Friday, March 29, 2024

WELCOME TO CRISPYCAT...

CRISPYCAT RECORDINGS issue the work of musician, broadcaster and abstract artist, DAVID REILLY.

Other than the daily diary below, to go to another section of the site, click on one of these icons.

                         


NEXT RELEASES FROM CRISPYCAT RECORDINGS

5 April 2024: Cloudland Blue Quartet - Dissolution IV
20 April 2024: Cloudland Blue Quartet - GLAM! #2
3 May 2024: Cloudland Blue Quartet - Vanilla Receiver




Tickets £5 from the club, from the band or on the night. 

Featuring songs by Elvis Presley, Etta James, Johnny Cash, The Spencer Davis Group, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, The Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, Carly Simon, David Bowie, Elton John, Lou Reed, The Osmonds, Roxy Music, Stealers Wheel, The Beatles, Bryan Ferry, Bob Dylan, Status Quo, Glen Campbell, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, The Undertones, The Jam, Bruce Springsteen, The Proclaimers, Neil Young, Killers, Stereophonics, Paulo Nutini, Far From Saints - all the greats, all the hits! 

A Sunday afternoon of Top Pop Music for a fiver, with access to excellent bar prices...


CRISPYCAT RECORDINGS ON BANDCAMP

To go to the Bandcamp discographies of these Crispycat related artists, click on an icon.

                    


DIARY

This main page contains Cloudland Blue : A Diary, with daily entries since 5 March 2005 (scroll down for the latest entries).

As of 5 March 2024 it moved into its 20th year of drivel.  At that point, that was 6,941 days in, although there were actually 7,351 entries to date. 

At present, there are 148 "picture only" entries, across five periods:-

2022 (91): 18 April - 10 May (23); 13 - 17 June (5); 6 July - 5 September (62)

2023 (58): 21 September - 15 October (25); 18 October - 19 November (33)

It is always the intention to update those days with the relevant text but doing so is, of course, subject to opportunity (and, indeed, memory!)...

Thursday, March 28, 2024

For future reference Stu, chili means hot...

Playlist
GOkU - 11:11
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Dissolution IV
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Backing Tracks
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Instrumental Version)
Capital Models - 2024-03-24
Cloudland Blue Quartet - GLAM! #2
Stereolab - The Groop Played Space Age Batchelor Pad Music (EP)
Lemonheads - Lick
John Cale - Guts
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - SAHB Stories

Up late and updating this - trying, once again, to make it the first thing I do every day - easiest way...


First thing, to addressing the found late last night distortion on the final track on "Dissolution IV" - it was an error, I'd left a duplicate in the mix, which had boosted the volume, hence the distortion - sorted - and also created "stand alone" mixes for each track to compliment the "continuous mix" of the main LP...

Much time today spent again determining the keys of the backing tracks I use, so that I can play along on the guitar, with the use of my Capo, rather than having to learn them all again in a different key...

And, in the afternoon, with that done, I played over 40 of the songs which comprise Capital Models current "wedding set"- much to Anne's delight!

Report from sister Sheila from the hospital re mum - long convo with doctor - various things sorted out and various things put straight by Sheila...

Upshot though is, while mum will be going home, this time with a much better care package, next time she falls foul of an infection which lands her in the infirmary, she won't be going home...

Ooofft...

This evening, Anne and I were both out, separately...

Drove to Roslin at 6:30, to the sound of the latest Capital Models session, dropping Anne off at The Original for a fine night with chums Gillian and Lorraine...

Tasty burgers/fish & chips, followed by chocolate mousse/cheescake and accompanied by wine/Guinness, were all enjoyed...


Despite working at the same company (where Anne used to), tonight was the first time Gillian and Lorraine seen each other "in the flesh" for 4 years...

This working from home nonsense has to stop...

Meanwhile, I drove on to that Penicuik to meet up with Creek alumni and ex-Capital Model (who hasn't picked up his guitar since leaving the band last August!), Mr Stu Cobley...

Once again we were off to Koshi's for a slap up Indian meal...

Stu ordered the Chili Squid starter cos he likes squid...

Didn't take the hint from the name that they might be spicy. - some man...


Potato things for me - shoulda got the squid - always the way...

Main dishes (which were soon joined by rice, which we'd decided not to order then decided we needed...)


Lamb Jalfezi for your correspondent...


Lamb Achari for Mr C...


Aloo Gobi side...


Much enjoyed as shown here by Stu...


Then, back to his place...


...to spin some records - Stereolab, Lemonheads and John Cale plus, later, on his laptop, some Sensational Alex Harvey Band - he is indeed eclectic!...


...and he is, quite rightly...


...proud of his kitchen...


He made this acrylic clock at school - top man - I like it!


He's recently rescued some old ticket stubs from his mum's house - including one for Crazy Wisdom - who were resurrected a week ago tonight (already!)...


In a former life, Stu was a photographer and gained many back stage passes...


Like me and the EP, he is a fan of Picasso - despite John Cale's assertion, on his compilation LP, "Guts", that the artist was, in fact, an asshole...


I like Stu's radio too...


His amp was a bit of a mystery to both of us...


I hooked him up with some big long lead suggestions (as used by me for my soundscape performances in Fopp and Newcastle) as to how he could play his laptop though it...

His most recent purchase, Sebadoh - his fave band he advised...


 Of course I will get this asap!


Coffee and a biscuit...


...and much top chat as always from my music buddy, whom I've known and musicked with for probably over 30 years...

A call for pick from Anne around 10 - Lorraine had already caught a bus to Penicuik and Gillian declined a lift as she was off shopping at the nearby Roslin Scotmid - which apparently remains open till 11...

Drive home to the sound of "GLAM! #2", was followed by some spinning and scrolling before bed...

A good day - apart from the mum news...

But, it was kind of to be expected, considering she will hit 94 at the end of August...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Night out with Cobblers...

Today's New Music:-

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Addressing the distortion and always missing some...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Dissolution IV
Wye Oak - Civilian
Witchman - Heavy Traffic
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Backing Tracks
Matters Unknown - We Aren't Just
Various - Current Top 30 on Shuffleplay

Up early and firing up the machines...


Today was the day to record the 2024 piano LP, "Dissolution IV"...


And, lo, I did indeed do so - ten tracks created and on to treating and mixing them with some ambience...


Before breakfast, the first version of the LP was ready and the Exec Producer took a wee listen and declared it to be "nice"...


..which, from the EP is very high praise indeed...

Off she went to Zumba and I listened closely...


Various areas of very slight distortion troubled me...

I did a full remix, lowering the piano and bringing the ambience slightly more to the fore...

And that became the 2nd mix - which I thought was ok and so went about uploading it all to Bandcamp, with the initial mix as a bonus...

"Leverage" at lunchtime then Anne had stuff re her mum and hairdressing so I created a full playlist of all the backing tracks I have of songs I do with the band and, having worked out last night the fret placings for the capo to be able to play the same chords I do with the band, I played through the 1st two sets on the acoustic along to the tracks from the laptop...

Still need to do the fret placings for all the songs not on the wedding setlists though...

My stuff today - new piano piece titles gleaned from Eno's diary (at utter random) as usual...


Found some great new jazz on Bandcamp, much of it emanating from Glasgow...

Listened again to the new LP and realised there was still some distortion present and I was going to have to, reluctantly, judiciously edit the improvisations...

Tasty prawn pasta tea...


...and another "Leverage" then, back to work, completing what I hoped would be the final version of the album and, again, uploading to Bandcamp, taking down the initial mix bonuses, leaving it as just the 10 main tracks...

A pre recorded "Professor T" very much enjoyed...

Then, a last listen back for the day, only to find distortion of the very end of the last piece...

One for tomorrow as the day was done...


Highlight of the Day : New LP...

Today's New Music:-

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Music and care...

Playlist
Monkey3 - Sphere
Kjetil Mulelid - Agoja
A Tonic for the Troops - Realm of Opportunities
Various - Current Top 30 on Shuffleplay
Capital Models - 2023-07-07 Pre Wedding Party
Capital Models - 2023-11-19
Capital Models - 2023-12-03
Capital Models - 2024-01-14
Cloudland Blue Quartet - GLAM!
Cloudland Blue Quartet - GLAM! Vols 3-5
Cloudland Blue Quartet - 2023-02-23 Demos
Monkey3 -Beyond the Black Sky
Jogging House - Rendezvous
Christian Wittman - The Story of the Sun Moon and Stars
Grandaddy - Blu Wav

Up late again and a little done - e.g. getting this up to date...



...pre breakfast...

At 9:30 or so, out and down to the dentist for two more fillings...

Still two sessions to go until he's satisfied...

At 10:45, from the dentist over to Bonnyrigg to visit my mum...

Here she is having her blood pressure taken by Amelia from Underberg in South Africa...


Shortly after that, nephew Andy arrived - he's heading up to Inverness for a camping meet, at which he will provide a Silent Disco...

Good to see the young man but forgot to record it pic-wise...

Just before I left, mum's care package details were put up on the wall behind her...

No further details yet but I must assume going home is imminent...

Back home via her home in Loanhead, dropping off washing and sorting a couple of things...

Then to my own home for lunch with Anne and a "Leverage"...

In the afternoon, some time spent working out the changes in key which would be required for me to play the current CMs set solo via the backing tracks gathered together at the start of 2023 which, in turn has led to two "Glam!" albums...

Tea tonight, lovely (not for the lamb, obviously) lamb's mince with carrots, potatoes and peas from the Exec Producer...


Yum!

...and watching Scotland go down 1-0 to Northern Ireland - soundtracked, for me, by recent acquisitions on the new headphones...


...followed by a couple more "Leverage"s then, bed...

Today's final scene...


Highlight of the Day : New music and a care plan...

Today's New Music:-