Songs: Big Green House (AGF CD 1)
About the Music: "Big Green House" is an original composition written in the fall of 2005 and recorded on 24 November 05
It was inspired by the love of a very special person and it speaks of a time in the future when we will be together living in our big green Victorian-style house in the country. It was a song that came very easily and was written in about 20 minutes, though the bulk of the lyrics took another 30 minutes to write.
I think this song is very representative of the type of country/rock style that I sometimes write and record. It is filled with accoustic guitars, and has eleven vocal tracks which give it a unique sound. Although I played and sang all the tracks on the song, I consider myself primarily to be a rhythm guitarist and singer and this tune let me do a lot of both. Plus, it is a positive and uplifting song of love, a theme that I often write about."
Recording Information: "The song was recorded in my home studio and was finished in about four hours. I use a Tascam 2488 24-track recording deck, with a Yamaha SPX90 effects unit, Focusrite mic pre-amp, Alesis compressor, Yamaha drums, and SansAmp amp simulator. I used a AKG 414 mic for both acoustic guitars and vocals. I mic the guitars with the microphone halfway up the neck of the guitar about 7 inches away, pointed at the soundhole at a 45 degree angle. I find that this method eliminates any boominess yet provides a nice, full sound."
Instruments Used: "The guitar that was used for rhythm and lead tracks is a 1986 gloss black, Guild D-25, spruce top and mahogany back and sides. The slide parts were played on a 2002 Regal RD-45 resophonic guitar, spruce top and mahogany back and sides, using a glass slide. The electric bass is a 2004 Ibenez Artcore played through a SansAmp."
Tuning: "I used standard tuning on the Guild and open E on the Regal."
About the Artist: "I have been playing guitar for about 37 years. I was inspired to pick up the guitar to play Creedence songs. I started writing songs soon after I began to play the guitar and through the years have written over 300 songs, as well as six musical comedies. I first started recording back in the mid-seventies using two cassette decks. I graduated to a Yamaha 4-track in 1984, then an Akai 16-track and eventually the Tascam 24. Over the years, I've taught myself to play many other instruments (mostly just well enough to get by) so that I could be a one-man band in my studio. I've recorded 21 albums since 1984 and am constantly writing and recording new songs. Big Green House is the title cut to one of my CD's. By the way, I chose to use the Guild D-25 on this song because it has a wonderful, dry, woody sound that works well for both rhythm and lead and records well. I bought the guitar new back in 1986 and it was my first good acoustic guitar. Not too many people were playing black acoustics back then and my guitar playing friends didn't quite know what to say about it. It really stood out at our jam sessions. Though I own other premium guitars, it is still my favorite for studio work."