My Favourite Albums of All Time pt. 2
I missed a week! Sorry to keep y’all waiting 
This next one is the series is a gospel classic from 1998 (do they still make classic albums any more?)
Ladies & gentlemen Kim Burrell – Everlasting Life
The first time I heard anything from her was in my car, listening to what was Jazz FM back then, and I heard her sing “Over and Over Again” which blew my mind enough to go home and seek out the album.
To put it simply, her vocal control is incredible, and she uses her voice like an instrument, and constantly changes and improvises melodies.
My words don’t really do just justice…YouTube some of her live performances to see what I mean, and check out the video below and leave me some comments please
My Favourite Albums of All Time
I’ve been meaning to blog this for a while, but here are, in no particular order, some of my favourite albums of all time! Every Monday for the next….however long it takes!
You know that feeling when you hear a song and you ask yourself a number of questions at the same time…
“What is that track? Where can I get it? DJ, I hope you back announce this one? Why haven’t I heard this before?”
Well ladies and gents: I present you, Tommy Sims – Peace And Love
This gem from 2000 ticks so many boxes for me – live instruments, varied styles, strong songwriting, top arrangements and on-point vocals to name a few. You might have heard of Tommy Sims through his work with Israel Houghton, Ce-Ce Winans, Bruce Springsteen, Blackstreet and more.
I like the vibe of a whole album as a project that you can listen to from start to finish and go on a musical journey.
Better that you listen to it for yourself really though! It’s kinda hard to get hold of, but you can listen on in full on Spotify or we7.com [side note if you don't have Spotify or use we7...why not?]
Look out for another great album next week, and don’t forget to leave comments for me to let me know if I’ve missed the mark, or if you like it.
Big shout to Paul Aaron for introducing me to his work!
2011…a fresh start
I had a massive clear out today. Purge, catharsis, etc. And you know what? It feels great! There’s so much more physical space and I know where everything is.
The next step is to do the same in my ‘digital space’ but that’s another blog!
2010 was varied, 2011 is already looking interesting. My wife and I are planning our homeschooling and events schedule for the year, my eldest will be 10 this year, my youngest will be 1, and there are 5 other birthdays in the house!
There are a number of music releases planned, as well as some new business ideas rattling around in my head… I’m excited!
So until my next post, enjoy a short video quote from Eddie Murphy
Test post from Android app
If this works well, I’ll be blogging a lot more!
Hope you all had a Happy Christmas and for those that didn’t get a gift from me…here’s some (((hugs)))
Android on the HD2
Old news for some, but I’ve been running Android on my HD2 for the last few days with no crashes!
And I like it. A lot.
I’ve been running the latest Mattc Leo 1.7 version for a while, but was having problems where it would freeze and need a soft reset. Until I updated the radio…now no crashes for days
Personally, I like having two mobile O/S on one phone but I’ve got a little while to upgrade time, but I wonder if my next mobile will be Windows Phone 7, Android or iPhone 4?
Choices, choices…
* Update: I wrote this a few weeks ago, and since then haven’t used Windows Mobile at all. I’ve been bitten by the Google bug! They already know waaaaay to much about me anyway, so what’s a few contacts between, err, friends
A Photocopy of a Photocopy
Ever noticed how poor a photocopy of a photocopy looks?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSimulacrum (plural: -cra), from the Latin simulacrum which means “likeness, similarity”, used to describe a representation of another thing, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god; by the late 19th century, it had gathered a secondary association of inferiority: an image without the substance or qualities of the original.
It’s a similar thing in music…”that reminds me of…”, “have you heard that new track by Cliche? It sounds just like Blah, Blah, Blah!”
Or in life in general, where we can often try to imitate or emulate those that inspire us, but fall short.
I’ve been listening to some really good ‘old’ music, and some really, really bad ‘new’ music and come to the conclusion that a lot of bad and/or boring stuff comes from trying to copy or keep up with the latest trends.
You can only get a decent copy from the original source, so you have two options; go back to that source, or create an original yourself. Better still, ask The Original Source to inspire you to create something unique!
Do you know anyone that can create something out of nothing? Someone that can speak something and it happens?
I do…
You were born an original. Don’t die a copy. ~John Mason
Metamorphosis pt.2
I saw a quote on Twitter recently “Every caterpillar can become a butterfly, but not every one does”
It made me think about my current situation. I have just been made redundant (for the third time. That’s another blog in itself. Ever get the feeling God is trying to tell you something?)
