What's the hold up?

A few months back I decided that, in an effort to actually finish a recording project, I was going to record a bunch of my original songs acoustically with no frills... just guitar, voice, and a little harmonica. My plan was to get something finished quick and press a few hundred copies I could sell at my solo shows... my thought at the time was that since I hadn't gotten an original band project up and running in spite of 3 years of trying to (at least nothing that lasted more than a few weeks), I would be best off presenting these songs in the only way they were consistently being performed.... but like most of my my ideas "the devil is in the details".

I quickly went into my studio and banged out 19 or 20 songs live that for the most part I was pretty happy with... then I sat down and listened to them over and over, decided which ones I wanted to put on the album, added a few effects and stuff that needs to be done to make the recording ready for pressing. I had realized pretty quickly that I was going to have to redo "Better on Our Own" and "Juliet, Juliet"... "Juliet" came out OK, but I had slurred a few words and that bothered me, and "Better" (for lack of a better way of putting it) just wasn't right.

Dealing with everything that needs to be done after a recording is done is not where I shine, I tend to overthink stuff and second guess myself... while all of that was going on I gave a copy of the recording to my friend Julie Corbalis and her behind the scenes guy, Scully, for them to review. They both have a nice way of letting you know if something is shit without making it sound like that's what they are saying... but at the same time being supportive and encouraging (exactly what I need). Before I heard back from them I went to work on getting a press kit page together on my website to pick up some new "cover" gigs. Part of that was having to record a few cover tunes so interested parties could hear what I sound like live. Once again I quickly knocked out a dozen tunes, but since they weren't going on an album I did very little to the recording as far as post production... after listening to the finished product I started to decide that I liked the minimal production of the cover recording more than what I did with my original stuff. Argh!!!

When I finally had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Julie and Scully, Scully immediately confirmed something that I had been feeling myself... he said "on the songs you started with harmonica, I wanted to hear more of it through the rest of the song". There is a completely logical reason for why I didn't play a lot of harmonica after the song intros... I can't play harmonica! I mean I noodle around a little bit, but I am far too self conscious to be blowing away any time I'm not singing. Not only that, but I racked my brain trying to make the few parts I did play "interesting" and I didn't want to screw that up by playing more, (and not very well). In the end I totally agreed with him.

All in all they liked it and thought I should release it as is, but when someone else recognizes the same flaws I do, then I have to start thinking that the flaws are there and I am not just being overly critical of myself. Put that together with the fact that I liked the overall sound and feel of the cover recordings better and I am starting to think that I better get back in the basement and re-record the original stuff.

None of this is really that important in the grand scheme of things, but I have made mention that the acoustic album was in the works and perhaps there are a few of you out there wondering what the hold-up is. Well that's pretty much it in a nutschell.

On the off chance any of you would like to judge any of this yourself, there are a handful of songs from both the "cover" and "original" recordings posted on the press kit page of my website www.bryangordon.net/Press_Kit.html . You decide...

Peace, Bryan

P.S. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!