The library is 99.99% finished! I spent a large amount of time yesterday thinking I’d finish up today, when in fact I hunkered down and got it done last night. I’m still awaiting some small bits of information from a friend who supplied 10 tracks. But it’s negligible in the grand scheme of the library.
I’m ready to start rolling with it which is a great relief. I do still have about 3 more CDs to add, but they have to be gathered up and most of that information is already done. I’m waiting on the audio tracks from them, and they’ll be later additions to the library.
That’s a light at the end of the tunnel that has come very bright.
This morning I also got an email from a buddy of mine that I’ve done several projects with earlier this year. He even had me come in a fix a song he was writing. Actually he wanted me to hear it and the moment it started playing I immediately mentioned another song that the melody was a direct rip-off of so I re-wrote the melody for him and he offered 50% split on it. The odd thing is another former friend to both of us got pissed at him for ripping her off.
Apparently some songwriters don’t realize that it’s extremely difficult to copyright a title of a song. Lyrics, melody, even an arrangement can be copyrighted, but a title and individual chords, no. The email he sent was a copy of our song, and also a copy of her song. I had never heard it. After hearing it this morning, it’s bizarre to even think that he/we ripped her off in any way. The words aren’t identical (other than the title). The melodies aren’t the same. The chords aren’t the same. The arrangement is not the same. The style isn’t even the same. They are not the same song by any stretch of the imagination. It is certainly a sad way to lose a friend, when she’s that delusional to think we ripped her off.
Not to say that musician’s don’t rip other musician’s off. It happens a lot I’m sure. However, anyone that has written with me knows full well how I like to approach writing and how I don’t even tend to like using titles that are already hits. That’s not to say that I haven’t had issues of songs sounding similar to something else. But usually it’s songs written by others that end up similar to mine. There’s two that I can think of off the top of my head from one of my first releases that had such similarities copied by bands that had huge success. One of them was so similar it was sickening and there was the remote possibility they had heard it because they worked with a friend at a studio that had a hand in mine. The other had to be mere coincidence.
As they say, time can heal wounds.
If there is a guitarist whom I really like for his profound sense of self, sound and style it would have to be Joe Satriani. The man knows his theory. He knows his instrument. He has a great sense of rhythm. A great sense of tone. A great sense of melody as it relates to a guitar. If I had to say there was someone who influenced me as a player more in the craft of guitar I wouldn’t be able to say anyone other than Joe. I’ve never met the man, but I I’d love to. It was his inspiration that drove me to learn what I did for the guitar. I know there are elements of that that still linger in my playing. I have a friend who has been fortunate enough to travel the world for a very large name-brand artist. He once came to me to help produce and co-write a solo release. We had gotten started, but never ended up finishing it – we got about 8 songs roughed out then he let it fall away. He definitely has internalized Joe in more ways than one. At some point, he’ll find his own voice. Much like many of Joe’s students have and there are several famous ones.
The thing I really dig about this track is the fact that the guitar rhythm and drums don’t start on the “1”. Its extremely cool. There is so much movement because of it. It’s funny to play a song like this and have people ask, where is the “1”. I would think most musician’s would know, but it’s surprising when they can’t find it. That’s the beauty of Joe, he can write something like this and make it sound smooth and powerful.
If you haven’t explored of a lot of Joe, I recommend you do. It’s a strange and beautiful journey.