David Singleton's Diary

DAY 42

A second day of mastering the Mexico City concert from 1996 (the second disc from VROOOM VROOOM) for the forthcoming boxed set. I am tempted to call this another case of opening my mouth and then regretting it – but I know full well the consequences of my suggestions. For this boxed set, I have thus far suggested that we should include ATTAKcATHRAK (an all-new son of THRAKATTAK), "Keep that one Dave" (a "making of disc” based on about 60 hours of recordings), a movie of the Warfield concert in San Francisco, and now the complete shows that make up VROOOM VROOOM – and in every case I have then had to climb back into the studio to create the necessary discs. One would think that, as the recordings on this boxed set are some twenty years newer than those on Starless, they would present less problems. Dream on, I say! It will, however, be a magnificent set (with lots of other goodies not mentioned here). Such projects always throw up wonderful surprises – in this case, it’s perhaps the fact that Inner Garden, which would not rank as a personal highlight on the album itself, is simply glorious in its naked state. Although it’s tough to beat the wonder that is the all-new ATTAKcATHRAK in surround sound. What could be better than doing THRAKATTAK once. Doing it twice!

This has served as a slight diversion from my general yearly focus – but in a land of mixed metaphors, worker bees are squirreling away and will soon be leaping from their chrysalis into the glare of an unforgiving world (or something to that effect)…if you have a good singing voice or an eye for a photo, we have you in our sights.

I had intended to follow up on the various allusions in the guestbook to composers “borrowing” from other composers. I often feel that one of the worst inventions of this infernal industry of ours is the concept of “copyright” – particularly when it confers ownership of a particular set of notes on an individual or company. This is hardly helpful to the living, breathing, organically growing world of music, where all progress is built onto, and with full knowledge of, the existing canon. Many of you may have followed the case a few years ago where Men at Work lost the entire copyright in their hit “Down Under” because the flute line (hardly an integral part of the tune) was similar to the “kookaburra” song. Which leads to a different kind of musical dishonesty where people deliberately alter a few notes to hide a potential resemblance. Not writing a piece as it should be, because you have half an ear on the lawyers. John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas” bears more than a passing resemblance to a number of songs, including, as I recall, “I Love How you Love Me” and “Stewball” – but that is what great artists have done throughout history - steal! And long may they do so.

PS. Happy Birthday, Dad