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Sometimes w/willnlf by bud [Email]
Genre: Rock & Roll

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 756
Comments: 44
Votes:
Plays: 106
Last Played: Sep 06, 2008 - 06:08:39 AM
Downloads: 40
Fans: 22
Uploaded: Nov 27, 2007 - 12:03:58 AM
Last Updated: Dec 11, 2007 - 08:35:06 AM
Fan List
Keywords:
trains (5), hoboes (1), Woody Guthrie (1), Jack Kerouac (1), California (11), morning (32)
Description:
Will wrote: Watched a documentary about Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly and this lyric popped out. Tuck it away in the folder if you like it. Adios!

Well I was messing around with this song that took on a life of it's own - as most do - seeing as I have no idea where I'm headed most of the time. I actually thought I was gonna do a Velvet Underground style thing - then I started cutting and pasting my guitar and before long I was lost - but I started hearing a freight train. Then I remembered Will's lyric.

This all happened fast in one sitting and may be a demo to be reopened at another time - but for now - it is what it is.

Lyrics:
Sometimes I wake up early
Hours before the sun
I hear a freight train rollin’ through
On its southbound run
Its haunting whistle echoes
Beckons in the night
My restless mind starts wandering
Drifts on my inner sight.

I picture Woody Guthrie
Saint Jack Kerouac
Dragging on a Lucky Strike
Down by the railroad tracks
Woody’s with the field hands
Singing a workin’ tune
Jack rides with the hoboes
Shouting poems at the moon.

I soar above the ocean
Waves crashing on the shore
High Sierra granite peaks
The desert’s furnace floor
The fields of old Salinas
San Francisco Bay
Majestic Coastal Redwoods
Calling me away.

And Jack and Woody soar with me
Protecting me like brothers
Urging me to use my voice
Share my words with others
Who sometimes wake up early
Hours before the sun
And hear that freight train rollin’ through
On its southbound run.


Hardware:
iMac G5, Danelectro guitar, Gretsch archtop with nut adapter for slide, Ibanez bass, Oxygen8 keyboard

Software:
GB3
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you know &mdash 11/27/07 - 12:46:01 AM
i can hear the Velvets in there. This is genius, everything about it is as it should be: deadpan vocals, that slide gtr, and what a rhythm sound. very cool. it actually sounds more velvety than that song you sent me (which I'm still trying to work something out for), all it needs is a screechy viola. excellent.

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One screechy viola coming right up &mdash 11/27/07 - 07:54:24 AM
Thanks for the kind words - I was a bit concerned about how weird the guitar started sounding - and thought the rhythm was getting a bit jumbled. I started by playing a Lou Reed down-stroke style - but couldn't keep it flat enough - so I cut and looped each section to get rid od any swing. The result sounded mechanical to me - which is where the train idea came in. The chugga sound in the beginning and throughout is big maracas with heavy distortion.

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Kickin' &mdash 11/27/07 - 01:50:56 AM
Sounds like Moby fronting the Velvets - great intro, wonderful guitar and a whole loada energy - drone country anyone?

steve

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Great idea - &mdash 11/27/07 - 07:56:19 AM
no more Sturm und Drang - let's have Drone and Twang! Glad you stopped by Steve - your latest with Racerat is killer.

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Classic! &mdash 11/27/07 - 02:48:38 AM
Great opening bass groove... Ah, here come the jangly guitars! This is soooooo good. I love the chord progression...especially that ascending part. Very cool use of effected vox as well. Like I said above, this is classic!

Be well!

Lethe (Song Of Er): http://www.macjams.com/song/37099

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Thanks for listening - &mdash 11/27/07 - 09:15:03 AM
and taking the time to comment.

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I think &mdash 11/27/07 - 06:35:15 AM
Steve is spot on - What a great song!

Peter

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Thanks Peter &mdash 11/27/07 - 04:24:50 PM
Will's words fell right into this. I hope he like it.

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Yeah...that rhythm guitar playing... &mdash 11/27/07 - 07:44:49 AM
...has managed to capture the Velvets' sound...

The declamatory singing style and phrasing owes a little something to Lou Reed, too...

Nice juxtaposition of simple rhythm strums against the chugging high hat..

Ed

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Thanks Ed &mdash 11/28/07 - 08:19:08 AM
Nice of you to stop by.

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Sometimes &mdash 11/27/07 - 11:34:16 AM
Man this is awesome .just Incredible style this vibe
comin from the deep 60s a true classic .just GROOVEY
your singin here with the effect you did give it that
sound and its incredible .the bass moves with the whinin
guitar it works just perfect !! welldone my friend
another Classic ..KUDOS !!

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Appreciate the comments Feter &mdash 11/28/07 - 10:40:07 AM
thanks for stopping by.

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you know what? &mdash 11/27/07 - 04:28:06 PM
i like this one. i have no comment s to make on production, or anything like that. this is simply a cool tune. thanks for writing it.
Allen

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Can't argue with that &mdash 11/28/07 - 10:42:12 AM
Thanks.

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cut and paste &mdash 11/27/07 - 07:18:42 PM
That should a new genre on the MJ list: "Cut and Paste".

I love how loopy and repetitive this gets, but stays really interesting. Sonic Youth mashed up with Waylon Jennings. I particularly like how you looped the guitar chords multiple times for each chord change. Very cool. You voice sounds great on this, that old megaphone, old radio vibe fits this perfectly.

