This happened by accident. I was in the middle of recording another track, when I dropped my pick. Said track was giving me headaches so I spontaneously decided to leave the pick lying on the ground and start a new song from scratch. Given the situation I pretended to be Mark Knopfler and assembled this little rock and roll ditty.
This one was inspired by NealMorse.com. I had a hard time to come up with the lyrics because there are so many things you might want to bring along “just in case”. Once I had the lyrics written I struggled finding the appropriate musical style. Polka? Country? Pop? In the end I went with a some kind of contrast: quiet chords versus monkey lyrics. Go figure. (Oh yeah, I filmed myself when I recorded the track.)
#23 Do You Have a Spare Monkey?
There are some things that you never know
When you’re going to need them
Like if you see ducks in Idaho
What are you going to feed them
Yeah sometimes it takes more than a towel
So better be preparedSo get ready while you can
And learn the words to “Mandy”
And you never know just when
A flamethrower might come in handy
Yeah sometimes it takes more than a towel
So better be preparedDo you have a spare monkey?
(words and music by Johannes Schult)
This is one of my more pointless songs. I wrote the lyrics on a plane approaching Ljubljana. I did not paint the interior of the aircraft, mind you. In fact, don’t try this at home or in any aircraft, at least not without appropriate permissions.
The two guitar tracks are both first takes. Not that the chord changes are difficult or anything. I’m just glad this weekly song thing is good for something. I’m also still amazed how bad I am at adjusting the drum volume. The rhythm is usually very loud while I’m recording in order for everything to be in time. Eventually, I try to level the other tracks up to match the drum volume. Still, every time the drums remain much too loud. I force myself to lower their volume until I momentarily think the mix is ridiculous. That’s usually when the sound balance is almost good. (The bass became pretty prominent and I’m not sure this is a good thing.)
I’m sitting here for hours now
I’m bored and we are still not there
But I have a Biro
And some paintings I want to shareSo now I’m painting the plane from inside
As we’re flying through the night
Circles and frames and famous people’s names
I’m painting the plane from insideSo now I’m painting the plane from inside
As we’re flying through the night
Circles and frames and famous people’s names
I’m painting the plane from inside(words and music by Johannes Schult)
Have a look at BreathingEarth.net – if that isn’t frightening, I don’t know what is. As Hank Green (who pointed out the previous link) put it: “There is not enough land on the earth by a long shot for everyone to eat the way that Americans eat.”
This is yet another instrumental track with a title that has little to do with the music. I like how surface tension sometimes appears to be fragile, especially on bodies of water on a windless day. Floating was another thing that came to my mind while working on this track.
I wrote the music right after getting out of my bed on the morning of May 14, 2010. The dialogue between the acoustic and the electric guitar wasn’t exactly what I was aiming for in the first place. Still, I’m quite content with the track and its dynamics.
This is a piece I’ve recently written for Manticess. I don’t know yet if it will end up in one of our songs. I had made a scratch recording with improvised German lyrics. Eventually, I added some grammar and decided to turn it into a 52-second song. It’s just two acoustic guitars and my voice. It suits the lyrics, I think. Susanne will certainly sing it much better, but you get an idea what our music sounds like in the early stages.
Langsam wird es Abend.
Die Sonne ist verbleicht.
Langsam kommt die Dunkelheit.
Sie rennt nicht, nein, sie schleicht.In der Nacht kommt der Schatten.
In der Nacht kommt die Angst.
In der Nacht kommt die Fremde,
Der du nicht entfliehen kannst.
In der Nacht kommen Geister
Und sie singen ein Lied.
In der Nacht kommt die Furcht,
Dass es kein morgen mehr gibt.In der Nacht kommt der Schatten.
In der Nacht kommt die Angst.
In der Nacht kommt die Fremde,
Der du nicht entfliehen kannst.
In der Nacht bist du einsam
Und du kommst nicht zur Ruh’.
In der Nacht kommen Träume
Und du ahnst, die Fremde bist du.
Die Fremde bist du.
Die Fremde bist du.(words and music by Johannes Schult)
Es amüsiert mich immer, wenn Fußballer, nachdem sie ein Tor geschossen haben, sich bekreuzigen und ein Dankeschön an Gott gen Himmel schicken. Ein paar schieben vor Spielbeginn auch ein (An-)Stoßgebet ein. Das wirkt im ersten Moment alles putzig, wird bei näherem Betrachten aber grotesk, spätestens wenn sich zwei Spieler gegenüberstehen, die an den selben Gott glauben und für einen Sieg beten. Da müsste ein gerechter Gott doch ein Unentschieden bewirken. Oder würde es von der Stärke des Glaubens abhängen? Könnte man am Ende sogar Fußballergebnisse als Gottmessgerät betrachten?
Da auf dem Platz gewöhnliche jede Menge Ander- und Ungläubige stehen, ergibt sich leider keine so klare Gleichung. Es gäbe hier allerdings eine einfache Lösung: Man lässt den Vatikan in die FIFA und bei der Weltmeisterschaft mitmachen.
Es soll auch Leute geben, die meinen, dass sportlicher Erfolg das Resultat von Übung, Talent und einer Prise Glück ist. Schließlich existiert auch eine weltliche Erklärung für die Hand Gottes. Wer dagegen meint, der Glaube wäre mitentscheidend für das Spielergebnis, macht aus dem Ballsport quasi einen heiligen Krieg. Was für eine Rolle dabei dann der Schiedsrichter spielt, ist mir noch nicht ganz klar.
These are the days music is given back to me; not always in the way I like or expect it. But who am I to make demands? I guess it’s better to settle with what is there than to complain.
WatchTower put out a new song and went on to play a fantastic gig at the Keep It True festival. Now a few weeks later I get the news that Alan is no longer in the band. So instead of hoping for another album or tour any time oon I now treasure the memory of the concert even more.
Änglagård reissue their second album “Epilog” with a proper recording of “Rösten”. I have no idea why they had to add a bonus cd for less than four minutes of music. But those precious few notes and chords are achingly beautiful. One couldn’t imagine a piece of music fitting the atmosphere of the album more perfectly. It’s both amazing and shocking to learn that it took basically years to complete the recording of just this tune. So instead of hoping for another album or tour any time soon I now treasure the wild and strange creativity of Änglagård even more.
The Hooters just played a series of shows in Europe. I’m truly lucky to live here. Last Friday they even played in my birth town. The band keeps coming up with new material, the majority of which is really great. Still, they tend to stick with the songs I like less. Another change I regret the lack of jamming on stage. I remember long improvisations in “Twenty Five Hours a Day”, “Deliver Me” and “Mr. Big Baboon”. I loved it when they inserted Beatles or Elvis tunes. Needless to say I was happy that at least some of that spirit returned with Tommy Williams in “500 Miles” this time around. So instead of hoping for another album any time soon I now treasure the live shows even more. And I keep the memory of their previous tours, especially the incredible show in Stuttgart in 2004 and the then new songs they played in 2005.
This is what happens when I come up with a song in a hurry. I started out with nothing and ended up with this dark story. The title was a rather arbitrary choice. I didn’t even know whether there is a Lincoln in Texas. I just checked: there is one.
Jane is talking to the red old barman
Stalking me out like a roaming son
Here in the desert of Lincoln, TX
Promise me heaven outside the doorI can see there’s a man in the shadows
And I know I have seen him before
He turns around and says, I’ve been waiting to meet you once againI return to Jane and the barman
I say, I’m sorry for the mess I made
I drink my whisky and I head for the front door
Leaving the body and a bribe behind(words and music by Johannes Schult)
Yesterday, the Hooters played in Friedrichshafen. This was the first time I had to take the ferry to get to a concert. Funnily, the band played “South Ferry Road” this time around. They also had plenty of songs from “Out of Body” in the setlist, four in total. I liked that. Two new songs from the upcoming EP “Five by Five” were also featured. “Pissing in the Rhine” was sung in German; a quick rocking opening track with no deeper meaning as far as I can tell from one listen. “Silver Lining” was a bit closer to serenity of the “Time Stand Still” record, yet had an upbeat infectious chorus. One of the highlights was the ending of “500 Miles”. Eric (on harmonica) and guest musician Tommy Williams (on guitar, helping out until Eric’s broken shoulder is healed) delivered a fascinating duel that reminded me of the tours in 2004 and 2005, when the band jammed quite a lot. I wasn’t perfectly happy with Johnny B being put into the encore section of the setlist. I always loved how “the big hit” came on halfway through the set, paving the way for a grand finale of non-stop rock with Karla, Satellite, Danced and so on. Anyway, be sure to catch the band on their 30th anniversary tour this summer!
