...and a mighty fine day to you all...

Some might call me cheep, that I am a hold out.

It is not so.

I have had minimal success on ReverbNation, SoundCloud, Jango and FaceBook because I do not buy into the "Promote Yourself" by feeding the machine dollar bills to gain access to "Likes" and false ambitions.

Besides...I am old in a market that require youth to drive the wheels of the music industry...

It is for me, like a painter or Artist...a means to drape my songs over a medium that I can share with all of you.

I have no Pie in the Sky dreams of making it because I am doing it.

All I can say is I am happy with my desire in music and thankful that you care to show your appreciation from time to time.

As Jim Dandy of Black Oak Arkansas used to say...

Keep the faith!

Cheers!

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What you don't know...

A person goes throughout their life in a variety of phases...we all try to accomplish some goal of the soul, for the good and betterment of our being...and yet some choose other things to perpetuate a reason to live or die by.

Who is to say that in your own thinking you are wrong to believe in your path to this end...

Music is such a basic yet lofty plain to navigate that it is at time with great difficulty to feel worthy because of the loneliness artful people go through.

Some might say that is a dreamers dream will take you down the road to ruin, squashing your confidence and sets yourself up for disappointment, but alas...we are but mortal human beings, try that we may to be honest and truthful, the result usually comes back in negative ambition because of the desire to be what we want not what is.

Be careful when you admit you want the truth...usually we have great difficulty 'handling the truth' but if you know your being and you treat yourself honestly...there will be peace in your quest.

The lyric 'It's only Rock and Roll...but I like it' by The Rolling Stones sums up a lot about the quest to be a musician and to play and perform or record music...but nothing in life is ever that easy or simple...1st we have to deal with ourselves and then at the same time deal with those who are and aren't around us. Some serious challenges for sure.

In a recent song I posted 'Come what May' a line in the song...'No one knows the pain as it grows, all anyone can do in try again' rings so true at times seams so deliberate. Our lessons are so many.

Have faith in your quest...it is not for naught. The challenge is to relax, realize what you have and what you can share and find a balance to continue on as in life and music.

I recently read a saying...and it rings true...

"some say the glass is half empty, others say it is half full...the glass is refillable"

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Good Luck!

For those with the need to know...

As far as guitar players are concerned ( me Specifically ) really there are only a hand full of electric guitars one might contemplate playing or owning.

It comes down to your style...what genre and soul your music should have.

I won't go on about the other guitars, they are all great! What I will go on about is the texture I look for when creating that truly original kind of sound that you find in the realm of Blues/Rock...British/Southern Americana style.

Some songs just go better with Gibson Les Pauls...some with Fender Stratocasters and some with a blend of both....

Jimi Hendrix set a lot of the standards we all enjoy to day...so did Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower. Mostly Strat players...something about the way the guitar delivers it's tone from the long string length and the single coil tone with an Alder or Ash body...and of course the playing style.

Mostly here though I will say that those that I mentioned about were artists that use a Wah Wah pedal for effect on a rare number of songs...not abused but used with the greatest of respect for their songs and voice.

So without further ado here is my point. This song represents a lot of what I have just talked about...respect mostly for the effect and the benefit of the song...making and exclamation, carrying a line or crying like the drawn out Steam Locomotives whistle down a lonely rail line...

For your Rockin listening pleasure I hope you will enjoy! 'Good Luck'

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Retro?

"Out There Somewhere" Written 3/30/2013 By: Burt K. Arthur/NorthernBanduitr

Now on ReverbNation.com

So I have been musing about me, my ever emerging role in music, at least the short term view I have of myself and the validity of what I do ( got to be inside my head to be part of the conversation ).

Recently read some articles about The Blues...and thinking back in those early days for me which was the era of Blues and Rock...65-78...

Modern players taken the charge of the old guard...converting those old Blues songs from Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Freddy, BB, and Albert King and guy's like John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Peter Green...Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons and Duane Allman into what so many of us know as Rock. At least if you think of it from the south, east of Texas to the Atlantic and north through the mid-west to Chicago barriers of the torch.

Some traditional sounds and a twist from the crowd of young emerging Rock and Rollers...Rockers who to some extent fashioned a spin on the traditional sounds of the Blues and turned many of us on our ear to The Blues.

