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Eggshell 2009 (MJRF)
© 2005 Neil Porter
Partly as a result of the MJRF and partly from getting songs together for CD#2, I’ve been trawling my back catalogue for songs to bring out of the dark fog of my earlier mixing skills. This is the second of these songs (“Too Many Ghosts” was the first). First posted in September 2005.
Back in 2005 when I first posted this ( http://www.macjams.com/song/15122 ), Fran Dagostino left a comment that I took as an offer to play some guitar on it, which I gladly followed up. The result ( http://www.macjams.com/song/15651 ) was some good playing (especially the guitar) but a pretty lack-lustre production. I think I’ve remedied that in this version. At the time I was amazed that Fran would even consider playing on my song.
I wanted to keep the general feel of the original, but to change the style a little and bring in a little more light and shade.. I also wanted to add some other musicians – live drums and live keys – and asked Mike Watkins (kevmikwa) and John Libby (ktb) if they’d help out on drums and keys respectively. With Fran’s permission, I also re-jigged his original guitar tracks (he sent six separate guitar tracks so I had lots to choose from) to fit the new feel. Needless to say the parts from all these gents fitted perfectly – the more I play it, the more I especially love John’s piano track. Thanks guys!
To me it’s a far better and more “mature” piece now than it’s ever been before thanks to John, Mike and Fran.
A production note: there are 7 vocal tracks; 9 guitar tracks; 3 keyboard tracks; 3 percussion tracks 5 drum tracks and two bass tracks – never all at once I must emphasise.
Notes from the first post:
“Another week of new Australian anti-terrorism laws, new Industrial Relations laws, raids and arrests of alleged terrorists in Sydney and Melbourne, riots in France. The thing is, I suspect our governments (like the terrorists) have a big stake in making us all nervous. Doing the Eggshell Walk seems to be a part of life these days - or perhaps its just my paranoia!
Don't forget to dance in the refrain and sing along to the chorus!!
Guitars, bass, drums.
Song art: Walking on Eggshells by Kath Kornelsen Rutherford
PLAY IT VERY VERY LOUD (and keep an eye out for strange men lurking on the street).!”
Notes from the second post:
“This one was posted a few weeks ago, and, although I was happy with how it turned out, it seemed to have somewhere else to go. When ziti agreed to play what I expected to be a straight lead break, I thought that might help. Little did I know that Fran would take the song by the scruff of the neck and in the process, take it somewhere else altogether! For me, this has been a rare insight into the impact that a seriously skilled player can have on a simple song. Fran plays 6 guitar tracks here – listen for the held note in the intro, the sirens in verse 2 and the intensity of the solo. I am so proud of how this has turned out.
Play this at that volume just short of your ears starting to bleed!”
I apologise for the exhortations to play it loud, but it does kind of sound better ☺
Hope you like it.
Thanks for a brilliant MacJams Reunion Festival - which is now officially closed.
Neil
© 2005 Neil Porter
Partly as a result of the MJRF and partly from getting songs together for CD#2, I’ve been trawling my back catalogue for songs to bring out of the dark fog of my earlier mixing skills. This is the second of these songs (“Too Many Ghosts” was the first). First posted in September 2005.
Back in 2005 when I first posted this ( http://www.macjams.com/song/15122 ), Fran Dagostino left a comment that I took as an offer to play some guitar on it, which I gladly followed up. The result ( http://www.macjams.com/song/15651 ) was some good playing (especially the guitar) but a pretty lack-lustre production. I think I’ve remedied that in this version. At the time I was amazed that Fran would even consider playing on my song.
I wanted to keep the general feel of the original, but to change the style a little and bring in a little more light and shade.. I also wanted to add some other musicians – live drums and live keys – and asked Mike Watkins (kevmikwa) and John Libby (ktb) if they’d help out on drums and keys respectively. With Fran’s permission, I also re-jigged his original guitar tracks (he sent six separate guitar tracks so I had lots to choose from) to fit the new feel. Needless to say the parts from all these gents fitted perfectly – the more I play it, the more I especially love John’s piano track. Thanks guys!
To me it’s a far better and more “mature” piece now than it’s ever been before thanks to John, Mike and Fran.
