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Saturday, May 03, 2008
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Silvertone Fountains
Category: Music
I've plunged back into the whirlpool of work in search of creative solace and satisfaction. I'd begun to re-work aspects of my 'SILVERTONE FOUNTAINS' album before the Christmas break but have now virtually abandoned all but four or five of the original 16 pieces of music I'd selected for it. As a result, I've recorded 15 brand new pieces for possible inclusion on the album, 'though not all of these will make the final cut. Consequently, there are more than enough abandoned or 'left over' pieces to fill this year's limited edition Nelsonica convention album. In fact, the connvention album may have to be a double disc set this time. And why not...it is the year of my 60th birthday after all. A good reason to push the boat out, I think.
As for 'SILVERTONE FOUNTAINS,' well, I think it's one of the richest sounding, most complex instrumental albums of my career, but it has innocence, spontaneity, charm and melody too. It pulls together the stylistic traits of the last half-dozen albums I've recorded but does this in a manner that I hope will shine new light, (and shade,) on the music.
The album also contains one of the trickiest, retro-hip, jump-jive guitar instrumentals I've ever committed to a recording. It's part of a piece which develops, out of the blue, from a reflective, melancholy meditation on transcience to a fast-paced, joyous collusion of mind, fingers and strings. The piece is called 'Young Dreams, Whirled Away,' (the 'whirled away' part of the title referring to the aforementioned speedy guitar section.) This piece, for me, provides one of the album's highlights.
Overall though, the album is a heady mixture of dreamy melancholy and ecstatic celebration. It is, (arguably,) a slightly more demanding or challenging listen than the original album I'd assembled under the 'Silvertone Fountains' title last October, but all the better for that, in my opinion.
Having said this, there's nothing overtly 'avant-garde' about it, just a gentle twist of sound here and there, a faint suggestion of the surreal, a faded dream wrapped up in silver filigrees and golden clouds of buttery guitar. Whilst on the sunject of guitars, there's quite a nice selection of them on this album, the most featured being my Campbell Nelsonic signature model, my Eastwood Airline 'Map' guitar and my newly aquired Peerless Monarch archtop, plus a touch of Gretsch twang and a sprinkle of Telecaster bright-spangled shine, (this last courtesy of an instrument on generous loan to me from my friend Johnny Moo.)
There are still adjustments to be made to the track selection though. I've today come to the conclusion that two of the tracks, maybe, don't sit as neatly into the overall feel of the album as I'd like and I might yet replace these two pieces with either a couple of the original album's tracks or even switch on my recorder again to create two more new pieces. I'll decide about this over the next few days or so.
8:45 PM
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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Harold Budd
Category: Music
World Press Archive:
Harold Budd, Brighton Dome, Brighton
By Chris Hall in "The Independent", 27 May 2005
The avant-garde pianist and composer Harold Budd's final concert before retiring was a real coup for the Festival, with Bill Nelson, John Foxx, Robin Guthrie and Jah Wobble among those joining "the godfather of ambient music".
But it began more like a wake, not helped by the violin virtuoso Alexander Balanescu's sombre introduction. The audience greeted his string quartet almost reverentially, and as each short movement suddenly halted, you could hear the pages of the score being turned and the hum of static. Mournful renditions of "Chrysalis Nu" and "Three Faces West", though exquisitely timed, couldn't help but feel valedictory.
Budd entered, briefly acknowledging the audience. His stabbing chords counterpointed Theo Travis's beautiful flute playing, and on "Arabesque II", Budd's piano rolled and roiled, suggesting an anxious kind of restfulness. His music is always paradoxical in this way, the fragile beauty of the surface belying a darker emotional topography.
The mood was lifted with "How Vacantly You Stare at Me". Budd's minimalism has always suggested a film score (he has written a few) and this was aided tonight by Russell Mills's set design: four drapes and a giant backdrop burnt with colour.
The reception for the guitar legend Nelson - a few whoops, the odd "yeah!" - was as riotous as it got, but his guitar created a bizarre ecstasy on "The Trees Alone", an elemental spectacle with the echo and refrain of Foxx's gothic incantations turning the hall into a cathedral.
After the interval, Steve Jansen, formerly the drummer with Japan, appeared bathed in blue light and performed the solo gong piece "Lirio", which acted as an awesome segue into the 30-minute mega-jam that followed as the musicians collected on stage. You can see why Budd has liked working with the ex-Cocteau Twin guitarist Guthrie, who similarly squeezes so much out of so little. This was lift music in the elevator to heaven.
Otherwise, the music felt oddly desiccated, Budd's delicate piano all but lost under the other instruments. It wasn't until Jah Wobble's bass groove and Jansen's crisp drumming kicked in that some urgency was injected.
I suppose that a few here might have been secretly hoping that some friends could have arranged his infamous "topless choir" instruction for his "Madrigals for the Rose Angel" score as a send-off, but clearly that would have been too much excitement for everyone.
9:31 AM
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Dreamsville Rocket
BILL NELSON UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE!
For some time now, Bill Nelson has dreamed of creating a website which could serve not only as a research center for fans of his creative work but also as an expression of his personal life and interests. Now, with the launch of the first phase of 'Dreamsville, The Official, Global, Bill Nelson Website', that dream finally begins to materialise.
Dreamsville is a digital hamlet that will eventually house all manner of delights, a domain that will allow its citizens a direct insight into Bill's life and work along with the multitude of things that have inspired it.
The site appears in a fairly rudimentary form at this moment but will gradually be expanded as time allows. Bill's priority will always be his music and so the development of Dreamsville will, quite naturally, have to fit around this core activity. Eventually, however, Dreamsville will provide a complete and unique resource with a personal touch and attention to detail that can only be found in an artist originated and run site.
Like any new town, Dreamsville comes loaded with hopes and aspirations, manifestos and ambitions. Its success, however, will largely depend upon its citizens and visitors. In this respect, each individual fan's enthusiasm and input is welcomed. The town's growth and future life depends very much upon the support of all those who consider themselves to be connoisseurs of Bill Nelson's complex body of work. To help create a sense of community, 'The Dreamsville Inn' has been specially constructed as a means of communication for all loyal Nelsonians, world wide. It is hoped that this pleasant and traditionally 'English' location will provide a hospitable meeting place for considered and intelligent conversation.
This very newspaper, 'The Dreamsville Rocket', will be issued as and when news arrives of activities that may interest you. All issues will be archived at 'The Newspaper Office' so that a permanent reference can be built up. You will be able to subscribe to 'The Dreamsville Rocket' for free and thereby be informed of the publication of the latest issue.
Those who have followed Bill Nelson's diary over the years will be able to continue with this by regularly checking in the 'study' area of 'Villa Nelsonia' which is accessible from the town plan on the Dreamsville home page. The ongoing 'Diary Of A Hyperdreamer' will be posted there as each entry is created. There will be other areas within the villa for Bill's personal musings too, although these will appear a little later as the site develops.
So, there you have it... Welcome to Dreamsville and The Dreamsville Rocket.
ROSEWOOD: On its way! 
Bill Nelson's latest recording project, a two volume set called 'ROSEWOOD, Ornaments And Graces For Acoustic Guitar' is about to be manufactured. It is hoped to make 'ROSEWOOD VOLUME ONE' available sometime in May.
'ROSEWOOD VOLUME TWO' will be released a little further into the summer.
This project concentrates on acoustic guitar instrumentals but is more than just the usual 'unplugged' confections served up as rustic fodder for suburban hillbillys these days. It is a direct linear development from the 'Dreamland To Starboard' album and sets Bill's acoustic guitar in an ambient soundscape that suggests a jazz and contemporary classical context as well as a broader neo-roots music vibe.
The track listing for the two albums is given below
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'ROSEWOOD' VOLUME ONE-
1. Blues For Orpheus
2. Escondido Oleander
3. Lumia
4. Filament
5. Lacuna
6. Cascade. (Improvisation For Three Harp Guitars)
7. She Swings Skirt
8. Mexico City Dream. (For Gil Evans)
9. Ventura
10. The Girl In The Park In The Rain
11. Apollonian Tremolo
12. Giant Hawaiian Showboat
13. Cremona
14. The Land Of Lost Time
15. Sleepless In The Ticking Dark |
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'ROSEWOOD' VOLUME TWO-
1. 'Tinderbox'
2. 'Aliumesque'
3. 'Little Cantina'
4. 'Rolling Home, (Yorkshire Raga No.1)'
5. 'Sunbeam'
6. 'Bramble'
7. 'William Is Wearing The Cardigan Of Light'
8. 'The Autumn Tram, (Yorkshire Raga No. 2)'
9. 'Hi Lo La'
10. 'Rising Sap'
11. 'Blue Cloud'
12. 'See-Through Nightie'
13. 'Ordinary Storm, Waiting For Rain'
14. 'The Light Is Kinder In This Corner Of Corona'
15. 'Your Whole Life Dreaming |
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'Rosewood' is a limited edition release on Bill's own 'SONOLUXE' label and will be exclusively available from 'THE DREAMSVILLE DEPARTMENT STORE' or from official merchandising stalls at Bill Nelson's live concerts.
HAROLD BUDD. A SPECIAL TRIBUTE CONCERT
Bill Nelson will be featured in a very special, not to be missed concert for his long-time friend Harold Budd, being staged in Brighton on the 21st of May, 2005 as part of the Brighton Arts Festival. The concert will include performances by Jah Wobble, Robin Guthrie, John Foxx, Theo Travis, Steve Cobby and Steve Jansen, (as well as Bill) plus other special guests still to be confirmed. Check out the Brighton Festival website for further details. This concert can never be repeated and is not to be missed!
