"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

Today was an okay day. My big goal was to get everything I hope to get done this weekend squared away and set up.  I stole a bit of time at work today, taking a quiet moment to sort out my plans for the weekend.  With everything I hope to get to, it looks like it could be a really busy weekend, but I'm looking forward to it.

I've slipped up the last couple of days here, but I definitely intend on going back and filling in the goings on. Today was a quiet one, though.  I didn't manage my time as well as I would have liked, and as a result I didn't get much time n the studio.  I took a quick glance at the Beatles study, but didn't get much in the way of progress. I work tomorrow and then am really looking forward to the weekend.  Lots of studio time is hoped for.

Dad called this morning, with questions about the Telecaster.  Then I talked to a sales guy about gig bags vs. a hard case.  This is still so surreal to me.  Last year, a Martin.  This year, a Tele? Good day otherwise, too.  Great to have a chance to catch up with my brother.

Today was a good day.  We did some Black Friday shopping, and I was able to pick up a couple of things.  Included in that were the new issue of Guitar Techniques and the deluxe reissue of The Eagles' Hotel California.  That last may well be wrapped up for Christmas, we shall see. Still can't get over the Telecaster idea.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!  Nothing to report, music-wise today, but I'm definitely thankful to have spent the day with family.

Family is here for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Tonight at dinner, my Dad asked me if there was anything "big" that I needed or wanted for Christmas... That question was an easy one for me to answer.  I showed him a picture of one of these:   So, we'll see what happens with that.

Today was a good day. My BNL orders got here, and I was able to get in some good work in the studio tonight as well. That should help me out as I head into the rest of the week.

A bit more work on the Beatles Study tonight.  That has effectively commanded most of my musical attention lately. I'm stupidly excited for a couple of things that should be arriving in the mail tomorrow.  One is the new record by Barenaked Ladies, and the other is the pressing of Gordon , their first record, on vinyl.  Can't wait to sit down in the studio and listen to that. Also, my brother is coming on Wednesday, and hopefully we'll be able to get up to some musical hijinks.

Today was better than the last few days, for sure.  I still didn't get to as much as I was hoping to, but I was able to spend a bit of time on the Beatles Study and make what felt like decent progress. I had really hoped to get to more this weekend, but the fact that this didn't happen, at least sets me up for knowing what I need to focus on for the week, so I guess that counts for something. Oh, and we lost Mel Tillis today.

The world lost another legend today.  AC/DC Co-Founder Malcolm Young has left us at age 64.  His rhythm playing and songwriting remain touchstones that will continue to inspire guitarists for years to come. I found a few minutes for the Beatles Study today, but other than that, the day didn't really go as I had hoped it would.  I'm optimistic that tomorrow will be better, though. 

Today was a busy day out of the house, which didn't leave a whole lot in the way of time for the studio.  I'm hoping that will change tomorrow, as I feel  like I haven't made good progress down there in a while now. I'm hoping that things break the right way for me tomorrow, because I really need it.

Today was quiet, thanks to a combination of work and having to help out someone at church as soon as I got home.  That being said, I had plenty of time to process what I'm wanting to get done over the weekend. I really want to fit in some practicing and some work on the Beatles Study.  If, at some point in the next few days, I end up finding some time for the EP project, that would be great.  Those first two things seem most important right now, though.

Today was quieter than I had hoped it would be, but that was mostly due to the fact that I was never able to get into much of a groove with anything. I'm fitting in a bit of listening as I sit here, though, so that's good.  I've got Ogilala by Mr. William Patrick Corgan playing on my speakers.  There were so many years in the late 90's and early 2000's that I wished for an essentially acoustic record by The Smashing Pumpkins, that this record feels like it maybe came out twenty years too late.  I know that Adore fit at least some of that mold, but still. It's looking like all of the big stuff (Beatles Study, EP, etc.) will be waiting until tomorrow night after work until they get the attention I was hoping to give them today. 

I fit in a bit of listening today, in a few of the quieter moments.  Getting myself in a musical headspace heading into my day off always feels like a good first step. As for tomorrow, I really need a few hours at least of studio time to work on a couple of things.  First, the Beatles Study is feeling neglected, secondly is a project that has been even more pushed to the side the last month or so: the EP project.  There was a while there where I thought I might make my original goal of the end of the year, but from where I sit right now, that is going to take an enormous feat of strength. Lastly, I'd really like to get in some practicing that isn't related to either of those two projects.  Wish me luck, because I might just need it.

