This is a quick-and-dirty cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” I did for my band.  I was trying to sell them on the idea of a hard rock version of this song in Drop D tuning, and they just didn’t get the picture.  So I did this demo of what I was hearing in my head.  By no means a finished product, this is the musical equivalent of one of Charlie’s quick pencil sketches.

The song was recorded on a Boss Micro BR, a portable digital 4-track recorder a little smaller than a paperback book.  Freaky, no? Welcome to the future. Drum machine, vocal, and left rhythm guitar were recorded live to a stereo track; then I overdubbed right rhythm guitar and bass.  These four tracks were bounced down to two, and I overdubbed the lead; then did the final mix and master inside the Micro BR.

Rhythm guitars and bass were recorded using a Vox AC30 AmpPlug, an inexpensive headphone amp.  Vocals were through my vintage Electro-Voice 630 (the kind of mic Johnny would have sung through in his early days), run through a guitar effect to get some saturation and echo.  The drum loop came out of the same effect box, a Digitech RP50.  The lead guitar was plugged directly into the Micro BR, and used its built-in guitar amp simulation for the lead sound.

It took me an hour of dinking to come up with the arrangement, and two hours to record and mix the tracks.  The solo was a one-off.  Since this was intended as a demo for my band only, I put in the solo as a way of saying “lead solo goes here.”  You can hear me fall off the edge in the middle of the solo, right near the “Come on” vocal.

For being conceived in haste (or perhaps because of it), this turned out rather well.  It has the grit and urgency I was looking for.  I wanted it to sound like it was recorded by people who really were in prison and wanted to get out.

By the way, for those of you with tender ears, I drop the F-bomb in the final verse.  Part of the whole grit and urgency thing.

I’m only one star in your sky
Lost in an ocean of twinkling light
I’m only one star in your sky
But you’re the moon to me
The bright full moon to me

On warm summer evenings I’ve stood out and watched her
And struggled with feelings I couldn’t name
A few lucky fellas have reached out and touched her
And after the touching were never the same

I’m only one star in your sky
Lost in an ocean of twinkling light
I’m only one star in your sky
But you’re the moon to me
The bright full moon to me

It’s cloudy tonight, the whole sky is covered
The full moon is hiding, but I know she’s there
‘Cause I can see a faint glow, I can feel her tides tuggin
And I’m certain she’s shining on someone somewhere

I often post song lyrics in groups of two.  Something prods me to post the first, and the first prods me to post the second.  Usually I see a connection, but the connection this time is a mystery to me.  Maybe it’s male / female, or empty / full.  I’m not sure.

Here’s the mp3: Full Moon

I have been famous for being obscure
And I got me a fine set of symptoms, but nary a cure
I’ve struggled hard at my life
Sustaining an effort just barely enough to get by
But I’m still in there pluggin
I still gotta try

Back roads and part-time jobs are my trade
And I have been known to sleep through the parade
I stand on my principles
Watching the world wash around me and staying high and dry
Oh I may never make it
But I still gotta try

You may have seen me, in the gravel
   walkin slow by the side
But you kept on drivin
   Don’t slow down, you just might have somethin to hide
Me I got nothin but the clothes on my back
And some sad stranger’s name
I’ll continue to try
Though much remains the same

I have been famous for being obscure
And I got me a fine set of symptoms, but nary a cure
I’ve struggled hard at my life
Sustaining an effort just barely enough to get by
But I’m still in there pluggin
I still gotta try

And here’s the mp3: I Gotta Try