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Online Connection

[verse]
Cyber-sex
And the need for rated X
Government control
Fueled by the meek and those who want it for us all

[verse]
Where do we live
A democracy, theocracy or socialist regime
In this day and age
Overload by the super-information stage

[pre chorus]
Dislike your radio
Despise your television
Disguise your online connection

[chorus]
For the young or the wild
There’s a link to a new obsession
For the young or weak
There’s a world of bold progression
All included in your
Online Connection

[instrumental]

[chorus]
For the young or the wild
There’s a link to a new obsession
For the young or weak
There’s a world of bold progression
All included in your
Online Connection

[bridge]
The more life you create
Equals time spent
To relate and
Educate

[chorus]
For the young or the wild
There’s a link to a new obsession
For the young or weak
There’s a world of bold progression
All included in your
Online Connection

[chorus]
For the young or the wild
There’s a link to a new obsession
For the young or weak
There’s a world of bold progression
All included in your
Online Connection

Song Length: 3:53

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Paul Kaiser: Drums
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitar Solo Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio

Mastered at: Utopia Parkway Music Guitar(s): Fender Guitar: my first guitar that I subsequently torn apart changed parts, repainted and rebuilt. Up from the ashes came a guitar that has since been on numerous recordings and records, more than me. It sounds great. I stocked it with a single Seymour Duncan Custom Humbucker. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge. For this song it is specifically tuned to (lo to hi): C G C G B E.

Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings. This guitar was used in additional rhythm parts (not tuned down), and for the guitar solo.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Roland V-Drum TD-10.
Sounds via Battery by Native Instruments.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a

Song Story:
Not being a stranger to technology I found that I wasn’t done writing about the power of the internet. At this point I’m still not going to rule out the possibilities of more computer/internet related songs.

These lyrics are definitely reminiscent of the earlier days of the net when everyone was believing that everything was free. Including music, movies, photos, etc… It was the wild west frontier all over again. Lawlessness, hell it’s still has the element though it’s quickly getting swept into a corner. There will always be that ability to copy anything and everything, but the people with that savvy will get fewer.

From a songwriting standpoint I finally got a good mix of heavy guitar with a modern melody. I’m very proud of what I achieved on it. It’s one of those songs where I can stand back and go “Yeah! that’s fucking cool.” So much so, that I really don’t care if others don’t like it.

Factoids:
1. The internet used to be the wild west and in some respects, it should go back to being so again.
2. I used to be nicknamed “dot com”. So I thought it would be appropriate to write about connecting with people online.
3. First time I used a tremolo effect on a vocal.

The whole concept for potential on this song was the crazy guitar riff. I wanted to kick it off at high tempo with this wild building in intensity bordering on out of control intro then harness it into the main riff. I think I got it pretty damn close to what I heard in my head.

Technically speaking this song and the rest on the album represented a change in how I approached mixing and creating. I used tons of samples and spent time dialing and tweaking little noises. Put on a pair of headphones and with this song you’ve got all kinds of things swirling around in your ears.

This was right after I got my Emagic Endorsement so I had access to all kinds of production tools all of a sudden. I just went nuts with the EXS. Then I got a hold of Battery and those two plugin’s combined with the V-Drums I found a way to make them come more alive with Paul’s Playing. What follows is the secret to my V-Drum success here: I would take Paul’s playing into the computer as midi-data. This gave me the power to start layering the V-Drum data with samples from Battery and various other things I had for the EXS. Then I figured out that recording the V-Drum outs in 8 outs with the following format worked wonders (1-snare, 1-kick, 2-cymbals, 2-toms, 2-room). I found that I needed the 8 ins to be recorded all at once to make it sound good. Then I would take kick samples and Snare samples and line them up with the recorded part from the V-drums. This fattened up the sounds. Long explanation, but it really did work great – to the point I had drummers that could not tell it was V-Drums.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302001

ISWC: T9055765372

SESAC Song ID: 594747

Harry Fox ID: O5006V
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Age

[verse]
Everyday I see another little piece of me is slipping away
Who can I sue for the time that’s been stolen from me
Though I don’t feel a day over the legal age
There’s been several more wrinkles to my page

[chorus]
Age, Age, Age
Natural human obsession
Age, Age, Age
Youth is not a possession
Age, Age, Age

[verse]
Everyday I forget all my favorite places
Things I can do with all the friends who’ve all fallen from view
Though I don’t look the part of a dying breed
There’s been several more notches to my greed

[chorus]
Age, Age, Age
Natural human obsession
Age, Age, Age
Youth is not a possession
Age, Age, Age

[instrumental]

[bridge]
Tossing, Turning
The candle light is burning
Crossing, Clicking
The master time is ticking

[chorus]
Age, Age, Age
Natural human obsession
Age, Age, Age
Youth is not a possession
Age, Age, Age

[chorus]
Age, Age, Age
Natural human obsession
Age, Age, Age
Youth is not a possession
Age, Age, Age

Song Length: 4:17

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Paul Kaiser: Drums
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitar Solo Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio

Mastered at: Utopia Parkway Music Guitar(s): Fender Guitar: my first guitar that I subsequently torn apart changed parts, repainted and rebuilt. Up from the ashes came a guitar that has since been on numerous recordings and records, more than me. It sounds great. I stocked it with a single Seymour Duncan Custom Humbucker. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge.

Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings. This guitar was used in additional rhythm parts, and for the guitar solo.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Roland V-Drum TD-10.
Sounds via Battery by Native Instruments.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a

Synths: Bosendorfer Piano via EXS Sampler
ES2 Synth

Song Story:
Aerosmith had Dream On, I have Age. I think the concept is very much in line with what Steven Tyler could have been thinking. Though I certainly didn’t write as mentally deep on this as he did with Dream On. In case you don’t get it, both songs are about getting older.

Musically speaking I didn’t get any influence from Aerosmith, but I’m sure lyrically Dream On was in my head. I will say that I did get some musical cravings on this from School House Rock of all things. Yes, that’s right, School House Rock. The one in specifics is Little Twelve Toes. Not the catchiest song of the bunch, but it had the probably the coolest piano riff of all those songs. I didn’t have a piano at the time so I did my best to approximate it on the guitar.

Later during production and recording I added piano and keyboards to the intro and outro. I felt they just had to be there.

I really enjoy playing this song live. It’s got such a vibe that it’s hard not to like it. The guitar solo is one of my favs on the album, I just seemed to nail it here.

Factoids:
1. Everyone thinks they’re going to stay eternally young.
2. I think of this as my version of Dream On by Aerosmith.
3. I really dig the chord progression in the verses, I copped the vibe from an old School House Rock tune Little 12 Toes.

It all started with the clean guitar riff from the verse. From there I just mushroomed this whole thing. The last bit was the intro and the outro keyboard parts that sort of mimic the idea of the clean guitars in the verse. The production thing in this song that really gets me excited is the second verse vocal with how it’s all filtered like an old radio, then fades right at the end into full technicolor sound. Also, if you pay particular attention to the bass, there’s a point at which it fully blasts “open” and changes character. Listen and find it.

Technically speaking this song and the rest on the album represented a change in how I approached mixing and creating. I used tons of samples and spent time dialing and tweaking little noises. Put on a pair of headphones and with this song you’ve got all kinds of things swirling around in your ears.

For the story of how I did the drums see Online Connection. The process was the same.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302002

ISWC: T9055765383

SESAC Song ID: 594749

Harry Fox ID: A8726W
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Can’t Save

[verse]
Breath in breath out
So I’ve been reminded to do
Maybe that was something not
Trust one breath lock it in
Runnin around
To fill our planet
I’m trying hard to destroy
Nature’s Law but she still wins

[chorus]
Bow down to corporate waste
Can’t Save the human race
Deficient machines
Can’t Save our human beings

[verse]
Waste in waste out
So I’ve learned we live with it
Maybe I have forgot
That we can fix this shit

[chorus]
Bow down to corporate waste
Can’t Save the human race
Deficient machines
Can’t Save our human beings

[instrumental]

[chorus]
Bow down to corporate waste
Can’t Save the human race
Deficient machines
Can’t Save our human beings

[bridge]
We strive for the green of gold
Ignore the right kill the young and old
We shoot for the fulfilled life
But leave much less to generation next

[chorus]
Bow down to corporate waste (can’t save)
Can’t Save the human race (can’t save)
Deficient machines (can’t save)
Can’t Save our human beings (can’t save)

[chorus]
Bow down to corporate waste (can’t save) (we can’t save)
Can’t Save the human race (can’t save) (we can’t save)
Deficient machines (can’t save) (we can’t save)
Can’t Save our human beings (can’t save) (we can’t save)

Song Length: 4:07

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Paul Kaiser: Drums
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Guitar Engineer: Chris Hellstrom
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Fender Guitar: my first guitar that I subsequently torn apart changed parts, repainted and rebuilt. Up from the ashes came a guitar that has since been on numerous recordings and records, more than me. It sounds great. I stocked it with a single Seymour Duncan Custom Humbucker. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge. For this song it is specifically tuned to (lo to hi): C G C G B E.

Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings. This guitar was used in additional rhythm parts (not tuned down), and for the guitar solo.

Taylor 615ce: The beauty of this guitar can’t be measured. It’s as if it just plays itself and I’m just there. This is hands down the greatest acoustic I’ve ever played. I strung it with Dean Markley PhosBronze medium gauge.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Roland V-Drum TD-10.
Sounds via Battery by Native Instruments.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a

Song Story:
An exercise in guitar minimalism parts. That’s how this started. The verse was on of those chromatic type chord movement things. I wanted to get a bit out there with it. I may have over done it.

On the subject matter, there was time while I was going through a really social point of view thing where I wrote tons of songs about big bad corporations and such. Obviously I was also looking at it from a depressing view as it’s very dark in the chorus saying that we’re all sort of killing ourselves without hope.

Despite the bleak nature of the song and it’s seriously challenged structure I do like playing this one live.

Factoids:
1. I’m into being green.
2. I had a tour bus that was converted to run on used veggie oil. It smelled of french fries.

In case you’re wondering, that is not a keyboard in the intro of this song. That is an acoustic guitar. In fact it’s the Taylor. But how did I get that crazy sound out of it that you hear on the left side?!? Well, once Chris and I got it recorded. I felt the part didn’t bounce the way I wanted. So I ran it through a tremolo plug-in. Whoa, stand back, as soon as I did that the whole part started creating a better vibe but made the acoustic sound like a keyboard. Go figure.

