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This Is Where My Heart Is - So's Ians'

2009-04-03T13:13:00.005-04:00

I've said all I could say about Make Believe (both versions) here:

I still think it's a killer pop track.

This Is Where My Heart Is - Ian's Country Heart

Since "The Oaf" first stomped it's way into my head way back in 1997, I always knew Ian had a feel for classic countrified licks.

Not country like today, but country blues like those that inspired Jimmy Page. Originating in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia or Georgia. Ease My Mind was a little jug band workout on TPAG that gives us a direct clue but Ian's licks even in solos are influenced.

On the later tracks, it's a country music more reminiscent of early 60's country pop that Ray Charles was doing. Now granted the background vocals on the Ray Charles are over-the-top OLD school, but Zep was nickin' around with similar sounds on Hey Hey What Can I Do, the B side to the Immigrant Song. Listen to the end of the song when the rest of the band joins in on the harmonies. Very late 50's/early 60's.

Ray Charles - I Can't Stop Loving You

Led Zeppelin - Hey Hey What Can I Do

So TIWMHI is sweet old school country to me. It's so earnest.

As a rule, Ian write first person, as he said in this interview:

So, in one sense, I see TIWMH is an epic metaphor about his musical struggles and band experiences. To my ears, musically, this seems to be a sister song to Lost at Sea. It breathes like a legendary tale of a long gone adventure to distant land where Ian left his heart.

Lost At Sea

So a map is never wrong, they say

A map, as in a plan, a strategy; a map from, say for example, the record company - a marketing strategy. In a relationship, of any sort both parties have expectations. This is the crudest form of a map;the "where" we initially expect a journey to go. In romance the map is the initial "feelings" we get at first blush.

But it was underneath deceiving
Some of the lyric sites have this line as "but it was underneath the seat then" - not to my ears. There it was, sending Ian in the wrong direction; deceiving. The same holds true for personal relationships. Unless we understand that relationships ALWAYS changes over time, expectations are sure to deceive.

Just like your favorite song
We got lost deep inside the romance
Like that song in That Song is forever tied to a person or a romance, to an expectation of love "forever". It's original meaning gets lost to that personal event and That Song is forever tied to a bad time. In the metaphor of Ian's musical trek, the relationship of creative to commerce, his favorite song gets nixed/messed with by the record company marketing "geniuses" and the essence of a great song gets lost.

We always knew we were never going home
We always knew we were never coming home
A band, by nature, is a tentative arrangement. History is replete with examples of the ruthless nature of the business. Musicians know deep down, that when you sign with a record company, go commercial that things will never be the same. Deep down, we know, in romance we cannot re-capture that original chemistry. That's why, with some relationships, we want to remain in the moment. Alas, often they are only for that moment, never to be extended; never to be repeated. Perhaps this song is about Ian's relationship the writing process. Like he's singing to the song itself. From this point of view, the "We becomes Ian and the song. "We" always knew, that the moment Ian plays the song out, brings it out to public review, out from the confines of divine inspiration, it will lose some of the initial magic that a songwriter feels in the creative process. That is the compromise of communication and ultimately commerce. Coming or going, neither the song nor the writer will ever be at that moment of inspiration again.

I've always lived my life, opened up
Ian seems to be a genuine person, no phoneyness, no guile. With Ian it's all WYSIWIG! Even in his music, if you care to dig deep, although he'll never tell.

On a shirt that’s got no sleeves
The expression is that you "wear your heart on your sleeve", which is Ian's nature. He always throws his best cards in your face; He's got no poker face. He leads with his emotion. That's a tough ride in business. So Ian closes up, protects himself, develops defensive skills; wears a shirt that has no sleeves so his heart has no opportunity to be exposed. Hiding in plain sight; that sleeve-less-ness appear bare but gives no quarter to his sensitive heart.

Well this is where my heart is
This song, these songs, this music is direct, no filter, no market considerations; THIS is where his heart is. Here I am, no band, it's all on my shoulders, it's all my decisions, all me.

This is where my heart is
This is where my heart is
This is where my heart is

While we were on the breeze
Dark clouds, were somehow keepin' up
To me, being on the "breeze" is to be like a feather in the wind. It's exhilarating to be floating on the moment, not sure where inspiration, or the chemicals of fresh romance will take you. On the verge of success a band/a relationship/a song is overflowing with potential. Dreams dreamt are always sweeter than reality. The breeze also keeps the dark clouds chasing. Reality beckons.

And sifting through the sleaze, for so long
That's gotta mess you up
The reality of business, romantic encounters, the sharing of self, in any context is hard. The more you do it, the more calloused you become. We harden ourselves to rejection. Shut up or ignore/push down those feelings. It's gotta mess you up. It just seems to be a fact, that being out there in the sleaze of the music biz/road to success seems to ruin people.

We always knew we were never going home
We always knew we'd never be alone
Yet this is the deal that we make when we venture out of self. As an artist, partner, businessman etc. we lay it all on the line for the hope of of our expectations. The We is the couple, the singer and his song, the band or even the fans that choose to follow an artist. It's a decision we make that's fraught with equal parts excitement and disappointment.

And at least I know we’ve tried
We passed the test but never found a home
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. No record company success, again... do it anyway. She's gonna leave me eventually.... go for it anyway. When you've found where your heart is, you can't help yourself... you... just... HAVE TO!

...now dance a jig.

This is where my heart is
This is where my heart is
This is where my heart is
This is where my heart is

Musically, TIWMHI from demo to CD cut is pretty faithfully translated. The demo sounds/felt more organic to me and from what I can discern it has to do with reverb/delay which in nature is the sound of the room. The final track is very close-miked with little "room"/reverb in the track. This allows pristine separation and clean tone, but IMHO it looses some naturalness.

Our Message Boarder/ Musician/Neal Pinto put it best.

"I think the Big Wreck albums had a very open, roomy sound to them. They were loud and heavy, but everything sounded like it was recorded off the floor in a big room with only a few microphones and the sound was allowed to mix in with the open air before it went to tape.

Both "Come Again" and "Tiny Pictures" have more of a closed sound, where it sounds like all the microphones were right up against each instrument... which is very typical of post-grunge, and nu-metal production.

Sure "Tiny Pictures" has alot of complex guitar layering creating massive walls of sound (similar to Rush's "Snakes & Arrows") but it's still very controlled in comparison to the more airy sounds on Big Wreck albums."

I've laid the two tracks on top of each other and cut between the two trying to find why I sense a difference. Some might call the demo muddy, but to me it has an more mysterious atmosphere. Take a listen:

(soon)

I'm sad to say that some of the potentially tastiest stuff on this song, the outro instrumental just seems too slow/stiff to carry the joy that it had the capability to carry. To my ears, it should be faster in tempo, looser in play. It sounds like it was recorded by one precise musician.... oh yeah it was. And that's the stiffness that one of the message boarders objected to. It sounds digital. For all the talk of grit in the grooves, no portion of this CD needed a "tight but loose" approach more than this. The precise technique that works so well for the outro of All Fall Down falls flat, for me, here.

I know the concept is to build up to the heartfelt hoedown that ensues, but it never reaches escape velocity. Listen to Soul Singing by the Black Crowes! This outro is like a thoroughbred at a cantor when it just wants to gallup. I get that restraint builds tension, but Ian, let it go. Unleash. I always thought the same thing about the country jam section of Head In The Girl. In my world it would have been a 3-4 minute Dave Mattews-like joyful jam, right in the middle of the song. It NEVER was gonna be single, so why not go for it. BW nailed the TBL feel of it, but I wanted MORE of it.

I do LOVE the little noodle at the very end. I just want it to billow up into a full blown section someday. I guess that's the treat to leave you wanting. Thanks Ian. I want.

When it's all said and done, I still love this song. I sing along and bounce in my seat. I hope to one day hear a live (not just acoustic) version of it in person. Maybe next week. See YA!