Rather than a sense of panic, I feel a sense of freedom. I feel like I’ve been that caterpillar for too long, eating the leaves of the corporate world, working extra hard to make sure I eat plenty, yet trying to camouflage and make sure I merge into my chosen surroundings, a good little employee.
Yes, by God’s grace I have pretty much been in full-time employment since I left Uni (many, many years ago) but again like the caterpillar, metamorphosis must come.
You know, in that delicate time of preparation nothing is added to the cocoon, everything that it takes to make that massive change is already in there, it just takes a massive internal re-arrangement.
Watch out. A change is coming. I’m emerging from the cocoon and I’m ready to fly, baby!
Anyone wanna join me?
By the way, I wanted to capture a spectacular photo of a butterfly, but they just don’t keep still for long, do they? I’m going to have to visit the London Butterfly House one day
Photos!
Well summer’s here, I have my HD2 and I’ve been taking some shots, messing around with the ISO and light settings and come out with these…
and ooh look, there they are on the right
Now part of me wants a fancy-pants camera now, but as you know, I really, really prefer just having one device that does it all!
(now do I need a DLR, SLR, DLSR, DVLA, YMCA….minefield)
Metamorphosis pt.1
A butterfly is an example of transformation in God’s time. It takes a while but once it has changed, there’s no going back!
TRANSFORMATION or METAMORPHOSIS – Can life imitate nature?
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal’s body structure through cell growth and differentiation. It is usually (but not always) accompanied by a change of habitat or behaviour.
Hmmm, changes of habitat or behaviour…sounds like what might happen after some kind of renewal, re-birth or crossroads in our life…anyway
The word “metamorphosis” derives from the Greek meta (change) and morphe (form).
So the humble caterpillar. Not much to look at, spends its life eating and avoiding predators, until God says it’s ready to undergo a massive change – a time away from everyone, hidden away from everything else. No-one else to hold your hand, you go through this alone…anybody been there?
During this time the insect is very vulnerable because it cannot run away, and this is why insects try to choose somewhere safe to hide away when they are going through this incredible change.
Look at that. God makes a safe place for us to hide while we are at our most vulnerable, to wait safely under His protection as the changes take place.
But what’s happening during this change? Because from outside it doesn’t look like anything is happening at all!
In the pupa, there is little movement and no feeding as its body is liquified and the materials in the cells are broken down and then completely reorganised.
Oh my. So while it looks like nothing is happening, inside I’m being completely broken down, liquified, and reorganised! I don’t like the sound of that! Lord, is there an easier way for these changes to take place?
Well yes there is, but there comes a time when turning over new leaves just won’t do anymore. Ask anyone who’s ever tried dieting. Is it better to crash diet, or change your lifestyle over the long haul? New Years Resolutions anybody? Or maybe that same struggle with sin that you’ve prayed about hundreds of times already…
I guess sometimes we all need to be broken down and re-built from scratch. Ouch.
The good news is the Master Craftsman who is putting us back together knows exactly what He is doing, so while we are perhaps imagining a mosaic of broken fragments, He has a masterpiece in mind.
Part 2 is coming soon, but feel free to comment below!
Producer Tips #2
Ok, I tweeted this tip earlier…
“If a vocal take is not good enough to be upfront in the mix, it’s not good enough”
I say this because whether you are singing or rapping, there is always some kind of message you want to get across to your audience.
There are a few common mistakes in this area.
- Letting an artist do a weak vocal and hoping you can tune it/edit/mask it with effects
- Making an instrumental so full, there is no room for the vocals
- Placing the vocals too low in the overall mix.
Personally, I’d rather get a good vocal take with lots of feeling, than a pitch perfect one with little emotion. By the way, don’t be afraid to give guidance on how vocal phrases should be approached for the best end result.
Making a beat without a song is ok, but once there are vocals on it, again don’t be afraid (or too proud) to strip stuff out to make room for the vocals.
Lastly, once you’ve got the vocal ready, make 2 or 3 final mixes of your tracks, where the lead, and possibly backing vocals are brought a bit forward in the mix and see which one ‘sits’ best.
There’s a lot more of these tips coming, so feel free to comment here, ask questions or let me know what other tips you’d like to see!
-
Flickr Photos
More Photos
Things I use to save money, or simplify my life!
-
Lisa Mayers Maxi Single
-
