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Do you ever hit that point of no inspiration? Well..... I can relate. I've been living there apparently.

So I have a bunch of ideas started that seemed brilliant at the time but on second glance.... what was I thinking?

I clicked into a new style.... bluesy and ... this came out in about literally 10 minutes. Even so, I didn't feel particularly inspired....



No Inspiration Blues



The band: all of 5 tracks. Intentionally it was kept pretty sparse. You can hear everything in it.

Upright bass 531.... which, I rarely ever use an upright bass

Drums.... jazz brushes...and again.... brushes? Those are for combing hair..... this actually sounded dirty and noisy but I realized on a closer examination it was the brushes being dragged around the snare head.....

Dobro....569.... more like a drone track in the back. ... Doing what it does

Vocals.... me.... and it was literally one take and the punches were to change the words.... certainly not for vocal fixes in fact, no melodyne was used on this track.

Guitar.... The Spark amp.... I just did a firmware update and waaa laaaa, I got several new amp models and this is one of them. It's called Fishboy and it is pretty sweet when you drop a couple of things upfront on the signal chain and don't make it too dirty. THe guitar is my Tele on the strat pickup.


Words of wisdom......


I've got the finest guitars that money can buy
I got the coolest tools anyone could possibly try
Staring at a blank sheet no ideas seem to come
Might as well just take my old black dog out for a run
Oh yeah, I got those no inspiration blues

I sit down and start to write another song
It's hard to find the words and I don't feel like singing along
That second verse ain't like the first one and the groove just isn't right
I reckon I'll got to bed and come back fresh in the morning light
Oh yeah, I got those no inspiration blues

Solo

Another one for the trash can, that old digital circular file
Maybe I will come back later and try again in a little while
That screen still looks the same like it did an hour ago
I know there's gotta be a better way, but Lord I just don't know
Oh yeah, I've got those no inspiration blues

Hope you enjoy it.

This is really cool Herb. I guess no inspiration is inspiration, too.

Wow,that is a paradoxical black hole, ain't it. I am about to disappear into a vortex.

Works for me. This is kinda my understanding of what "the blues" is supposed to do: fix itself.

Yeah, I know what you're talking about.

I enjoyed it!

SO grindingly cool, Herb. Inspiring really. Man, that guitar of yours is fine. Love those lyrics because I've been there; in fact, I own a big spread there. Your singing to the choir, and I love it. Well done. "That screen still looks the same like it did an hour ago" <-- that's says it all.

I have a buddy that sang like that on a session. It took several punch-ins to finally lay it all down, but he got through it... We had a gig next night, and my buddy couldn't sing a lick... his voice was shot, for the whole weekend...
You pulled it off, very skillfully.
This is a cool production, I love your vocal treatment, and guitar playin'

Oh the irony of it all. A lack of inspiration creates a flash of inspiration.....

Glad you liked it.

Thanks

Interesting point there Mark.

Thanks for listening.

Herb,

A good slow-jazzy-blues groove with the right BAND to back it up.

Mix sounds good. I like that your solo includes a good amount of space - as i should.

Inspiration from no inspiration.

fj

Thanks for dropping in and commenting. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks Babu..... I appreciate that you mentioned the guitar. I'm really partial to that model's tone. Clean with just an undercurrent of grit when it gets pushed.
Just stating the facts..... that screen.... come on man.... gotta figure something out somehow, someway..... I got songs to write.

Thanks again.....

Really good blues Herb!
Guitar is terrific.
And you've got exactly the right voice for this kind of song.
If no inspiration leads to this, you've got nothing to worry about.

Rob and Anne-Marie

Interesting.... yeah, that can grind on a vocal cord depending on how it's done. The way I do it doesn't seem to affect me. Of course, I'm not pushing it hard either. Vocal treatment is one take, no melodyne, and only reverb with a touch of compression. No special FX.
I appreciate the kind words.... Thanks

Yep.... I tried to keep the guitar parts sparse and relatively simple.

It's amazing where inspiration comes from and when you least expect it. I had actually closed my programs and was getting ready to hit the off button when I said to myself.... Let me see about something bluesy..... Oh hey, that looks good lets see what it sounds like....

Thanks for listening

I tend to worry all the time about the next song.... well, maybe worry isn't the right word....

That's my blues singing voice.... humbly in the spirit of Dusty or Billy..... How would DH/BG sing this?

Thanks for listening.

Inspiration or not, that was damned enjoyable. Good write. Good song. That's some sweet blues guitar you are playing. Nice one.

An ode to a flat, unending road.
The lead guitar parts are ace BUT there's a little of the ice pick to them...it may well be my tinnitus letting through a freak freq though.
Really nice playing and singing that makes it seem all the more human.
There're some spikey bits in the vocal as well...could well be me.

"Might as well just take my old black dog out for a run
Oh yeah, I got those no inspiration blues"

Oh yes. Those lines say it in volumes. This is blues

Man, that vocal is perfect for blues, wish I could do that

Guitar right on the money too, great tone and I love the way you play the "spaces".

Really enjoyed this one, Herb!

Inspired or not inspired.... that's the question we all deal with ...right?

thanks for listening and your comments.