Your Song - Her Song

2009-03-13T13:18:00.004-04:00

Your Song - Radio Rager

This one Chad definitely has his fingerprints on. Many have pointed out the pattern/structure of the "Nickleworld" music. I have to admit that I don't listen to modern rock radio, but I am no longer deaf to the formula. I've written about the tribalism in our insecure world of late and how fans hold to what they know and are familiar with. This profit driven sheeple chase has created vertical markets like pinpoints.

It's almost like gang colors. In order to move in certain neighborhoods you must join that gang, wear the colors.

To get on popular modern rock radio you must sport the components that let you communicate to that narrow audience. They seem uninterested in any of the legacy that feeds their genre. A precious few might be willing to look under the hood but fearing the admonition of their peers or some self imposed standard they quickly retreat to the familiar.

We see it in modern Hip Hop. The same corny casio sounds and vocal benders, used ad nauseam for 10 years now. No progress, no evolution, strip mining old melodies, old beats etc. The same product in a new package over and over. It's just the way our world is now.

Back to Your Song. Yes it's that familiar pattern. Yes it mostly predictable. The pattern doesn't affect my listening enjoyment so much.

It seems that the opening to all these songs is like a sacrificial offering. Ok here's the familiar opening, so we're all comfortable. Now I'm gonna stray by throwing some new sounds on you. Oh not too much, are you scared? Ok we'll be back on familiar ground. Here's your pre chorus. Ok feel better now. It's the price of admission.

All that being said, I actually love parts of this song. Lyrically it's the most "girl friendly" song Ian has ever written. It still has it's dysfunctional twist. It's all about how much pain he'll take. Like no other. That's an unhealthy position to be in a relationship, but the chicks dig it. Every woman wants to know how much pain you will take. Believe me I'm an expert (6 sisters, 2 wives, 2 daughters, 3 grandaughters). I know I'm REALLY winning female fans here, but I just gotta say it.

You have to strike a balance between bravado and sacrifice without becoming a doormat.

Musically the big riffs are standard, powerful with that good modern rock tone. The power chords cascade and crush. The drumming is basic rock track steady. yadayadayada.

There are some little snippets that add interest. The sitar sounding accents, and the little countermelody that ends that section. Then the sweet synth creeps up in the background. It' very reminiscent of Zep's "All of My Love". Syrupy sweet; too saccharine.

All of My Love was about Robert Plant's lost son and somehow with this earnest sentiment the sweetness didn't make me cringe. I'm just a corny old school fan. That's why I LOVE "All I Need". More on that later.

On second thought, maybe this is with his daughter in mind. As a father must be prepared to love his daughter through all that her growth will bring. Ian has stated that he must re-set his priorities away from the "me-an" to whom he must provide for.

The pinnacle of the song, the big soaring chorus, and the most clever bit of wordplay is the clue. His saving grace is his desire to love her because it takes him out of himself. The tidal wave of a young man's self absorption can drown him. Her presence is like a tiny island to swim for. It's that aaawwwee, moment that shows us the lovable Ian. Rock dad. I'm not goofing here. I admire him for it.

My saving grace
Is you from this tidal wave
Of me
'Cause I need just to see your face
With stones
These bones
Are yours to break
But that's nothing compared
To the pain I would take

The pain of interviewing for a guy as inner as Ian was always a stretch. We don't see it, but he's a really self conscious guy. An ego maniac with an insecurity complex. I only say this because I identify. He's forced into making moves to benefit his family, as all of us seasoned veterans of family life, and it's a good thing. The pain of compromise is crushing to a 'creative". A mans' gotta do what a mans' gotta do.

So he'll take the stones, let her "bust his chops", slay the dragons in spite of her, comfort her AND LOVE her through it, cause he's smitten. He sees her and beams like the sun. He's fallen for her like no other.

You could waste your time in the sunshine every day
But the sun doesn't shine on you like I do
The stars in the sky can fall for you night and day
But they're not gonna fall for you like I do

So Your Song is gonna be a big hit. It's gonna make big royalties for Ian. It's gonna provide for his family. It's Her Song.

All you ladies can write yourselves into the story because you all want a man who'll do what Ian sings about. Admit it.

So not a song that grabs me in the musical gut but for the sentiment and lyric it is wonderful and I hope it touches the hearts of all the girls. After all, we do it ALL FOR YOU.

Man Overboard

2009-03-11T12:22:00.002-04:00

I just had an exhilarating experience. I'm all coffeeed up on a Saturday morn. My wife is away and all the kids are too. It' 6:30 am and I've got the music cranked in my basement. None of the neighbors have called (I probably couldn't hear them anyway). It's been a couple of days since ingesting any Tiny Pictures. I decided to throw TP in a mix with the Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely (one of my latest faves, and destined to become a classic IMHO).

Consolers is a near perfect effort to capture that 70's sound and and to write in that style. The songwriting is loose, funny and a great collage of styles from the era. I know it was critically panned by White/Raconteurs fans alike as a uneven, subpar effort, but over time it has grown in stature and I really believe that when we look back at this decade this will be a standout record.

In a playlist I put TP and CoL. Now TP is nowhere as loose as CoL, but it holds up right next to it, sonically and creatively. The retro pieces all fit and the modern sounds, although a bit tight/polished for my palette, are tasty and controlled.

Listen to the song "Consolers" and the original Beautiful demo and you'll see that concept of smashing two songs together that Ian does so well. Jack White talked of taking two old tracks and slamming them together. Big Wreck's No Fault was this. The best part of the Raconteurs is their Tight but Loose approach to song writing/recording (Tight but Loose is a phrase coined in relation to Zeppelin's material/Jimmy Page's playing).

TP has a different mission. JW because of his incredible success has carte blanche to do what he wants. The Raconteurs is a bit of a vanity project that is an outlet to show that he can do more than just the simple White stripes stuff. JW is loose and free. Ian has to "bet the farm" on every project. JW has FU money and a commercial track record. He's loved or hated, but he gets attention and market. Right place at the right time. Providence, Providence, providence.

Man Overboard - Galloping Raver

MO is a really clever piece, lyrically, that again gives us a look inside (at least that's what I think). Like the legendary Lost at Sea from the supergroup show, Ian uses a seafaring metaphor. I love the duality of a man who goes overboard/extreme in a situation. Like you're overreacting or becoming an extremist. Like recording 5 guitar parts on this section or noodling a sound until your ears bleed. We can go overboard with passion. Or for that matter any emotion to excess.

We also can get off the bus; Off the boat; Into uncharted water. This is our guy. Dump the band, dump the relationship, dump the management. Dump the security of what's known and take that leap.

So life under water
Isn't all its cracked up to be
Not quite want i wanted
Well, it gets a little hard to breathe

There once was a time
When it seemed like a good idea
I'll keep this in mind the next time I go overboard

Having made the break, he's having second thoughts. Holy crap, it's way more difficult out here on my own. I know I chose this but... It's easy to bitch about your colleagues when you have some.

From the live versions with the long intro this song seemed to plod a bit and was overly angry/metal/heavy for my liking. I know most of those who heard it live crave the original power. The recorded version is still really heavy but is has bit lighter/pop-ier edge.

It opens with a variation of that Van Halen-esque chugging riff that appeared in Big Wreck's No Fault, but it's morphed into something more fuzzy, more modern metal. It's a bigger fatter animal and it sets up the breezy section to follow.

As he goes into the recrimination part of the verse the guitar parts go toward the dissonant; like on Found Another Way from Come Again. That "in your face" annoyance that mirrors the lyric. The music fits the words.

So leave, never believe, that I'd ever leave
You're making it so damn hard to breathe
Throw the line and throw me the rope
You're killing the bravest part of me

The recorded version is much more Police than Metallica. Daniel Adair does his best Stuart Copleand. It's still got some WOMP but lighter than the rest of the record. It shows Adair to have a subtlety I had not expected from the beginning of the track.

And I'll find a home
And I'll tip this boat

I do not get the people complaining about the chorus being annoying. It sounds very catchy to me and when driving in the car this is the most likely to get me a ticket. This really cruises along at a fevered pitch with all the cymbal and guitar in syncopated pattern.

Man overboard, man overboard
Can't take it anymore
I'm swimming back to shore
Man overboard, man overboard
Can't take it anymore
I'm swimming back to shore

The solo, short and tight, frames up the emotional bring down part.

So next time remember
How it was supposed to be

Then BOOM we're back to recrimination. Where the protagonist spews on the ship he took out there (then proceeded to jump off of) for not helping him out. Like a relationship that breaks up and the one that left bitches that it's tough out there... alone. Yeah no shit! You left!

Be kind, throw me the line
And throw me the rope
You're making it so damn hard to breathe
Throw me the line, throw me the rope
You're killing the bravest part of me

I know when I got sober that soon afterward I bitched about making the leap to a new life. It was really hard sometimes AND boring. Looking back I'm glad I tipped that boat and began to swim to shore. I hope Ian can feel the same about this venture.

I suspect it was a decision made out of good common sense. Like he said in one of the interviews, he's got kids and a family to consider. The balance of artistic satisfaction, full family life, making a living and managing expectations is no easy task.

I'm taking my time with these because the timing at this point is immaterial. When fans discover Ian they'll find this crap and react. I hope that sharing this can open eyes and ears to some of the depth that I hear in Ian's work. I trust some of you can add some of your own listening angles.

Somethin's gotta Change

2009-03-01T20:52:00.003-05:00

Changes - Radio Rager (with a classic twist)

This is typical of this CD's sneakiness. It's a another obvious commercial track. The second single for sure. Having heard only a really poor quality live version of this from a couple of years ago, I had no strong opinion of the track going in. The Changes I know opens with a warbley guitar (Not sure if it was an effect or just a bad recording). The CD version is all twinkly 12 string goodness.

That said, it's got an immediate radio friendly structure up front. The expected friendly front end that lets the radio audience in and fits the format, but gets continually more and more adorned with classic textures. There's even some similar quoting "All Comes Out in the Wash" opening melody line after the self confessed George Harrison licks.

Now, who's gonna make those connections in the genpop audience (Ian talked about it in the interviews). Not many. THAT is not market driven. THAT's of no genpop value, but that makes Ian happy (and me too). AND it works.

The lyrics are not the deepest of Ian's offerings but almost everybody can relate. There's an unsophisticated side to us all longing to elevate ourselves; to break the inertia and achieve escape velocity. Kind of like Blown Wide Open or Keep a Good Man Down without the clever metaphor. We've gotta admit that most of that stuff was lost on the audience or Big Wreck would still be. Sad but true.

Maybe it's freeing to just state something simply. Straightforward, unambiguous, repetitive. Dave Grohl gets away with it and gets Grammys.

It's all glittery and sweet enough and the cool licks keep building. A GREAT pop song.

Gotta mention the drumming. Steve Gorman is one of the best drummers in this modern era. I've seen him numerous times with the Black Crowes. When he played with Jimmy Page and the Crowes he was the glue that held that tour together and he had the biggest shoes to fill. He's got range and swing. Not your ordinary rock drummer. I am incredibly heartened by the Crowes/Thornley connect. I know that Ian is a fan as he played a bit of Cosmic Friend at the end of the last Big Wreck show on the day the Crowes broke up and Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar - Grady - Ian personal friend) was a special guest for a Black Crowes album showcase in NYC for Lions. So.... the Crowes know how to be funky and swing; an area Ian needs to go IMHO.

I think the way Gorman is recorded, masks the subtlety of his playing. The radio friendly production tends to homogenize it all so it sounds cohesive. On first listen it's not much different than Adair. But listen carefully, the fills are more Keith Moon, the tempo is looser, it's bombastic without being so hard. It fits the song. My like it.

Let me also say that I like Ian's bass playing. It's a bit Big Wrecky in the spots when the music drops out. The more I hear it the more it grows on me. And I LOVE the tasty slide.

Then comes the 10 Years Gone influenced outro riffage. The counter verses "Some things can't stay the same/somethings gotta change" sweep you up and carry you above the frantic drumming.

I love the false ending (although some smell "radio edit"- probably rightly). It still breaks up the structure for a left turn not expected. The outro build up while kinda typical Thornley is still very old school in feel. It could go a few more bars but maybe that'll be the live version.

I must say that it ends awkwardly. The vocals and instruments mistime the end and fade too abruptly. This kind of stuff is what some deem as poor production, Ian sees as "character". In my mind it should end like Breakthrough (actually that was rough too but it worked somehow) What I wouldn't give to see Myles Kennedy and Ian double-team that one live! That'd be worth a trip to Canada alone.

The little piano tinkle is a nice touch and if you listen really close you can hear someone chuckle. The recording is pristine. Perhaps a bit too at times but it does really make you pay attention.

I have a mix list in my iTunes so all Ian's studio music can shuffle. The new tracks definitely jump out at you sonically and add nicely to the whole collection. Tiny Pictures keeps growing on me.

See ya soon.

Radar Blip

2009-02-27T10:09:00.002-05:00

As a disclaimer, I am in no way connected to the band and have no real insight into what Ian writes about. This is pure fanboy (yeah a boy still lives in this wrinkled old carcass) musing.

Well here goes. I've had a few weeks to ingest, digest, regress and progress.

I've a had a real up and down relationship with Tiny Pictures to date. Some of the message board comments and the meager internet reviews, I think, are founded in some valid points. There is some surprising unevenness to aspects of this recording that bug me. To me it's a mixture of raw artistic integrity, meets ready current market, meets high expectations. That's a lot of pre-conception going in.

The demos were pure, unadulterated, unfettered, unadorned genius. I really liked the more raw production on some numbers. One day Ian will release those demos in a cleaner form (If I say it, it will happen). Perhaps I'm leaning on two years of familiarity. I LIKED the uneven echoey drumming. I LIKED the sweet old style backing vocals. I LOVED the warmth. We trade that in on the "known" tracks for the crisp polished sheen of the new CD. Shiny, spikey modern production has it's pluses and minuses. Instruments seem to "pop" in where on the demos they swelled from background to front. The edges of the envelope are sharp. The vocal harmonies sounded "40's - 50's old school" where now they sound current. The demos were more live/cohesive and now they punch. Neal made a great point on the message board when he described the recording as "close mic'd". Everything is right up to the mic. This is as clear a nod to a modern audience as I've seen. I know most radio listeners could no more get into the demos style of music than say, bluegrass, but to me they represent where Ian's inspiration lives and this is where I know he shines. It's just not commercially viable now.

So lets' get it on.

There are four types of songs on this CD as far as I can tell. A good formula I think. Each suffers/benefits from market driven decisions. There's the Radio Ragers, Galloping Ravers, Ian's Country Heart and Retro Classic Rockers. They all have a current rock radio shine on them to make a more cohesive package. It is a business that inherently demands compromise.

I'm gonna try to look at this from the seed/inspiration/intent to the final product. From a design standpoint, does it accomplish it's intent?

Nick's involvement; Daniel Adair's involvement; the entire solo-in-the-studio move seems to be a corporate move to sell. DUH; business IS business.

Underneath the Radar - Radio Rager
The reviews call the "electronic" opening odd for Thornley. To anyone who's heard the "Oaf" it's nothing new. It's just that guitar delay that we're all so familiar with in a clipped form. When I heard Under at the Gage Park show I was not really a fan of this song. It seemed disjointed and quirky. That being said, the opening track (does that even matter anymore to the ituned generation?) has grown on me.

I always read some psychological nonsense into what people say. I'm a REAL JOY to live with; just ask my wife. So Under sounds to me like a guy angry with someone NOT in the spotlight with a lot to say in the shadows. Record co exec? Manager? Bandmate? Chirpy wife? In the latest interviews Ian says he struggles with trying to write a non-personal lyric that he can "sell". That's why I always sense a personal angle to his lyrics.

