I was recently accused of my recent blogging being more bitter and cynical than a year ago. Not true. Case in point: The following song, which I wrote 13 years ago. Can't get much more bitter and cynical than this:
Apologies for the lighting and for a couple of timing flubs near the end. I don't regularly play my songs anymore and am woefully out of practice.
-- Badtux the Musical Penguin
For the gearheads: My audio recording rig is a Lexicon Lambda USB 2-channel, hooked to my Macbook. The SM58C vocals mike is hooked directly to the Lambda, the Oktava OC-12 condenser mike pointed at the guitar is going through a Boehringer MX802 mixer then to the Lambda because the Lambda's 48v doesn't work for some reason. I used iMovie and the built-in webcam of the Macbook. There are no - zero - effects. The slight "echo" to my vocals appears to be the Oktava picking up some of my vocals despite being pointed almost down. This is a video that was made in exactly 4 minutes and 45 seconds including the time to swing the mike booms over and the time to fire up iMovie as well as the actual 4 minutes of recording time.
Hell, I thought you were improving. ;. The tune has a touch of "Soldier of Fortune" to it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't "accuse" you of being more cynical. It was an observation, that's all. You just seemed to have more light-heartedness in the past. Now it only comes out in relation to katz. But what do I know? One can only surmise things by reading a blog. Anyway, I don't blame you if you're more bummed. It's shitty out there, and getting shittier by the minute. What the hell is it going to be like come winter, when the days are short and the temps are colder? Depression city, mate!
ReplyDeleteBukko - Here in the U.S., we're getting our hopes buffeted and broken. And I say that as someone who voted for Obama, and worked for Obama, but never had any gigantic illusions.
ReplyDeleteBadtux - you are both cuter and more musical than I'd expected. Sorry, but that swamps all cynicism. You've got some lovely thick dissonant chords in that song.
Also, I see a humongous difference between being clear-eyed and being cynical.
Moar muzik, pls?
I always have to admire someone who can play guitar and sing. Guitar kicked my ass, and my vocal range is about a minor sixth.
ReplyDeleteSince I am a recovering Catholic, It would be impossible for me to do a song like that without having the irony devolve into abject cynicism. (Not that yours doesn't.)
But, If it's any consolation, I don't think you're cute at all.
JzB the guitar-challenged trombonist