Today was yet another day of planning, of preparation, of putting in order the things I'm hopeful will get some attention this week.  It's not a perfect plan, by any means, but it is one that, if things go mostly the way I hope they will, should work. All of the usual suspects are there: 1.  Beatles Study 2.  Practicing 3.  EP Project It's going to be a great one, if for no other reason than I really need it to be.

Today was a quiet end to what I had originally thought would be a rather loud weekend.  Aside from Friday night, there was a decided lack of volume. I need to be more focused in the week that's ahead.  Do a better job of planning out what I want to get done and then follow through on those plans.  This week felt more lost music-wise (other than the Foo Fighters gig) than any I can remember in a long time.

Okay, so Dave's voice was kinda shot last night and the show was still epic.  Here's what they played: Run All My Life Learn to Fly The Pretender The Sky Is a Neighborhood Rope ( with solo's ) Sunday Rain My Hero These Days Walk Under My Wheels / Jump / Another One Bites the Dust / Blitzkrieg Bop ( w/ band introductions ) Big Me Congregation Breakout Times Like These This Is a Call Under Pressure ( Queen  cover) Monkey Wrench Breakdown ( Tom Petty  cover) Best of You Dirty Water Let There Be Rock ( AC/DC  cover) Everlong   And here is a little bit of "Big Me," just for fun:    

Foo Fighters show tonight in Des Moines. Awesome night and an awesome show. So many thoughts, but putting them in a coherent order might have to wait until tomorrow.

Long day at work today. I got a chance to spend a few minutes tonight on the Beatles study, but most of what I was able to get done was in the planning out of the weekend.  At least some of that includes the Foo Fighters gig tomorrow night.  The rest of it includes some practicing, some work on songs, and more time with the Fab Four. I'm really looking forward to the next few days.

So, this snuck up on me a bit today: that Foo Fighters show we're going to?  It's Friday.  Now I'm both really looking forward to the weekend and also really needing to spend a lot of tomorrow with their new record, which I've barely listened to at all. I did some listening today, but not focused in that direction, and found a few minutes to play, but didn't get to enough to make me happy. I'm really hopeful that tomorrow will have in it an opportunity for actual studio time, because it feels like it has been a while on that.

Today was another one where most of the work that got done was an effort to plan for tomorrow. Yes, there are other things that I have to get to, but I am definitely going to be spending a lot of time in the studio working on the EP project and the Beatles study. Today was a quiet one. Tomorrow will not be.

Yet another quiet day. I am almost at the point where I am hoping so much for Wednesday that I am overlooking tomorrow. At least on Wednesday I will have more time in the studio. Even with that, tomorrow needs to be more focused.

Today was quiet for the most part, but my brother got here this afternoon, so we had a chance to catch up and that was good.  We talked for a little bit about both his practicing and my Beatles study.  Needless to say, with having to get the house ready for company, I didn't have as much time to play as I had hoped to.  I still managed to get in some listening, though, but the things I didn't get to this weekend are haunting me somewhat: the EP project, some serious practice time, and more work on the Beatles study. We'll see what happens with the weeks to come.

Today's focus was more on the Beatles study than anything else, and while there wasn't as much time as I had hoped there would be, I still feel like I made some good progress.  On some level, I know that, considering the time I haven't spent on it, anything could be considered "good progress," but right now I'm just happy any time I get a moment to work on it. My brother comes tomorrow.  He's stopping on his way to an audition, and if I'm lucky I'll be able to get him to take a look at some of this Beatles stuff and offer his musical genius input.  Should be a good close to the weekend.

Today was quiet, but I got to at least a small chunk of the listening I was hoping to touch on this weekend.  More of that needs to be done tomorrow, but what I think will be more important is finding a way to spend a decent chunk of time in the studio. Today was low key, but after the work week, I think I needed that.  Tomorrow is going to be better.

Today was a long day at work, and all I could really bring myself to get done tonight was a setting up of what I'm hoping to get done over the weekend.  Much like last week, it involves the following things: 1.  EP Project 2.  Beatles Study 3.  Practicing 4.  Listening Today was quiet, and I'm really hoping that the weekend will be loud.

Today didn't have as much music in it as I had hoped it would, thanks mostly to the opening of NaNoWriMo and the 7th game of the World Series. That said, I was still able to make a small bit of progress through the never-ending magazine pile.  I was also able to fit in a bit of listening here and there, which was awesome.  Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to the three things I had really hoped would get some attention today: actual practicing, the Beatles study, and the EP project.  Hopefully the weekend will offer a bit more of that.