We'd never make it anyway
We never were that real
with everything we've done
you think that there'd be something
left for you and I

Is this a band that's struggling for commercial success with no answers why? An awfully fatalistic viewpoint. Maybe it's revealing of his move to solo. He's the blip on the radar. The one to keep an eye on. He's always in the driver seat creatively (funny he has no license). He's the one who takes the hits. He's the insecure megalomaniac driving the decisions and fretting the consequences (more on that later).

Musically the song is pretty dry. To my jaded ears it's just standard dynamics that populate the radio today. Processed chorus, predictable explosions, tight down tuned riffage, overwrought throaty vocals. A perfect radio package with just enough quirk to get noticed. "Hey it's that song with the haunting kids choir." I hear some synth sounds that sound like some of Eleven. That maudlin Euro-synth that echoes more Edith Piaf than anything of today. The influences/peices seem to fit more and more.

I bristle at the obvious decisions made to market at first. But given repeated listens like you would in high rotation on the radio you can see why it works. You cannot get it out of your head. I listened to Make Believe 1000 times and skipped Under before it was released. But while writing this I listened like 10 times with no fatigue. It's a pretty damn good song.

Sometimes I get the impression that Ian's released songs are like cryptic messages smuggled out of the prison of his target market cell. Notes undecipherable by the corporate guards. Disguised by Finger Eleven/Three DaysGrace/Saliva multi-voiced choruses and fat grindy riffs, with just enough twists and frills to satisfy some of the deeper proggers willing to wade through.

By the immediate reaction of some it doesn't pass the test. IMHO Ian suffers from too many cooks massaging the hooks... but upon further inspection... maybe they are right.... something cool is happening.

Sometimes I just need to take a holiday from being overly critical of what I think Ian should do and just enjoy his music. I feel more better (as my grandson would say).

Some VERY exhilarating joyful noise on this CD. This is gonna be fun. See you in a few days.

Audio Autoplay

2009-02-16T06:39:00.002-05:00

Drop.io has changed the settings on their embed. I do not know how to turn off the auto-play function on the files linked. I am looking into it. Before you navigate the blog please go through and turn them all off. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

The Big picture on "Tiny Pictures"

2009-02-16T06:08:00.001-05:00

There has been a shit storm of dashed expectations expressed on the Thornleyfans message board. I've really enjoyed the passion that has been on display, both positive and negative. It is evidence of an artist that affects people.

Longtime Ian fans kinda know how Ian's music works. Ian is like the elephant in the old proverb:
"Six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts of the elephant's body.
The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch; the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe."

Depending on when you have gotten a taste of Ian, the expectant listener has an opinion of who he is as an artist. When a new CD arrives you have expectations. There's a lot going on AND a lot to digest. On first listen, the flavor of the track may be all you can get. We try to categorize it. "Feel" it. You might dismiss it, as "Ok, this is a standard rocker, or this is a country song... " but that would be to sell your own listening experience short.

I did this with the latest Black Crowes - War Paint and Chris Cornell's - Euphoria Morning. Quick dismissal, only to return later to find some great stuff. It'll just pop up in an iPod rotation and bing! a new fave, a new discovery.

Even as a staunch Ian fan (some say obsessive) I had high expectations going into this CD. MY view of Ian, of course is the PROPER ONE. Why can't the record company just GET him like I do and just let him produce the ART that I hear inside Ian. I'm sure it's EXACTLY what IAN would want to do. We all fancy ourselves movers and shakers in the music world. We would be wrong.

When some expressed dissappointment I thought it would reflect some of my own initial trepidation. However, the complaints/reviews were from all sides of the elephant. Ian is not "hard enough". Ian is too formulaic. The recording is too hot. The songs are too mellow. The lyrics are dumb. Each camp seemed to have had their personal ox gored.

It all goes back to how each of us experiences Thornley. Like I wrote before. Ian, being many things to many people, is not a premeditated contortion. He is so incredibly talented that he CAN be quite extraordinary in many milieu.

Come Again fans found him to be a breath of fresh air in the nu-metal. HARD Ian was where it was at. Bright, over-the-top, in-your-face, extremely compressed recording was where modern rock radio was in 2004. In many ways it's where it's at today. The casual listeners love it as witnessed by the popular radio that dominates the spectrum. It's where the money is.

Nickleback has become the whipping boy "brand" of the entire scene for anyone not liking this format. Isn't it weird that the big dog that opens the door for Ian is the one that taints his "art". To me Nickleback is the Bon Jovi (I HATE BonJovi -yet I respect their musicianship and craft) of this generation in that they are the formula that all seek to follow. Within this framework there was a sub-genre "flavor of the moment" such as those produced by Gavin Brown. I know this music like I know Rap which is to say, not at all. It just all sounds the same to me. It probably has nuance and value, I just don't hear it beyond the initial adrenaline hit. Like a candy bar, the first bite tastes real good but I couldn't make a meal of it.

I was perplexed by anyone can/could think of Big Wreck and Thornley's first Come Again as a logical progression. Come Again was, to me, as about as hard a right turn as possible. The two are sonically diametrically opposed. I completely balked at most of Come Again initially. I'm an old guy so I am like an alien looking in. I thought, "Where are all the "roots" leanings, all the Zep references, the clever 70's rips, the virtuouso guitar runs?" Only Beautiful and Lies fulfilled this for me initially. Ian was soooo much more.

But, upon stepping back and giving it some time there were clever twists throughout, lyrically, and musically that thrilled me. I never really liked "So Far So Good", yet it became pop gold for many of you. I get the need for a young artist to carve out his niche, but I longed for a return to a more organic Thornley. Big Wreck was ORGANIC. Big, warm tones, choruses, VERY obscure personal yet clever lyrics etc., the Zep structures throughout. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC musicianship and GREAT songwriting. Probably too rich for most people. It took years to be digested and STILL satisfies.

Come Again, on the surface, just seemed too dumbed down for me. And yes the Uncle Chad hand (I needed to blame someone, correctly or not) seemed all over it. But, it worked. On some level, MANY new young fans came aboard. It's these fans that seem the most disappointed by Tiny Pictures. In a market full of screaming, multi-tracked and processed vocals, nu-metal guitar how can Ian stand out? By "ROCKING HARDER"? The dial only goes to 10.

The 5 years between Come Again and Tiny Pictures has been interesting. Living vicariously through all of my Canadian friends who post vids of local shows (A Thornley headline Canadian club show vs a 40 minute set as an opener for NB is no comparison) and ingesting every drop of info I can on the guy, has been an up and down journey. Ian still seemed to be short of a breakthrough.

Then when I heard the tasty work he was doing with Casey Marshall (Fairfield), I was hearing Ian as rootsy session player minus the spotlight. When the demos came out on Ian's myspace page I was ecstatic! All I Need, MBTE, Fall Down, Good Son, Brit Pop, Fred and all the rest. They were creative gems just looking to be polished up. I figured that they would have no commercial hope of ever being realized so I accepted them as they were. THIS was the amazingly unique, eclectic Ian Thornley I am privileged to follow.

The demos done with the help of Jeff Dalzeil had a warm natural quality to them. Perhaps too organic, too odd, but very Ian. I have LOVED this collection of demos for the better part of two years now. In continual rotation you memorize every tiny detail. With that as a starting point there's bound to be expectations unmet and some exceeded.

His time with Nick Rasculinecz was, by Ian's account, a match made in heaven and Tiny pictures is the evidence. A very clean, crisp recording, fully realizing Ian's vision. I hope over the next few weeks to be able to review each song ad nauseam, like I used to do on the message board (now it's on a blog -- oooo) going in depth with composition, lyric, recording and performance. I think each song has stellar qualities even if not every one moves me to tears.

I also want to commend Thornley fans who write on the message board. They are NOT your average music fan. Both musically knowledgeable, articulate, savvy listeners who demand the BEST from Ian. I learn a lot from reading the criticism, both positive and negative.

I am REALLY enjoying Tiny Pictures, hope for worldwide release and GREAT SUCCESS! After 90 plus unique songs Ian seems to have many more facets to be revealed.