Technically speaking this song and the rest on the album represented a change in how I approached mixing and creating. I used tons of samples and spent time dialing and tweaking little noises. Put on a pair of headphones and with this song you’ve got all kinds of things swirling around in your ears.

For the method I used to record the drums see Online Connection.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302003

ISWC: T9055765452

SESAC Song ID: 594757

Harry Fox ID: X8271O
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Scratch

[verse]
There comes a light within our lives
Once in a while with which most of us agree
It speaks to our hearts and to our soul
Reaches deep inside and helps us to survive

[chorus]
Scratch
And defame
Scratch
Your devotion
Scratch
Weak emotions
Scratch
I turn and bow my head in shame

[verse]
How should I react to a light put out
Would I visit where it laid amongst the others
Could I hold in my heart and in my soul
Better yet let it go

[chorus]
Scratch
And defame
Scratch
Your devotion
Scratch
Weak emotions
Scratch
I turn and bow my head in shame

[instrumental]

[chorus]
Scratch
And defame
Scratch
Your devotion
Scratch
Weak emotions
Scratch
I turn and bow my head in shame

[bridge]
He is here he is there
It wouldn’t matter if he were everywhere
The time is gone it’s been too long
And it’d better if we were moving on

[chorus]
Scratch
And defame
Scratch
Your devotion
Scratch
Weak emotions
Scratch
I turn and bow my head in shame

[chorus]
Scratch (and all you ever wanna do is)
And defame (and all you ever wanna do is)
Scratch (and all you ever wanna do is)
Your devotion (and all you ever wanna do is)
Scratch (and all you ever wanna do is)
Weak emotions (and all you ever wanna do is)
Scratch (and all you ever wanna do is)
I turn and bow my head in shame (and all you ever wanna do is)

Song Length: 3:36

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Paul Kaiser: Drums
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Fender Guitar: my first guitar that I subsequently torn apart changed parts, repainted and rebuilt. Up from the ashes came a guitar that has since been on numerous recordings and records, more than me. It sounds great. I stocked it with a single Seymour Duncan Custom Humbucker. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge. For this song it is specifically tuned to (lo to hi): C G C G B E.

Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings. This guitar was used in additional rhythm parts (not tuned down), and for the guitar solo.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Roland V-Drum TD-10.
Sounds via Battery by Native Instruments.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a

Song Story:
Jim Morrison. ARGH! No offense to anyone that loves my music and loves the Doors. I can’t stand him. I really don’t get Jim Morrison. I don’t know him other than the hype. I was never a fan of the Doors. I just couldn’t get into them. And the irony? I opened for Ray Manzerik once. He wasn’t very nice to me to boot. Sorry Ray, but I can’t lie.

Now where I did I get this? I was in France, hanging out and having a great time. My mom and my aunt and uncle all decided to go to the famous cemetery in Paris. The place where many famous composers and writers are buried and of course Mr. Jim Morrison. Now I’m in the midst of all these great minds from the classical era of music. Amazing headstones and tombs. And everywhere you turn there’s some shithead scratched into the walls of these works of art “Jim is here!” or “This way to Jim”, etc… It’s probably the most sickening thing to see the complete disregard for the dead. All because some drugged up bafoon became famous. The really sad shit is, he was buried in some out of the way plot of dirt with no nameplate and no sign, something I think he deserved if he’s really there.

Now that I’ve got my distaste for Jim and the idiots that deface property in his name, I’ll say I hope any fan of mine will have the decency to not do that when I’m dead and gone. It really made me feel ashamed to be from the same country. As far as the song, the feel is there and the content is seething.

The one part I’m really happy with in the whole song is the bridge. For some odd reason that break is really cool to me harmonically and rhythmically.

Factoids:
1. Came up with the idea of this song while visiting the French graveyard that Jim Morrison is buried in.
2. Shortly after this song was written and recorded I actually met Ray Manzerek and opened a show for him.

The hardest part to get right on this song was the delays in the chorus for the words Scratch. For some reason the computer was screwing it up by chopping of parts of the delay. I think it had to do with the number of tracks I used to create it. Somewhere in the neighborhood of like 16 tracks of me just singing “Scratch”.

Technically speaking this song and the rest on the album represented a change in how I approached mixing and creating. I used tons of samples and spent time dialing and tweaking little noises. Put on a pair of headphones and with this song you’ve got all kinds of things swirling around in your ears.

The guitar solo is being run through a plugin with a setting called auto-wha. That’s how I got that nutty near-keyboard like vibe to it. It is a guitar on the solo.

Technically speaking this song and the rest on the album represented a change in how I approached mixing and creating. I used tons of samples and spent time dialing and tweaking little noises. Put on a pair of headphones and with this song you’ve got all kinds of things swirling around in your ears.