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"Loopy tunes" is another name &mdash 11/28/07 - 10:47:29 AM
glad you liked it. On my next song I think I'll try playing one note on my guitar and penciling the rest. Should keep me busy for a while.

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Definitely &mdash 11/27/07 - 07:21:31 PM
has the right freight train chugga rhythm. Really like the opening and the way you drive this tune all the way to the finish. The slide guitar is great, a little George Harrison mixed in with the Lou sound. I always enjoy the surprise of hearing where you take the lyric and this one is a keeper.

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I'm as surprised as you are &mdash 11/28/07 - 10:49:21 AM
most of the time. Thanks for keeping me stocked with great material.

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Chugga Chugga &mdash 11/27/07 - 09:22:18 PM
Very inspired and brilliantly realized!

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Nice of you to give a listen &mdash 11/28/07 - 10:50:30 AM
and comment - thanks.

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This is great &mdash 11/27/07 - 09:35:25 PM
What's the chances of you and I putting up two songs both with a reference to Jack Kerouac.
Philly and Dallas communicate!

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Cool coincidence &mdash 11/28/07 - 02:24:51 PM
he's in the air I guess. This is the 50th anniversary of the publication of On The Road.

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train kept a running &mdash 11/27/07 - 10:00:39 PM
Bud! this just churns, running over anything that doesn't heed the railroad crossing lights. The effected vocal really works great here.
I was thinking how cool if some cowbell was in a few spots for that added train beat.

Well, I'm convienced it's time to go and put some penny's on the railroad tracks.

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Doh! &mdash 11/28/07 - 04:15:56 PM
More cowbell. How could I have missed that?

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The artwork... &mdash 11/28/07 - 08:07:11 AM
...is perfect for the tune. Congrats to both of you for another cool tune.

Love the lyrics, Kevin. You had rhythm guitar concerns at first...I see that you fixed that up quite nicely. Great driving sound...distorted maracas! What WILL they think of next?

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I agree - Will's lyrics &mdash 11/28/07 - 04:18:13 PM
are really good on this one - as usual. Thanks for stopping by. BTW - any good sound is worth distorting.

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Velvets live &mdash 11/28/07 - 10:25:35 AM
great song and evocative lyrics.

Love the megaphone voice.

Cheers

dick

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Thanks Dick &mdash 11/28/07 - 06:19:07 PM
I couldn't resist the megaphone - too much fun.

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Another &mdash 11/28/07 - 02:19:20 PM
surprise form you Bud. Impossible to keep still listening to this, a rhythmic delight. I love the chugging feel. Great lyrics from Will again and excellent composition and execution from you. Bravo.
Cheers
Len



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Gosh Len &mdash 11/28/07 - 06:20:35 PM
you're too kind. Thanks fr dropping by.

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This is raunchy &mdash 11/28/07 - 05:47:02 PM
I love it.Is that rhythm guitar just 1 guitar or did you double track it?It sounds really big.The lyrics are great,as are the vocals.Reminds me of something off of "Beggar's Banquet".Superb.

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Howdy - &mdash 11/28/07 - 06:42:55 PM
It's one guitar with a little effects on it - but the Danelectro has a naturally chiming sound from the lipstick pickups. I appreciate the Stones comparison.

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Very &mdash 11/28/07 - 05:56:15 PM
...appreciative of the positive response to this collaboration. Thanks to Woody and Leadbelly for inspiring me to write the lyrics and, as always, thanks to Bud for the musical imagination.

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Wow &mdash 11/28/07 - 09:02:29 PM
This is so old America Kerouac railroad earth sounding, the vocals playing through a car radio on Neal Cassidy's dash...I love the vibes here in this song,
congrats budman on a fine song!

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Thanks TW &mdash 11/28/07 - 09:32:51 PM
seems you speak from experience. Will and I did our Neal and Jack west coast road trip back in 1979. Lucky we survived it too.

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oops &mdash 11/28/07 - 09:42:06 PM
there goes that Jeckyll and Hyde thing again.

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When You Start Hearing Trains &mdash 11/29/07 - 07:53:15 AM
...you know you're onto something good.

Tremendous feel and affection here; band playing in a boxcar swaying in a fast freight headed for California. Railroad dick's in a good mood and he likes the tune, so he'll let the band play on his train. A little travellin' music, please? It doesn't get much finer than this.

By the way, my stepson has a credo: when in doubt, add more cowbell. Not bad for a 14-year old.

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Hey Rik - &mdash 11/29/07 - 01:27:13 PM
Welcome back - we've missed you. Looking forward to your LSP track. Thanks for stopping by.

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Visual &mdash 11/29/07 - 11:32:38 AM
The lyrics in this jump up and start playin a movie in my minds eye. Love the guitar in this Your settin it right! Rumble and rollin! Draggin on a lucky strike! Excellent!

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Thanks Tim - &mdash 11/29/07 - 04:07:03 PM
Nice of you to stop by. Beat it on down the line.

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trains! &mdash 11/29/07 - 07:48:46 PM
nice one!

someone cowbell - but no, i think an occasional dopplershift effected crossing bells would work even better!

thanks

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Great idea Smokey &mdash 11/29/07 - 08:49:38 PM
I'll get right on it.

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!! &mdash 11/30/07 - 10:25:00 AM
really freaking fantastic!!

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Why thank you JOAN &mdash 11/30/07 - 03:16:07 PM
gotta come see you sometime.

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