Title: Personal Blues

Listen on Bandcamp

Style/Series: Hardcore Studies

Format: EP

Recording Date: 2015

Release Date: Various

Track Notes (Bandcamp):

LATE NIGHTS IN THE LAB:
These were experimental recordings. For generating ideas. Not for release. After rent increases abruptly ended the Lab, I decided some of the exploratory tracks were interesting enough to share. For full effect, TURN IT UP. Don't forget to turn it back down.

EP NOTES:
Personal Blues was one of the last Acoustic Blues Lab recording sessions. It was a transition. A bridge. From acoustic guitars, back to electric guitars. Although the track order is backwards. I wanted the last Lab track to be acoustic.

To make this recording, I made myself stare at the project studio's blank white wall for as long as I could take it. I wouldn't let myself start playing the guitar until I stopped thinking about any other music. Although I did allow myself one vague inspiration. Blind Willie Johnson's legendary guitar evangelist song, "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground."

I finally told myself, either play something that is truly yours, or put the guitars back into the cases, and go home.

I wanted to experience blues as it emerged. Fueled by the emotion of the moment. Not practicing it up so it's polished and rehearsed into entertainment. And what resulted was some of the most stark caustic blues I'd ever heard.

Personal blues. In the middle of night. In the middle of nowhere. Or in my case, somewhere north of Seattle's Ship Canal.

All tracks were spontaneously improvised. No pre-planning, arranging or rehearsing. One take. No edits or effects.

Tracks:

1. Personal Blues - 03:24
2. Ever Further Away Blues - 03:07
3. Far Light Beacon Blues - 04:13

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Instruments:
Tracks 1 & 2: 1981 Vantage Avenger A-310, Peavy Decade amp
with a damaged power source, into a pair of Sm57s in X-Array
Track 3: 1968/69 Harmony H165 (genuine 1960's hippy string
band guitar, converted to Dobro)

Player Tech:
Style: Bare-handed, no picks
Slide: Craftsman 11/16th thick wall deep socket

Credits:
Spontaneously
composed by PwM
Audio production by PwM
(Mea culpa)
Version: 190212
Acoustic Blues Lab Release: 8/8
Music © 2015 Paul Warren Miller
Art © 2021 Paul Warren Miller
License: All rights reserved

The Hardcore Studies:
This project was intended to push further into hardcore blues than
common sense would advise.

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Note: Text and visual content are copyrighted.

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