For the method I used to record the drums see Online Connection.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302004

ISWC: T9055765394

SESAC Song ID: 594750

Harry Fox ID: X8271H
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Killing in Blue

[verse]
Outside there is a city sleeping
Above the world is still so soothing
A roar is ripping overhead
Standing still we recount what’s said

[verse]
I’m just a kid in a battle that began today
Confusion packed in a one two punch
I’m only wishing these tears away
Steel birds bringin’ heartache and pain
Right now I can’t stomach my Lunch

[chorus]
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky

[verse]
There’s some men that been searching back ‘n’ forth and door to door
The ground begins to rumble and shake
I’m missing love and I want more
Would you explain what’s zippin past my head
Right now there’s nothing more that I can take

[chorus]
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky

[instrumental]

[bridge]
Overseas we see the women and the children
There’s businessmen getting rich on the backs of the government
Yet we can’t afford to feed
1 million
2 million
10 million
1 billion

[chorus]
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky

[chorus]
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky
Killing in Blue Sky

Song Length: 4:15

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Christopher Alis: Drums
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Taylor 615ce: The beauty of this guitar can’t be measured. It’s as if it just plays itself and I’m just there. This is hands down the greatest acoustic I’ve ever played. This is tuned to Drop D.

Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings. This is tuned to Drop D.

Fender Guitar: my first guitar that I subsequently torn apart changed parts, repainted and rebuilt. Up from the ashes came a guitar that has since been on numerous recordings and records, more than me. It sounds great. I stocked it with a single Seymour Duncan Custom Humbucker. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge. This is tuned to Drop D.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Chris’ drum set (I believe it was a DW kit)

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a

Synths: ES1
ES2

Song Story:
Sometimes you listen to an artist and the impact is immediate. Such is the case with this song. I was listening to Peter Gabriel for about a week before I decided I needed two more songs to complete the CD. I had two others that weren’t cutting it. This was the first of the two that got written. I won’t hide the fact that it’s got a Peter vibe. But there’s no way I even come close to his genius.

I was also writing from the standpoint of the shitty nature of war. It’s a crime that two governments can be at odds and its people that have no desire to fight and/or die that have to go do just that for some politician in a suit who couldn’t care less. This was written before America decided to invade Iraq under the George W. Bush Regime. It becomes even more poignant since that happened. How evil is it that he’d invade a country that had never threatened America. Yet all the while we can’t police our own borders or even feed our own people. Who’s priorities are out of wack?

Factoids:
1. Chris Hellstrom (guitarist who played live with me for a long time and one of my best buds) called it his favorite song I’ve ever written (up to that point).
2. I really don’t feel like I’ve done the song correctly – which contradicts bit #1.

This song opens up with lots of little noises. Then once the song hits it certainly starts showing a production smorgasboard. The guitars are pulling crazy reverbs and wha’s.

Technically speaking this song and the rest on the album represented a change in how I approached mixing and creating. I used tons of samples and spent time dialing and tweaking little noises. Put on a pair of headphones and with this song you’ve got all kinds of things swirling around in your ears.

This was my first attempt at actually recording live drums. I rented a couple of Neumann’s for the Overheads from John M a buddy of mine with the ultimate home studio. Then Christopher had a special kick drum mic he liked by Audix. I believe I used an SM57 beta on the snare. We kept it to four mics to keep it simple. Now as far as Christopher’s drum parts, they’re mixed to mono. the additional snare and kick you heard was my initial scratch drum part for writing the song. I left it there to sort flesh it out.

I have mixed this song (and the whole disc) into surround sound. This particular song is insane to listen to. The guitars in the chorus criss cross around your head and it’s nuts. The movement is intense in this song.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302005

ISWC: T9055765407

SESAC Song ID: 594752

Harry Fox ID: K31313
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Say Goodbye

[Verse 1]
The end of the world has come and gone
We’re standing imagine that
Off by a year or fate ‘s plain wrong
Do you wonder where its all at
The seconds keep coming two by one
Ignorance is blissfully fat
Positively speaking its all ok
Positively thinking its all today

[Chorus]
Try as you to change
Its best to Say Goodbye
Do all you can to rearrange
Its best to Say Goodbye
Say Goodbye

[Verse 2]
So call me a realist without a view
Time for standing on either side
Love my world or run and hide
Get a view of what I give to you
The seconds count down two by one
Common sense has blissfully died
Positively breaking what is dear
Positively craving our yesteryear

[Chorus]
Try as you to change
Its best to Say Goodbye
Do all you can to rearrange
Its best to Say Goodbye
Say Goodbye

[Bridge]
Positively seeing our colors stand
Positively feeling my brother’s hand
Positively caring across that line
Positively sharing effort of time

[Chorus]
Try as you to change
Its best to Say Goodbye
Do all you can to rearrange
Its best to Say Goodbye
Say Goodbye
Try as you to change
Its best to Say Goodbye
Do all you can to rearrange
Its best to Say Goodbye
Say Goodbye
Do all you can to rearrange
Its best to Say Goodbye

Song Length: 3:37

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Jeff Van Dyke: Drum programming
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths, additional Drum programming

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings. Verse slap and pop riff was done with the neck pickup. The chorus and solo parts were done with the bridge pickup.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Loops programmed by Jeff Van Dyke.
Additional loops programmed by Jody Whitesides.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a.

Synths: I’m not sure what synths Jeff used.

Song Story:
Man, the story… Ok. I had recorded the music some time in the last week of August. Then I was up late one night in early September when I was hit by inspiration to write lyrics and record. So there I am recording all these vocals that are certainly quite different from your standard rock song.

