Icarus flying home #35

Where's the beer?

Goodness, has it been a year but one of achievements so far. Two books written and an article co-written, phew, might have to take time off for a beer and a sandwich. Then again, seeing this picture of me about to bar-b-que lunch perhaps I have had too many sandwiches already. Time to get back in training methinks. But now that Bogeyman, Monsters and Icarus paperwork is moving through edit I am back to creative writing for a while. I have a new book idea but songs next methinks. Time to get the half dozen I have started into a finished state otherwise they will disappear with all the other stuff I didn't write and that's not a good thing at all. Funny thing is lyrics are really easy but  I struggle to get them down on paper. Time that all changed and I made a concerted effort. I think I might find a theme and work through that. The truth is I have so many unfinished ideas in prose and lyric that its hard to know where to start. And also because I wanted to re-write Palace Pier Blues and The Ghost of Joe DiMaggio - hoo, what to do, to do, to do. Songs first I think, they will help me rest after the books and Icarus chapter and I can do them with a pencil and a notebook - my typing fingers ache - all three of them. If you are going to cover a song from The Band you best do it good - ooooh The Weight! Gillian Welch takes this forward...

Icarus in six white cadillacs

I am posting this today because this is my favourite new song and since it is in black and white so too is the picture. This is off the new and fab EmmyLou Harris CD which is fab too - with a great Ron Sexsmith song as the title track called, Hard Bargain but this is the kind of thing I play through the night in my front room with my guitars - and will soon record.

Epiphany # 2

Epiphany n., any moment of great or sudden revelation; Erfahrung n., experience; isn't it great how words have such great meaning hanging onto them. I have a strong feeling for both words this weekend. This picture is Dado Day in my new father's day hat, which I am rather chuffed with. And it comes with anew song I have been writing this weekend which feels like it should be a better song than it is at the moment but its getting there, I think. Today I met one of my best friends at lunchtime. Kate who did the London to Brighton cycle ride and it was so good to see her. And its odd because I was telling another friend this week about and Egon Scheile sale at Sothebys and Kate was the Librarian who let me see them. But at the time she was well pregnant with Laura who is now at University. And she reminded me to about the time we climbed Mt Snowden in the middle of winter and completely ill-prepared - sigh the folly of youth. I have plans to write an epiphany blog but I plan to write my song first. So for now... Emmylou singing about Gram Parsons but it could be all of us - country:

Icarus flying home # 34

Free

I have been awake since 5 am because a bird has been sitting on the telephone wire outside my bedroom window and twittering away. Probably writing wikileaks and all sorts because this is the age of wittering and twittering. But I awake to the good news that I think I have finally finished the Monsters book. 58,000 words added to the 75,000 words on Bogeyman = a lot of twittering. Though I confess I wrote some of the words twice, does that count? Now I feel as though I could sleep for a month, if I could get my head to calm down that is. I am sooo tired... though so glad the summer is upon us and I can do other things. Today I found an old book of my songs in the attic, goodness, surely there was more to write about than cars and girls. But doing my Jimmy Dean pose above suggests, perhaps not. It was the bird on the wire that woke me, so it seems appropriate to post it here before the arthritic fingers finally give out. THis has a stonking saxaphone solo - I have tried in my way to be free, but I have to get one of those hats first.

Icarus flying home # 33

 

There she blows

I confess to two things today, the first is that I can't write the Monsters book. The second is that I have written it (I think). But when is a book written and not. I could do with another year to do both the Bogeyman and the Monsters and I promised myself I wouldn't write like I have again. But you know, I think that is what I do. I think and think and think and think and then I go wooosh - make the connections. I don't have a bone in my body that doesn't ache and a brain cell left to twist the tiddliest sense out of. Although today I did my first piece of artwork for the book. I wonder will it pass muster because you see I have a 100% record. I published my first ever song; academic article; film; picture book; poem; academic book... hoo I am running out of firsts so here is my first picture, I hope the publisher likes it, otherwise my days of firsts may be numbered, sigh... I think they already are. The picture is a pencil drawing of an oil well for my new book and the song, well we live by it... 
 

Icarus flying home # 32

Rockabilly boy

Coming across old pictures is a bit of a shock to the system and this one takes me back. I was living in London but had gone back to Scotland for a gig and a party. My quiff isn't quite as slicked back these days and my jeans are definately not this skinny but the memory is intact because I can remember this exactly. And I found the picture inside my old songbook, most of which I can still play, even though I haven't for years and years. Goodness, it doesn't seem such a long time ago. Seven years later I had a PhD and a new academic life, from rockabilly to sillybilly. Steve Earle in concert in your own living room - stick around for the second song - such a gem.