The Alpha-Empire

“Those who see the absolute and eternal and immutable may be said to have real knowledge and not mere opinion”

We listened back to some of the stuff we’ve done for the album-thing on Saturday (just prior to a wonderful grapes gig seeing, amongst others, the terrific The Likes and the ever blissful and bouncy Mothership). Hearing the mish-mash of vocals on Idiot, and the (if I say so myself) fantastic melodica intro to Weathergirl really put us in high spirits. Tip-top! Then, however, we heard Empire.

Now, to be honest, I can remember very little about singing it – this is because I was drunk at the time. But I would hate you to think that we didn’t work hard at it, since a lot of thought went into it, a lot of effort, a few takes with thoughts afterwards, we WORKED HARD. In addition, I had really prepared for the session, breaking the song down, considering each line carefully, envisioning a bearded apocalyptic dude on a hill, pointing his finger, which shakes with effort, with passion, with anger at… whatever the songs about. A big, bombastic vocal to accompany some great bass, drum and e-bow stuff already achieved… wow…

In the end, it sounded like Noel Coward doing a poor impersonation of me doing an impression of the Dali Lama, or something else equally unsuitable. Serious disappointments, since I (and Andy and Ed I hope) am so proud of the song and want it to work. So it got me thinking – I know what this song should sound like, I can just about heard it in my head, but its so hard to grasp, so illusive, I can’t concentrate on it long enough to work out how it sounds like it does. I’m not the greatest singer in the world, so I have to suss little tricks to get things like I want them, but its got to get at least 75% towards the ‘alpha’ rendition and now I’m stuck. Well, maybe not stuck, but its been a knockback. So this ‘alpha’ rendition is still buzzing round my head mocking me with its quality and aceness, the way that alpha-Pete singing ‘Four score, and 7/11’ sounding like the walls of Jericho crumbling is pissing me off because its just so so perfect. Bollocks…

Anyway, its progressing. I’d say that we’re still on schedule, and we’ve now got to have that final session which has up until now just been a possibility. But pity poor me, with a voice in my head that sounds just like mine, only a lot better, continually singing my words at me with a little sneer. Can’t we just mike-up my brain lads?

Peter