Roughly around 3 a.m. I was beat and I turned over to bed and went to sleep. At 6:45 someone had attempted to call me and I didn’t make it to the phone. Then about 7:15 I got another phone call, this time from my mom. She simply said “You don’t have a T.V. and you were probably up late last night. Well. The World Trade Center has been attacked hit with two planes.” I was like, you’re joking. At which point I fired up the computer and attempted to look up CNN. It wouldn’t come up due to slow net traffic. So I went next door to the neighbor. She invited me in and I watched the towers burning. WHOA!

In case you don’t know I grew up in Manhattan for about 9 years before my parents moved to Utah. So I have lots of friends there. I attempted calling and obviously couldn’t get through. I got on AIM and found one friend online in NY who was in a state of shock, said that it was like a war zone. Mass Chaos.

The movie Red Dawn came to my mind. I figured that someone was really going to attempt invading America. But that thought quickly died out as fleeting as it was. I had completely forgotten the song. Then about a week later after all the fervor died down and Bush sat with his thumb up his butt over Al Quade, I fired up the computer to listen to this song. When the first line played back I nearly shit my pants. What I had written and recorded on the eve of September 10th was chilling.

This has since become and extremely fun song to play live, very lively and it’s such a cool guitar riff to boot. I feel privileged that I came up with it. Nuff Said.

Factoids:
1. Written and demoed just hours before the first plane hit the World Trade Center.
2. Is a very energetic song to end a show on.

The guitar riff for this song lived with me for a really really really long time. That intro part is a slap and pop part being played on guitar. At the time I had thought of it, I had never seen or heard anyone ever having done slap and pop on a guitar. I know better now, but it’s still very rare. I think I got a very cool vibe on the riff and it’s fairly original in concept.

Technically speaking this song and the rest on the album represented a change in how I approached mixing and creating. I used tons of samples and spent time dialing and tweaking little noises. Put on a pair of headphones and with this song you’ve got all kinds of things swirling around in your ears.

For the full drum count see Online Connection. Additional farts and noises were created by Jeff Van Dyck. We had met through the Rocket Network when we were beta-testing recording via the internet. I had helped him on one of his songs so in return he created some parts synth parts plus some really well programmed drums. I want Jeff to create a dance re-mix but he’s fallen off the planet. The man is a genius for all things game related. I’ve had the pleasure to record guitar parts for a rugby game and Tiger Woods 2004 thanks to Jeff.

For the method I used to record the drums see Online Connection.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302006

ISWC: T9055765430

SESAC Song ID: 594755

Harry Fox ID: X8271G
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Downsized

[verse]
White collar Blue collar
Racism is about money ties
Small getting big getting BIGGER
It’s all a silver lined side

[chorus]
Numbers and bottom lines
Feelin’ Downsized
Numbers and Game ties
Feelin’ Downsized

[verse]
This collar that collar
Work can be mighty hard to find
Giving my all, all or nothing
It’s all a loss for my side

[chorus]
Numbers and bottom lines
Feelin’ Downsized
Numbers and Game ties
Feelin’ Downsized

[instrumental]

[chorus]
Numbers and bottom lines
Feelin’ Downsized
Numbers and Game ties
Feelin’ Downsized

[bridge]
A widget a gadget
Man I hope this fad hits
Terribly tragic
Lawsuits take the magic

[chorus]
Numbers and bottom lines
Feelin’ Downsized
Numbers and Game ties
Feelin’ Downsized

[chorus]
Numbers and bottom lines
Feelin’ Downsized
Numbers and Game ties
Feelin’ Downsized

Song Length: 3:03

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Paul Kaiser: Drums
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Joe’s Guitar Whitesides Viper 7 Redwood: This is a custom 7-string guitar that Justin built for me to specifications for the neck. The body is two different woods, the back of the body is alder with a redwood top. The neck is maple with a Bocate fingerboard, jumbo frets. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels. The bridge pickup is a custom built Seymour Duncan Custom Custom, made specifically for me prior to 7-string guitar pickups becoming an actual line. Thus it’s pieced together by Seymour’s custom pickup department. The neck is a stacked humbucker, also created by Seymour Duncan’s custom pickup department. This was voiced to be more like a custom.

Ibanez Universe 7 string guitar: This is number 96 off the assembly line. I got it for $400 with the case, about 6 months before Korn hit it big time. Then the value shot up to over $2000. Seymour Duncan Custom Custom 7 string model – custom wound. Plus my middle pickup was custom wound by a guy in Canada, sounds ok, but I don’t have his name. Neck pickup wasn’t used on this disc but is the stock pickup. Tremolo was useless with strings this heavy – so I blocked it off. This guitar was strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge.

Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Roland V-Drum TD-10.
Sounds via Battery by Native Instruments.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a.

Song Story:
The power of the corporate hand! This is my ode to everyone that has been jerked around by power of the almighty dollar. I actually wrote the words while I was living in Burbank and had just been in LA for a little while. The wild thing is that in today’s corporate environment (a few years later) we have companies like Enron, Tyco and Halliburton that have been getting run through the wringer for their CEO’s doing blatantly bad things and stealing.

The actual inspiration for the title came from another band that I was friends with, Choking Ghost. They had a song where I always thought the singer was singing Downsized, but he wasn’t. I just liked it so much I made my delusion a reality.

This another one of my songs that becomes really fun to play live due to the bounce or head-bob factor. I also like the change in the timing in the verse. That riff is cool because it moves across the 4/4 time triplet quarter notes. Ah yeah, the power of groove.

