rock and roll musings by Tim Byrnes

We Need a Bigger Piano, Phil: How Sonny Bono Invented Feedback

     Once upon a time, back in the 20th century, there lived a homicidal record producer by the name of Phil Spector. Running his own Philles record label, Spector specialized in teenage girl group mini-symphonies; kinda like Roy Orbisson records on helium. He heard, in mis mind, what he called 'The Wall of Sound'. A typical Spector session would consist of 5 or 6 guitar players 4 or 5 piano players, 3 drummers, multiple percussionists and just about everybody in the building at the time on background vocals and handclaps.

     Still, Spector felt the sound was still not huge enough.

     Legend has it that during the sessions that resulted in 'Be My Baby', Spectors, and perhap's rock and rolls 3 minute high point, that Spector was frustrated that the sound STILL wasn't big enough.

     Enter Sonny Bono. At that time a promotion man for Philles records and as ambitious a rack jobber to ever marry up and into stardom as ever strolled down the pike, was hanging around the studio trying to position himself in such a way as to bask in the great man's glory. At this session he was struck by an idea of Newton vs. Apple proportions.

    'Phil', he said - and I paraphrase - ' here's whatch do! Look, ya got what? 7 pianos here. Open the lids on those babies and hear the difference! Ya see, piano's being essential stringed instruments, are prone to what we at the Acoustical Institute call 'sympathetic beatings...."  etc. etc.

     Basically, Bono was referring to the acoustic phenomenon known as 'transient harmonies'. Dig: 88 keys times, say 7 pianos. Piano 1's 'c' note will be microscopically out of tune w/say, piano #5's. Multiply that, adding the natural tonal variance acheived by 7 piano players pounding out the same simple rhythm and suddenly the air will be filled w/harmony notes that, while heard, are not actually being played.

     Acoustic feedback, Brought to you by Sonny Bono into yr radio, yr llife, and as a result, yr history. Legend also has it that when the rough mix of 'Be My Baby' came into the control room Bono wept. Legend also has it that Spector said 'Hear that? That's GOLD coming out of those speakers. So once again it seems that for every Elvis Presley dancing the holy dance there's a Colonel Parker changing money in the temple.

    Ii prefer to line my chips up w/the likes of Sonny Bono, who only saw/sees the beauty that results from the mechanics and ain't so focused on the reward.

Authors Note: Social experiment time here at prb. As we all know Jim and I have been having this circlejerk 'debate' for far too long. As a result I am going to boycott responding to him and would like yr help. So from now on, for purposes of pest free writing here at OUR punkrockblues Jim Muglia no longer exists. Thank you. Tim Byrnes/punkrockblues.

Posted by: timbyrnes at 19:38 | link | comments (5)

Regular Posts: Life, Death, rockandroll and the Problem That is Jim

   Hey Limine, I also miss you and the regular posts. Remember when this page was filled w/flamboyannt prose extolling the sea of Patti Smith's possibilities or the populist dreams of Mott the Hoople?  Oversentimentilized memories 'burned to the sheen of science fiction"?

  Oh, yeah, this boy used to be able to write.

  Then came the on air breakdown, the divorce, the Denver fiasco and prb became 'All About Tim', over indulgent, sure, but I'd like to think it was part of growing up in public (and besides in Denver, the 'net was my world) and representative of the narcissistic honesty that has probably kept me from being any kind of success, but at least helped me to sleep at night that, raw or whatever, I put it out there fearlessly.

  Oh yeah, this boy used to be able to write.

  It was in Denver that I was introduced to Jim Muglia. A little history: Simmons and some friends reviewed one of my CDs on a messageboard for a band called Daniel Amos. Not a contemporary Christian band as I was told in no uncertain terms, but more like the Christian underground. Anyway, a bunch of the posters were slamming this Muglia guy and being the underdog loving buttinsky I am, I started defending him. Mainly because he was getting slammed after being banned (from a Christian site! This should have been my 1st clue, huh?) .I couldn't imagine that anyone could be as annoying as Jim Muglia was being painted by these folks.

  As anyone who's even skimmed this 'debate' he and I have been having these last 3 (!) years can see I was wrong. Jim, much like I, is a mindless pundit in love w/the sound of his own voice. Our main difference, I think, is that I have never presented myself as anything more than a crackpot theorist while Jim maintains that he is the Voice of Truth.