Of course there are more musicians then I could ever mention in a single page who has made Rock what it is today and yet the blues still prevails, stronger then ever.

The song 'Out There Somewhere' was a song I wrote, created in reminiscent thought about the old ways...if you listen to the song...the slide guitar, the open tuning...about a slower time but you know things never slow down, it is just a matter of where you live at as to the texture of the song the lyric...this particular lyric is a story about two old friends, not much said...playing something they both know...The Blues!

When I was very small I visited Arkansas...many things I have never forgot. The heat and humidity, the segregation of people in public places...and the way the whole environment seamed to drip and drag you like a wet towel across your shoulders...many things a six year old doesn't understand...except the different way in which this part of the country was from the home I knew in Washington State.

So in my musing as I started to say...what I decided to do is what all of my music hero's did all those years ago... ...I am going to take this Blues song that I created no so very long ago and make it a Rocker.

Now some would say 'No big thing' and carry on...but it is a big thing...Not the song or the fact that I wrote it...that only matters to me...but what is of value is the transcendence of the Blues to Rock.

Some might go on to think that I am just full of myself...and they would probably be right...usually musicians/players get together because of a common comradery....Today this means, the internet...this is the way my sharing has come full circle. Long gone are the day of glory playing with a group a friends, they have all gone away. But the song remains...

I spent a little time this afternoon conspiring how to Rock this track and I have come up with a plan...it will be different in sound then the original recording...will be full on electrified...in the vein of the old school...like the way some of our hero's of the old days would do to songs like 'Crossroads' and 'Someday After Awhile'.

Looking forward to sharing this with you...soon!

Out There Somewhere Written By: Burt K. Arthur/NorthernBandit 3/30/2013 Copyright Protected

Somewhere out there...off the beaten path The sun is shining brightly...through the fog and mist

And like two old souls Sittin on a poarch Playin some renditions Of songs not long ago

Same as the beginning...a time gone away Struggle with the facts now...the rules of the game

Try though as I might To set the course I seek Seems as though my destiny Is the life I keep

Oh how I love this life so...would not change a thing Sit here playin my Guitar...a soul that now is free

In my mind I see a lot of things Always wonderin why Is this all that life can be

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Ain't Nothin...but The Blues!

...You know, there are a lot of us in the music world that get driven by someone else's talent or lack there of...it's all relative to the cause.

Robert Johnson/Bluesman...fired up a lot of imagination in the early Sixties and his entry level Blues is still being pushed beyond the envelope of tradition. The one off Artistry of an Original in the field of the Blues.

I did not have the luxury of finding our about him and may others until after I was inspired by players like Jimmy Page, Johnny Winter, Duane Allman to name just a few...know as Blues Rock...and Rock in todays standards.

Traditional blues was an acoustic thing back in those olden days...sometime due to shear poverty a player might only have a guitar with five strings and one of them might be catgut. So as an accompaniment to the voice the guitar might have just been secondary.

Open tuning was developed probably more out of demand to having a consistent tone and an ease of playing that would allow a singer to embellish a sound and tell a story and at the same time not have to fret any note but strum in an open chord while singing or playing a mouth harp,

Bottleneck or Slide playing added a whole other dimension to the sound creating images in you mind of Trains chugging down a line...or the wind howling through a gutted alleyway...or the howling of a wild dog in the moonlit night.

A solid foot stomp did more than kept the timing, it was a back beat drone for the melody...which drove the tempo, the excitement of the piece being played.

It was never really about the perfection of the playing back then...it was the whole aspect of the playing and delivery...what is so cool about Open Tuning is it allows the player to be adventurous in one key...playing high or low many different aspects in one note structure...I prefer to play in Open D.

So here I present to you my feelings in the blues...I did not study anyone's style to play like this...I just let it be what came about. It is crude and sloppy but it is a feeling and emotion...a reaching back in time and a release of the spirit within the lyric, verses and song.

I enjoyed recording this song...I hope you might enjoy listening to it too!

Peace!

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So you want to be a Rock and Roll Star?

Relativity matters!

So you want to be a Rock and Roll Star?