ROSEWOOD, Ornaments And Graces For Acoustic Guitar, Volume One
Bill's personal view of the album's development and its place within his work:-
"I'd considered making an acoustic guitar based album for some time... but an instrumental one that would comfortably sit alongside such projects as 'The Romance Of Sustain,' 'Plaything' and 'Dreamland To Starboard.' I also wanted to avoid the obvious 'unplugged' approach. You know the kind of thing I mean, that faintly commercial, middle class, faux-folksy, nouveau-puritanical, rootsy methodism, with its slyly manipulative suggestion of a kind of 'backwoods/backwards' naivety... the easy seduction of an unsophisticated, barefoot girl outside a log cabin with her Ma and Pa away in town to buy feed for the chickens. Or maybe the rustic lure of big beards and banjos, overalls, oil stains and tobacco, the romantic refuge of city boys stricken by an identity crisis. Not that I haven't consciously employed such notions of whimsy within my own music in the past. And I've certainly purchased and enjoyed my own fair share of those kind of albums, authentic or otherwise. So, I'm not coming down heavy on the Hollywood Hillbilly Hordes here. What I'm trying to say is that I wanted to bring something else to this project, other than its essential declaration of woody 'acoustic-ness.'
In one sense 'Rosewood' is a reversal of older confabulations, (look it up, it doesn't exist), that easy thrill of taking technology and applying primitivist attitudes to it... old hat now, (and for some time too). Not that approach, definitely not, but a slightly different one.
From these hesitant attempts to rationalise my methods, you might surmise that Rosewood was deliberately set aside, conceptualised, cut, dried and prepared, before I even tuned my guitar. As if the hatching of a concept was the alpha and omega of the thing. This wasn't quite the case. I may often begin in such a manner but the music inevitably demands its own violent deviation from such restrictions. It inevitably throws a curve ball.
Of course, I always have the option to adhere to the original narrow remit or ignore it completely. I could profitably pursue the clear-cut track of the super-disciplined, minimalist aesthete, or actually have fun and play around with whatever the void throws up. Some would view the latter as a lazy approach but they'd be wrong. It's tougher dealing with the freedom to run anywhere at all in a field, rather than to walk down some pre-ordained white line. The more options available, the harder the task. It can go either way or otherwise. And 'otherwise' is often the best. Just the sheer sensuousness of playing and hearing it play back provides all the joy that I need or would wish to convey... Just because it's there for me and it's mere existence appears beautiful and an accidental miracle of sorts. But... aren't all miracles accidental, God being dead, (other than in the fevered imaginations of the devout?) Despite my half-hearted resistance, I've more than often found that 'going with the flow' leads to far more vital and potent results than pursuing the established art magazine, bourgeois affectations so beloved of the chattering classes... slick, over controlled hang-overs from English '80's Thatcherism. Such restrictive attitudes, to me, are nothing more than cliched expressions of fashion as fascism, (and so on ad nauseum). Music for anal-retentives? Well, suburban coffee table, dinner-party aesthetics are generally guaranteed to bring out the rebel in me. And the boorish, anarchist iconoclast. But then, I'm bound to be biased, aren't I?
Anyway... back to the act of ART and all its absolutely irrelevant, transcendent perversions, the stuff we love and adore: Each time I begin an act of music making, I'm presented with a multitude of options. So many different angles and approaches and obsessions, all competing for my time and energy. Another cliche, perhaps, but: The artist's lot isn't so much to create, as to choose. He is adrift in a whirlpool of possibilities. It is a fierce place. 'Choose' is perhaps a misleading term in this instance. To cast the dice, is probably more apt.
I am, on the one hand, just a simple guitar player with only one song to sing. On the other, I'm a reasonably well read, thoughtful, self-injurious, open-minded, poetically motivated, conceptually aware artist with selfishly personal, troubled and complex ideas to explore, (or 'issues to resolve,' to put it in pop-psychoanylitical terms). Or, on the other hand, (Oh, yes, I have three, you know), I'm simply in love with the sound of music, the physical feel of a guitar and the crackle and fizz and superficial beauty of my own gossamer thoughts and dreams. The latter, most probably. Or perhaps all of the above. Delete according to taste.
With 'Rosewood' I wanted to take a basic, 'primitive' acoustic guitar and deal with it as if it was an electric instrument. This isn't to say that Rosewood is an experimental work. That old Jean Cocteau thing of 'taking a line for a walk' doesn't necessarily denote a dive into uncharted waters... Music's well-mapped oceans are pretty much over-fished anyway. The notion of 'newness' is as much a conservative concept as 'traditionalism.'
An establishment perpetuated myth. Pop-Radicalism is rarely new, only like shifting sand, formed by tides of time and place and commerce, rather than absolute cultural need. Often nothing more than the kind of metaphysical lies touted by snake-oil salesmen, hoping to seduce their customers with the heady perfume of miracles and danger. A pirated, fake Chanel, mixed from sour and stale ingredients, masked with vanilla. It wasn't always so...
Despite all this nebulous talk of here and there, now and then, Rosewood may be perceived by some to be fundamentally, deliciously retrogressive. Also, pretty, attractive, charming, mellow... . The plink, plonk, twang of nostagia.
I cheerfully admit it has much to do with memory and nostalgia... but it remembers a past that never actually existed. The whole thing is a figment of imagination, a chimera, a fantasy projected in Disneyesque pastels. It may appear odd and alien to those few who encountered a head-scratching moment as a result of some of the acoustic interludes on my earlier albums, or to those who still hanker after amped-up '70's guitar heroisms.
It may certainly appear odd to those who are a little too young, old, or insular to have explored the kitsch technicolour fringes of retroland, the lush meadows of English pastoralism, the smokey blue neon of '50's soho jazz clubs, the whirr and gleam of Post-Victorian fairy's wings, the rattle, bang and zoom of tin-can rocketships, the fairground colours of canal narrow-boats, the white hot hiss of steam trains, the warm, glowing golden static of Mullard valves in old radios, the Orson Welles-blessed zither's of Eastern Europe, the eternal attraction of a box of Lakeland coloured pencils alongside crisp, blank, white sheets of paper, the inevitable melancholy of impeding old age and autumn, the remembrance of youth and its follies, the tiny diamonds in snow, just after falling, the stars that shine through windows at night after love and sex, the church bells that drift over meadows and frame the first cuckoo of spring, the winding stream that sings and ripples and dazzles a bumblebee's eyes in summer, the bluebells that swoon beneath trees and perfume my dreams, the clouds that shift, change and form the faces of family ghosts in an August blue sky, the sound of my fingers on the strings of an acoustic guitar, the hum of a broken effects unit... All this, is my Rosewood and more. And Rosewood, in case you hadn't spotted it, is also the name of the most typical wood used in the construction of the fretboards of acoustic guitars. As above, so below. It's all surface and as deep as a wishing well."
BILL NELSON. APRIL 2005
ROSEWOOD - Jon Wallinger gives his personal view
For the last couple of weeks, I have had the pleasure of being in possession of a pre-mastered copy of Bill Nelson's latest instrumental CD 'Rosewood - Volume One'.
When I say, "I've had the pleasure", that is exactly what it has been.
This latest recording flows on wonderfully from 'Romance Of Sustain' and 'Dreamland To Starboard'. But whilst those albums were centred around electric guitars, the melody maker on Rosewood is the acoustic guitar.
Headbangers may be disappointed, because at no stage during Rosewood do you get to shake your curly locks, but if you want my advice, play it after a hard day at work, lie back, put your feet up, close your eyes and let the gentle, haunting sounds massage your mind to a state of tranquillity so often forgotten about in today's world.
But it's not just the guitar that sets the scene, there are layers of sounds, very minimal, but what there are fits so well... touches of ethnic percussion in places, bells and wind-chimes. Guitars in reverse appear a couple of times just to remind you who the recording artist is.
It is quite a task to pick out individual song titles for special mentions. When listening to this CD, the tracks seem to merge to become a complete recording. You may have read that Bill spent quite some time working on the track selection and running order, the effort was well worth it, creating a complete journey rather than individual trips. There is just one track that I don't think fits particularly well among the others - I won't tell you which one, I'll let you make your own minds up... it will probably end up being everybody else's favourite!
So if you enjoyed 'Romance' and 'Dreamland' then I predict that you are going to feel the same about the dreamy, ambient world of Rosewood.
Roll on Volume Two...
Jon Wallinger
NEWS JUST IN...
Bill Nelson is planning a U.K. tour for October and November of this year.
It will be a solo tour which will explore a new direction for Bill. As well as the more familiar use of instrumental material, Bill is intending to create several vocal pieces which can be performed live as a soloist, without the need for a band. These new songs will be designed to sit alongside his instrumental work in a harmonious fashion and will place Bill's live work in an entirely fresh context. Bill's previous solo outings have been exclusively instrumental, (except for a performance of 'Wonder Of The Moment' at 'The City Varieties' in Leeds in the Autumn of 2003), so this project is something of an adventure. Bill will also compose some new instrumentals and put together sections of video to fit. The tour's ultimate concept is currently under wraps but further developments and venues will be announced here when appropriate.
A band-based tour, a further development of last year's venture, is being considered for 2006. This too would incorporate a new concept and presentation whilst still touching on some familiar music.
NELSONICA
The Beat Goes On
It is hoped to organise an official Nelsonica fan convention this year.
Plans are currently being discussed and a new venue is being investigated.
The timing of the convention is dependent upon the eventual Autumn solo tour schedule but it is hoped that Nelsonica can be accommodated. Various new proposals have been put forward to develop the convention and provide fans with an opportunity to share a day out with Bill. Live performance will be included in this event, along with other special items of interest. Keep your eye on 'The Dreamsville Rocket' for the latest developments.