   To which I, of course, say bullshit.

   So now I have folks like you, Limine, suggesting I set up a new blog and 'not tell this Jim person'. As much as the little peckerhead annoys me, I think that that would be cowardice on my part. Yes, I wish he'd go away. I've asked both viciously and almost politely to, alas, no avail. Thought we'd come to something of a truce these last weeks but after maybe 3 days of civility he comes right back w/the 'what you ought to say...' crap. I realize that there is no way to tell this dumb motherfucker that I'm not here to debate. I'm not even here to entertain, I'm just here.

  In the midst of coming to terms w/Mike Heggers death and Tim Byrnes' life and the sorry state of rockandroll and the wholesale slaughter of what I perceive as the Amerikkkan dream (and I don't hate America, Jim, just what it's become. Much like this page) I've lost all energy for the fight, good or ill, that Jim insists on continuing.

  Let an old man rant, you weasel, you are obviously no longer welcome here. But I will not take the totalitarian approach of banning you or blocking you as that is not the (spiritual) anarchist's way. I will simply abuse you because yr a balloon that needs to be deflated w/yr Truth and yr God (and apparently only you have this god character sussed - once again, bullshit) until you find another house to haunt.

 Neither will I go away, letting this terrorist win.

 Oh yeah, this boy used to able to write. but right now I'm kinda stunned. Between my housefire, job change, Mike's death and this annoying little mosquito of a man pissing in my cyber wheaties, claiming victory "driving (me) back to (my) cave" and all that shit I'm just tired. And sick. And, no Jim, the answer is not 'getting right w/god'. I don't believe in god and no amount of yr crap will change that. If anything your tripe has strengthened my atheism so, good job, Saint Asshole.

  I've really let you ruin what was once a place of solace for me, a place that was mine where I could explore and share my thoughts and feelings. It's a shame that it's become the Tim and Jim show.

  The saddest thing to me about Mike Heggers passing was that none of us (Rick, Carl or myself) knew until 5 years later. We'd all lost touch w/Mike for different reasons. It's just sad that we had to learn this way, that we weren't there for him. But as Simmons said 'it was time to grow up and move on'. I'll go along w/the 'move on' part, but I still see 'growing up' as a capitulation. From what Rick's told me Mike never took any shit and I know from experience that that's a career killer. But not taking shit or kissing ass (be it job, school, god or the police) is the one thing in my life I'm proud of, for better or worse.

  But it occurs to me that someday, probably soon, one of my 6-week hibernations will simply never end. That one post here will be the last one and who knows how long it'll take before somebody knows I'm dead and posts a notice to the few friends I'd have left in cyberland? Man now I'm even depressing myself.

  In any event, if this is indeed my last post, if I'm struck by a stroke or a speeding tractor on my way to work this afternoon, I'd like to say thank you to most of you for reading this crap and even for taking my side. And if I have any last words, if these are the last words, as much as I hate to waste them on the pox that is Muglia, here goes.

   Don't die, Jim, but do fuck off.

tb

Posted by: timbyrnes at 20:32 | link | comments (9)

Here Now the News

     First off, Jim did not drive me away from this page. My work situation has changed. The convenience store where I used to work offerred me my old job back and I took it. While it affords me more hours and as a result more money, it lacks the Internet access I had at my last job so I've been unable to post. And you know what, I barely missed it. I emailed Simmons and Neblung and got sad news regarding Mike Hegger, a mutual friend and drummer for our old band Tension Envelopes. It appeats Mike succumbed to leukemia in December of 2003. I just got the news not 10 minutes ago and am still reeling. So do I write about our history, as ugly as it got at times, do I reminisce about someone I remember faintly through an alcoholic memory?

    No, not right now. Too much to process. Too many lost memories surfacing at once. And this page offers no comfort anymore now that it's been reduced to the useless and endless arguing between Jim and I and any/all takers. All I have to offer is pain and maybe a little humor. All you offer now is god, god and more god, which I've gone down on record repeatedly as finding useless.

     So fuck you and fuck god and fuck me for the person I've become. Claim yr victory Jim. Yr gonna anyway. See you in hell.

     I'll be the one w/the nicer apartment.

tb

Posted by: timbyrnes at 19:36 | link | comments (4)