I suppose I always have and always wanted to believe I could but there are things I would not sacrifice for the sake of wanting and that is my family. Made that decision a very long time ago.

So I am my own worst enemy because I don't let go of this thing called Rock and Roll...The Blues. Rock music. I have no desire to play Classical...don't care to be a chamber musician...but to be a Rocker, Hell yeah!

If I were to say that your opinions didn't matter, I would be lying but on the other side of the coin...I will fight and tug for acceptance regardless through my own plan to stay out of entertainment.

Now having said that...I still envision myself from time to time Rockin in a Band...full on sync'd in and putting on a show but time waits for no man and my excuses are many...mostly they are reality base.

The question comes down to quality verses a good reason to even keep trying. I have always tried to be the best I thought I could be. It is still that way...striving for perfection in Rock and Roll is like wizzin in the wind. It can come right back at you because in this reference of Rock and Roll perfect has never been the pinnacle to strive for...Performance perhaps within the realm of the genre you are working in but nothing more then that.

I've read stories..."How to be a better Professional Singer, Guitar Player etc...I know what they are hinting at. Practice sometimes make perfect...but to go along with that is your human experience, desire and the ability to tell a story that connects with other human beings.

Few people will actually tell you honestly how they feel or what they think about what you do. It's not being dishonest...usually people in an audience in pure action will say more then some one right in front of you when asked...what do you think of my new song or performance?

As Artists...musicians live mostly in a make believe world. We have a need to be extroverts, to display this 'see me I can do this' attitude. It's not a bad thing...sometimes it's baring you soul and opening yourself up to being criticized when you are not even expecting it.

Not everyone is going to like or appreciate what the Artist does...it is a lonely place most of the time...when you talk to people and don't solicit a response to something you do and they provide a commentary about what you have done...it is a Pandora's Box waiting to be opened. The key and it is hard fought to get and that is to take it all with a grain of salt. Moderation is a term I would use to temper the frustration you will experience when unfavorable comments come to play.

So perhaps I don't have the golden voice, I don't want it and the way I play guitar or bass might disagree with the best of the critics and the material I right about may be nothing more then drivel...and the composition's I create are crap...but you know...

...it's close enough for Rock and Roll and that's alright by me.

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Guitars and stuff...

Well, what about it?

Ok, if you really want to know give a listen to 'Come What May'. The Guitars, rhythm and lead specifically.

I'm loving the way my Les Paul plays even more...I told you I was going to adopt the 'String Over Method' and I did and have found a much more responsive playability.

The 'String Over Method' is running the strings over the Tail Piece instead of 'Through It' as set up by Gibson. As well I have lowered the Tail Piece all the way down to the furthest point ( Bottomed out ) to get a more resilient sustain...and it works beautifully. The silkiness of the strings when bending is so much better then before.

I use Ernie Ball Super Slinky's 09-42...a common set and they seam to do me just fine...even with the changes I made but beware. If you play with light strings you may have issues if you don't take into account the silky factor...the stings will be more sensitive to the torque you apply when striking chords and playing rhythm...but hey, have fun!

I am!

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A funny sort of thing...The Blues ( Music )

Most like the moment you say enough is enough and what ever was conflicting you makes you decide you are not going to take it 'No More' and you press your self to smile and look on the brighter side of things...

That's kind of what happens to a Bluesman who plays from the soul.

Eric Clapton said it after suffering what he thought he should to be a true Bluesman...BB King exclaimed it too as not a means to just have a cry but to reveal the glory of moving on and the joy of singing that the past as bad as it might have been could see a better day through the expression of playin 'The Blues' with glory.

There is inspiration in the players hands you know...coming from the soul...all the things one experiences translates in texture, high and low note progressions and volume or the lack of it.

It has also been said that like the sound of the Blues as it is created it is also about what is not played...the note sustained, the minimalistic lyrical content...that the spaces between the sounds are just as important as the music it's self!

Men and women will stand on a box and scream to the world the valor of the favorite players/writers. In railing the virtues of one guitar/singer over another only points to one thing...yeah we all have our favorites...but stacked end to end there is no one better or worse then the other...it is in the context of your experience that delivers the message you are so willing to hear and accept from any given Bluesman that creates the 'Oh My God' moment for any of us.