BILL NELSON LAUNCHES NEW RECORD LABEL
'Sonoluxe' is the latest name in a long line of Bill Nelson originated and owned record labels. It continues Bill's commitment to operating independently of the mainstream music industry, a tradition that Bill began in the very early 1970's with his 'Smile Records' label. 'Sonoluxe' will provide a quality service for those people who appreciate intelligent, stylish music, music that has no need of the narrow categorisation that so sadly limits contemporary listening habits. Each 'Sonoluxe' release will be a little work of art in itself, designed to give years of enjoyment. The label's first release will be the long-awaited 'ROSEWOOD' project.
CARLSBRO TO MANUFACTURE A LIMITED EDITION, BILL NELSON DESIGNED AMPLIFIER!
Due to unexpected demand, Carlsbro amplification are to manufacture a highly limited edition version of the amplifier and speaker cabinet personally designed by Bill Nelson and used by him on last year's 30th anniversary tour. Each unit will carry a specially engraved and numbered plate featuring Bill's signature. Once the initial small quantity have been made, no further units will be built. It is destined to be a rare and valuable collector's item. More news of this exclusive project as it develops.
TWO NEW DIARY ENTRIES
Bill has written two new diary entries, exclusive to Dreamsville. In the first, dated 21st of April 2005, Bill writes about the Dreamsville launch, his10th wedding anniversary and his new plans for an autumn tour, as well as musings on the general election and the joys of a waxed mustache.
In the second entry, dated 28th April 2005, Bill writes about ill health, the first cuckoo of spring, the mastering of Rosewood, Buddhist art, property development and the website launch delay. Diary of a Hyperdreamer is open for you to read on the desk of Bill's study in Villa Nelsonica.
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9:20 AM
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Dreamsville Rocket
Category: Music
ROSEWOOD VOLUME ONE FINALLY RELEASED 
Bill Nelson's custom record label, 'SONOLUXE, ' has released the long-awaited album, 'Rosewood Volume One'. This is the first ever Bill Nelson instrumental album designed to spotlight his acoustic guitar playing and is also the first ever release on the 'SONOLUXE' label.
The album's15 instrumental tracks paint beautiful pictures with sound, providing an ideal accompaniment to a mythical, dreamy English summer. The music blends tints of folk, ambient, jazz, blues and contemporary composition along with spontaneous improvisation and discrete digital processing. The album is both melodic and mysterious, humming with the electricity of imagination.
'Rosewood Volume One' is only the first half of Bill's acoustic guitar project. 'Rosewood Volume Two, ' containing another 15 tracks, will be released a little later in the year. Volume Two has a slightly more uptempo feel, whilst still atmospheric and evocative. The two albums are companion pieces and should be heard in sequence to follow the music's developmental thread.
'Rosewood Volume One' is instantly available from 'The Dreamsville Department Store'. Simply click on the Dreamsville Department Store name on the Dreamsville Home Page, then click on the 'Rosewood Volume One' listing and you will be automatically connected with Sound On Sound magazine's store. (Sound On Sound have kindly provided facilities for ordering by mail). Select your country of residence, click on the 'Bill Nelson Music' name on the menu listed on the left hand side of the page and then select the product you require. Follow instructions through to the checkout, completing your details where requested. Your order will be processed for immediate dispatch. Payment can be made by credit card or cheque.
DREAMSVILLE WEBSITE PROVES TO BE A BIG HIT WITH FANS 
The response to the recent launch of 'DREAMSVILLE, The Official Global Bill Nelson Website', has been overwhelmingly positive. Although the site is still in its infancy and much work still remains to be done, the initial reaction from fans has been extremely encouraging. Within hours of its launch, the site was flooded with enthusiastic praise and the Dreamsville Inn forum is now constantly buzzing with the vibrant thoughts and conversations of hundreds of regular visitors.
Bill Nelson, when asked how he felt about the public response to the site said: "I'm overwhelmed by the kind words and continuing loyalty of all those who have posted messages of support on the Dreamsville Inn Forum. It's a fabulous feeling to know that my music and work continues to connect with those generous hearts and minds who are tuned into it. I intend to continue the development of Dreamsville far into the future, gradually building up a self-contained resource that will diligently serve all who enjoy my music, wherever they may reside.
Of course, Dreamsville has received tremendous help from various quarters: Ian Gilby, Paul Gilby, Dave Graham, Chuck Bird and Jon Wallinger being amongst the principal guardian angels, but the ultimate success of the site is down to those many afficionados of my work who continue to support what I do, year after year... people who have been open-hearted and brave enough to negotiate the twists and turns of my creative life with me. My map is also their map and the complex journey is accomplished in unison as a shared experience, together. It is to these people that Dreamsville owes its being. And it is because of them that I'm pursuaded that my efforts might be worthwhile, despite my occasional bouts of self-doubt. I'd like to thank everyone, both behind the scenes and out in the public auditorium, for their much needed help in dragging my dreams from the shadows into the light of day. I hope that they will continue to enjoy sharing these musical and visual explorations with me."
BILL NELSON'S AUTUMN TOUR PLANS BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE
Opium (Arts) Ltd, Bill Nelson's management company, are currently working with a London-based agency to book venues for Bill's planned November Solo UK Tour. Several possible venues have been suggested but, at this stage, nothing has been officially confirmed.
It does seem that one venue in the midlands has already been advertising tickets for sale, despite the fact that official confirmation for this particular concert has yet to be given from Bill's management team. The Dreamsville Rocket advises fans to wait until official dates are properly confirmed on the Dreamsville website before buying tickets. Basically, until a proper tour announcement is made on this site, all other announcements are unauthorised and speculative.
Whilst these plans are being discussed, Bill Nelson is working towards the actual concept and presentation details of the November tour. Bill plans to write new songs and instrumentals for these concerts, AND hopefully put together backing tracks for one or two older songs too. ('Though this latter idea is only a possibility at this stage. It will depend upon having enough time available beyond the new material). He also hopes to be able to assemble a brand new presentation of his videogram-style visuals, to act as a stage backdrop. Bill has been constantly developing ideas for the tour and, until the deadline for advertising is reached, everything will be subject to change. Like Bill's recordings, the ideas are in a constant state of flux until the final shape and form materialises.
One possible concept, however, can be revealed by the Dreamsville Rocket, and it is this: The tour may go out under the following banner: 'BILL NELSON AND THE GREAT NORTH YORKSHIRE ASTRAL ORCHESTRA, One Man, A Galaxy Of Overdubs... ' The Great North Yorkshire Astral Orchestra, of course, is simply Bill with his pre-recorded interactive backing tapes, over which he will play guitar and sing live. But the framework that the title provides adds a theatrical, romantic element to the performance, a context within which Bill can feel inspired. Long time fans of Bill's music will be familiar with his passion for inventing fictional names and frameworks for his work so it will come as no surprise that the forthcoming tour will continue in that tradition.
The element of 'play', (in the sense of a child using play to explore and respond to its personal environment), is an essential component in Bill Nelson's creative life. He has always attempted to preserve a wide-eyed wonder, a feeling of joyous awakening, whilst creating his music and visuals. An appropriate choice of titles for songs, albums, videos and concert tours becomes an essential part of this process. The 'naming of things' gives them pupose and power. Names become magical incantations, keys to unlock other realms. Whilst Bill's music could be thought of as, on the one hand, subtle, serious and knowing, on the other it is playful, whimsical and gently surreal. It is the balancing and blending of these various elements that has shaped Bill's working methods and creative choices over the years. The forthcoming Autumn tour, whatever banner it eventually goes out under, will provide a platform for further experiments in the fine art of practical dreaming.
DID BRIGHTON ROCK?
A weekend in Brighton to celebrate the work of Harold Budd, his last live performance as sadly Harold is retiring from music.
A long and frustrating drive down from Selby on the Friday meant I had a long soak in the bath as soon as I found my hotel, then with the aches and pains washed away, it was out to find a pub. The first pub I found, I went into, and who should be at the bar but Pete Harwood (guitar tech from the tour last year) and fellow Satellite, Dave Standeven. They were the guitar techs for the show, so I knew I was going to be filled in on all the gossip!
They gave me a run-down of what I was to expect the following day, including mention of a gong solo... very intriguing!
Early hours of the morning and time to find my hotel...
Saturday lunchtime found me (again) in the pub... who should be sitting there this time but Harold Budd himself! I introduced myself and he said he recognised my face from the couple of times we had met previously. It was then time for Harold to head back to the venue to continue with rehearsals and he invited me back with him so I could say "Hi" to Bill.
I hung around during the rehearsals for a while, then decided to make an exit as I didn't want to spoil the evening's entertainment by seeing too much of the show too early! But what I did see was a real interesting mix of musicians and musical styles.
So back to the pub and met up with several of the Nelson-Faithful... then onto the show. First up was the 'Balanescu String Quartet'. String quartets are not my favourite thing, probably because I have no idea what they are doing or how they are doing it, but very enjoyable all the same!
Then, on comes Harold, with Theo Travis on flute and sax. For me, this was the real start of the show. An excellent mix but over far too soon. Then it was Bill's turn, nice to hear a great welcome from the crowd when he walked on! Firstly, Bill played a couple of pieces with his acoustic guitar, but the sound mix did not do the music any justice, it all seemed rather bass driven... if only Ian Thorpe had been mixing engineer this would have been awesome!
On came John Foxx to join Harold and Bill. This, for me was one of the highlights of the evening. Bill was playing his Gus guitar, so the mix was better, unfortunately there was an electrical buzz coming from somewhere, but I didn't care! John Foxx's dreamy choral chants blended perfectly with Bill's guitar and Harold's piano, this trio really did seem to gel.
