I came across this today, posted by a facebooking friend. It took me back- to the days when i was a student, and the world was a heady mix of possibility and dysfunction…
I had forgotten what a great song it is.
And how the words mean something to my current situation that has been transformed by time.
So my friends- sit down.
Next to me.
Check this out- Andy Prosser, virtuoso.
(Virtually)
(From our new year’s eve session! Thanks Chirsty)
Here;s something for fellow guitar geeks…
I have used Elixir guitar strings for quite a while now. When I was playing more regularly, this was because I tended to get sweaty hands during live performances, and a set of normal, non-coated strings would be dull and lifeless in a very short time.
As I play live only every now and again at the moment, the longevity of the Elixir strings is also much appreciated- the current set on my main instrument have been there around 6 months, whereas at one point, I needed to change them every few weeks to retain some kind of bright edge to the sound I make.
As any guitar player will tell you, that new-string sound transforms even the best guitar. My Taylor 514CE is a lovely thing, but like all proper instruments, it needs to be looked after- and nothing pampers it quite like some nice new strings…
I think Elixir strings were the first coated ones to come on the market. The coating was invented by Gore enterprises- makers of Goretex, a breathable waterproof membrane used in outdoor clothing. Someone sprayed a tough microscopically thin coating on some strings, and hey presto, they hit on something worth marketing. I have tried other manufacturers coated strings since- but I have not found them to be as good on my guitar at least.
I find them a little duller at first, than uncoated strings (I used to use D’Addario phosphur-bronze strings,- but then the
sound simply does not deteriorate for ages and ages- even as the coating appears to wear and in some cases, shred.
One problem I had with the 80/20 bronze strings- both the polyweb and the nanoweb varieties, is that I often broke strings- particularly the G strings. I questioned Elixir about this- remember that the strings cost around twice as much as uncoated strings (expect to pay about £10-£12 a set). I was told that this was not a common problem- I’d be interested to know if anyone else has experienced this?
I remember when playing in the USA, I bought a whole set of extra G strings in an attempt to keep myself going. In the end I used uncoated G strings, although some of the other bound strings would pop from time to time…
Elixir have recently started making phosphor bronze coated strings, which are often even more expensive- but I think, worth the money- for two reasons- they sound even better, and I have not had the same problems with breaking strings.
Perhaps if you ask Santa nicely…
I haven’t seen the film but the combination of these lovely images and the beautiful song is wonderful.
Enjoy…
I ordered a Bouzouki from Dave Freshwater- one of the accord range, with pick-up. You can read Dave’s info on this instrument here. I have now had the instrument a few months, and thought it was time to commit myself to a review.
I have a Freshwater mandolin- a beautiful thing, and loved the idea that I would be ordering something handmade in Scotland.
I had also considered Moon, Buchanan and Fylde. However, all of these wonderful luthiers turn out instruments that command prices of double the cost that Dave charges for his accord range.
What you are buying is a handmade instrument at roughly the same cost of many factory produced Korean bouzoukis. This is remarkable.
So- how was it?
Quality and workmanship… 7/10
Well, both are good. The instrument looks great, is well finished, and made from fine tone woods. The pick up is of low quality, but works well- there is some ‘live’ noise from the body of the instrument as you play, but I quite like the percussive effect that this gives to what is after all a rhythm instrument.
The floating bridge is set up at an acute angle (when aligned with the marks placed by Dave on the soundboard) and I questioned this at first, but Dave assures me that this is correct.
The sound board marks very easily. Already it has scratches from my plectrum.
The stick-on freshwater logo’s are a bit low rent, but look better on this than on my mandolin. Machine heads smooth and decent, tailpiece will work with ball and loop strings. Frets dressed OK.
Playability… 5/10
Dave telephoned to ask what kind of set up I required- based on whether it would be played hard or more sensitively. I can be hard on my guitar at times so opted for the same. He gave instructions as to how to change the set up if required.
However, when the instrument arrived, it was unplayable for any length of time because the action was very high. The intonation was also affected, and I spent some time trying to compensate for this with different bridge settings.
A phone call to Dave was not very helpful- he told me that the instrument had been checked by a musician prior to being sent, and was fine. I am not sure what kind of musician. I also wonder whether Dave has a good understanding of how best to set up his instruments.
I have now lowered the bridge significantly. THERE IS NO TRUSS ROD, so this is the only way you can change the action of the instrument. (I knew this before ordering- so no complaints there…) The instrument now plays much better- although I will still lower it further I think.
The other thing that takes some getting used to is the neck- it is very thick and round. Perhaps it needs this bulk to remain stable without a truss rod? I am used to playing a Taylor profiled guitar, and this is very different. However- it is something I find myself warming to, as it shapes the hands for slide chords nicely.
I use doubled strings, tuned to DADG. I have not tried octaves yet.
Sound 7/10
This is a small bodied instrument, and so played acoustically, it projects thinly- but it has warmth and sustain.
Plugged in it has some power. If you are used to guitar playing, this will make a sound that you will easily appreciate as providing something different and useable.
Experience of buying from Freshwater 3/10
I am afraid things did not go very well here. I ordered the instrument online around my birthday in February. The estimate of delivery time was 6 weeks. It took much longer- about 6 months. I made several calls to chase it up, and even considered canceling my order. Dave described waiting for machine heads- this for a number of weeks.
The original payment (made by card) did not go through. I checked if all was in order, but although Dave had the order, it later transpired he had no money- all a bit confusing, and I wonder if he thought I was trying to rip him off.
When the instrument was delivered, it was entrusted to a courier who could not find our address. Dave made several calls about this, appearing to be very irritated with us for living in such a difficult place to find.
I ordered a case for the instrument- paying quite a lot extra. When it came it was a cheap guitar case that did not fit at all. I sent it back- again this involved some terse e-mails. There then followed a few phone calls to make sure that the money was returned- including some rather bad tempered answering machine messages.
To do Dave credit- he did try to ring me persistently to resolve any issues. However, this amounted to several calls a day at one point- and it felt quite intimidating.
I have no clear idea of the size of Dave’s operation, but suspect that it could do with some fine tuning- both in terms of logistics and customer relations!
Overall conclusion
This instrument is a significant improvement on the mass produced Korean imports. It has character and if you get the set up right, is fun to play.
If you are a guitar player looking to diversify, or want to move up from some of those awful Ozarks, it is well worth a try. You may need some patience, but hopefully it will be rewarded!
Here is a piece of folk music played on all sorts of different instruments- including some virtuoso frying pan bashing…
I love the fact that eclectic eccentric music like this can find airtime- thanks to the Jules Holland programme on the good old BBC.
Folk music gets some bad press with some. But good music is good no matter what genre it anchors itself within. And for me- folk songs are our connection with where we came from- the music of working people of preceding generations.
This song has a strange beginning- it was thought to be written by a man called Dan Emmett, who performed it in 1850’s New York, where despite the controversy around slavery, white performers who blacked their faces as negro minstrels were very popular.
But like many folk songs, it was adapted and changed to speak to the times. It was sung by soldiers fighting and dying in the American Civil war, and by others since asking questions about the nature of life and suffering, and hoping for a better future- this side of Jordan, and the next.
I like this version of the words- not quite the same as those sung by Bellowhead on the clip below.
I looked in the East, I looked in the West,
For Fortune a chance to me accordin’,
But Fortune is a blind god flyin’ in the clouds,
Forgettin’ me on this side of Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, and roll up your sleeves,
Jordon is a hard road to travel I believes.Thunder in the clouds, and lightening in the trees,
Shelter to my head no leaf affordin’,
Battered by the hailstones, beaten by the breeze;
Th’s my lot on this side o’ Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, etc.Silver spoons to some mouths, golden spoons to others,
Providence unequally awardin’,
Dash it! – tho’ they tells us all of us be brothers;
Don’t see it clearly, this side of Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, etc.Like a ragged owlet, with its wings expanded,
Nailed against a garden door or hoardin’,
That am I, by good folk, as a rascal branded;
Never hurted none o’ this side Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, etc.Aloft a pretty cherub, patchin’ up o’ blunders,
My troubles and distresses is recordin’,
Will there come a whirlabout? better times I wonders,
E’en to me, on t’other side o’ Jordan?
Pull off your old coat, etc.
Enjoy!
I have been listening to Derek Webb’s album ‘Mockingbird’ today in the car, at high volume.
It gave me some hope for the world, that an American can write words like this;
Who is your brother? Who is your sister?
You just walked past him. I think you missed her,
As we’re all migrating to a place where our father lives
Because we married into a family of emigrants.So my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood.
It’s to a king and kingdom.There are two great lies that I’ve heard.
The day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die.
And that Jesus Christ was a white middle class republican
And if you want to be saved you have to learn to be like him.So my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or to a man.
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
It’s to a king and a kingdom.But nothing unifies like a common enemy
And we’ve got one, sure as hell.
He may be living in your house.
He may be raising up your kids.
He may be sleeping with your wife.
He may not look like you think.Derek Webb, ‘King and a Kingdom” from the Mockingbird album.
Here is another song from the album…
I grew up listening to Christian ‘rock’ music. I have confessed this before. When others were listening to Meatloaf, or Aztec Camera, or Prefab Spout, or Genesis, or the Police- I was into a whole different vibe…
The legacy it left me with was a record collection that I can not easily share with most of my friends. Not that anyone still plays records.
I fessed up to this musical background here, on the Aoradh website.
So you will appreciate how gratifying it is to discover that the Christian music is now popular, trendy and culturally relevant.
Proof of this can be seen in the following clip- which is attracting huge attention on you tube. Thanks to TSK for the heads up.
At Greenbelt Festival, there is a new tradition of hymn singing in the big beer tent.
I stayed away this year, as it becomes very crowded- and the volume of the singing has to be heard to be believed. On one occasion I was about a mile away over the other side of the festival fields, and you could hear the singing clearly above the sounds coming from the mega-amplified main stage.
Here is a clip that gives a flavour of the event. What you see is a hymn choosing process, then a few thousand folk singing ‘Lord the light of your love is shining’.
The beers and hymns event has been criticised by some. As you can see, for some, the beer is central to proceedings- and perhaps the idea of beer-fueled worship, cast alongside the instructions for ‘orderly worship’ by St Paul is a step too far.
But then, if you speak to people who were there, with tears in their eyes as they worshiped…
How this transfers to your town or congregation- who knows!
If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrows rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetimes argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we areOn and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we areOn and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are
I heard this song again the other day for the first time in years- ‘Fragile’ by Sting. Thought it appropriate given the title of this blog…
The song takes me back to being a student, painfully shy, searching for some kind of shelf to hang from. For a while it seemed as though I would surely fall.
It was music, and passionate ideas that saved me.
Oh- and Michaela of course.
Life… is so fragile.
If you can cope with the aching beauty of another song about fragility and loss- check out this track by Martyn Joseph
this fragile tent 