Never start at the beginning

The whole idea behind the Fiftieth Anniversary Edition was to create an album, and as soon as it was written, I saw 'I'm back' as being the first song on the potential CD. Lyrically, it explains the premise. Musically, it contains references to the kind of music I've created in the past, with a funky back beat, a jazzy swing section lifted from an old Bernie Hot Hot tune and a sweet guitar solo from Fergus (the guitar I built for the project).

But listening to it as the first song on the LP (showing my age) has become a kind of trap. Instead of writing new material, or finishing ideas I've already conceived, i work constantly on 'I'm Back' because it has to be perfect. It has to be funky and folky, it has to be driving and yet relaxed, it has to be compelling and yet throwaway (I am after all, “lying by the fire, glass of wine in hand”).

In fact, it has to be the whole album in microcosm. This is an awful weight for one song to support, and a bit of a throwaway song at that.

So I decided that maybe it should be the last song on the album. Hey! Problem solved.

Well, it was until I loaded up 'Keep On' and realised how much work still needs to be done on it. And of course, I know it still needs work because I've learned so much in production terms wrestling with ‘I'm Back’.

Still, there's a general principle here that I would do well to observe. My experience has always been:

  1. write a bunch of songs
  2. arrange the songs with the band
  3. perform the songs
  4. tweak the song and arrangement in response to 2 and 3
  5. record the songs
  6. regret the song, arrangement and recording at leisure

Now, I'm in the weird situation of being able to arrange and produce songs before I've even finished writing them. And therein lies the trap.