I just watched the documentary, The Who: "Amazing Journey" the other day. It came out in 2007 but hey, I live in Japan. Things kind of arrive "late" here. If you haven't seen it, it is a 'must watch' film about The Who's history from the very beginning up until 2007! I must say "Wow"...that band just jumped a whole octave in my 'really respect that band' list. As a songwriter the movie made me realize something about myself as a musician.
I write, record, mix, semi-master every song I have uploaded online to various band sites. I don't gig anymore because when I play my original songs as a solo act, I hear all the other instrumentation in my head and it kinda makes the vocals and acoustic only thing sort of blah and left missing. I have played in various bands where we did original music. That something when a band really clicks on a piece that was created by the band makes the whole band thing worth while. I have also gigged as a solo musician and in between ruining cover songs by awesome bands I would throw in some of my own stuff but I always found the songs lacking. Even as I sit sit alone and work out or jam on songs that I have written , that feeling of "man, something is missing" is always there.
These bands, solo or otherwise have always played the cover songs also. I always felt the cover songs got in the way of what could have been. Some may say, "well, The Who played cover songs when they started out". Yes they did. I have too. Maybe not as much as some bands, but I have played Sweet Home Alabama more times than I can recall and I really don't feel the need anymore to recreate the wheel and appease an audience with over-done cover songs.
Watching the story of how Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey made it work all these years made me realize that; I do not have that other musician guy (or gal) whom I can work with and who believes in our own music. A musician who can share in the magic of creation and perform those creations on a live stage in front of an audience who, believe it or not, will most likely enjoy what they hear.
Alas...Okinawa is not a big island and though there are plenty of players around who consistently and insistently only play cover songs, my chance of finding someone of the likes stated above would be about equal to the chance of me being struck by lightning and/or winning the lottery.
And now deep thoughts by Jack Handy...
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to see if i have anything to say...usually not.
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Don Paul Jankas / Blog
Who and Me
I just watched the documentary, The Who: "Amazing Journey" the other day. It came out in 2007 but hey, I live in Japan. Things kind of arrive "late" here. If you haven't seen it, it is a 'must watch' film about The Who's history from the very beginning up until 2007! I must say "Wow"...that band just jumped a whole octave in my 'really respect that band' list. As a songwriter the movie made me realize something about myself as a musician. I write, record, mix, semi-master every song I have uploaded online to various band sites. I don't gig anymore because when I play my original songs as a solo act, I hear all the other instrumentation in my head and it kinda makes the vocals and acoustic only thing sort of blah and left missing. I have played in various bands where we did original music. That something when a band really clicks on a piece that was created by the band makes the whole band thing worth while. I have also gigged as a solo musician and in between ruining cover songs by awesome bands I would throw in some of my own stuff but I always found the songs lacking. Even as I sit sit alone and work out or jam on songs that I have written , that feeling of "man, something is missing" is always there. These bands, solo or otherwise have always played the cover songs also. I always felt the cover songs got in the way of what could have been. Some may say, "well, The Who played cover songs when they started out". Yes they did. I have too. Maybe not as much as some bands, but I have played Sweet Home Alabama more times than I can recall and I really don't feel the need anymore to recreate the wheel and appease an audience with over-done cover songs. Watching the story of how Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey made it work all these years made me realize that; I do not have that other musician guy (or gal) whom I can work with and who believes in our own music. A musician who can share in the magic of creation and perform those creations on a live stage in front of an audience who, believe it or not, will most likely enjoy what they hear. Alas...Okinawa is not a big island and though there are plenty of players around who consistently and insistently only play cover songs, my chance of finding someone of the likes stated above would be about equal to the chance of me being struck by lightning and/or winning the lottery. And now deep thoughts by Jack Handy...
Reply
goto myspace.com/donpauljankas
to see if i have anything to say...usually not.
Reply