Harold closed the first half with a couple of beautiful piano pieces, which although very minimal at times, had a beauty that had me hanging on every note. So flip the disc and let's see what's on side two...
The programme stated - Steve Jansen: solo gong. I had been forewarned about this event by Dave and Pete, so was really looking forward to it. Steve started by almost brushing the surface of this huge gong, doing very light drum rolls around the edge, slowly increasing in force and moving the playing area form edge to centre to edge. The resulting sound was a resonant bass hum which tended to phase in and out while pitch was ridden up and down depending on what Steve was doing at the time. I could tell that the couple next to me weren't as impressed as I was, their tutting and complaining "Hurry-ups" was starting to get on my nerves, I could have listened to this bit alone for hours.
But Robin Guthrie's guitar soon took over from the gong-hum, playing sustained/looped chords and building layer upon layer of them until there was a wash of sound. Steve Cobby then sat at his laptop and introduced bells and swirling electronic noises, which fit in so well with the background guitar. Then came Harold, followed by Theo, then Alexander Balanescu, all adding their piece, again the mix started to suffer as people could be seen playing but not much heard at times!
Bill then joined the band with some exquisite E-Bow work, at times it seemed like a bit of a scramble between who would be playing their bit next and at times when everyone was playing it all got a bit muddy. Then came Jah Wobble and Steve Jansen and with the addition of bass and drums, this really kicked the piece into gear! Both Steve and Jah were exceptionally solid, a tight and dynamic sound that took the existing music to a different dimension. My only criticism was that I thought Jah Wobble could have varied his bass riff a bit. Whether it was to drift into a gentler style for a moment before raising the stakes again, or just to take his riff somewhere else so that it wasn't so repetitive. It made Jah look a bit like a one-trick-pony, which I know he isn't as I have seen him live before.
Also towards the end of the 'second half' was an annoying feedback sound which seemed to be getting worse and worse and which the sound engineer didn't seem to have a clue about how to rectify!
So as the piece suddenly finished (I don't think an ending had been worked out) the audience gave deserved applause in the hope of an encore... but after playing a piece of music that lasted almost an hour, how could you top that? They didn't try, but we had certainly already got our money's worth.
Best wishes to Harold and whatever venture he decides upon, I will hold fond memories for a long time.
Jon Wallinger.
THE DREAMSVILLE DEPARTMENT STORE OFFERS RARITIES FOR SALE
Three of Bill Nelson's favourite albums have been acquired from stock that Voiceprint Records were apparently planning to destroy. The albums are: 'Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer', 'Crimsworth' and 'After The Satellite Sings'.
These recordings are essential works in the Nelsonic canon and, for those who don't already own them, are 'must have' items. The Dreamsville Rocket asked Bill how these albums fit into the overall scheme of things and what his feelings are about them today. Bill said: "Crimsworth is an unusual album in that it contains music I composed for an art installation, back in the early 'nineties. The installation was actually called 'Crimsworth' and was built by the artist Rob Ward. The music itself was recorded at Fairview Recording Studio, near Hull, on the 21st and 22nd of July 1994, and comprises just two long 'movements.' It is primarily concerned with particular textures and atmospheres, rather than thematic development. In this sense, it is quite abstract but, at the same time, deeply reflective and soothing. Some people have said that they consider it the most 'ambient' of my works. I'm not sure whether the term is one that I'm entirely comfortable with as I find it generically limiting. Like my friend Harold Budd, I prefer the term 'discrete', in the sense that the music doesn't force its attention upon the listener. At the same time, however, I wouldn't consider it background music. It is full of detail and ever evolving micro-patterns that slowly reveal themselves to the focussed ear. It is quite accessible as a surface piece but offers further information beneath this. The deeper one listens, the greater the reward.
'Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer' (My Secret Studio volume 2), is a double-album set. (The set comprises two cds in one box). The first of these is called 'Weird Critters' and the second is 'Magnificent Dream People.' They contain a mix of vocals and instrumentals. It's actually one of my favourite collections of music. Some pieces were recorded in my 'TAPE RECORDER COTTAGE STUDIO, others at Fairview studio. Most of the recordings come from the earlier part of the1990's, 'though the album itself wasn't released until '96. I chose several tracks from these two albums to provide foundations for my videograms, many of which found their way onto the 'Flashlight Dreams And Fleeting Shadows' DVD a couple of years ago. I still think 'Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer' has a timeless feel that will come across as fresh to new listeners. It's also a very accessible collection of songs, easy to digest. The packaging features some of my visual collage art which is intended to complement the music.
The other album we've rescued is 'After The Satellite Sings'. This is a very important piece of work for me in that it explored the fusion of rock music with drum n' bass and trip-hop. It was somewhat ahead of its time and was cited by long time David Bowie collaborator, Reeves Gabrels as being inspirational in the creation of David Bowie's 'Earthling' album. In actual fact, my much earlier 'Practically Wired' album touched on similar experiments even before I recorded 'After The Satellite Sings.' In more recent years, one or two other guitarists have gone down the same avenue, Jeff Beck in particular, but 'Practically Wired' and 'After The Satellite Sings' were 'first off the starting block' as it were. I guess, in their own way, these albums have been quietly influential. 'After The Satellite Sings' was composed, recorded and mixed in Fairview Studios over a two week period. Remarkable, when I listen to it now. It sounds rich and complex, the recording quality being superbly handled by engineer John Spence. The songs are melodic and immediate too, an album I'm proud of."
All three of these albums are now available from The Dreamsville Department Store for £9.99 pence, plus postage and packing. Supplies are extremely limited so copies will be allocated on a 'first come, first served' basis.
HAROLD BUDD BIDS FAREWELL TO LIVE PERFORMANCE AND RECORDING
On the Saturday the 21st of May, 2005, American composer and recording artist Harold Budd gave his farewell performance at Brighton's Dome Theatre in the U.K. Harold was joined by friends and collaborators who helped to celebrate Harold's tremendously influential career. Bill Nelson, John Foxx, Russell Mills, Steve Jansen, Jah Wobble, Steve Cobby, Theo Travis, Robin Guthrie, Alex Balanescu and the Balanescu Quartet all performed alongside Harold in various combinations in what proved to be a memorable occasion. For an overview of the concert, see Jon Wallinger's first hand account in this issue of 'The Dreamsville Rocket'. For a behind the scenes take on the event, see Bill Nelson's diary entry dated 29th May 2005, which can be found in the study of 'Villa Nelsonica' within the Dreamsville website. A review of the concert also appeared in the May 27th issue of 'THE INDEPENDENT' newspaper.
PLANS FOR THE EXTREMELY LIMITED EDITION OF THE 'CARSBRO NELSONIC DELUXE 'GUITAR AMPLIFIER NOW IN PROGRESS
The Nelsonic Deluxe custom built amplifier and speaker cab, designed by Bill Nelson and used by him on last year's 30th anniversary UK tour, is almost ready to go into limited production. No more than 50 of these highly exclusive amplifiers will be built.
Bill Nelson has recently fine-tuned some details of the design, providing hand-drawn sketches of specific control knob concepts, plus a front panel logo design, for Carlsbro's custom workshop to implement. Once Bill has authorised these improvements, the amplifier, with its matching 4x12 speaker cab, will begin a highly limited production run. Each unit will also carry a rear mounted metal plaque engraved with the limited edition serial number and Bill's personal signature. There are also plans for a hand-signed, framable certificate to be issued to each purchaser, authenticating the amplifier's exclusive status and its individual number.
'The Nelsonic Deluxe' is destined to be a highly sought after, super-collectable item and its future rarity will ensure that it becomes an extremely good investment for buyers. A percentage of the profits from the sale of the amplifier will go to The North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre, a charity that Bill feels is deserving of support. For further details of this special production, please log on to www.carlsbro.com or click on the link in the Dreamsville Transit Lounge . To learn more about the valuable work of The North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre, please log onto www.music-therapy.org.uk
THREE ENGLISH GUITAR MAGAZINES RUN FEATURES ON BILL'S NELSONIC DELUXE AMPLIFIER
It seems that Bill Nelson's 'Nelsonic Deluxe' guitar amplifier design has captured the imagination of the English guitar magazine market. 'Guitar Buyer', 'Guitarist' and 'Guitar and Bass' magazines have all carried items featuring Bill's amplifier in their June issues. The design has made a big impression when it was exhibited at the recent Frankfurt musical instrument trade fair too. Carlsbro have been very pleased with the overwhelming response that the design has generated.
A NEW DIARY ENTRY IN VILLA NELSONIA
Bill has written a new diary entry, (dated Sunday 29th of May), which deals with the circumstances of the Harold Budd farewell concert in Brighton and Bill's personal involvement in it. Bill also takes a trip down memory lane, recalling the previous time he'd visited Brighton in the 1970's. This part of the diary provides a personal and autobiographical insight into Bill's earlier career. There are also photographs of Brighton's seafront that Bill took himself whilst attending the Harold Budd rehearsals, which serve to illustrate the diary text.
The Diary of a Hyperdreamer is now open for you to read on the desk of William's Study in Villa Nelsonica. See the Dreamsville home page map to locate this.
