable)







 

Your Tube!

As you all know, Youtube is a very populair streamservice, so I've taken the liberty of putting some audio- consisting 5 songs for now- up there. Audio to watch on Your Tube!

Title & Covers for the new 2015 album

Beware, especially the impatient listeners, it's a longplayer (like a double album on vinyl), but relax... it consist mostly of short songs. 18 of them.  I could even choose from about thirty/forty songs. Lucky son of a ...Yes, it's been a very productive ride in my homestudio. But I'm aware...quantity is not quality.
Excited? Me?

I've been in a very electric- no, not in the heavy guitar metal way-state of mind the last year. All that bursts of inspiration, energy coming out, so I came up with this flashy title:

                                                Lightning Dutchman

sure, there are always references......a bluesname like Lighnin' Hopkins? Well, although I'm not a bluesman, I have a few blues chops in my throat, so indirectly it is) To me it sounds cool and nifty.

                                                                            

Frontcover

                                                                                                         The concept: 
Pictures have been taken by my camera-spying spouse Yola on a weekend trip, while climbing an endless dutch tower. I've dealt with the design (the black & white, lightning electricity effect) and what I especially liked about it, was the delusive perspective (upside down) of the staircase. It reminded me of the work of dutch artist Escher. The mystery of that Vanished Dutchguy. Fascinated by gravity and relativity? Take a walk into the illusion of the Penrose stairs
Now look at the covers (two frontcovers!) and tell me where the stairs are:
 

alt.Frontcover 2/innersleeve & Backcover & songlist

Excited! Me? 

Next: live session, New song, video promo "Lightning Dutchman"

2015: what am I here for and what can you do?

Hey, it's 2015 and here we are again: I'm in the last stages of a new TVD album. Slowly, but with the unavoidable bursts of energy (electricity!) and all the practising experiences I've endured, it is all working out smoothly.

Electric Dutchman

One thing I can't do, is to force this music and...the words.. Got one lyric about a past lovestory I can't finish. Yes, she broke my heart. Damn. But I got over it or did I(?), so the obvious, but paradoxal title "But Do I Miss You" came up. The answer? Two ways: I don't miss you at all, I miss you so bad. Dilemma. Well, that became the refrain. But for the rest it's... guess It's all about the right combination of words that have to gel together and for now they are just too cheesy! In the past I used my personal experiences as lyrics, but I try to make them less navelstaring and more "universal". That's where my goal lays here. Love and cheese, aaargh. Bold love then?
What can you do? (Throw money!) Maybe you can send me some alternative words that can give this story a litle more edge.
Really love to experiment with the homestudio though. It's just an addition to the finishing touch, like a simple palette, but with a wide range of colours to choose from if you mix them.

In the following months you can expect a few more posts, updates, so stand by me. BTW, what time is it?
Have a nice day, night or evening folks!

Update the up to date

Animated Dutchman

Although I'm in the middle of recording and writing some fresh tunes, there's always other things I have to take care off, like experimenting with the artwork for the new album. By the way, the above rainbow gif pic will not be used as a frontcover. It's just a example of what an amateur can do these days with a modest picture. Just a simple google search (photo-editor) is enough to find some great ones like Lunapic with gif animation. Back to the colourful acid area circa 1967!                                    

As I said earlier, I'm in the middle of recording new songs (these are mostly the most obvious studio  happenings, like writing melodies & lyrics, mixing, arranging, playing and goofing off) and there's a  lot to choose from, worthly of as least two albums(!) What comes quick, will last, that's my motto.   Sometimes I've got a-wow brilliant-idea (on piano or guitar or a lyric) so guickly played, arranged and recorded, that I often stand amazed afterwards. Two days work. For me, that's the most organic and satisfying way to do it. Ok, it's not like the mind blowing fast Pollock method, but hey, I would if I could play all the instruments  simultaneously. I just try to put the ideas on tape in the moment  you're one with the song. Wow, I must have got an acid brain!  I hear you think: "why not put out the songs ASAP then?" Well, that's because I still believe in the concept of making an album as a whole, not just spreading a few songs as loose ends. Fleshing out the finishing touches takes the most time.   The quantity helps for the learning process. Maybe I will put up some rough mixes here on the blog. I  guess it's just the kick of hearing the perfect fitting sounds, melodies and the exploring, experimenting and finishing of your creations, that makes you work faster. And as I'm getting older, the more flexible I've got. I've read somewhere that Prince- guess any prolific songwriter- works all through the night to finish a song, just to get it done.                                                                                                                                                                 So I better move on.....  In the meantime I'll need a title for the new album, suggestions anyone?