And even closer...

Got the masters back from Brad Sarno and they sound pretty good. Of course (as always) there are things that I would like tweaked, but for the first run-through, it sounded pretty damn good. Brad is a very talented guy. So, not only did he add brilliant pedal steel to one song, but he's mastering the whole damn thing. Hooray for IAC for hooking me up with him!

Also, in our conversations, it turns out that we have another (loose) connection, as he used to play in the local Dead cover band when I was in college down at the University of Missouri, Columbia -- Blue Dixie. I think that I saw them only once, but their flyers were everywhere when I was down there, as they seemed to play all the freaking time at the Blue Note. (A wonderful club, which happens to be the first place that I ever got up on stage to play in front of a crowd!) 

Sending off the artwork to the duplication folks today, also. They're gonna check it to make sure that it all fits into their template; and then they'll get the printing set up. After that, when the final masters come in... it's MUSIC AHOY!!! I should have the discs in my greedy little hands before the end of the year. My label is gonna get us set up at iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, and CD Baby in time for an "official" release date sometime in early/mid February.

:>D :>D :>D :>D etc...

Back from mastering!

So, I got to my mail today and what is waiting for me there? A box from Blue Jade Audio Mastering -- my masters!!!

I have had a chance to listen through the album once. Intermittently. On an imperfect stereo setup. While making lunch in the next room. With both my wife and younger son vying for my attention.

That said, there is a significant improvement in the way the album sounds, as a whole. (Although I think that I did hear one or two tweaks that can be made on a couple of songs.) But, anyone who tries to tell you that mastering does not make a difference, or that they can make it sound just fine with "pre-mastering" is wrong.

So psyched.

Welcome! The end is nigh!!

That's a helluva way to start something, isn't it!

But, you see, after all that I have been through the last year and a half, with recording this new record, I think that I see The End as something of a positive thing. Like calling the end of your school career "Commencement", as there is something new about to begin.

If you want to know what it is that I am talking about, the (more or less) complete saga of getting this new album out into the world can be found here:

http://iacmusic.com/blog.aspx?ID=10003&TopicID=45028

Quite a rollercoaster, huh? And that's not even considering the personal stuff that went on during that timeframe.

So, my welcome to you is a sigh of relief at finally completing Chicken On a Bicycle, my second album with Hop On Pop (which is really just me, now -- and Dave, when he wants in). The rest of this blog will chronicle my attempts to get the music actually HEARD.

I have no pretense that I am a "rock star" or anything like that, nor that I ever will be. But it would be kinda nice to have some sort of income from my music. And to have some people hear it.

I don't want to be famous; I just want my songs to be famous.

Thanks for reading this mess of a blog.