Steve Ball

Thanksgiving Day I

Late Evening Work: Thanksgiving Day (4.6M mp3).

This song was born out of an improv that the new Roadshow line-up has been playing with over the past month or so. The backing track for this song sketch was recorded at TravisM's place with just our two guitars. It's full of warts and unpolished ups and downs, but it's been enough to give me a backing track to quickly sketch out some lyrics and vocal harmonies during this little holiday break. It's no masterpiece, but it flew out and landed fairly intact.

I also added some organ to fill in the low end gaps where PaulO's substantial Rickenbacker bass is missing. Add Dan Moore's energetic drums to this piece, and it's got quite a poppy little life of it's own. Meantime, here's a sketch of the work in progress:

thanksgiving day
I don't care what I wear
what I read what I need
what I see what I say
doesn't matter anyway
I don't care what you do
what you know where you go
where you are how you are
what you wear I don't care
I see you on a roll
actualized hypnotized
dutiful beautiful
unaware everywhere
you see me infrequently
in a hole whack a mole
animal vegetable mineral pitiful
I lost your religion
positioned conditional care
impossible mission
decision on what I can wear
so yes I'm a fossil
colossal unfashionable friend
I'm not a possession
obsession regression to mend

on the edge off the ledge
over done over due
under whelmed undermined
not a care not a clue
out of line out of time
out of cheer out of here
i don't care what you wear
I'm not so into you
this verse is defective
subjective reflective of how
I've lost all perspective
objective dissected to death
can't stand in the bullshit
can't force it, divorce it away
trade in my condition
on thanksgiving day

count your chick before it's hitched or keep your anchor unattached and
count your check before it's cashed or this weeks cash may be your last but
don't mistake a passing fashion for your fake half-misplaced passion
count your blessings everyday before they up and go away

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Work for Forgotton Children

Morning: volunteer work for the Forgotten Children’s Fund followed by a deep nap.

Evening: beginning marathon work on 100 'little jewels' following up from recent sessions such as the one shown here:

This week, I invested in a 'Tranzport' (basically a wireless USB transport control for Protools) so I can sort through the 8+ hours of unpolished 'gems' and find the best 100 or so 2-6 second segments. This has dramatically changed how I am working on this project.

Also, phone tag with Duncan Weller regarding ongoing Night Wall plans.

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Inspiration Rides in a Death Cab

Just home from another inspiring Death Cab show at the Paramount. Trey Gunn first introduced me to Death Cab about five years ago with a copy of "We have the facts..." saying "you really need to hear this." I've been a fan ever since, for very good reason. Hooks + intelligence + musicality + presence = great show full of great songs. Tickets to tonight's sold out show came from an old MS friend who is now at Starbucks. A very relaxing and inspiring night out. Ran into fellow-old-MS person DonF at the show and we joked about being old folks in a sea of twenty somethings. But, for me, Ben's music knows no decade-based bias.

On a related note, this weekend is an important turning point in getting through my most significant and ambitious music project of this past year (or perhaps ever, in terms of 'reach.') I did an hour long interview with KUOW's Jeannie Yandel about this project this afternoon - probably part I olf a multipart interview. I'm another baby step toward completion, but still, much work ahead to transform what is still in potential into the real deal.

There is some irony in seeing Ben and comany tonight just as my current music project heads to completion given his potential, then disintegrated, involvement. The stories I could tell. Perhaps on the other side, but not now.

* * *

More frequent posting will follow the completion of this next phase. For now, I remain focused on the foreground.

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Wonderous Stories

Sooo busy lately, with many new Wonderous Stories brewing, but none that I can quite document here. Yet. Perhaps via NPR early next year. And Channel 9. But for now, I'm listenng and asking the very real question: what does Vista sound like?

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Also, many new song sketches in the works with the new Roadshow rock quartet. A few will show up here soon. Oh, and an interesting meeting with Duncan Weller's publisher late last week. Many new Possible Productions in the air as well. But, for now, I'm focusing on the doing rather than blogging about doing.

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One more note: the Seatte Circle diaries are finally off the air. End of an era.

Perhaps an even more interesting wish posed as a question: beginning of another?

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Saddam Dreams

Around the time I was working on the SB Box Set, my friend and fellow Seattle Guitar Circle guitarist, Joel Palmer, was writing a book called Saddam Dreams. It is now available online. There is some good stuff here that deserves wider attention.

"What happened in the final months before Saddam's capture? What transformed a ruthless dictator into the haggard, disoriented man who was run to ground at last, and dragged from a tiny spider hole bunker by his enemies? This is one version of the story."

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