Make Believe - East Coast vs West Coast

2008-12-31T08:29:00.007-05:00

Since the Canadian iTunes (only) single has been well received by the fans, is moving up the Canadian charts and only a few have noticed the alternate version, perhaps this is a small audience debate. East Coast vs West Coast. I think though, the different versions have opened the door for a larger conversation on Ian's music.

Who is Ian Thornley? How do YOU appreciate his talent? Is he a Nu-metal screamer, chugging the chunkiest riffs and emoting with full throated roar? Is he a rootsy, clever folk guy twinkling the dobro and the mandolin? Is he an inventive but mostly traditional blues PLAYER? Is he a MODERN songwriter that can write hooks for mainstream R&B (Jully Black - Until I Stay) or World music, like Sting or Bono (Provide)? OR is he a Classic Rock re-constructionist like The Black Crowes, the latest Raconteurs, the last few Foos and so many others of late (Good Son, Might Be The End)? Or is he an old time crooner from the 40's and 50's, Ray Charles and beyond (Barely Be, All I Need - He's got a hold of something very different with these gems that seem to be of bygone eras. The vocal harmonies in "My Heart Is" is another example of Ian's fluency with old techniques.)? OR is he a straight ahead modern pop-song guru (Brit POP, That Song)? Is he a hired gun guitar slinger (Rosie, Hurricane) or witty front man (Thornley)? The wonderful problem is that Ian is all of those things.

In some ways it's a decades old debate, had by music fans, managers and record execs since pop music became a high stakes game. How do we see the artist? How do we manage our expectations of their musical journey? Will we go along for the ride? Look at the Led Zep debate! Some are Zep I and II fans only, some are HARD lovers, others are EPIC lovers, others are hippy wanabees and dig the musical pilgrimage that Robert Plant has brought them on. The greats come in many flavors and the debates rage on.

The execs guard their investment like fisherman with a limited bait box in search of a killing as the public swarms like frenzied piranha to and fro. It's a funny and unpredictable mess, with the vast unprincipled internet which insatiably collects with an amoral self-destructive appetite. The record company delays, born of uncertain times, frustrates artist and audience alike. How is an artist to position himself? With whom do you align? What audience will support your venture most? How do you keep the base happy and still expand your vision? How do you bring along the rest. What IS your base? What about timing? Are you on the back end of a pop trend? Are you an innovator?

A lot to think about, especially when your goal is to make the audience FEEL something and look natural in the process. That's show biz.

I chalk up a lot of the recent Thornley history to indecisiveness and unanswered business questions. Ian has, as much as said so, of late. In the interview on Explore Music site, Part 2 of the video interview he did there, which was mysteriously removed from the vid portion, but is now up in audio on their 12/19 podcast, had to do with the record company struggle. The balance between leading and being lead.

"Will you surrender to the leading of someone, somehow?" - Undersold.

Ian makes reference to being easily influenced by a good pitch. Hence Come Again. A moment of compromise to a successful genre/market. A perfectly reasonable concession to business reality. It just didn't satisfy in the long haul. Too many crowded the market and there wasn't a noticeable enough separation between Thornley and the pack. The meal was hamburger and no matter the quality of the beef, those that like steak just won't partake enthusiastically. A slim portion of the hamburger market segment was won over but the more nuanced aficionados were left hungry. Ian does not follow modern music as a fan and therefore has no understanding on how to serve that market. Ian made fun of his weakness in one of the Explore segments. He is left to depend on those "in the know". He said that he had become highly suggestible. I assume that it's from years of market misses and big expectations of a cocky young man. Most of us uber-fans are incredulous at the un-mega-ness of Ian. After a while you get like Ian often says, "Oh Well".

In the past 4 years Ian has shared his sketchbook on stage and in the studio. We get to see how songs evolve; some to market, others to our private myspace stash. He said that the record company has finally acknowledged the need to showcase a few of his facets, at the urging of producer Nick Raskulinecz. He should be our new hero. He's got the clout and chops that Ian soooo needed thoughout his career. While Tiny Pictures will be an eclectic collection, Make Believe is certainly more from the market driven side, but it's not without it's Classic rock pedigree.

The day of Ian's Edge 102 appearance, I logged in and tried to setup and record it; to no avail. I only half-assed listened as they got to Ian introducing the new single Make Believe, while talking it up he stated that there was a couple versions. My ears perked up! Within seconds I was like, "Holy shit! This is a whole new song". New instruments, different arrangement. I was ecstatic. Since then I have listened to an edited-EQ'd version culled from the interview that a friend had provided. I've burned it to a CD to listen on the road and have played it a bunch more at home.

Sometimes I listen to music on the radio while driving and once in a while I'd switch back to the CD to play Make Believe as if it is the next song in the rotation, just to see if it fits. Once, while driving, Stairway to Heaven came on the radio so I switched back and forth between the live radio and the CD player. Except for the brightness of modern recording, stylistically they are built of the same musical vocabulary.

The Canadian single (heretofore known as the West Coast) is all glitter and polish. The CD version (East Coast) has little of the grit Ian relishes, but the EC (at least the low-er quality one that I've heard) has a much bigger, harder drum track. It has as much polish as the WC but the nuance is pure classic rock. There is a more standard rhythm guitar instead of the sitar-sound during "I got this film in my head" on the WC. The percussion/clipped cowbell after the first chorus is gone, replaced by piano? and banjo? The classic Leslie warble makes a subtle intro at this point also. "On to the next one, funny how time flies.." the music drops out with a long bass note for some needed space. This provides the expectation needed for the passionate "Ten Years Gone" style string bends into a soaring arpeggio which underline the next chorus. There's a ton of countermelody going on in the big guitar parts underneath as this builds. I can't wait for the hi-fi version in February!

The "As long as I play me, and as long as you play you.." rave up has a really nice "Mott the Hoople" / Alice Cooper "Billion Dollar Babies" era slide accent shifting under the lyric and the euro-siren two note pattern. All this keeps growing more powerful, anchored on a clear baseline, to the very "Foos" (thanks Nick) phased guitar run. The classic rock echoing wail, "credits roooolll!" that was/is in the live version replaces the trippy studio panning. I have mixed emotions on this because I love both the simple space and the full studio gimmickry. My only criticism is the very standard rat-tat-tat-tat drumroll that comes out of the post wail strumming. It needs to be jazzed up, IMHO. Insert grit/mistake/stutter here. More Bonham please.

This song will be best experienced in a big hall like this:

This early live version seems like a compromise between the EC and WC. I cannot hear the Pagian accents if they are present but the coda is more like the EC version. I hope it evolves some complexity as Ian plays it on the road. I'm sure it will, if only to keep it interesting for him.

The coda on the EC is sooo much better than the clipped ending of the WC. The pattern of rock classics like Stairway is to have the post musical orgasm afterglow as an outro. The radio debut on the Edge102 even has the dj "aahhing" appropriately at the end. Just the result desired by the classic rock audience.

About 3 minutes in:

In fact, Make Believe (EC) followed by Stairway, is a natural. The 12 string pattern flows from Make Believe outro to Stairway intro very smoothly. Try it yourself.

Ian has real winner here with both versions. If he can get the pigeon-hole fixated critic/writers to listen past the surface he can perhaps get some positive press. If not, it's up to us fanboy-soldiers to pump it up. I suspect that radio success, and public acceptance will follow this one. Make Believe is a hit for sure. It WILL have a life all it's own. Those that want to dig deeper will be amazed at the depth Ian possesses and those that want a just a simple rockstar will be satisfied too. Quite a coup.

I'm really looking forward to 2009 for Thornley. Mass success or not I do believe Ian will deliver some wonderful deep music. Listen up!

Make Believe..rs!

2008-12-02T11:22:00.006-05:00

Okay, I've listened to the live version 50 times and now the studio version "recorded live in a car" another 50 times. I've read the lyrics posted on Thornleyfans. My pre-release judgement is ready to be rendered. With the promise from Ian of a return to headphone enjoyment, I have to say this single is as consummate a track as Ian has EVER recorded.

