Fret Filings - (Anne's Blog)

Saturday, May 31, 2008

THIS 'N' THAT
Topic: Website

Well, it hasn't been a very productive month. It's not that I'm not working on things, though. Hopefully, things will pick up in June. I have one tab that's been mostly done for quite awhile, but things keep delaying it. I re-listen and decide that adjustments still need to be made, things like that. It was supposed to be an easy one.

But in May you also get delays with the later rounds of the hockey playoffs. The final looked like it was going to be a quick one, but then Pittsburgh found their game on Wednesday, and it may yet become a series. With all the games in the final starting at 8 p.m., it kind of does away with getting much else done on game nights. Then, of course, in May there's always season finales. I think I only watched one of those, though, the "Lost" season finale just a couple of nights ago.

Anyhow, when I manage to get back to some regular tabbing again, I think my work is pretty much cut out for me in June. The request list is growing. There are at least five songs on it right now, and that doesn't take into account standing lists I've been given (with a request that if I could once in awhile pick a song off the list to do).

Also, a comment from the "not such great timing" category. About a week ago, I posted a chord chart of the CSNY song "Ohio". No secret that the song has had it's share of controvery, but then Neil Young isn't exactly a stranger to controversy. However, surfing through the TV channels last weekend, I of course came across various specials, and was reminded that it was Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. And it occurred to me that that wasn't the best timing for posting that song. Nothing wrong with the song, but had I remembered that it was Memorial Day weekend in the States, I don't think I would have chosen that time to post it. So I hope nobody read any commentary into the timing of that posting; nothing was intended.

May wasn't a total write-off. I think I got a tab, two chord charts, and two riffs/intros posted. But any month with only one full tab posted doesn't seem very productive. Although the one tab has gotten plenty of views.

Hopefully, I'll get more done in June.

Posted by planet/zerofret at 5:23 PM EDT
Updated: Saturday, May 31, 2008 5:28 PM EDT
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Friday, May 23, 2008

CSNY's "OHIO"
Topic: Bands/Music

Having just posted a chord chart for the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song "Ohio", I thought I'd also post this link to a detailed (lyrical) analysis of the song.

http://www.thrasherswheat.org/fot/ohio.htm

Posted by planet/zerofret at 3:01 AM EDT
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Saturday, May 17, 2008

THE EAGLES
Topic: Riff-In-A-Jiff

This song doesn't need much introduction; it's one of the best known guitar Intros around (Joe Walsh plays lead on the song). So I'll just go with a Don Henley quote about how he personally related to the song's subject matter.

"I could hardly listen to ["Life In the Fast Lane"] when we were recording it because I was getting high a lot at the time, and the song made me ill. We were trying to paint a picture that cocaine wasn't that great. It turns on you. It messed up my back muscles, it messed up my nerves, it messed up my stomach, and made me paranoid."

-Don Henley, quoted in To The Limit: The Untold Story Of The Eagles by Marc Eliot.

THE EAGLES - "Life In the Fast Lane" (J.Walsh/D.Henley/G.Frey)

https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/annesblog/varriffs.txt

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_ogoKzJLFU

Posted by planet/zerofret at 2:32 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, May 17, 2008 2:34 AM EDT
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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

BSG THEME MUSIC
Topic: Bands/Music

Yes, it's sci-geek time again! (You might recall I talked about Terminator previously.) This time it is musically related, though.

For the past month or so I've been watching my way through the DVD sets of the new "re-imagined" Battlestar Galactica. I never watched the old series, but this new one is as good as advertised. Good plot lines, smart writing, topical, great acting. I'm about five episodes into Season 3 right now.

I love the main title theme music for this show, I think this is the best opening theme for a TV show I've heard in a long time. Maybe it's because I've been hearing it so much while watching straight through seasons in a fairly short period of time, but this theme gets in your head and sticks. Here's the theme, written by Richard Gibbs:

http://www.televisiontunes.com/Battlestar_Galactica_-_Main_Title_(UK_Version).html

I know, what's the big deal, right? But maybe it's all about context. When you hear that theme while watching the title/credit images, it's just really effective. And it reflects so well both the philosophy/religion and miltary/war/action aspects of the show.

The overall scoring for the show is done by Bear McCreary, and it's every bit as good as the Gibbs main theme. (McCreary also does the music for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.)

As I've been watching this series, the music has really stood out for me a lot. Hmmm, maybe I should pick up a soundtrack.

Posted by planet/zerofret at 6:13 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, May 7, 2008 6:14 PM EDT
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Saturday, May 3, 2008

APRIL 2008 REVIEW
Topic: Website

Most-viewed tabs for the month of April 2008 (w/ view numbers):

18 - Harlequin - Thinking Of You
16 - The Kings - This Beat Goes On
15 - Harlequin - Sweet Things In Life
14 - The Kings - Switchin' To Glide
13 - Honeymoon Suite - Stay In the Light
10 - Coney Hatch - Hey Operator
9 - Trooper - We're Here For A Good Time
8 - Coney Hatch - First Time For Everything
8 - Harlequin - Love On the Rocks
8 - Harlequin - You Are the Light
8 - Loverboy - Working For the Weekend

Total tab views for April: 289

(By section: Canadian-218, Girlschool-38, Various-11, Chords-22)

Most-viewed tabs overall (stats date from Oct. 3/07 to Apr. 30/08):

43 - Harlequin - Thinking Of You
39 - Headpins - Don't It Make Ya Feel
27 - Harlequin - Sweet Things In Life
27 - Honeymoon Suite - Stay In the Light
27 - The Kings - This Beat Goes On
24 - Headpins - Turn It Loud
21 - Harlequin - Innocence
21 - The Kings - Switchin' To Glide
20 - Coney Hatch - Hey Operator
20 - Kim Mitchell - All We Are

*Only tab views made by people (excluding my own views) are counted here. Webcrawler/bot views are excluded.