A production note: there are 7 vocal tracks; 9 guitar tracks; 3 keyboard tracks; 3 percussion tracks 5 drum tracks and two bass tracks – never all at once I must emphasise.
Notes from the first post:
“Another week of new Australian anti-terrorism laws, new Industrial Relations laws, raids and arrests of alleged terrorists in Sydney and Melbourne, riots in France. The thing is, I suspect our governments (like the terrorists) have a big stake in making us all nervous. Doing the Eggshell Walk seems to be a part of life these days - or perhaps its just my paranoia!
Don't forget to dance in the refrain and sing along to the chorus!!
Guitars, bass, drums.
Song art: Walking on Eggshells by Kath Kornelsen Rutherford
PLAY IT VERY VERY LOUD (and keep an eye out for strange men lurking on the street).!”
Notes from the second post:
“This one was posted a few weeks ago, and, although I was happy with how it turned out, it seemed to have somewhere else to go. When ziti agreed to play what I expected to be a straight lead break, I thought that might help. Little did I know that Fran would take the song by the scruff of the neck and in the process, take it somewhere else altogether! For me, this has been a rare insight into the impact that a seriously skilled player can have on a simple song. Fran plays 6 guitar tracks here – listen for the held note in the intro, the sirens in verse 2 and the intensity of the solo. I am so proud of how this has turned out.
Play this at that volume just short of your ears starting to bleed!”
I apologise for the exhortations to play it loud, but it does kind of sound better ☺
Hope you like it.
Thanks for a brilliant MacJams Reunion Festival - which is now officially closed.
Neil
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Lyrics
Doing The Eggshell Walk
© 11/2005 Neil Porter
We lie awake at daybreak
And you ask me how the world gets on outside
Another shattered marketplace
Another scattered day of broken lives
I’m scared to turn the news on
In the morning
Don’t know what might happen
In my sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Doesn’t seem like
Freedom much to me
Streets of Paris burning
Someone else’s city, could be yours
A signal of frustration
With the growing gap dividing rich and poor
I’m scared to turn the news on
In the morning
Don’t know what might happen
In my sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Doesn’t seem like
Freedom much to me
They send ‘em home in body bags
2000 already, there’ll be more
We don’t count the other side
30,000 people, that’s the score
Getting scared to wake up
In the morning
Anything could happen
In your sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Doesn’t seem like
Freedom much to me
You put one foot forward
And you look around
You shade your eyes
And you test the ground
You jump at shadows
And you shy at sounds
If you wonder why you’re dancing
You’re doing the Eggshell Walk
Starting to get angry
In the morning
Starting to have nightmares
In my sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Seems like an unholy mess to me
© 11/2005 Neil Porter
We lie awake at daybreak
And you ask me how the world gets on outside
Another shattered marketplace
Another scattered day of broken lives
I’m scared to turn the news on
In the morning
Don’t know what might happen
In my sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Doesn’t seem like
Freedom much to me
Streets of Paris burning
Someone else’s city, could be yours
A signal of frustration
With the growing gap dividing rich and poor
I’m scared to turn the news on
In the morning
Don’t know what might happen
In my sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Doesn’t seem like
Freedom much to me
They send ‘em home in body bags
2000 already, there’ll be more
We don’t count the other side
30,000 people, that’s the score
Getting scared to wake up
In the morning
Anything could happen
In your sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Doesn’t seem like
Freedom much to me
You put one foot forward
And you look around
You shade your eyes
And you test the ground
You jump at shadows
And you shy at sounds
If you wonder why you’re dancing
You’re doing the Eggshell Walk
Starting to get angry
In the morning
Starting to have nightmares
In my sleep
They’ve got you and me
Doing the Eggshell Walk
Seems like an unholy mess to me
futzpucker
This is a wonderful, rich song. So much great stuff going on, nothing in the way of anything else. The text is very poignant, very well written, and perfectly fits the insistent, slightly distressful mood of the song.
I've always loved your very unique voice, Neil, and your harmony here is very effective. The all-star cast all did wonderful work for you, top to bottom. Drums, bass, guitars and piano... everyone plays great and sounds great.