Tavis, Cale and Eric who do background vocals on the live version, add a bit of a different flavor "live" and it is different in a good way. I do not miss it in the studio version, but I look forward to the live because of it.

It seems, as well, that Ian will now be marketed as "himself'. As much as we like/enjoy his co-horts in all their combinations we must acknowledge that whether a flaw or strength, Ian captains his own ship to it's prevail or demise. A creative entrepreneur, that I'm sure frustrates/thrills his team. Giving credit to those around him, from Big Wreck, through multiple Thornley live lineups, each has added his own spice to push Ian. Business delays can and do kill the emotional momentum that a band, as a unit, thrive on. You can just practice, or "side project" so much before 'team" goes away. People gotta eat.

We've all been blessed to have over 30 songs in demo, live or with other artists that clue us to the seemingly bottomless pit of creativity that is Thornley; Any one of which, to us faithful, could be considered a hit. For whatever reasons, Providence has not permitted the "breakthrough", for Ian. And speaking of "Breakthrough", "Make Believe" is certainly a companion song.

As was mentioned by someone on the thornleyfans message board, "Man Overboard" is the little brother to "Lost at Sea". At least metaphorically or thematically. Thanks to a GREAT recording of this one-off show with the nascent Thornley, we get to enjoy the powerful vision which quotes Zep's "Kashmir" and his own "Blown Wide Open". He takes us from languidly afloat on a raft to standing defiant in a storm, both musically and lyrically, all the while clueing us to his artistic journey; solo career plusses and minuses. I just realized that this song deserves it's own write-up. Later.

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

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That ability to reveal ones journey while telling a story is one of Ian's strengths. Duh, I guess you don't create in a vacuum. Big Wreck's "Breakthrough" exposited on the frustration of awaiting that game changing moment of elation when an artist cracks the charts. Couched in a "relationship" song, it's really about "making it" in the music biz. The longing to hit it with the public. I'll never know how this song wasn't a hit? I get goose bumps EVERY time. (Myles Kennedy sings on this one too. What I wouldn't give to see them do this live...oh boy!) So many levels of listening on this one. Great riff, great drumming, keyboards, bass line, the calliope breakdown, and that rave up ending, WOW; a true pop masterpiece. PLEASE!

Forward to December 2008, on the verge of new Thornley studio polish. YEARS of non-breakthrough. YEARS of fans holding their breath and Ian barely being. Make Believe. Another intimate snapshot of life in Thornley's head. And another pop masterpiece.

So Far So Good, Thornley's first hit was a bit of a departure for what we had come to expect from Ian, judging by the high standards of Big Wreck. But in it he nodded toward the reality of the market. The nu-metal production and a vocal cadence, not evidenced previously, won him new fans. Just enough nuance kept the old guard happy but wanting more. After four years delay and squandered momentum, Ian could perhaps start fresh as a "new" thing. Much has been learned in the process, and one of those lessons is to keep the faithful happy; no matter what flavor they come in... new or old.

In Make Believe, the vocal cadence is entirely modern, but the music is "classic". The baseline is subtle yet percolates. The drumming is VERY tasty. According to Ian, Daniel Adair is on some tracks, perhaps this one. It leave space and DOES not sound like anything Nickleback.

We’re rolling down the highway
I’m rolling down my window
Then I stick my hand out and drive with it as it flows
If I started thinking, instead of looking back
You wouldn’t see me sinking, before they covered up the tracks

Your hand outside, in the wind of a moving vehicle, oscillates up and down, mirroring the music biz journey Ian has been on. UP and friggin' DOWN. Never stable. I give him credit for turning his struggle into his art. Don't think too much, just get to creatin'!

This is what it feels like, coming down
We’re all in the movie, can turn it off or shut it down
This is what it feels like, if that’s so
Then where is the director to tell us where the hell to go

What now? I've been locked into this machine, this movie, where I play this part, and the ending is inevitable but I don't know what it is. If it's so great to star in your own movie, how come this director is nowhere to be found. Where is the producer to give credence to my vision? I think he finally found it in Nick Raculinicz. The breadth of this song is evident even in this ultra-compressed youtube recording. I hear some sort of, dare I say, cowbell-ish percussion (or is it an artifact of the youtube recording - help!)

I’ve got this film in my head
They’ve scripted all that I’ve said
Let’s make it of real before we’re dead, because we’re
Close enough, we’re diamonds in the rough
Today’s the day we finally say can’t turn this movie off
And if we’re not, we might as well just blow this all to hell
It’s not a film or a fantasy we’re not just make believe

Going through the motions of life, the painful wait until the next dramatic scene, the wait is what kills ya. He talked about it in the interview that goes with this premier. People move on, go on to other things. It's not just this show biz entity; it's real people with real lives, that have to be sustained between the hits. Management needs to "LOOSE the Hounds!"

So this is what it feels like, running through my lines
I’m never need to ad lib; I find it’s just a waste of time
This is what it feels like, when the hero dies
On to the next one, funny how time flies

Going through the motions of presenting your "hero" (your single) that will rescue the album in the eyes of the soulless record company that just DOES NOT hear it. That feeling of not wanting to explain yourself, to sell the work further, beyond the obvious merit of the song itself. That's the ad lib that is tiring. Explaining yourself to the disinterested unexcitable gatekeeper: BOOOORing. Now it's YEARS of great heros dead to the world. Lost at Sea, Barely Be, Blind and on and on. Oh well.

Again we hit the power chorus that the market loves and Ian does so well. We are what we are! Diamonds in the rough! Just release the stuff. I wanna be done with it!

As long as I play me, and as long as you play you
God I love this scene, I gotta thank the cast and crew
Don’t let the credits roll, don’t let the credits roll

This is a nod to the fans, in my opinion. He is the me, and we are the you. In the end, it's about the fans accepting Ian's creations for what they are. As I've said before, Ian's sketches are cherished to me. I know most here feel this way. It's all at it's best when getting that direct appreciation from the fans with no annoying, but necessary, trappings between. Artist to fan. No execs, no journalists, no hype. It's only in tiny moments, that we never want to end, that we experience the "dreamy" mountaintop. People just aren't made to live on the mountantop. It's a precarious place. It's why we crave to be there. It's so rare. Like a dream we never want to end. Ian's music always meets his lyric. Hence the psychedelic harmonies that follow this section.

The music, specifically the baseline, is totally beatle-esque (Dear Prudence). The cascading vocal interplay I know will fill my head-phoned-head on December 12th. I only wish this part was twice as long. DAMN this market's short attention span.

Some of Ian's most impassioned singing (Vs Cornellian screaming previous) is on the outro. The progression is "Stairway to Heaven" but the details owe as much to XTC as much as Zep. It just makes me want to play it again; Just as all great pop songs strive to do.

Here is an XTC song that exemplifies the pop details that Ian calls up and Nick has rendered so nicely. This is a late 90's pop tune, from a band that took up the Beatles gauntlet like no other.

Greenman - XTC

MB is an unexpected pop twist from a guy who always thrills me. Having lived with all the faded, blurry shadows on the wall, that all the Myspace/youtube/message board postings have hinted at, I await the fullness of the new CD. Like Ian said in the interview, it's an eclectic mix. F'-categories! F-the box that you want to put him in.

"Release the Sounds!!!!"

Thank you Lord; it's gonna be a good year.

Led Zeppelin and Myles Kennedy - Thornley Mention

2008-11-27T10:35:00.000-05:00

Just some long stuff I wrote about the whole rumor thang.

A bit of a summation of RP's uniqueness and the thoughts of new material. (There's an Ian mention too...)

Black and Gold wrote:
"As much as people like to bash Robert Plant's solo career, Jimmy and John Paul's post-Zep careers have been far less prolific, successful or memorable. Clearly not because of lack of musicianship but more lack of good songwriting partners. I can't remember the last time I heard a song by the Firm or Coverdale-Page. The songs just weren't that good.

In my opinion, there has to be new material and there has to be at least a couple of really good songs, otherwise it could all backfire and they look like old men reliving their past. They need a great singer that can handle the Zep tunes without trying to sound like Robert. He or she hopefully adds something special to the creative process and isn't just singing the songs."