Factoids:
1. Wanted to make this a bigger guitar song.
2. The idea for this was sparked by the band Choking Ghost. A local band in Los Angeles back in the late 90s.

I know that I came up with the verse riff for this song, I had it kicking around for a few months before I sat down to actually record it. Then I decided that I needed a more straight up chorus. Once I had the chorus I noticed that it was lacking something so I added the 16th note pattern of dissonance over the top.

Vocally, in the chorus, I had recorded this massive group of vocals, but it kept feeling small. So I then attempted to ‘widen’ it up by using a waves plug in for stereo imaging. It did some crazy thing where the vocals almost seemed to come from the sides. So I left it as I felt it was cool. Also, notice the word bigger in the first verse, it expands. Ah the wackiness when you can give words their meaning in production.

For the story of how I did the drums see Online Connection. The process was the same.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302007

ISWC: T9055765418

SESAC Song ID: 594753

Harry Fox ID: D9120F
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Social Standard

[intro]
Police were lead on another dangerous high-speed chase today

[verse]
Heart starts pounding adrenaline
Wipe my thoughts clean and throttle in
World is closing on me must go free
Here’s my money thank the media frenzy

[chorus]
Sirens wailing assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards
Choppers waiting assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards

[verse]
It wasn’t God or a place called hell
For a fleeting moment became me
Manipulate the voices
Within my big-head frenzy

[chorus]
Sirens wailing assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards
Choppers waiting assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards

[instrumental]

[chorus]
Sirens wailing assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards
Choppers waiting assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards

[bridge]
Can you see me?
I’m on TV
Everything exciting
I got my grand 15

[chorus]
Sirens wailing assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards
Choppers waiting assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards

[chorus]
Sirens wailing assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards
Choppers waiting assailants failing
To respect our Social Standards

Song Length: 3:03

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Paul Kaiser: Drums
Jeff Van Dyke: Drum loop programming, Synths
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Joe’s Guitar Whitesides Viper 7 Redwood: This is a custom 7-string guitar that Justin built for me to specifications for the neck. The body is two different woods, the back of the body is alder with a redwood top. The neck is maple with a Bocate fingerboard, jumbo frets. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels. The bridge pickup is a custom built Seymour Duncan Custom Custom, made specifically for me prior to 7-string guitar pickups becoming an actual line. Thus it’s pieced together by Seymour’s custom pickup department. The neck is a stacked humbucker, also created by Seymour Duncan’s custom pickup department. This was voiced to be more like a custom. Tuned to Drop A.

Ibanez Universe 7 string guitar: This is number 96 off the assembly line. I got it for $400 with the case, about 6 months before Korn hit it big time. Then the value shot up to over $2000. Seymour Duncan Custom Custom 7 string model – custom wound. Plus my middle pickup was custom wound by a guy in Canada, sounds ok, but I don’t have his name. Neck pickup wasn’t used on this disc but is the stock pickup. Tremolo was useless with strings this heavy – so I blocked it off. This guitar was strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge. Tuned to Drop A.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Roland V-Drum TD-10.
Sounds via Battery by Native Instruments.
Loops programmed by Jeff Van Dyke.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a.

Synths: I’m not sure what synths Jeff used.
ES2

Song Story:
Police car chases! What can be more exciting than a high speed chase to catch and idiot in action? I wrote this in response to the lunacy of this type of character.

The idea of social standards really comes from what we hold as an ideal. Some of those ideals become laws, some become unwritten laws. Now in the “modern” age of wanting to be famous, people will do just about anything stupid to get there. We have glorified the concept of being stupid and turned it into a method to get on TV to get the elusive 15 minutes that some guy named Andy predicted we’d all get.

Even more stupid is now there are people who are famous for the sake of being famous. How much more stupid can this get?

Factoids:
1. The opening vocal thing was a throwback to the concept of Max Headroom.
2. I wrote this after getting tired of hearing about so many high speed chases in Los Angeles in the late 90s.

The idea for the chopped up words in the intro were probably deeply influenced by MaxHeadroom from back in the day. I’m scarred for life from that goofy character. I went nuts in the digital editing and spilled words over themselves. It came out pretty weird.

I had some drum ideas submitted by Jeff Van Dyck, that video game genius I’ve mentioned elsewhere. I had this song up on the Rocket Network to work with him on. At the time I didn’t have live drums on it. I wanted something different and Jeff came up with this drum stuff that had delays and some nutty backwards things and I loved it. Thank you Jeff!

For the chorus I went for an orchestrated single note riff. Live this comes off a little thin but is still a great song for the energy. The main riff in the verse is stupid heavy to me. But then I use the 7th string tuned down to an ‘A’. The solo is cool for the delayed part that gets run through the bit crusher making it sound game like.

