We did most of the songs in two sessions of about 4 1/2 hours each. No cut went to a third take with the exceptions of "Last Man Standing" and "I'd Walk a Thousand Miles", neither of which made the final. We wanted something that would let the songs stand by themselves. Something still a bit raw that didn't get hung-up in "Which genre is THIS from?" Rather, we had to ask, "Does it show the song?" and will it allow us to move a bit more quickly, because the goal was to get the CD done and out by July 17, 2008 (which was about 6 1/2 months after the initial sessions on December 30 and 31, 2007). Ron and I talked by phone and internet and we'd pre-decided that 'perfection' was just too expensive. He said, "OK. We'll settle for excellent then." We missed in some areas where my rhythm goes all weird or my voice--which was new to singing again after not doing any for three decades tired easily, and hence one or two takes on all the songs was the thing we had to do. Ron worked some real magic with the stuff he laid on the songs. I will never be able to thank him adequately, something I've mentioned before. He is a consumate pro. Without his open criticisms it would have been just another record in a string of poor to fair ones for me. For this we hit somewhere between not bad and that's cool.

There are a few folks from Mudcat (and a few not) who heard the songs in progress when I sounded like a cat with its tail stuck in a drawer, when the lyrics were being 'born' and the guitar playing was just bloody awful. Many of those people are ones I thanked on the CD liner notes. We ran into a major difficulty because my old Martin had a broken head. A friend used something akin to the world's strongest glue to get it 'fixed' for me, but then on the way back from Montreal in January an airline broke the head in another place. (I think some people may still wonder what that old man in Edmonton International was crying about.) The airline paid for the repair and a fellow in Edmonton was able to fix it again.

Because I wasn't sure how much the head would hold, I was worried to tune the guitar to concert, so I worked about three tones below to relieve pressure on the neck where it had been thrice repaired. Interesting to note that the places it was repaired have never split again. But the strings were relatively slack and strumming to hard would cause a buzzing, so that presented another difficulty.

Stupid mistake (on my part) was the keys the songs were done in. Jeri sent me an e-mail after she received all the songs via mp3 and noted that about eight were in one key and two in another. BIG oops on my part. I knew at that point we had to do two more songs in an entirely different key and because there was just no time, the result was an acoustic version of "I Can See You Now" and "You Made My Heart Beat Fast." My music influences are traditional music, early rock, various singer-songwriters, Irish songs and when I was writing, I was also hearing a small voice that said forget genres and just write good songs. I think we succeeded for the most part.

It is not really my CD. It belongs to the people noted on the liner notes. Along the way I learned a truth that has become a credo. No song will go beyond two takes. And that's that. Besides, I'm getting along in years, and starting a 'career' in music after failing at it a few times was and is a daunting task and I don't have either the time or inclination to be doing three takes. I'll never be a singer or excellent guitar player, but then I have never had the idea I am either of those things. I just like writing songs.

Most of the songs took a long time to write. "I Can See You Now" took the longest of all because I found the melody/chording and first stanza but struggled for two weeks at about six to eight hours a night to 'find' the internal rhyme scheme and a neat thing about the phrasing/continuity. That song took a month at least. I estimate it required about 200 hours before it was written as it is on the CD. Other than "Last Man Standing" and "Fool Like Me" it is the best thing I've ever written (in a technical sense).

The stuff written here I hope will encourage other song writers to keep at it. There are some younger ones around who will recognize self-doubt and discouragement and maybe that's just part of the writing task. And sometimes we are our own worst critics.

We never expected this CD to sell lots. I have thought for a eight months that the next one will help sell this one. I figure that's the way it'll be. I hope so, anyway. It's recorded--voice and guitar. And it's a new approach to how CDs are done. A few 'firsts' and a few surprises.

Ron Bankley is finishing his new one and it'll be out near November or December. (He'd be finished now had he not taken the time to get mine done.) How do ya thank a guy for something like that?

BM

PS I noticed a thread that was entitled "How long can narcissism last" or some such words. It was deleted by a clone. I don't know who the clone was but I think I know who the originator of that thread was--a 'guest' of course. If we ever meet I'll be sure to discuss it with you.

Thanks, all.

Thanks, all.