Black&Gold,
Some great points you made. The writing is a key factor in this project. The RP/JP factor in Zep music was/is one of the greatest ever. Robert was the perfect foil for Jimmy's powerful musical themes. They were both hungry absorbers of new sounds and foreign musical rhythms. It was a key factor in keeping Zep fresh throughout.

Their work had a brash playfulness and joy even when the music got heavy. They had a "feel" that expressed itself beyond the notes. I couldn't wait to hear what new sound Jimmy would bring to the table. What new riff he could write that would be a game changer that others would follow. There was an innocence about abducting Eastern melodies back in the day. Now that it's been done, it's hard to go there again; at least on a massive pop scale like Zep did. Although Jimmy was the architect, all four stellar members comprised the Architecture. Besides bringing the "hippy drippy" lyrics, Lord of the Rings references, historical blues themes Robert had a way with "selling" it vocally that none in my opinion have ever had. It's an actor's ability.

Robert had a passion in his voice that goes beyond just singing. Plant was born out of Janice Joplin's crushed passion and Billie Holiday's incredible pain. It was off-putting to some, for sure, but for me it was the icing on the cake. His studder on N'N'N'N'N'Nobody's Fault But Mine; his scat singing on What is and What should Never Be, and all his vocal gymnastics were "sexy" in some orgasmic way. I can't think of one singer today that carries that off without sounding forced or trite. The last guy who could, passed away 11 years ago (Jeff Buckley). As I've said before, I think it has more to do with this age of music, the public's acceptance of that type of expression than it has to do with the capabilities of the singer on the market.

The generation of musical children, that Zep spawned; in particular the ones inspired by Robert, could only copy/mimic the more earnest bombast of his style. Most missed the point. The Viking warrior Robert embodied in the Immigrant song spawned a whole genre of metal seriousness. What they missed entirely was the sexiness of Robert's vocal nakedness. His courage and naivete to to expose himself and be cool in the process. NO BODY does this today.

Maybe it's by contrast alone that Plant/Zep could flourish. From the uptight John Wayne tough guy comes the sexy wailing banshee, that fems it up but is somehow even more male! Robert had a confidence that would broadcast at full volume. In todays world his 70's stage persona is a gay prima dona. Even though our society has "opened" considerably our art has constricted/narrowed in how it relates. As a past revisited he's accepted. Copiers are scorned. Imitators are tossed off as children wearing dady' shoes. I guess it's just a natural course of things.

A lot of who I think are today's best (within the last 15 years or so), (Cornell, Myles, Ian Thornley all have Plant-like facets -that's why I like them) are of a different dimension than Plant's 70's man. They all do angst - extremely well. They all do "personal sensitive" into "overwrought anger" really well. They all "get" the blues in a modern age influenced way. They all hit the operatic wail and dig deep for the personal pain. I think that Blue Train is almost a nod by Robert to the personal pain that today's best seem to do so well.

If you take Alter Bridge as an example. They are musically borne out of a strong love of late 80's metal (Metallica/Slayer) employed in "lighter" pop themes. From a business standpoint they are capitalizing on a market they created with Creed (A Perl Jam sound-alike with spiritual overtones - both loved and hated for the same reasons) and at the same time distancing themselves from it. Big Ballady Journey numbers with Metallica chops and bombast. Myles is bringing them more towards the blues that's in his blood, but he also has a knack for writing the big blustery ballads inspired by none other than Stairway. His songwriting seems very familiar at first listen and can be easily dismissed as tribute until you realize that he has tremendous craft. He can write a catchy melody. He's a top notch player to boot. One of his first incarnations was called Citizen Swing. Myles admittedly cringes at some aspects of his young performance but there are portions that expose some early strengths and only underly his current vehicle AlterBridge.

Listen to Motor Mama and Can't Complain
Citizen Swing: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...iendid=59971144

He digs the classic R&B and can refer to the 40's swing feel that Jimmy always incorporated into his live repertoire. I think that that is the connect. They all share a reverence for classic Jazz and R&B. It's what MADE Bonham. Myles albiet a generation removed. Having a common musical language when writing is essential to communicate composition.

Myles, by experience, does not necessarily have the vocal playfulness that Robert brought, but I do think he's earnestly passionate enough to "sell it" if given the chance. It's not just about the chops. It's what Steven Tyler has; that over-the-top-jazz-rooted-scat-singing freedom, but he is just over the hill IMHO.

I do GET the idea that Jimmy needs someone to challenge him musically. Myles might be too generic/of today for most. Not exotic enough and Jimmy falls too easily into the sophomoric. I LOVE the Coverdale/Page CD, musically, but it's cringeworthy in moments because of that 80's poser metal mentality that DC falls into. I definitely think that should avoid the 80's altogether.

JpJ is the "Arranger". He takes the pieces and embellishes and augments. He's the glue that will make the new stuff last. He's a riffage/proggey leaning musician's musician, that's as comfortable in R&B as he is in Country music. That's a broad range to be fluent in. His impact will be immeasurable. I look forward to wonderful instrumentation and intricate interplay. I only pray that they don't low-tech the approach. I want layers and deep listening.

Jason needs to crawl out of the box on this one too. Stop trying to fill his Dad's shoes and just be Jason. He shares much more with Myles than he does with his uncles Jimmy and John. I think that will be key in writing in this environment. How open will the old guys be to the "youngster's ideas? Who will challenge who? Who's instincts will win out? How "forward" will the new stuff be? How "backward"? How will our narrow pre-conceptions be? How do you create innocent joyful music when you're a hard worn veteran in a jaded cynical world? This for certain will be interesting.

Sorry for being so typey.

Hard To See - my take

2008-09-04T08:07:00.002-04:00

Hard to See
I have only heard 3-4 versions of "Hard to See live and I have tried to piece the lyrics from different sources. The sources are all really tough to discern, at parts, so forgive my misinterpretation.

HTS is without a doubt a driving rocker. The signature intro riff borders on Rock n' Roll but is a more straight ahead runner. I LOVE when Ian just throws a balls-to-the-wall-burner our way. Like Fall Through the Cracks from the Big Wreck days in that it has that one two beat which allows Ian to ad tasty flourishes in between the beats. These little nuances are what does it for me. A good strong riff is like the architecture on which you can embellish and decorate. That's why the blues is such a broad form for guitarists. Hard to see follows this rule.

I'm sure the studio version will carry all of the power that it delivers live. I can't wait to hear what nick raskulinecz heard in this song.

Just fire away, just fire away
and lets begin
In spite of me, in spite of me
I let you in

Ian is such a good "relationship" writer. His point of view always seems to reflect a very REAL situation. Whether they are personal or imagined he writes with the authority of one who's been there. HTS is about a reluctant intervention. Like a guy forced into a discussion about his flaws, pointing the finger at his accuser/intervener. "Lets get this over with", "Go ahead, take your best shot" After all, I LET you go ahead with this, even though it's against my better judgement. Even though my character flawed ego has built up this protective wall, I will let you in... just to remind you who's in control. He's so tough when he starts.

Don't you think your word
is tied to the mess thats inside of me
by now

Then the finger of blame get thrown toward the accuser. We never look inward first. It just ain't our nature. Don't you think that you had something to do with this mess you see me as? Who's to blame here? Me or you!?

It's Hard to see the better side of me
It's time to find a better way to be
Can't figure it out
It's Hard to see the better side of me

The chorus is a tacit admission, that as I look at myself, as you see me, it ain't pretty. I guess, you're right, there's gotta be a better way. I am helpless within myself, or at least at this moment, I see no solution. The beginning of change is the admission of a problem.

Now close the door, now close the door
Lock me in!

Then sign me up, sign me up
for counselin'

But the dysfunctional ego fights tooth and nail for it's survival. Remember, I'm a dangerous animal, you better restrain me or I might run! Go ahead and use that tranquilizer dart gun called "counseling". It's one thing to admit in conversation that you might need to "talk" to someone, it's a whole 'nother thing to actually go through with it, and I DON'T LIKE IT!

