A busy scoring day. These days are tedious, the work hard and unrewarding apart from the knowledge that I've noted down this music for the future. Doing this for Secret Electric Sorcery is unusual as the music isn't remastered or at what I'd consider its best; I'm tending to score the best albums or those which have been remastered first. I'm doing Sorcery due to the possibility of live performances, for which I'd need the score. Without a score I'd spend a lot longer working out how to play them. I used to be able to simply memorise and play by ear (I still mostly play by ear), but decades, and many thousands of tunes, later my brain can't remember all of the music. I guess that 10% of Elton John's brain is filled with the words and music of his old hits; no room for new ones, and the old hits are what people want. Factors like this may explain why bands often play their old material adinfinitum.
I'm aware, when listening to these, how much better my voice is now compared to when I recorded them, which must be a good sign, even if I cringe when listening to these recordings. However, I'm pleased with the quality of the songs. Out Of Date seems to be particularly amazing today, but all are. I must ensure that the next album is as good.
I've managed to score Passive Aggressive, Boring Ceefax Lift Music, Confidence In Kindness, The Misery's Hard To Take, and Out Of Date today. The time taken often depends on the detail and how much is scored. Boring Ceefax Lift Music has a bluesy piano solo of pain and sadness, and I deicded to score this too (even if it's nigh-on unplayable as it is, but it's a good guide even if merely looked at). There are other solos I've scored, like the simple acoustic guitar lead in 'Misery' and Passive Aggressive, though I've not scored the solos in Out Of Date. I have however included the piano, strings, horn, and bass there, so it's a full ensemble. This will do for now, I think. I can add the rest later if needed.
Three tracks are left for this album, then, ahem, 23 more albums. I'll curse every day I spend on this tedious task; uncreative, unproductive, unpaid; but its value is in the long term. I remind myself of this during the nights of exhaustion.
In other news, the first order of Salomé books has arrived. They look brilliant. This may be a format this sheet music is destined for (in 5 years or more, when it's finished).
I need a plan, and some rehearsals, for Tuesday's open mic. We also have a first, small, gig of the year booked for March which I must list and promote, and set up the music for that, and practice that...
A few days with about 36 hours each would be ideal. Onward.