For the story of how I did the drums see Online Connection. The process was the same.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302008

ISWC: T9055765429

SESAC Song ID: 594754

Harry Fox ID: X8271I
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Leads to Gold

[verse]
The further I get the less I appear to know
The younger I remember the further I appear to be
The heart you want for breaking would be the one I’d like to keep
The love you want for you is facing to the world

[chorus]
Experience Leads To Gold
Our hearts haven’t been Bought or Sold
Expression Leads To Gold
Everything about you Leads To Gold

[verse]
The closer we get the more we appear to know
The longer we’re together the further we’d rather go
The time you have for taking would be the time I have to give
The thoughts you have for you are leaving me in the cold

[chorus]
Experience Leads To Gold
Our hearts haven’t been Bought or Sold
Expression Leads To Gold
Everything about you Leads To Gold

[instrumental]

[bridge]
Passions pathways
Opened by your family
Passions pathways
Exploring it everyday

[chorus]
Experience Leads To Gold
Our hearts haven’t been Bought or Sold
Expression Leads To Gold
Everything about you Leads To Gold

[chorus]
Experience Leads To Gold
Our hearts haven’t been Bought or Sold
Expression Leads To Gold
Everything about you Leads To Gold

Song Length: 3:46

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths
Christopher Alis: Drums

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Taylor 615ce: The beauty of this guitar can’t be measured. It’s as if it just plays itself and I’m just there. This is hands down the greatest acoustic I’ve ever played. Tuned to Drop D.

Joe’s Guitar with Jesus paint job: This guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup and a Cool Rails. It also has a Wilkinson Tremelo installed by Trev Wilkinson himself. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steel medium gauge strings.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Chris’ drum kit (I believe it was a DW kit)

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a.

Synths: ES2

Song Story:
The words were written about a special person in my life. I mentioned her in the song notes for the song love you off of the naked cd.

When I wrote them I felt they made complete sense. So I’m off in my own private world thinking that this song should be easy everyone else to understand. How wrong can an artist be? Once I started playing the song to people they really liked the music and thought it was great, but lyrically only a few people understood it.

Explanation: this is a love song between two people that just can’t be together. Every thing that two people do becomes something they can share. Some people will view certain moments as bad, others will view those same moments as part of life’s lessons. To me they’re all lessons and those lessons add up to make your life rich. That richness could be metaphorically the concept of gold. Do you get it now?

Musically I came up with the guitar part while sitting on a couch in Las Vegas over the holidays between Christmas and New Years. In fact it was probably Dec. 30th and I was sitting there watching TV at my buddy Dave Meeks house (he’s the guitarist for a band called Big Bad Zero). I had my Taylor and I have a tendency to just play stuff while sitting around, nothing special. But I knew that this little progression for the chorus was really neat. So I whipped up the song when I got back home and needed and extra song for the CD.

Factoids:
1. I really wanted to record this with an acoustic baritone guitar – but failed to do so. Maybe I’ll do a cover of this song and try it that way.
2. I was really happy with the feeling of the chorus and Christopher’s drumming, it’s got such a great feel and worked great to convey the song.

I know that I came up with the verse riff for this song, I had it kicking around for a few months before I sat down to actually record it. Then I decided that I needed a more straight up chorus. Once I had the chorus I noticed that it was lacking something so I added the 16th note pattern of dissonance over the top.

Rhythmically I had created the drum parts for the chorus from a multitude of loops that I had sliced and diced, then layered from Rex files. I had this really thick vibe going on which really fit the guitar part that I had come up with. That’s why the chorus has such a thick rhythm to it. Christopher did a great job navigating through it and locking in.

The verses to me are brave from my standpoint. There isn’t a lot of accompaniment. Plus its waaaaaaay different vocally from a lot of the stuff I normally do. I listen back on it now and think that I should have had Chris Hellstrom come in and engineer while I sat in a booth. The vibe is there though. I especially like the sparse piano part intertwined with the nutty sythn thing. The guitar parts in the chorus that got layered in were more for adding color and lifting the song a bit from an acoustic nature.

This was my second attempt at actually recording live drums, well the second song during that first session. I rented a couple of Neumann’s for the Overheads from John M a buddy of mine with the ultimate home studio. Then Christopher had a special kick drum mic he liked by Audix. I believe I used an SM57 beta on the snare. We kept it to four mics to keep it simple. Now as far as Christopher’s drum parts, they’re mixed to mono. the additional snare and kick you heard was my initial scratch drum part for writing the song. I left it there to sort flesh it out.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302009

ISWC: T9055765441

SESAC Song ID: 594756

Harry Fox ID: L9637X
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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Never Too Late

[verse]
Bleary-eyed computer screen
Punching cards and number crunching
Automated teller machines
These are my modern things

[chorus]
Kick back paddy wack
This old dog wants a new bone
In with the hip or so I’m told
It’s Never too Late to stop growing old
Never too Late to stop growing old

[verse]
Phone calls and everyway
So many cells with so much to say
Automated voices craze
These are the modern days

[chorus]
Kick back paddy wack
This old dog wants a new bone
In with the hip or so I’m told
It’s Never too Late to stop growing old
Never too Late to stop growing old

[instrumental]

[chorus]
Kick back paddy wack
This old dog wants a new bone
In with the hip or so I’m told
It’s Never too Late to stop growing old
Never too Late to stop growing old

[bridge]
Crash and burn
With all you learn
There’s always
Something someone ‘s got
And you want to walk that walk

[chorus]
Kick back paddy wack
This old dog wants a new bone
In with the hip or so I’m told
It’s Never too Late to stop growing old
Never too Late to stop growing old

[chorus round robin]
Kick back paddy wack
This old dog wants a new bone
In with the hip or so I’m told
It’s Never too Late to stop growing old
Never too Late to stop growing old

