Conversation with Alan

Hi Alan,

Thanks so much for your thoughts about my work. I appreciate it, and I hope you don't mind that I posted it on the MySpace page. Very cool.

I am feeling a bit guilty, especially when I read your mention of visiting Scotland. You see, Shari and I are planning to come to Europe next summer, but Scotland is sadly not on our itinerary. In fact, you'll be doubly furious when you hear that we are visiting Ireland instead of Scotland. Awful, I know. Neither of us have been there, and Shari has a friend who has raved about biking in Ireland one too many times. Probably the biking and B&Bs and ruined castles and stout are just as good, ahem, much better in Scotland, but there it is. Flame away if you must. We'll come to Scotland the next time, and leave the Irish to stew.

I do have a few responses:

On Sep 22, 2006, at 8:11 AM, Alan McClure wrote:


I've had Seven Fathoms on a lot, and I'm enjoying it very much indeed, from the whole image to the finer details. It took me longer to get the hang of the album than it did with, say, Mist, possibly because there's more 'music' here than before, but that has the advantage of making repeated listenings more rewarding.

I hadn't set out to do that, but yes, I suppose there's more music. More space to think? More space for the musicians to have a bit of an outing. Maybe it gives the listener time to think about what was just sung/sang/singed? Anyway, it's a habit from playing with Don't Panic, where I sing a verse without vocals and then play a verse and let the string players make up stuff.

By the way, I was chuffed and pleased and generally Aw-Shucksed by your wearing of the DP shirt on your album. I like the way it was packaged with no plastic, very home made, and I mean that in the best way.


I occassionally worry that my own stuff is too sparse to hold the attention beyond the first couple of runs through.

Well, your stuff is quite sophisticated musically. And I think that goes a long way towards earning repeated listenings. A song where the structure and chord changes take several listens to figure out is not a bad way to go.

I enjoy the whole concept of Seven Fathoms, particularly the fact that, even though you're dealing with some pretty dark stuff, you never descend into the maudlin or the melancholy, it's up to the listener to catch the connotations. For example, it wasn't until the third or fourth listen that the phrase "I can't hear the fairy bells" really got me between the eyes.

Well, that's the disappearing childhood lump in the throat for you. I got the idea from a really great artist/writer named Chris Van Allsburg. Check him out because he's weird and amazing. Anyway, his most famous children's story is called The Polar Express, and one part of it is a Christmas bell which only children who believe in Santa can hear. For others it's silent. And as the children grow older, they lose the ability to hear the bell.

I have a son heading off to college next year, and it brings the shortness of this time as a parent to mind.

Of course the whole album is a study in fantasies, and being invited into a young child's fantasy world is a precious, short lived thing, which is sure to not last.

Favourites have to include Float Down the Danube, which is just a masterclass in storytelling

That's the one that surprised me the most, and seemed like the newest territory for me. I worked on it for a year, starting with just the melody, and it went through tons and tons of changes. I didn't know what to do with it, but I couldn't set it aside. When it came time for a lyric, I did think mostly of the Decemberists. I got out a map of eastern Europe and made up rhymes. I really took my time to get ones that I liked. My cello player loved it, and on the track you hear about 4 of her performances tracked together.

- very clear Decemberists influence there (HUGELY digging them, by the way, thanks so much for introducing me to them!),

I'm actually traveling to LA to see them next month!

but always with your own palette - If Life is in A Minor, brilliant, love all the puns in there (My fantasy in F or G!! Great!) and a very nice buildup musically too; Uncertainty Principle, just because it chimes so uncannily close to my own views (did you ever hear my song 'No Conclusions'? It was on the Danny and the Sellouts CD, which I'm not sure if I sent you or not. The chorus was "Happy to be reaching no conclusions, no conclusions from it all!")

Yes, I remember that one. You've been a big influence on me. I remember your line about "lives that don't boast any particular goal" quite often, when I think of what bugs me about how some people "live". People who are certain are the people who are really screwing up the world for the lot of us, and it's a funny track because these radical ideas, offensive to some, are crooned in the most easy-listening manner, just gently sent floating out over the ether.

and of course Squeaky Wheels is just as gorgeous an album closer as you could ask for. Overall, your production skills are enviable in the extreme. There's a very theatrical feel to a lot of the album, and in fact Michelle suggested that you should write a musical for your schoolkids after hearing it.

I like musicals. I've thought of writing them. But I think you need to be clear about a lot of things - who is this for? Who will sing this or that? How will it work in this or that setting? - dragons which I can't see myself slaying. I want to be small, under the radar, and just making a little 3 minute song that pleases me. That I can manage, and I enjoy it endlessly.

You have an inherent knack for musical narrative, beyond just the lyrical side - the tunes seem to carry the story as much as the words, if you see what I mean.

Thanks. I think I've worked hard to get to that point. I suspect that the songs from my first 10 years would never get a comment like that. I tried to be patient with these songs, to try out lyrics and not keep them unless they sat well with me for a long time. However, a listen to the new Decemberists, or anything by Bob Dylan will quickly put me in my place: a dad with some recording equipment.

It's an album which will remain on my playlist for a long time. What comes next?

I don't know. I'd like to make a video for that Danube one. I made one for the Fairy Bells on the MySpace page.

aloha,

Jim
http://myspace.com/jimsmartsongs
http://familysmart.blogspot.com/

Stolen violin recovered!

Kevin got his instruments back, and he sounded great at this month's Don't Panic gig.

CD comments from Scotland

My friend Alan McClure wrote the following nice comments about my new CD, Seven Fathoms:

I've had Seven Fathoms on a lot, and I'm enjoying it very much indeed, from the whole image to the finer details. It took me longer to get the hang of the album than it did with, say, Mist, possibly because there's more 'music' here than before, but that has the advantage of making repeated listenings more rewarding. I occassionally worry that my own stuff is too sparse to hold the attention beyond the first couple of runs through. I enjoy the whole concept of Seven Fathoms, particularly the fact that, even though you're dealing with some pretty dark stuff, you never descend into the maudlin or the melancholy, it's up to the listener to catch the connotations. For example, it wasn't until the third or fourth listen that the phrase "I can't hear the fairy bells" really got me between the eyes.

Favourites have to include Float Down the Danube, which is just a masterclass in storytelling - very clear Decemberists influence there (HUGELY digging them, by the way, thanks so much for introducing me to them!), but always with your own palette - If Life is in A Minor, brilliant, love all the puns in there (My fantasy in F or G!! Great!) and a very nice buildup musically too; Uncertainty Principle, just because it chimes so uncannily close to my own views (did you ever hear my song 'No Conclusions'? It was on the Danny and the Sellouts CD, which I'm not sure if I sent you or not. The chorus was "Happy to be reaching no conclusions, no conclusions from it all!") and of course Squeaky Wheels is just as gorgeous an album closer as you could ask for. Overall, your production skills are enviable in the extreme. There's a very theatrical feel to a lot of the album, and in fact Michelle suggested that you should write a musical for your schoolkids after hearing it. You have an inherent knack for musical narrative, beyond just the lyrical side - the tunes seem to carry the story as much as the words, if you see what I mean.

It's an album which will remain on my playlist for a long time. What comes next?

Turn! Turn! Turn!

Stare into the rotating cube and submit

video

Jim's solo version of Days (a Kinks song)

Don't Panic video

daytripper video

Comments about new music and videos

Comments about the CD Seven Fathoms:

"1 The Fairy Bells
Beautifully describes what it's like to enter the world of a little girl....and to know it's
not your world to stay in too long....only a place to go for a short interlude.
The music has a magical sound to fit a little girl's world.

2 Fantasy Fools
Truly a love song with great feelings expressed. We all want to be someone's
fantasy. Very mellow and soothing to listen to Fantasy Fools.

3 Make Believe
Everyone wants to make believe and be transported to someone elses fantasy....so
surrender to the storytellers of the world....become intoxicated
with their fantasies or not. At least try to understand where they're coming from.
Once again the music has a magical sound.

Your whole album is magical and a delight to listen to again and again. It really grows
on you."



"I loved listening through, because it's a little bit like a letter from a friend - I hear the lyircs and wonder about the stories you are telling and imagine what events/people in your life inspired them.

From a musical point of view, there's tons of good melodies and harmonies in a style that I am familiar with (all the stuff we have always listened to like kinks, beatles, the who)

From a production point of view, you have changed, improved. "

"I love the story behind the title! Tom is a great Douglas Adam's fan -
we listened to them all on BBC and have all the books! His email used
to be Tomclark42 - and 42 is one of his favorite numbers for the same
reason!

I have listened to the cd many times and each time I find I enjoy it
more - it is wonderful!

I really like Make Believe - the music and words just really appeal to
me.

Of course I like round lake round - I like the fact that probably only
Treetop people know what 'the shell goes round' means?!

I enjoy The Fairy Bells as I miss my children at those ages and this
captures that distance between the imagination and wonder of those ages
and us 'grownups' That is what I enjoy being able to be a part of each
summer - childhood.

I also like Facing Dragons - the tune and the words.

All in all I really love it and find myself playing it over and over."

"I've listened enough to tell you that the lyrics on many of these songs are powerful, and in some cases clever to the point where when I first heard some lines I had an "oh wow" response (several of the lines in "Uncertainty" and the fantasy images in "Floating Down the Danube" ... like the Russian dolls one, and other references to eastern European places ... and of course, the opening cleverness in the "characters" and what you want from them in "Citizen Kane".) I love the images of you and Sierra on the second cut (name escapes me, and I'm doing this from memory having listened only briefly in the car when on O'ahu -- not often -- and the day I downloaded it a month ago.)

I wish I could talk knowledgeably about the musicality or instrumentation. With a broad-brush, I get the feeling that this CD is more "rock" genre and less early Kinks-like, or folksy. I think on one cut I even had an impression of surfer rock in the opening chords. I also got the impression that the instrumentation is more complicated than before."


"Excellent! Looks good. Like the songs, too! Finally had a chance to listen -- took a training
class today, and am now working at home, so I can ROCK THE TOONES. Ray D. would be proud,
methinks. :^)




Comments about the video for The Fairy Bells:

"It's wonderful. Sierra is the star - no cuter person walks the face of the planet! She's the
princess; you're the troubadour."

"It not only works, but works great!
You don't need my help. You did an
excellent editing job."

new music video

Click on the image to see the new 3 minute movie of Jim and Sierra in their first music video for one of Jim's new songs: