Moon stone – foto Smith
I’ve been jamming with Peter Ball 10 years, his music, my words. Have maybe 150 sound excursions to dip into; and of them all, this is my favorite, the single song I’ve no regret — High Wind Whether.
And it’s true too . . . looking out our 3rd floor apartment window one angry night I watched the wind whip the winter bare branches about the sky as moonpeek leaked past the dark scurry clouds.
High Wind Whether
The trees they are dancing
Wind playing the tune
In sky tall prancing
Beneath a full moon
Clouds chant the chorus
Direction and sound
In song sung just for us
We being earth bound
Romance abounds, adventure exists
Just look around at all that you’ve missed
Our feet stuck to dirt
Our hearts leap for air
With happiness we flirt
And shirk our despair
Yes the trees they are dancing
Leaping for the moon
My soul sky chancing
Laughing in loon
Romance abounds, adventure exists
Just look around at all that you’ve missed
— Smith, 4.2011
Peter and I have an odd process. I write the words, bicycle over to his place, don headfones, stand before a mic, he starts playing music I’ve never heard to which I try to fit my words and timing, so my main vocal is a one-time leap into the unknown. Peter can’t play me the music first because he often doesn’t know what he’s going to play until he plays it. He usually goes back and adds more music tracks and sometimes I play with myself and add a couple backup vocals. Peter’s music determines my vocals and my vocals affect his music. Strange process, yet it works more often than not, which is surprising considering I’m frequently off-key, off-time, and my vocals usually sound like I gargled with ground glass due to the doc removing part of my vocal cord when he cut out my cancer 7 yrs ago.
For more Ball & Smith reverbnation.com/mutantsmith. Music, mix, recording Peter Ball; words, vocals Smith.
High wind weather – foto Smith