The Murky Waters Of Songwriting XIX

Hmm.

I've just recently updated one of my older songs which I composed like, last year. The title is 'Starry Night', and according to Alvin, a lot of my slow love songs sound similar. I supposed he's right, because I do start off a song in a very signature manner i.e. either picking or soft strumming, and can you blame me? I only know how to play guitar and mandolin.

I've been listening to some Eric Clapton blues music, and somehow it seems to be very similar to AC/DC minus the twin guitar wallop on your ear canals, the screaming I-just-had-a-truck-dropped-on-my-foot vocals, the thumping bass drum and driving bass. In essence, AC/DC is like some sort of hyper-overdriven version of John Mayall and his blues-breakers.

I dunno, I personally approach all of my songs in a new light, I seldom repeat old stuff although the structure might remain the same (intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, verse, outro) with some minor variations etc.

My key concern is that I seem to be running dry on acoustic material (plenty of acoustic material, but most of it is repetitive, nothing much is fresh) but I'm coming up with good electric-based songs which of course include a wacko guitar solo, driving bass and I-just-had-a-truck-dropped-on-my-foot vocals.

I've noodled long enough on my electric to come up with some interesting riffs, which might be good enough material if Alvin and I manage to bring in a bassist and drummer (personally, I wouldn't mind a second guitarist apart from alvin while I concentrate on the vocals for some songs).

I've also seen news for the Strait's Times School of Rock, and I thought to myself: 'what would I do if I had the power to bring three/four more people into a band, write some good material and actually take them to the top?' then came the reply: 'you don't even have a proper bassist and drummer at hand, so quit thinking until they are availible'.

Sigh. I've got a good head for rock riffs, especially boogie riffs and stuff which I can just improvise over a repetitive bass riff. Since I've been exposed to so much Led Zeppelin, which is the premier improvisational blues-based rock band, I've got a pretty good head for improvising in the style of blues, but throw me a pop riff and I'll just go 'huh?'.

I just pray I can find new material to play around with, but hope it won't come too unexpectantly.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy