Recording

Well, I've been recording.
Two weeks ago I spent a seven-hour day in the studio. Both the engineer and myself were rather frail, for different reasons, but somehow we managed to record eight songs, and include a lunch break in Stratford's awful Morrison's (yes, the ones that fined me £50 for parking in their car park) where we waited for a century for our curry.
Today was about repairs, some re-recording and some lead vocals; there will be at least another day of recording and mixing before I've finished. I know how I want to sound; I've got a strong sense of what makes my songs sound right.
After listening to 45 student songs over the last week or so, I also feel that I need to up my game. One or two of those songs were absolutely superb, and although I work in a completely different style I am determined never to release anything that could be regarded as a 'filler' on an album.
Some of these songs I've been playing for ages (Lover When You Leave Me), some have been resting (Who's That Behind The Camera Lens, Feathers), some are newish (Bird Talk, Big Brother), some are new (The Sea) and one has been impossible to get sounding right but finally, By Jove, I've cracked it (Summer Days).
I think the singing sounds like I did when I was in The Chefs: strong. Some vocals I will replace because I think they sound harsh. One song is played on the Spanish Guitar, the rest on the Telecaster, and one will be sent to Indietracks for their fundraiser album.
I selfishly wish John Peel was still around, because I think he would like these songs.

Today's session was five hours long, and I am sitting like a splodge with no bones on the sofa as  result of yesterday's  consumption of thousands of cups of coffee at work because I was concentrating so hard. The caffeine kicked in at regular intervals through the night; waking up this morning was easy, because I was already awake. Later, carrying two guitars and a brick-thick lyric book to the studio and back was quite a workout, and I now have a torso like the Incredible Hulk.

I think 8.30 is too early to go to bed, though.