NELSONICA: THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Bill has been looking at the possibility of hiring a new venue at which to hold NELSONICA 05. Bill and Lord Mayor Of Dreamsville, Jon Wallinger, recently visited 'The Royal York Hotel' in the City of York and were very impressed by the facilities on offer there. They constitute a tremendous improvement over those available at The Duke Of Cumberland where the last three Nelsonica conventions have been held. Enquiries were made about the cost of hiring two properly equipped areas of the Royal York for Nelsonica 05 but, unfortunately, the hire fee, when a quotation eventually came in, was way above the convention's budget... Mind bogglingly expensive, in fact! A shame as the venue would have been absolutely perfect for Nelsonica's needs. York offers a range of attractions that would benefit convention attendees: Historic architecture, museums and galleries, good restaurants, excellent shopping, etc... It would provide Nelsonians with wives and families an all round treat and, for those travelling to the convention from overseas, add extra value to their trip. It was hoped that people might make a weekend of it, staying at the Royal York Hotel, attending the convention and enjoying the ancient and beautiful sights of York and the surrounding area. Sadly, it seems this may not now be practical, due to the high cost of hire.
There is one more new option being considered, this one in Leeds... but it may be that this too proves to be financially unsuitable. Until the final quotations come in though, nothing can be decided. It may be that, for this year at least, 'The Duke Of Cumberland' in North Ferriby may have to suffice. If this should be the case, a more upmarket venue will be sought for next year's convention instead. Please keep an eye on 'The Dreamsville Rocket' and the 'Dreamsville Inn Forum' for further announcements about this year's convention though.
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Dreamsville Rocket Review and Interview
Category: Music
A DAY TRIP TO NEPTUNE'S GALAXY
The Dreamsville Rocket interviews Bill Nelson about his latest work.
You've just completed two new albums, 'The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill' and 'Orpheus in Ultraland.' I understand that an extraordinary amount of time and effort went into the recording of these projects. Was the work unusually difficult for you?
BN: "Well, I think I was trying to raise the bar a little, or at least attempting to explore another facet of my musical personality. The 'Sailor Bill' album uses lots of orchestral instrumentation, strings, woodwinds, reeds, brass and so on. There's also accordion, tympani and tubular bells, as well as the more usual guitar, drums and electronics. It's a heady mix.
But yes, it was difficult, a struggle at times, not only because I decided to centre the entire album around a specific theme but because I took on a larger than usual role within the music."
In what way was this a 'larger' role than usual?
BN "It was inescapably dictated by the scale of the instrumentation used. Most fans know that, on my solo albums, I normally play all the instruments, and that these instruments are the ones found in rock music's common vocabulary:- guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. But with the 'Sailor Bill' project, I also had to play cellos, violas, violins, French horn, English horn, oboe, accordion, trombones, trumpets, tympani, tubular bells and so on. Not literally, of course, just as keyboard parts, but I had to think like the musicians who might actually play these orchestral instruments in real life, try to get into each musician's frame of mind, approach the various instruments as if they were my own natural instrument of choice. A different hat for each overdub, as it were.
Also, as the songs are rather long and have constantly changing arrangements, a lot of concentration was required. I had to keep checking on the different sections of the orchestra to make sure all the individual parts were working correctly together, going in the right direction, a bit like being a conductor. Plus, I had the technical, studio side of things to deal with too, the engineer's job, the producer's job, as well as trying to be a composer and lyricist. The tracks are complex and many-layered so the recording process was much more involved and time consuming than usual. A lot of tasks to juggle at the same time. Really, it's the sort of album that should be made over a period of years, rather than months, but, unfortunately, I don't have that luxury. Instead, I simply put in intense hours of work, every day, until the deadline looms."
So, what exactly is the theme of 'The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill' and does 'Orpheus in Ultraland' also have a theme?
BN " The 'Sailor Bill' album is the carefully 'themed' one. The 'Orpheus' album is a nice collection of songs that were originally written for the 'Sailor Bill' album but either didn't quite fit the concept or were simply extra to that project's requirements. Of course the 'Orpheus' album is intended as a very limited edition Nelsonica fan convention album but, in many ways, it could be regarded as an extension of the 'Sailor Bill' project, albeit with stylistic diversions. Although it's not as consistent thematically, it should still be regarded as a proper album filled with meaningful new work. The songs on 'Orpheus' have certainly had lots of time spent on them and should be regarded as a serious part of my 'folio'. But, to answer the first part of your question, the theme, or conceptual basis of 'Sailor Bill' is the sea and the coastline of England."
What made you choose such subject matter?
BN "I've actually written and recorded songs and music dealing with similar subject matter in the past, and I'm sure that knowledgeable fans could make up a list of such material. But, when I first ventured into this latest project, I was hunting around for something to hang it on, some kind of inspirational line. After recording a few pieces with different lyrical content, I realised that two or three of them seemed to be dealing with coastal images. The English coastline has always proved inspirational to me, particularly as I have very strong, fond memories of childhood holidays by the sea.
My father had a thing for the sea, a kind of existential soulfulness. He liked being near it, watching its changing patterns, regardless of the weather. I can remember he and I standing on the cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast, watching the waves crash in during the winter, or standing at the harbourside in Ilfracoombe in Devon in the 'fifties, watching the paddle steamer put out to sea. In fact, the photograph of myself with my younger brother Ian, that graces the cover of my 'Diary of a Hyperdreamer' book, was taken by my father at Ilfracoombe and depicts that same steamer.
There are many similar childhood memories of coastal landscapes that haunt me still. Readers of my diary will also know that I continue to enjoy the coast and visit places such as Whitby quite regularly, all year round."
So what sort of images and feelings were you trying to capture in these songs, was it purely the waves, the sky, the seascapes?
BN "All of that, yes, but also the look and feel of seaside towns; piers, funfairs, big wheels, promenades with coloured lights. It's a romanticised view, a thing of memory that, typically, belongs more to the 'fifties and 'sixties than today's more worldly era. Terribly emotional stuff for a man of my age, I suppose! The smell of hot dogs and onions, 'fifties rock n' roll music played through tannoy speakers in fairgrounds to accompany different rides. 'Kiss me quick' hats, Fairground folk art, colourful carnival lettering, end of pier variety shows, Blackpool illuminations, Blackpool Tower Ballroom and circus, boarding houses, tram shelters on the promenade in the rain, candy floss, sticks of rock... all those low-brow signifiers of the industrial working class annual holiday, but lighthouses too, salty dog style sea captains retired from the navy and now running pleasure boat rides for day trippers, holiday camps such as Butlins, caravan sites on cliff tops, broad, quiet beaches away from the seaside towns, rock pools where a boy can sail his model boat and beachcomb with his father.
Wild flowers growing in the fields along the coast itself, soft hills rolling back inland, farms and old houses that have vanished into the sea as a result of coastal erosion, happy open air sex on a deserted cliff-top in my late teens, curving bays, early morning empty beaches, seashells and starfish, harbour bells, fishing nets, seagulls wheeling overhead, salty, breezy air, ancient ships in full sail, treasure troves, voyages to magical islands, an orange sun setting over a blue horizon. It's almost endless! For me, the English coastline is rich with romance and melancholy."
Would you say that 'Sailor Bill' is a melancholy album then?
BN "I think so... to some degree anyway. It is also a metaphorical or symbolic album. It symbolises life's stormy journey, the loss of youth and innocence, the nostalgic longing for sunnier, simpler times, the fear for one's own mortality, the beauty and tragedy of universal decay, the inevitability of things and our ultimate inability to do very much about any of it. Nature triumphing over us perhaps?
It's about yearning too, a deep ache in the soul, a sense of the constant passing of time. Time eroding our lives just as the ocean wears away the land. All very, very English... part of what makes us English in the first place. There's no getting away from the fact that nostalgia plays a big part in the English identity, for good or for ill."
Do you think the current generation has inherited that sense of nostalgia, that sense of fatefullness?
BN "I don't know for sure. There's certainly a different attitude amongst the young now. Maybe they have their own nostalgias, rooted in a different set of values. You can't really generalise these things though. But I do think that the spirit of place that crops up in English romantic art, of whatever form, whether it be books, film, paintings, music, dance, etc, is still out there, still tinting our outlook. it's connected with England being a relatively small island too, I think. That sense of isolation, maybe. As a nation, as a society, we built our simplest dreams on the blue edge of this green isle, we built our fantasy retreats, planned our humble escape from the daily grind. Those little seaside towns sprang up, adorned with their glittering light bulb arcades, crumbling palaces of amusements, fortune tellers, sea foods stalls, toy shops and tea rooms... but, sooner or later, the sea will take them all away. Already has done in some locations, to one degree or another. I often think that a half-abandoned seaside town is more fascinating than one at its peak. It's full of ghosts and memories, tiny echoes of something once treasured but now lost. Faded dreams.
It's all quite sad and poetic, not just because of the way nature shows itself to be indifferent to our dreams but also because our dreams are so small and child-like, so tenderly naive. I think it's beautiful."
Do you also enjoy the kitsch aspect of these things, the awfulness of some of it, you know, when something is so tacky it becomes interesting or amusing?
BN "I didn't approach this particular material with any sense of irony or feeling of 'kitschness' (although the kitsch qualities are sometimes acknowledged within my music and some of my titles). As sophisticated as my tastes are these days, I have a genuine affection for the simple attractions of an old-fashioned seaside town and everything that it represents culturally, historically and metaphysically. There's absolutely no sneering 'high art' bullshit involved in my approach to this work all. It's simply a warmly felt, honest, unashamed and personal reaction to my own history and experience, regardless of the subject's humble qualities. I've always looked for the transcendental within the commonplace, within the everyday, beneath the superficial appearance of things. It's not a documentary piece of music in the 'kitchen sink' sense, it's a gentle fantasy, a fabrication, but one based on increasingly misty recollections from my past."
You seem to have regularly explored your early life through your music and writings. You don't seem afraid of dealing with this aspect of your life in your work. Did you have a happy childhood?
BN "Sometimes happy, sometimes not, like everyone else, I suppose. I know that I always had an awareness of the temporariness of things, the ephemeral nature of life. This awareness seems to be an inescapable part of my nature and, naturally, it works its way into my creative life. Also, I've always had a taste for something just beyond the ordinary, something almost fairy tale like, hallucinatory. Seaside architecture and graphic design, fairgrounds, piers and so on, captured my imagination. As a child, in the 'fifties, I was enchanted by these cheaply fantastical things. The seaside was truly a magical place, sometimes a very strange place."
Strange? In what way?
BN "Well, here's a simple example: I recall the old freak shows that used to populate Blackpool's promenade, and the mysterious booths of the gypsy fortune tellers who could tell you how long you would live and whether you'd leave this world rich or poor. Even the clowns in the Tower Circus were somehow a little sinister, like escapees from another dimension where all was not exactly as it should be. The comedians at the pier variety shows had that old, 'show-biz', free-spirit kind of wildness, very different from life as I knew it back then. Slightly mad and dangerous, or so it seemed at the time! Anyway, these seaside memories and more are all tied up in the inspiration behind 'Sailor Bill'. I should also mention that, my surname being Nelson, it was impossible to ignore my own ancestor's sea faring exploits!"
You said that you've used a lot of 'classical' orchestration throughout the album. Could you a explain a little about that?
BN "Well, I have used orchestral textures occasionally in the past, even in the days of Be Bop Deluxe... 'Darkness' and 'Crystal Gazing' are two songs with real orchestra from that '70's period. But, from more recent times, a piece such as 'Bride of the Atom' comes to mind. Anyway, I felt that symphonic textures would best evoke a nostalgic sense of the English coast.
I wanted it to feel, in a way, quite 'old fashioned', sort of post-war/pre-war British film industry, Ealing Studios soundtrack type sonics... but mashed up with my guitar and my interest in electronic/digitally generated effects. But there's nothing remotely 'avant-garde' about this album really, nothing 'experimental'. Despite its complexity and densely layered production, it's highly melodic and song-oriented, but richly textured and epic in scale. It's an ambitious thing but accessible."
Obviously, you didn't have the financial resources to book a real symphony orchestra to play on this latest material, so, how did you achieve the effect of so many symphonic instruments?
BN "I used my recently acquired Yamaha Motif keyboard which has some lovely orchestral sounds on board. I also played the parts in real time, rather than use computer sequencing, to give the feel of real players being involved. There are 'loosely played' elements that add to this and the finished result isn't mechanical. Of course, it isn't quite the same as using a real live orchestra, but the cost of hiring the real thing would have been phenomenal... these are big arrangements too and would have been costly and time-consuming to score. I also decided to give the orchestra a separate personality from myself, so I've named it the 'Lighthouse Signal Mechanism Orchestra', so that it takes on an identity of its own."
Are the songs structured like pop/rock songs, but with orchestral overdubs?
BN "Not really, although there are some nods to more 'contemporary' music. Many of the songs are quite long, over eight minutes, and don't follow a rock music style repeating pattern, you know, verse-chorus or whatever. Often, the songs develop through several 'movements' and end up in an entirely different place to where they began. Sort of 'cinema classical'.
It would be difficult for someone to listen to, say, the first minute of a song and then exactly predict what the rest of the song's overall form would be. There are constant shifts of key and mood. Having said that, there IS a real consistency to the material. It should be thought of as a suite or a song cycle. Not only is the lyric content themed, but the musical motifs and textures 'cross pollinate' throughout the album. Each song is like one part of a single puzzle. It is, in effect, one big, epic piece of music."
Would you say it is a difficult album for the listener then?
BN "Well, as I said, it is very melodic, so there are definite threads for people to find their way through the orchestral maze. No, I don't think it's difficult at all. I think it's charming, atmospheric and autobiographical, but for anyone expecting tons of orthodox rock guitar solos, perhaps it might seem a bit unusual. But not too much of a challenge I hope. As long as the listener is open to the songwriting side of my work and is prepared to take the album on its own terms, I think they'll find it deeply rewarding, especially over time as there's so much detail to get to grips with.
When approaching these pieces for the first time, the listener should be patient and follow the song's course, allow it to develop to its proper conclusion. Don't expect instant gratification, just let all the different parts reveal themselves in their own time. This album could sustain a listener's interest for a fair while, once the initial surprise has been accepted! Above all, it's an album for the heart, from the heart. An emotional album for old fashioned romantics."
It seems you spent many more hours than usual on this project. What sort of effect did that intensity of work have on your life?
BN "Not good, that's for sure! My health has suffered in several ways, stress levels have been higher than usual, my family has seen far too little of me and I've been constantly pre-occupied with the work, even when away from it. You could say it became all consuming. I've lost the entire summer to this project, being locked away in my tiny studio room, hunched over my equipment whilst the bees buzzed happily outside."
Does the album consist entirely of vocal pieces?
BN "Mostly, yes. But I have inserted a few short instrumental interludes to bridge certain moods and to provide atmospheric focus as well as creating a bit of a 'breathing space' from the longer songs. The album opens with an entirely orchestral instrumental called 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Waltz' which sets the scene, as it were. A kind of overture for what is to follow."
What about 'The Ocean, the Night and the Big, Big Wheel'? It sounds like there's a fairground atmosphere there.
BN "Well, that particular song tries to evoke a romantic encounter, perhaps on a pier at night, looking back at the coastline with all its colourful lights, a funfair somewhere in there, with a big wheel and rock 'n' roll music playing as the dodgems and waltzers whizz around. But the couple in the song are tranquil, at ease with each other, peaceful against the funfair background. They're some distance from it, observing it from the warmth of each other's arms. The song itself is gentle too. It uses a mid/slow tempo electronic noise loop as a percussion track but has a big, bright, hook of a chorus, quite a pop song in some ways, but it's rather lovely too. And of course, it features the Lighthouse Signal Mechanism Orchestra. There's also a rather nice, and very appropriate period touch at the end of this track, but I won't tell you what it is. It should be a pleasant surprise for those who are tuned into it, a smile raiser!"
How about 'A Boat Named St. Christopher'? Does this refer to a real boat?
BN "Well, it is real but it was actually a toy boat that my father bought me! It was red and cream, made out of tin and had the words, 'St. Christopher' printed on its bow. It was powered by an electric, battery driven motor. I used to sail it in rock pools on the beach at Reighton Gap when I was a boy. It lost it many, many years ago but recently found an identical one at an antique fair. A couple of bits missing from it but otherwise in good condition. I was pleased to be reminded of the original one. It conjures up images of my father and pleasant days on the beach.
Anyway, this particular tune is an instrumental and evokes the memory of the toy boat."
What about 'Illuminated Promenade'? Sounds like this could be an instrumental too?
BN "Yes, it is. It evokes Blackpool's 'Golden Mile' with its illuminations. I went there as a very young child, a babe in arms the first time, I think. But I recall the illuminations with great fondness. I remember being wheeled in my pushchair along the promenade on a crisp autumn evening, looking up at the fantastic display of lights as the brightly decorated trams rattled by. This piece of music attempts two things, one is to paint a picture of Blackpool's Edwardian past, when the lights were in their earlier incarnation and times were more 'genteel'. The second is to pay tribute to Blackpool's variety shows of the 'fifties and 'sixties when big band style swing music was hanging on, despite the increasing popularity of rock 'n' roll music.
I remember attending traditional variety shows at venues such as the Winter Gardens and The Opera House, as well as seeing rock n' roll acts such as Marty Wilde And His Wildcats, Billy Fury, Karl Denver and Johnny Kidd and The Pirates playing in 'end of the pier' theatres. This particular album track starts off in orchestral mood, with a hint of palm court or tea room ensemble about it, then morphs into a variety show 'big band' feel, complete with trombone solo and electric organ, that sort of, 'mock-jazz' that those pit bands sometimes played in an attempt to sound 'modern.' I had a lot of fun with this track, particularly trying to restrict the jazzier elements to the feel of the period."
Would you say that you were satisfied with the album, now that it's finished?
BN "I'm not sure anything is ever finished, at least with regard to my own music. I get bored with it, or I run out of time, or equipment fails and I'm forced to draw the line but... there's always something I'd like to change, to improve upon. In fact, I genuinely 'finished' this particular project twice, and then went back to work on it some more. And if it wasn't for the fact that there's a manufacturing/release schedule to adhere to, I'd probably still be refining it, adding new material. But it has to stand on its own merits now and I no longer have any control over its destiny. It is, as they say, what it is.
As for being satisfied, I can't really relate such a feeling to my music. I guess I'm never satisfied, which is why I continue to move on, make another album. At this point in time, I just can't say what my ultimate feelings about the 'Sailor Bill' album will be. Can't tell if I hate it or love it, couldn't say whether it's brilliant or an ambitious folly. Eventually, I'll be able to see it more clearly but, right now, I'm still too wrapped up in the process of making it to be able to hear it properly. I just hope that there are some people out there who will be receptive to it and to what it is attempting to convey. I think it's a generous record, a gift to the right person... but they've got to be prepared to spare the time to unwrap it!"
BILL NELSON FINALLY COMPLETES HIS LATEST EPIC RECORDING PROJECT
After several months of constant work, Bill Nelson has announced the completion of two brand new albums. The first of these is titled 'The Alchemic Adventures of Sailor Bill' and will be released as 'a coastal song suite by Bill Nelson and his Lighthouse Signal Mechanism Orchestra'.
The Dreamsville Rocket has obtained an interview with Bill in which he talks about the making of the album and discusses its inspiration and themes. You can read it exclusively in this issue of The Dreamsville Rocket. We also have a track listing for this album and for the highly limited edition Nelsonica fan convention album, 'Orpheus In Ultraland'.