Posted by planet/zerofret at 1:35 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, May 3, 2008 1:38 AM EDT
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Friday, May 2, 2008

BOSTON
Topic: Riff-In-A-Jiff

Today's riff is taken from the title track of Boston's second album, Don't Look Back (1978). It was the biggest hit from the album, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Chart in 1978.

This is probably my favourite Boston song, a fantastically constructed number that has all kinds of things going for it: a great rhythm riff, a memorable single line lead guitar part that recurs throughout the song, eventually building to a twin leads harmonized guitar part (that signature Boston sound), and excellent vocals, both lead and backing.

Tabbed here is the Intro.

BOSTON - "Don't Look Back" (T. Scholz)

https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/annesblog/varriffs.txt

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiOqHLVxZvA

(100th blog post!

)

Posted by planet/zerofret at 2:26 AM EDT
Updated: Friday, May 2, 2008 2:30 AM EDT
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

SMALL ADDITION
Topic: Website

I made a small addition to the Chords Page on the site last night, indicating Canadian acts by adding a red asterisk under the artist/band name. With the tabs, the Canadian ones have their own section, so I decided to use an indicator for Canadian content on the Chords Page, too. Reason? Well, the fact that most months the tab views are fairly consistently about two-thirds for the Canadian tabs/chords is a pretty good reason.

I tried a couple of different ways of doing indicators. First I tried little Canadian flags beside the artist name. I didn't like the look, though, too obtrusive. And I tried red asterisks beside the artist name, but didn't like that, either. Didn't like them above the name, either. (I guess I'm hard to please. ) But putting it on the line between the artist name and the first song listed seemed to work okay. And I'll leave it that way for now, try it out for awhile, anyhow. If I think it starts to make the page look cluttered, I can always remove them again.

A follow-up to the last post. On April 23, Carl Dixon's family posted an update on his condition on his website, and the news is good. For anyone interested in checking it out:

http://www.carldixon.com/index1.htm

Posted by planet/zerofret at 1:28 AM EDT
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Friday, April 18, 2008

CARL DIXON
Topic: Bands/Music

Keep a good thought for Carl Dixon. The Canadian musician was recently injured in a serious car accident in Victoria, Australia.

Toronto Star - http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/414626

The Courier (Ballarat, Victoria, Australia) - http://ballarat.yourguide.com.au/articles/1224262.html?src=topstories

A statement has also been posted on his website: http://www.carldixon.com/

He's been a member of various different Canadian bands, all of whom are well represented on this website. I'd like to add my best wishes to those of the many other people who are keeping Carl in their thoughts and prayers at this time. I wish him a complete and speedy recovery.

Carl Dixon with:

Coney Hatch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jr5kexTFLk (vocals)

The Guess Who - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnndfwIwFoo (vocals and guitar)

April Wine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RajegfkYUVE (guitar, keys, backing vocals)

(Thanks to Rick for links to the two news articles.)

Posted by planet/zerofret at 4:26 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, April 18, 2008 4:28 PM EDT
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Sunday, April 13, 2008

PRISM
Topic: Riff-In-A-Jiff

I've been a bit lazy on the blog entries this past week. Have to start thinking of some stuff to write about. I was jokingly asked in an e-mail awhile back 'will the tabs keep coming when those Montreal Canadiens are in the playoffs?'.

Well, so far, so good. I've managed to watch the Montreal games and get some tab work done.

So for today, a Canriff from the band Prism. It's from their second album, See Forever Eyes (1978). The song was written by Al Harlow. According to the liner notes of Prism's Over 60 Minutes With... compilation CD, he wrote the song in a Calgary hotel room in a five minute burst of inspiration. When the song was offered to Prism, they not only accepted it, but they recruited Harlow into the band on bass and rhythm guitar, as well (replacing the departed Ab Bryant, who went on to be in both Chilliwack and the Headpins).

PRISM - "Take Me Away" (A. Harlow)

https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/annesblog/canriffs.txt

Hear it here:

http://tikasmusic.imeem.com/music/MMNFOUGb/prism_take_me_away/

Posted by planet/zerofret at 2:21 AM EDT
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Saturday, April 5, 2008

ON HOLD
Topic: Website

The tab I referred to a couple of times in the last few posts was finally finished last night, printing off to a hefty eleven pages. All that was left to do was check it over with the record. I was going to check it earlier this evening, and post it tonight. So...something had to go wrong, right?

I realized pretty quickly once I started playing the disc that my stereo was doing its temperamental bit. This isn't new, it's done it on and off for a long time. But when it does it, there are entire parts of the song I can't hear. For example, vocals and drums will come through fine, but not guitar. I'll only be able to hear guitar faintly way in the background. Or I'll be able to hear one guitar part fine, but not another. So under those circumstances, I can't use it to check the tab. Usually, it corrects itself on its own, but there's no knowing when (or if) that'll happen. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. Hopefully, sometime. The whole time I was actually doing the tab, the stereo worked fine. But not right now.

So instead I ended up working on a chord chart for a song I have on cassette (because I could use a different stereo to work on it). Hope I'm back in business soon.

Posted by planet/zerofret at 1:47 AM EDT
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