Song: The Ballad of Indy, Reggie, and the ancient cowbell
And then Lou Reed said, "Don't worry about the tempo. Just play." The cowbell held a sporadic groove and the lyrics were odd. I felt as if I was doing too much with too little. The band was drifting in and out. Everything was fuzzy. I said, "So Lou you want us to play along to this iPhone recording even though the tempo is floating between two floors of this warehouse?" That was the basic idea, although he didn't say it with words but with that deadpan stare. In the end I decided to go with it. I mean, how often has Lou Reed sucked so bad it was unlistenable? Well, OK, that's not a fair question. It was a standard length jam and it was all there on the voice recording. All the band had to do was play along and try to keep time. Lou plays a steady cowbell. I'll say that much.
Technical Specs
Machine: iPhone Voice Notes, Tascam 388, finished on Pro Tools First
Pre-amp: Art Tube Pre (the one with presets for about $75)
Effects: Roland RE-20 Space Echo Reissue
Microphone: Audio Technica 4033, Cascade M 39 pair, SM 57
Rhythm: 1963 Gibson B 25
Lead Guitar: 1991 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Bass: 1970s Univox Beatle copy
Piano: Yamaha console piano
Drums: 18" Buffalo Frame Drum, 1960s Ludwig Snare, off brand Hi-Hats, ancient cowbell (possibly from my dad's childhood farm), egg shaker
Recorded and produced at home by myself. Mixed and mastered by Warren Gardiner at Gardiner Audio in Melbourne, AUS. Warren is a great engineer. He will do a great job on any audio project you bring to him - highly recommended!