The track listing for 'The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill' is as follows:-
01. The Lighthouse Keeper's Waltz
02. The Ceremonial Arrival of The Great Golden Cloud
03. Here Comes the Sea
04. Dream of Imperial Steam
05. Sailor Blue
06. Ship of Summer, All Lights Blazing
07. Illuminated Promenade
08. The Ocean, the Night and the Big, Big Wheel
09. A Boat Named St. Christopher
10. Moments Catch Fire on the Crests of Waves
11. The Sky, the Sea, the Moon and Me
12. My Ship is Lost to Semaphore
The Nelsonica 05 fan convention album, 'Orpheus In Ultraland' also contains twelve new tracks, some taken from the overspill of the 'Sailor Bill' album, others created specially for the Nelsonica cd. It is of extremely high quality and destined to become much sought after. Initially, this album will only be given to ticket holders of this year's Nelsonica convention but should any copies remain, after the convention has been held, they will be offered for public sale in the Dreamsville Department Store.
However, quantities may be small and there are no guarantees that supply will fulfill demand. The only safe way to obtain one of these collector's items is to buy a convention ticket. By doing this, you also help to support the continuation of Nelsonica into the future and ensure that the music keeps flowing.
The track listing for 'Orpheus In Ultraland' is as follows:-
01. The Man Who Haunted Himself
02. Duraflame
03. Suburban Mermaid One Twenty Three
04. Dreams Run Wild on Ghost Train Tracks
05. Tin Sings Bones
06. Tantramatic
07. Every Tiny Atom
08. And Now the Rain
09. Super Noodle Number One
10. Moments Catch Fire on the Crests of Waves (Alternative Mix)
11. Big Broken Buick
12. The Whirlpool Into Which Everything Must Whirl
A REVIEW OF "ROSEWOOD VOLUME II
By Jon Wallinger
Fast on the heels of 'Volume I', we are now able to luxuriate in the beauty that is 'Rosewood Volume II'.
I will assume by now, that you have all heard 'Volume I' and in a nutshell - if you liked the first one, you will have no complaints about the second incarnation.
Although much along the same lines, 'Volume II' has a more upbeat feel. The guitar is a touch more melodic and adventurous, also the percussion is more evident.
When first hearing this CD, I had the misfortune of continually getting disturbed. Visitors, phone-calls, having to go to work (you know the score). This is NOT the way to enjoy Rosewood. Although the individual tracks are beautiful in their creation and execution, the strength of this music is its ability to enclose you in its own world. It builds a transparent wall around you, a wall that can keep at bay your stresses and worries.
Make time for the music, put aside an hour. If you can, choose a location where you can melt into the music without being disturbed. Watch the sunset. Gaze at the stars. Relax on a deserted beach. Be at peace with yourself and let Rosewood be your guide and companion.
There are new layers within the music to discover every time you listen to Rosewood Volume II, because of the dreamland state that evolves whilst listening, the consequence is that the music hypnotises you in new ways on each airing.
In My opinion, this CD should be available on prescription!
AUTUMN TOUR DATES
Sunday 6th November
London, Bloomsbury Theatre
Friday 11th November
Hove, The Old Market
Friday 18th November
Leeds, Irish Centre
Thursday 24th November
Manchester, Life CafÈ
Saturday 26th November
Bilston, The Robin 2
Sunday 27th November
Birkenhead, Pacific Road Arts Centre
9:10 AM
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Monday, October 02, 2006
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Diary of a Hyperdreamer
Current mood:  exhausted
O.k...I know. I've been absent. From both this diary AND the Dreamsville website. Had to hide away and concentrate on the intensely time-consuming work that will hopefully provide this year's Nelsonica Convention attendees with something very, very special. No choice really, it was a matter of 'head down' or 'off with his head'. I would have been for the proverbial chop if I hadn't got everything together in time. Maybe I still haven't, despite all efforts.
It's been a tremendously long haul, this one, and not 100% finished yet...some things still to complete... but, I've finally got close to seeing it all through to its conclusion.
The amount of work that goes into these annual events is staggering. Impossible for someone viewing it from the outside to appreciate just how much effort is needed. Not just the input from myself, ('though this year's Nelsonica has a more direct, personal touch than previous years,) but from the dedicated, talented and loyal Nelsonica Team whose enthusiasm and expertise helps to make the day so unique. Although the convention lasts for just one single day, there have been several months of constant, concentrated, hard work from all sides to make it a day to remember.
As noted in earlier diary entries, my own schedule has been dominated by the wide-ranging creativity that this year's Nelsonica has demanded. I'm shattered by it all at the moment. It's required a daily effort to pull it all together. I don't know whether my age makes the going harder each year, or whether it's just that I've attempted to give even more of myself to the various projects than before. I definitely think that my standards are higher, though perhaps I'm far too obsessive about minor details, (even though it could be argued that I've always been that way.)
Ultimately, I have no idea how much of this fanatical attention to detail will become apparent at Nelsonica. I guess that it will look pretty much effortless on the day. Nevertheless, the bite that this thing has taken out of my life is quite something. No one to blame for these struggles but myself, of course. I don't really need to put quite so much into it, it's just that I feel compelled to do so and am subsequently exhausted by it.
Here is a list, of things achieved, giving an idea of some of the preparatory work of the last few months:
1. The writing and recording of a limited edition Nelsonica album, 'Arcadian Salon' and it's cover art and packaging. (LOTS of tracks on it too.)
2. The creation of an autobiographical video-film presentation, ('Memory Codex Number One,') exclusive to Nelsonica, lasting almost 40 minutes and capturing in images, text and music the essence of my early life. It is a 'sketch' or preliminary draft of what will eventually be a much longer and more complex work. It is also quite likely that this special screening will be the only time that this particular version of the film will be seen in public. Of course, this version is not perfect but I just hope that people will sit and concentrate on it, try to follow its drift and not treat it as a background piece. It took almost four weeks of long hours per day to get this finished for the convention, preliminary work or not. Perhaps it deserves attention for that reason alone.
3. The creation of a continuous musical soundtrack score to the above film.This will appear on an album in the earlier part of next year, along with some other recently recorded but previously unreleased material.The soundtrack occupied a great deal of my time too.
4. The creation of an hour-long, pre-recorded, radio show featuring myself as presenter and dj, playing and talking about early musical inspirations from my childhood and teenage years. I've chosen some very early musical memories to present to the listeners...from Freddie Gardener, through Danny Kaye to Chet Atkins and Johnny Smith with lots of stops in between. This will constitute part one of 'Radio Dreamsville' and will eventually be available as a Dreamsville website broadcast, 'though aired for the first time ever at this year's Nelsonica.
5. The preparation of a live instrumental performance, lasting approximately 90 minutes. I've just settled on what will probably be the final choice of tracks and running order for the set. 19 pieces of music in all. now I have to start checking through equipment and getting repairs done, then pack it all ready for transportation. I also still have to write out my 'charts' to guide me through the various pieces of music. This latter takes time.
6. The creation of several brand new pieces of music to be included in the above performance. Nine of which made it to the set. (I've still been working on this aspect of the event today.)
7. The involvement, in the above live performance, of Theo Travis and Dave Sturt, (who sometimes operate as the duo 'Cipher',) who are planning to join with me in an improvisational trio, to which I've given the name 'Orchestra Futura.' I've created an almost ten-minute long 'foundation' track for us to play over. The piece is titled 'FEVER DREAM OF THE STARLIGHT MAN.' It's a compelling, complex, modal, polyrhythmic piece. It may not frighten the horses but it may bewilder the artistically faint of heart. At least, that's my intention.
8. A special section of the convention will be given over to a tribute to my much loved and deeply missed brother Ian who passed away in April of this year. There will be rare video presentations of his work with Fiat Lux and a chance to hear the last music he ever recorded, (a cd of original material by Ian and his musical partner and good friend, John Nixon.)
9. A 'live on stage' interview with myself conducted by Leeds University School Of Music's Senior Lecturer Simon Warner. Simon's appearance at last year's Nelsonica provided the audience with an insight into the pop-cultural inspirations and influences that underpin my work. This year's interview will deal with songwriting and it's methods and inspirational energies. Maybe I'll learn something. I've often wondered how I do it.
10. I've yet to prepare, (but will, in the end, probably improvise,) a free-ranging talk about guitar philosophies and inspirations. This will include video illustrations and an audience question and answer session at its conclusion. I've already chosen some video illustrations for the talk. Not sure how wise my choices are though as they will definitely make my own guitar playing appear quite amateur by comparison. Impossible to compete with the likes of Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery and Charlie Bird!
11. I've created and framed 16 original artworks for the traditional annual Nelsonica auction. Along with these, there will be a rare electric guitar of mine and some Red Noise memorabilia offered for sale.
12. I've yet to create any ambient video projections for my live performance. This visual aspect may, due to the above heavy workload, end up being somewhat compromised, (or even missed out altogether,) but no-one can say I've not tried my best under the circumstances, particularly considering everything else I've attempted to achieve this year. Ultimately, there's only so much one person can do, no matter how stubborn my persistence. Still, I have to sympathise with those who may regard the ordeal of just looking at me, sans projections, all alone on stage, as somewhat depressing. Believe me, even I'd prefer something projected behind me to distract the audience from the ugly old creature clinging to all those beautiful guitars. You know..."What's a lovely guitar like you doing hanging 'round that old goat's neck?"
But...luck being on my side, it should fall in place on the day, even though as you can tell from this diary entry, dear reader, that it's been a long hard slog, one way or another!
Oh, the above list doesn't take into account things such as the 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' album which will, I can confirm, be available for the very first time at the convention, before its 'official' release. (Once the convention is over, it will be available for general purchase through the Dreamsville Department Store.)
As regular diary readers know, I'm proud of this album and, along with 'The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill,' 'Dreamland To Starboard' and the two 'Rosewood' albums, I consider it one of the more personal and satisfying achievements of my recent solo career. And you know that I'm a difficult cove to satisfy.
Then there is the forthcoming re-issue, (first time EVER on cd,) of the 1980's 'Getting The Holy Ghost Across' album, which, for a limited period only, I've managed to license from the mighty Sony Records. (Mighty maybe, but virtually oblivious to my musical worth.) There will be a unique chance to hear a preview of this re-issue at Nelsonica, time permitting. The album will be officially released in November on my Sonoluxe label.
There will also be an opportunity to hear my recent mixes of some extremely rare and previously unreleased Be Bop Deluxe live recordings from the 1970's which are scheduled for inclusion as part of an EMI Records special boxed set next year.
There are a few other surprises in store for convention attendees...Those who secured tickets for themselves as soon as they became available will be glad that they did so.
The event was, amazingly, sold out within a couple of weeks of its announcement and there has apparently been a waiting list of people eager to gain tickets in the event of any cancellations. Does all this lovely and loving interest in my work make me nervous? Damn right it does!
It's 12 months or so since I last appeared or performed in public and I'm definitely feeling slightly freaked out about playing live again. (The word 'slightly' reveals an attempt at understatement.)
I have, however, chosen to focus on instrumental works for this convention, not being in a vocal mood at the moment, for various reasons too complex to go into here. So the first person to shout out 'Ships In The Night' will be taken out back and his underwear searched for signs of boorish insensitvity. And if it happens to be a female person, I'll undertake the search myself. (Did I really say that?)
I've just been reading George Melly's wonderful, 'Slowing Down' book and have gained encouragement from the revelation that even at an advanced stage of decrepitude, it's still possible to have a scandalous moment or two in the, er...lets say,er.. 'erotic' deparment. (Third floor, ladies corsetry and gentlemen's relish.) Of course, Emiko has been instructed to pour me a cup of medicinal libido-suppressive tea if I become a little too frisky at the thought of this. Failing that, a stern look and a slap on the wrists will suffice. All in the interests of my blood pressure you understand.
But back to the music. Rest assured, I'm gearing up for a major vocal/song-oriented project for the coming year. (Apparently, the'chicks' go for that sort of thing. ;-) Can I take my tongue out of my cheek now? (Oh, sorry, dear, didn't realise it was in YOUR cheek!) What AM I like?!!
This Nelsonica concert, the only live performance I've agreed to during 2006, will be centred on the instrument that has fuelled my imagination for so many years: the electric guitar. As will several aspects of the rest of the convention.
The performance itself is called 'Guitar Dharmas And Bleeping Electricals,' a whimsical title but, as attendees will discover, a perfectly apt one.
I've actually included several new pieces created especially for this performance. Actually, there are now more new backing tracks than I can practically incorporate into the set, but even so, I've managed to squeeze NINE of them, all brand new, into the already packed concert agenda. This still leaves some further unheard tracks waiting in the wings for the 'Painting With Guitars Volume 2' album which will be completed early next year, all being well.
So, here is a preview of the Nelsonica Concert set list:
Bill Nelson Nelsonica 2006 Set List.
1. 'This Very Moment.'
2. 'I Always Knew You Would Find Me.'
3. 'Blue Amorini.'
4. 'Imperial Parade.'
5. 'Blackpool Pleasure Beach and The Road To
Enlightenment.'
6. 'Naughty Boy, Dirty girl.'
7. 'Time Travel For Beginners.
8. 'Steamboat In The Clouds.'
9. 'A Day To remember.'
10. 'Panorama Park.'
11. 'The Girl On The Fairground Waltzer.'
12. 'Happily Haunted.'
13. 'A Dream For Ian.'
14. 'Two Brothers Test The Kite Flying Winds.'
15. 'Transoceanic.'
16. 'A Telescope Full Of Stars.'
17. 'Fever dream Of The Starlight Man.'
(To be performed with ORCHESTRA FUTURA.)
18. 'Artifex.'
(Possible Orchestra Futura involvement.)
19. 'Beyond These Clouds, The Sweetest Dream.'
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Other things that have occupied me of late:
The final stages of the development of my Campbell American Signature Model 'Nelsonic Transitone' guitar, (including the signing of the limited edition certificates that will accompany each guitar sold.)
Dean Campbell has been trying to get a completed guitar over to me in time for the convention but has been held up by a couple of outside suppliers, mainly the case manufacturer and the supplier of the custom made 'Atom' symbol 12th fret marker. (Cutting these atom inlays is a skilled job and it takes a while to get them perfect.)
As a compromise, the guitar he will send me for Nelsonica will be missing some minor cosmetic details but I'm assured that I will be able to exchange this for a fully completed production model in a month or so's time.
Dean called me the other week to ask if I could let people know, via the Dreamsville site, that these production models are not yet ready but, as soon as they are, an announcement will be made. (Both on the Campbell Website and here in Dreamsville.)
Apparently, Dean has been getting swamped by calls from people who have either ordered the guitar in advance or who would like to order one. His message to customers is to please be patient and wait for the official starting gun. We will inform potential buyers and those with a deposit as soon as things are ready to roll. Not too long now though, all being well.
The guitar is looking fabulous in the photo's that Dean has sent me of the partially assembled instrument. The colour is super-vibrant. I've christened it 'Rocketship Red.' With its cream and smoke grey pickguard and gold hardware, the guitar should be both beautiful and unique to behold as well as sonically exciting.
Guitars still bring sunshine into the dark corners my life. I received a great new model from Eastwood Guitars a few weeks ago, their re-issue of the early '60's Airline 'Town And Country' model. Three pickups, more controls than Dr. Who's Tardis and a retro-art-deco design that wouldn't look out of place in a classic Flash Gordon Saturday matinee cliffhanger. It will also be making an appearance at Nelsonica, along with some other favourite guitars of mine. (And a couple of other surprises.)
For all the stress that live performance brings, playing in public does allow me to take my guitars out 'for a proper run' and it's satisfying to share their sound and visual charms with an audience, rather than keeping them selfishly to myself in my recording room. I'm just as excited about the visual aspect of guitars as I was as a beginner, all those long, lost years ago. I sometimes sit contemplating my favourite instruments, hardly believing my luck. What a wonderful thing, what a privelege, to be able to dedicate one's life to something so musically rewarding.
Of course, all this creative activity has its downside. As mentioned above, I really HAVE been pushing things too hard and I've definitely felt the consequences of this, health wise. Some worrying issues which, with my usual paranoia concerning all things medical, I've ignored, avoiding seeking a doctor's advice. Thankfully, most of these have improved of their own accord and I think it is mainly stress and tiredness that is affecting me at the moment. Nor do I suppose that much will change until the convention is over and I can ease off the fast pedal for a little while. I do need to recover from this year's exertions though.
Nevertheless, projects are already stacking up for the post-Nelsonica months. Hopefully, I'll be able to deal with them at a more leisurely and humane pace than recent months have allowed. But I must try to take a little break before starting again, if only a weekend away somewhere with my patient and loving wife.
Working on the live set list for the Nelsonica performance has also held an emotional impact for me. My brother Ian was originally planning to join me on stage for much of this year's Nelsonica set. AND the concert in Leeds next Spring. The two of us spoke about this, the last time we saw each other, just two weeks before he died. He was looking forward to it as much as I.
This last week, whilst going through some of the older material to select pieces for the performance, I was forcefully reminded of previous concerts where Ian and I had stood alongside each other on stage. There will be difficult moments during this year's Nelsonica set where his spiritual prescence will be tangible but his physical loss deeply painful. It's something that I won't be able to avoid, other than by giving up playing these pieces altogether, but Ian, I know, wouldn't want that. He'd tell me to get out there and play. And so I'll try. But I'll be missing him so much.
Forgive my melancholy mood. It's unavoidable I suppose.
On the domestic front, there have been repairs to external windows and doors and, finally, the completion of the house's exterior paintwork. The new colour scheme I've chosen, of Buttermilk and Peridot, really suits the old brickwork and ivy clad walls. (The ivy goes a spectacular shade of red in the Autumn too.)
This renovation/repair work has required me to be constantly present at the house so I've had to forgo aspects of my creative work that might have taken me away from my recording room for a while. I now have to catch up with that side of things. Guitar repairs and so on. It will feel a little bit like being let off the leash.
The house's interior needs attention too, and in more than one area. One of the house's two bathrooms (the en-suite one) has been out of commission since our ill-fated brush with MFI and is still in need of renovation. The kitchen is now seriously ready for an overhaul. It's starting to look like a 19th Century cow-herder's hut, with dripping tap and lime encrusted walls. All I need is some straw on the floor and a few chickens.
Actually, our neighbours already have the latter. A 21st Century version of 'The Good Life' 'though Emi and I are more of the Margot and Jerry type, (were those their names?) than the Barbara and Tom couple's 'back-to-the-land' pseudo-rusticism. Perhaps I've got their names wrong...it was a 1970's tv series after all. Actually, I'm probably more like Margot than Jerry, being insufferably snobby at times and just as partial to low cut dresses and canapes. More tea vicar?
And more household problems: Our living room tv set has been broken for several weeks now, the Sky digi-box has packed in completely, the hi-fi has given up the ghost long ago and both Emi's car and mine are virtually on their last legs. (Or wheels.) But I've had no time spare to deal with organising repairs due to the long hours I've been putting into the music. My mind | | | |
