Revisiting Old Material


Getting back to my youth?

The national political situation has, since the 2000 election, been a source of anger and frustration for me. I needn't provide you with details, you can read those in other posts. The feeling is the point here.

I've been staying in folk, traditional, and Bluegrass music for the past decade or more and have enjoyed it immensely. I still do! Bluegrass in particular has helped me develop my instrumental skills, and at 42, I can now play things on the guitar that I never really had much hope of playing before. I've also picked up mandolin, and developed some decent folk & Bluegrass chops.

Recently I've been gigging as a side man for a friend and singer-songwriter in San Francisco, and decided I'd like to get back into doing my own stuff again. So I've been revisiting old material.

Out of all of the old songs I used to perform, the heavier rock feels best right now, particularly Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." Damn that's a powerful song, and it fits exactly the way I feel about Bush 43. I get to pound and growl and yell.

It works particularly well on an acoustic guitar, believe it or not. There's some more physical about an acoustic guitar. Electrics may sound more powerful, but that's just electricity. To get a powerful sound out of an acoustic guitar you have to beat it, and that makes the whole process of venting anger and frustration more authentic, less of a show.

So the exploration of old material has been very cathartic. I'm digging it.

Coming to a coffeehouse near you.

;-)
Daniel

Posted: Sat - November 10, 2007 at 04:47 PM          

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