Song Length: 3:01

Writer: Jody Whitesides IPI/CAE 00196306650
Publisher: Too Much Music IPI/CAE 00456952518
Admin Publisher (Outside U.S.): Bluewater Music

Paul Kaiser: Drums
Jody Whitesides: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths

Recording Info:
Cover Art: Jody Whitesides
Recording Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mixing Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Mastering Engineer: George Leger III
Vocal Engineer: Jody Whitesides
Producer: Jody Whitesides

Tracked at: Das Poolside Studio in Tujunga CA
Guitars Tracked at: Dancin Deer Studio in Reseda CA

The Setup: Mac Dual 800 Quicksilver
Logic Audio Platinum (all plugins available)
Delta 1010 by M-Audio (Das Poolside Studio)
MOTU 828 MkII (Dancin Deer Studio)
GrooveTubes MD1a
Sennheiser 87a
GrooveTubes Vipre
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Shure SM57beta

Mixed at: Dancin Deer Studio Guitar(s): Joe’s Guitar Whitesides Viper 7 Redwood: This is a custom 7-string guitar that Justin built for me to specifications for the neck. The body is two different woods, the back of the body is alder with a redwood top. The neck is maple with a Bocate fingerboard, jumbo frets. Strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels. The bridge pickup is a custom built Seymour Duncan Custom Custom, made specifically for me prior to 7-string guitar pickups becoming an actual line. Thus it’s pieced together by Seymour’s custom pickup department. The neck is a stacked humbucker, also created by Seymour Duncan’s custom pickup department. This was voiced to be more like a custom.

Ibanez Universe 7 string guitar: This is number 96 off the assembly line. I got it for $400 with the case, about 6 months before Korn hit it big time. Then the value shot up to over $2000. Seymour Duncan Custom Custom 7 string model – custom wound. Plus my middle pickup was custom wound by a guy in Canada, sounds ok, but I don’t have his name. Neck pickup wasn’t used on this disc but is the stock pickup. Tremolo was useless with strings this heavy – so I blocked it off. This guitar was strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels medium gauge.

The Amp Setup:
GrooveTubes Trio/Soul-O 150 amp as the main rhythm guitar amp.
Guitar Solo: Mesa/Boogie TriAxis and the GrooveTubes Dual 75.

Bass(s): Hohner B Bass V. Recorded direct then re-recorded by micing the signal through a peavey backstage plus twice. One time run clean, the second time with distortion via a Tube Screamer pedal.

Drums: Roland V-Drum TD-10.
Sounds via Battery by Native Instruments.

Vocal: Mic’d with Sennheiser 87a.

Synths: ES1
ES2

Song Story:
Age, age, age… oh wait, that’s another song on this album. Well sometimes you take another point of view to look at the same subject. Hell there’s millions of songs written about love. But how many are written about getting older? I don’t know of that many but a few that I have heard are amazing. Mary Chopin is a friend of mine who has a song where she looks back on different ages in her life explaining what she’d tell herself at that point based on what she knows now. Brilliant.

Is this song that brilliant. eh. I don’t know. But I do know that this song is full of energy which is the exact opposite of how most people feel as they get older. I notice that I feel better and better. But I know lots of people complain about “falling apart”. It’s really weird. Also I notice that your concept of what is actually old changes. I can remember thinking that 24 was then of life! Ha, wrong!

Once the mixing for this song happened, it really took off. The little nuances in this song are mind boggling. That’s funny considering I put them in there. I listen and I’m tapping and bobbing the head and feeling energized. I like forward moving change and this song thoroughly shows that vibe. Plus it’s got ‘Tude.

Factoids:
1. The guitar part in the verse makes me very happy to play it. The harmonic bit over the riff was a nice discovery.
2. Was the first song where I made some really cool choices with sound FX linking up with real playing from humans.

The intro guitar riff which became the whole backbone of the verse was initially an exercise that I made up for running pinch harmonics down the low B string on a 7 string. It just became a reality for a song when Devon Bronson (former guitarist for Kelly Osbourne, Avril Lavigne, P!nk) overheard it one day and asked how I was achieving the sound of those weird leaps in the overtones. He didn’t quite ask it like that, it more like: dude how are you getting that weird sound. At that point I knew it was worthy of being put into a song.

I went Frankenstein on the mix. I started adding all these horror movie type sounds in the bridge and other sections in order to darken the mood. I did that cause so many people see getting older as a curse or a disease. Age is probably 99% mental, the rest is just bullshit.

There’s a part between the first chorus and the second verse where the vocal has this neat gated verb on it, then fades in to this 16th note punch that pans in the field. When I listened back to Paul’s drumming the guy fucking nailed the hits exactly on the beat to the point that it sounded like the snare was blowing up and moving around. It was one of those freak accidents in recording that just made me smile and laugh at the precision of someone’s playing.

The guitar solo felt way to plain compared to all of the noises I had put in. So I had to think of something to do to make it highlight the track. At which point I attempted running it through some tremolo and a little delay and viol_ instant craziness that moved it to another level.

For the story of how I did the drums see Online Connection. The process was the same.

Copyright: 2004/03/05

ISRC: USONR0302010

ISWC: T9055765463

SESAC Song ID: 594758

Harry Fox ID: N6247Y
Harry Fox Publisher ID: P8938Q

UPC: 654433000528

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