/THE MELODY AND THE NOISE/

So... I love my Tanglewood Heritage...

I've been playing it for years... It's gotten me where I am now, and I'm absolutely still in love with its sound...

But...

Some have mentioned that it may be time for an upgrade, and at long last I heeded the advice...

And the story behind my new guitar is pretty sweet...

6 months back I went into Guitar Center and played the exact guitar I bought today...

I went back every few weeks for a couple of months to play it, but at the time it was well out of my price range...

But, Guitar Center is right near the office of my vocal coach so it didn't hurt to play anyways...

After a couple months or so, I traipse in only to discover it's been sold... Needless to say, it was a sad day for me, but I knew I couldn't have afforded it, and ho hum, I went on living life...

Well, today I made the realization that I've saved up a good bit of money, and that a new acoustic is all that this musician feels he needs to "complete" where he wants to be right now...

(Notice the word 'complete' in quotations and the phrase "right now"... I am under no illusion that my "completion" may only last a week, but for now and for the benefit of my checking account let's hope this is the case...)

So, I went searching for this same guitar I wanted 6 months back on Guitar Center Online hoping that they may have one in another store around the country and maybe I could have it shipped to me, and lo and behold I find it in the store in the same store only now it's $1100 cheaper than it was b/c it's been "on the shelf" for 6 months...

I call them, and they have it...

Guy says it's been in the back for a while now b/c it was suppose to ship but didn't for some reason...

He pulls it out for me. I show up. I play it for like an hour in the store trying to decide if this is the one...

Knowing all the while...

This is the one.

So I buy it.
Breedlove Performance Series Focus Maple

(Somewhere angels are singing...)

I realize that a full maple body has its strong and weak points in sound, but I think with the right equalization I could really make this the sweetest sounding guitar I've ever put through a sound system...

This Sunday will tell the tale, but until then here are some pics... Hope you enjoy... It's pretty even if you know nothing about guitars...

So, lately I've been on this bend of writing worship songs so that the band and I can make a sweet record and go places... which may or may not happen...

That's in God's hands... (both the record and going places...)

But I re-got the urge from my older days to write something a little more bluesy/jazzy/lots of 7ths tonight and out came these words...

I've been listening to Zach Williams album, 'Story Time' a ton lately...

Never heard of the guy before? No worries... Neither had I 'til he sang at Catalyst the other day and totally rocked a song he had written and then sang his version of 'Come Thou Fount'...

His voice is haunting and SOLID...

And the feel of his record is nothing like contemporary Christian stuff or P/W, which is absolutely a blessed relief for me b/c I feel like ever since I've taken a job as a FTWL (full-time worship leader) (and, yes, I just made that acronym up) I've listened to nothing but P/W (praise and worship) and I just needed a really good awesomely crafted genuine musical break...

He brought it. And then some...

So, I thought to myself...

"I bet writing something a little out of the P/W genre for one night certainly can't hurt ya."

And I was right...

It's amazing how quickly it all comes back...

Enough about the journey... Here are the lyrics... Written quickly and with much honesty to some bluesy chords... Make up the melody in your head for now...

And I hate being alone
Feels like sadness is hanging from the walls
But with no picture frames to hang it on
There's nothing but holes
Sitting with the TV on
In a house that ain't never felt like home
The volume's at a conversational tone
And all my best friends are on / still alone

So I give in to You
And I got faith in what You called me to
I just gotta see it through
Here's me happy singing the blues
And you know I won't question You
I just gotta see it through

I know this don't make much sense
I'd rather make dollars instead
And none of it compares
To the joy in you / it's true
I just wanna live this life
Of sometimes pain and strife
And look back and know that the I in I
Wasn't me, it was You / it's true

So I give in to You
And I got faith in what You called me to
I just gotta see it through
Here's me happy singing the blues
And you know I won't question You
I just gotta see it through



Insert wicked awesome guitar solo and some sax or something and jam until the sun comes up...

That's it... Enjoy.

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