All these creators...those who with sometimes shy reserve will pick up a guitar, scribble out a heart felt moment on any piece of paper they can write on and without reservation spin a tale of love lost, a connection reconnected, a journey about to begin and a past hoping for a brighter day...

It is all about Life...and part of it is called ' The Blues '.

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A brief dialog from the creator of 'Come What May'

A mighty fine Sunday morning to y'all!

'Come What May'...kinda sounds like a gamble...kinda sounds like a moment in time when living is everything and no matter what planning you attempt what will be will be.

No one is free from the destiny that is before them...no one knows really what the end will bring...personally I do not want to know, so the term 'Come what may' rings a special kind of of tone that allows the human experience to flourish in the Journey we all travel. Life!

In the first line of the lyric to 'Come What May' my new release... " Run Like the wind...chase the sun as it sets, don't let the light escape from your view" pretty much say's it all. Like the opening jangle of the guitar and that first power chord the song explodes and the energy of the delivery of the message...the power of the song is like a march into the battle of life.

The first image I get in my mind is the image of Roger Daltry of The Who on stage between lyrical lines of 'Won't get Fooled Again' stepping to the pounding beat of Keith Moon and the thunderous report of John Entwistles power runs on Bass guitar. The single moment at the beginning of the number with Pete Townshend's single power chord...raising the call to 'awake' the energy and the spirit for life and the refrain to never give in.

There is something majestic...humbling, empowering and naturally beaconing about the sea. the ocean in it's calm and power that can raise the human spirit to connect with the creator...the element of the reasons why we always come back to the sea.

I had initially wanted to have a Gong represent the third power chord in the intro but did not have the resource to be able to do so...but remembering how in the epic album by The Who call Quadrophinia, Pete Townshend gave the production such dynamic using the ocean and a storm, it seemed only right but as well a natural way to emulate the Gong sound because the power is quite similar in it's ability to loudly with subtle volume and duration generate the same effect...

'Come What May' is a powerful song...the production meant to capture the inner feeling and arouse to body to engage in the physical. It is a Rock song.

Live long and play it loud. Peace my Brothers and Sisters, life is moving on up!

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Editorial for "Come What May" song by NorthernBandit

A little backline info about my new recording..."Come What May" be sure to have a listen...loads of Rock!

So here is what I want to tell you about! Mostly about the vocal sound.

Interestingly enough not too many people think about the sequence of events in the recording process unless you are the one recording and producing your material or someone else's song.

It starts out rather simple...for this particular track I had begun with the EJ200 Acoustic guitar for the rhythm and built the recording from there up.

Sometimes one might already have a lyric written and jump right in and play the guitar and record the vocal together. Not the case for me here...I didn't get the vocal finished until all the other pieces were finished. The whole time I was building the song could not think of a topic to sing about. The lyric was song track 8.

Part of the dilemma was the inner windings of all the pieces...like a puzzle. it wasn't until the Acoustic and Bass guitar, Tambourine, Drums, Electric guitar and Lead guitar were finished that I could even think of the words that would become the singers song.

Part of the concern always is having all the pieces coexist with each other...it is all about the Song. The beginning, the middle and the end, so in saying that the lyric was primary even though it was the last thing developed and recorded.

After I had found my topic...there were at least six re-rights. I found as I tried to sing the words some of the lines were too long and rhyming was not ideal...in this song not all roads lead to a rhyme but end in a statement.

What the real challenge was has to do with the vocal delivery...initially I sang and recorded 8 or 10 attempts at the lyric over two days...which proved to be less then acceptable...on the third day I think I had like twenty takes under my belt but I found the range I was looking for wasn't coming until I re-adjusted the Mic placement and sang looking upward and this kind of Roger Daltry tone came about when I turned the reverb up on the premix...was very excited of the sound...it fit very well.

Everything I do is a Demo...I won't kid you or myself it's not professional but...even though it's rough I hope you can appreciate the effort I put into the recordings I produce...

I consistently am absorbed with finish...the best recording I can make...with limited resources I produce the best that I can. I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I enjoyed playing and recording it for me and you!

Happy listening...it is a Rock and Roll weekend!

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