THE MAKING OF NO WATER BUT THE SEA

After the completion of 'All This" I started to play some solo gigs and at around the same time Matt Exelby began a Songwriters night in a local venue which inspired me, and a lot of other people, to continue writing. So material was not a problem but financing recording was and then along came the computer !

I wish i knew exactly when it dawned on me that with a bit of a learning curve I could record myself at home but I guess it was around the fall of 2000 that I started my first project. I had been writing consistently and also had a number of other peoples songs I wanted to try so I began a project which I called 'Up the Creek' An unwieldy total of 20 songs, inadequate recording software (Quartz Audio) no reverb and a major lack of understanding of the process resulted in an amateur production but Matt Exelby got to hear it and offered to record some of the songs at his studio.

The result of this was proper recording but total lack of control due to the inadequate software and incredibly basic midi and drum sounds. One reverb for an entire song is a good example.

Again, not what I wanted but then came the explosion of processor power and suddenly we had unlimited tracks, virtual instruments and samples and the world was our shellfish. Needless to say the learning curve steepened dramatically and time passed but at some point it was decided that the best four songs from the 'Up the Creek' project would be revamped and that Matt would produce.

Some of the various pre-recorded parts were used and some songs were started from scratch. Not ideal, but way better than anything that had gone before.
The result was 'No Water'

THE SONGS

No Water but the Sea
Another song that is unencumbered by previous technology, this is my favorite on the album and reflects on a trip I took to Tenerife in the fall of 1999. Exceptional keyboard and guitars from Matt.

Only Get By
Started from scratch and it shows. i wrote the words for this looking down on a rain-swept street from the upstairs window of a pub in the spring of 2000 and is a final goodbye note to my last wife. Guitars, Vocals and samples only. Spot the Beach Boys in the chorus.

Hang on to a Dream
The old Tim Hardin song which I learned from an album by The Nice. All instruments by Matt.

O.U.T. Out
Is it Jazz ? I don't think so. 25 ways to leave your lover !

THE MUSICIANS

TECHNICAL

The performances on this CD were captured during a time when advances in recording techniques were as rapid as they have ever been.


The majority of the parts for 'No Water' were recorded in 2002 using Session 8 , Cubase 101 (sic) and Windows 3!! A Roland JV880 Sound Module and an Alesis SR16 drum machine completed the lineup. Everything else was recorded using Cubase SX, Virtual Instruments and every sample we could find, during 2002 & 2003

Produced by Matt Exelby

Artwork by arteden48

Images by OneOddDude.net