Don't you think you're trying to see?
The tragic mess inside of me by now?

Perhaps you are digging a little too deep. Like as you are on the operating table, knowing you need to have a tumor removed, but without anesthesia. That initial cut to break the skin hurts and you pull back. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe you are wrong about me.

It's Hard to see the better side of me
I'm trying to find a better way to be
Can't figure it out
It's Hard to see the better side of me

Each time I stop and I turn around
My foot gets stuck in the earth (mud? jungle?)
Each time I stop and I turn around
It always gets stuck

Finally comes the admission that all your attempts at change have failed. EVERY time I try to change, I get bogged down. You finally conclude that you cannot get it done by yourself. The frustration in the way this line is sung seems personal.

I know this is a music review but I look at things through my spiritual grid. Sorry if I offend. The issues that Ian writes about are common to us all in one way or another. That's why we relate to him so much.

Paul the Apostle in Romans (kind of confusing but if you work it out in your head it will be valuable):
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Now Paul's conclusion is to thank God for salvation. God sees the better side of us, even when we don't. That's why he has the desire to Save us. That's why it's so hard for us to see our better nature because we inherently KNOW our own failings and mortality. Deep down we recognize that no good lives in us by our own flesh. It's all about the pleasure and the greed from our natural side. Our spiritual side, at least what we let dwell inside us, is the only non-selfish part.

I love how Ian refers to his foot getting stuck in the earth (I think that's what he's saying), as in the "earthly". He desires to step into the heavenly, but keeps getting bogged down on the earthly. Such a human condition.

It's Hard to see the better side of me
Time to find a better way to be
Can't figure it out
It's Hard to see the better side of me
Time to find a better way to be
Can't figure it out
It's Hard to see the better side of me

A life well examined, and consequently well lived, is a life worth living. I admire Ian's "self" examination even if it's NOT really about him. It's really about US. That's why Ian is such a genius. On one level it ROCK's, on another it rocks your conscience. Genius I say!

Might Be The End

2008-09-01T12:39:00.016-04:00

"Might be the End", might be the best song Ian has put out since Big Wreck. Since the first time I heard the moody open, this song has been flooring me.

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Ian has perfected a very tasteful "cut and paste" way of composing music that sets a tune in a frame, so to speak. An earlier, more obvious example of a "mash up" is Big Wreck's "No Fault" where Supertramp collides with a chugga-chugga VanHalen riff.

He employs the same technique live when he intros songs with a classic like Supertramp. He stamps the reference for his tribute and then delivers HIS classic take.

This Might Be the End is an amalgam of influences. At it's heart it is a "classic late Zep" blues number. After the Jeff Buckley "Lover You Should Have Come Over" tagged intro, it stomps into I'm Gonna Crawl" territory. The drumming is pure Bonzo, with that powerful reverb. It has a classic swing/shuffle to it unlike most modern music.

The waltzy pace is deliberate and dizzying. As Ian sings "Tiptoeing closer and closer towards.." You can just imagine two dancers on the edge of a precipice, swirling to destruction. The music swells to accompany the lyric, and then delivers an abrupt drop-off. The wet reverb hangs like an echo of their once sure footing.

That slow lazy slide stroke is vintage Page. The picking on the downstroke (what do I know?1... this is what it sounds like to me) has an almost piano tinkle mixed in to it. Such a nice touch. I hope they can keep this in the final. I love the little pieces that add nuance to a track.

Ian emotionally segues into the dread of the inevitable. The music feels like the protagonist dragging his feet, resisting what his heart already knows... "It's over, Johnny!". The tempo changes, the waltz begins again. One last plea for connection.."Dont'cha think we should break down the door..." There is a flanged/echo of a note that cascades out into the stratosphere as he sings this line that sets up the chorus.

A great chorus too. "Sometimes I hold out, when I should give in... There seems to be that old-timey background vocal harmony going on behind Ian. It's hard to tell on the demo. This is very obscure, but Zep on "Hey Hey, What Can I Do", has outro vocal harmonies that sound like what Ray Charles did back in the 50's. Ian seems to be in this territory. There is a more timeless quality to Ian's new demos. He seems to reach back very deeply into his pile of influences. The harmonium intro, most recently a Jeff Buckley thing but, of course, a much more arcane instrument. It's akin to the use of the Hurdy Gurdy in Zep's "Hangman".

The song is firing on all cylinders by now. Flanger, huge reverb, piano tinkle. It's all kickin' and sets up the greatest solo sequence that Ian has EVER performed in studio. It builds deliberately, maturely with the the proper space and timing of classic solos.

All great solos need tension and release and as this solo begins to gallup along, the tension grows. Like a long jumper running up to the take-off, it picks up the pace with that final compression of muscle and bone to launch that solo into history. It does not just go higher, it teeters on the brink. This part ranks with the Claptons and the Pages in my opinion. This is not cover band business. This is a guy who "gets it" because he's "got" it. That innate ability to channel the almighty. To touch a soul. I tear up every time I hear this solo. It's what a guitar aficionado waits for; that transcendent solo.

I think Ian does this influence morphing thing to perfection. On "The Lies That I Believe" he channeled Gilmore and Slash. On this it's SRV-JimmyPage-Neil Schon, at their most classic. Not a direct cop of a riff, but certainly the FEEL. If he is defined by what he steals; his talent at distilling the essence of the subject of his theivery and the resulting amalgam is unparallelled. It becomes a style all it's own. Ian is his own Supergroup.

I don't know if people even care anymore about a soaring guitar solo, but if they do, this is one for the ages.

A little personal anecdote. I was working in my basement studio as my brother-in-law and his future son-in-law were putting in a new heater. Two plumbers, blue collar guys. My Bro-in-law is an old school, nuts and bolts, classic rock guy. His son-in-law is a hnnn-sss, hnnn-sss, hnnn-sss, club dude (y'all know what I mean). I had itunes playing a shuffle of my library through the Mighty Klipsches for their working pleasure. MBTE came up in rotation. As the song neared completion they both stepped out of the back room slack jawed. "Holy shit! Who was that!" said my brother in law. Never having heard the song before (OBVIOUSLY!), with no prompting from me. A 50 yr old recognizing the great heart and soul of the track, the young man exclaiming "I never heard anything like that before!". Totally unsolicited and unexpected. I love those moments.

This is an Ian composition that makes you take notice. The full bore, high octane finish is deeply layered and complex. Powerful shuffling back beat, droning background chorus, intricate soaring guitar runs that intermittently stab through that velvet smooth wall of emotion; all topped off with that passionate but resolute vocal performance we expect from Ian.

Then he drops the mix back to the basics; and we feel that perpetual shuffle of self destruction that Ian is so familiar with and it fades out.

I only pray that this will make it to fully realized studio magic one day. F' the market! This is one that stands alone! Timeless.

For any music fan that wants to take their listening experience deeper Ian is a delight. As I've said before, If I could bottle all that I hold dear in music and give it a label, it'd be Thornley.

Here are a few tracks from one of my 70's faves, Climax Blues Band.

Shake Your Love (very Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, but the slide solo vintage 70's. Zep wasn't the only one):

Flight (very cool jazzy jam that gets VERY intense):

Amerita/Sense of Direction

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

This was show-stopper, live. Sadly I couldn't find a youtube recording. Once you get past the old time opening and jazzy run it changes direction (get it?) it sets up a classic ascending solo that really soars. It's so Ian Thornley; Lost at Sea, "the map is never wrong, they say" and Blown Wide Open. It's some of the reason I find Ian's music so appealing.
Enjoy, my peeps.

Introduction

2008-08-08T21:09:00.000-04:00

I'm glad to start this.

Jamie and BUK are going to be bringing us articles, thoughts, and info and Thornley related info.
Myself and Ashlee will also add stuff to but more so we now have some great talented writers with us to share in spreading the word.

Welcome Jamie and BUK.

Thornleyfans.com