Topic: Broke Down Engine

[waxwing]

Finally! My first post to the Back Porch. Solved my G4 lack of sound card issues with a little $40 gizmo called an imic. Works great. I 'll post about it in the guidelines thread.
Those of you at the participants' performance at PT last summer heard me debut this incredible number by Blind Willie McTell. The vocals were pretty rough and the guitar part was still pretty fresh, but I have such a connection to the emotional content that I felt I put it over pretty well. The imagery is very powerful for me. A steam engine starts to become useless when the boiler won't hold enough pressure, due to leaks, I guess, and the whole thing has to be junked. After everything useful, wheels, tubing, whistles, gauges, etc,. have all been stripped off, the hulk is left to rust away by the side of the tracks. I imagine Willie walkin' along the tracks having been jilted by his best gal and coming upon an old engine. Sure it's a romantic notion, but aren't the blues full of such visions.
I originally started learning the tune from Ernie's video, but after listenig to the original, I realized there was a whole lot more goin' on. Transcribe! really helped me figure out the tough spots after many late nights and then it took a lot more nights of practice to get it to where I could play it for people. Many thanks to the supportiveness of everyone at PT.
Hope ya'll like it. Any criticism is greatly appreciated.
All for now.
John C.

[Prof Scratchy]

My first impression: here's somebody who clearly loves this song to bits! You've listened hard and unlocked all the guitar tricks very authentically. On the vocal side of things you've even faithfully reproduced that totally (to me) incomprehensible line in the 'rapping on your door' verse (what on earth was he singing about)?? And what a great sounding guitar that is! Good stuff!
Prof S

[Norfolk Slim]

I love that song too- and thats a good rendition.  I enjoyed it a lot- so thanks for posting it.

Have you heard Ben Andrews' version?  It was the first version I heard (before McTell I'm afraid...) and will always be the defining version for me personally- but its very different in style to yours.  Its more of a 'stomper' as it were, whereas there is a great smooth flow to your version.

[boots]

Excellent. Enjoyed that a lot.

Boots

[uncle bud]

Sounds great, John. Takes me back to PT. You just need some weenies high on tequila in the background for complete authenticity.

[Slack]

Yea man, sounds really great John and that $40 recording device sounds good too - a perfect Back Porch device.  Also, I like your singing - it sounds to me like you are using more of your natural voice (less gravel) than you were at PT - sounds good!

cheers,
slack

[harvey]

Really enjoyed that, it is such a difficult one to get sounding decent, so well done indeed.

Apologies maybe this part is in the worng forum....
Do you have an tips on playing it? I always find that the guitar parts are actually quite simple, but stringing them together to make a song then adding vocals, when I do it just sounds naff! I struggle with the A section in particular. To me it has to be played on a 12 string and I find my cheap old one sounds better than some of the more expensive models.

Once again thanks it has encouraged me to try it out again!

 

 

 

[Johnm]

That's really a nice job, John, beautiful control of the rubato so that the changes in tempo sound natural.  I like the singing right on top of the guitar in the "Lawdy, Lawd" sections, too.  There's something to be said for playing and singing a song a TON, isn't there?
All best,
Johnm

[GhostRider]

Hey John:

Just listened to your "Broke Down Engine" That is one great sounding guitar!. I've got a couple of critical comments which I hope you'll take in the right vein, for you know how much I like your playing. And remember, I'm not that familiar with the original.

1) Have you pitched the guitar a little on the low side of your vocal range? I think capoing it a couple of frets would help. At PT I most liked the upper part of your vocal range, more expressive in my opinion, more you.

2) For my taste, the intro is a bit slow and the tempo is a bit variable and drags in spots. If the pace was quickened just a bit overall,  I think it would provide contrast to the mournful low pitch of the guitar and vocal. Of course, this may be a defineate decision on your part. I have never thought that the 12 string was made for slow non-slide blues, but that's just me.

Anyway, great job, and very well recorded. I'm looking forward to more! Please, let me put in a request for a resonator-less Mississippi Blues.

Thanks, John
Alex

[waxwing]

Wow! Thanks all for the great comments. Perfect with my morning oatmeal. Especially thanks to you Alex for your constructive criticism. And I kinda agree with you, altho' Willie definitely fluctuates the tempo quite a bit and I think that's a strong emotional part of the piece, the rubato John M is talking about (had to look that up, John, thanks). I am however, coming in about a minute longer than Willie did and I think you're right, it does seem to drag in spots. It's hard to capo up on a 12 fret and play that quick little lick in the long A at the 9th fret, reaching over the body, but maybe I could tune up to C, which I think is where Willie was tuned. The song has quite a wide range and I am getting up there at points, but not as high as I can go. John M has also encouraged me to use the top of my range in the past. I just tried it capoed up a fret and it is a little easier to get those low notes. Of course, my morning voice goes about two whole notes lower than my late night after struggling with the computer for hours voice. I'll tune up and see if I can post a version later this afternoon with a little more pace. Thanks again.

I like the singing right on top of the guitar in the "Lawdy, Lawd" sections, too.? There's something to be said for playing and singing a song a TON, isn't there?

And I always feel like I need to play it a TON more. I really like those "Lawdy, Lawd" sections, too. He changes it a little each time, yet always keeps the vocal and the guitar together. I guess Willie played it a TON, too.

I always find that the guitar parts are actually quite simple, but stringing them together to make a song then adding vocals, when I do it just sounds naff! I struggle with the A section in particular.

Yeah, Harvey, I find that when the vocal and the guitar are so intertwined I have to start singing, at least little bits, as I'm learning to play it. That descending run on the A chord starts on the second word of the sung phrase. It's almost impossible to add the vocal on if you've already polished the guitar part and are counting out the 5 beats before it comes in. This goes contrary to a lot of wisdom I've heard elsewhere, but I have to work the two parts together on stuff like this. Lightnin' Hopkins is another example.

Also, I like your singing - it sounds to me like you are using more of your natural voice (less gravel) than you were at PT - sounds good!

Yeah, John D, I think I use more gravel when I'm less confident with where I'm goin'. Sorta covers up the fluffs and sour notes. Thanks.

On the vocal side of things you've even faithfully reproduced that totally (to me) incomprehensible line in the 'rapping on your door' verse (what on earth was he singing about)?? And what a great sounding guitar that is!

Scratch, you might remember this thread from back when I started workin' on it where we discussed various "interpretations" of the line. I never followed up to post that I eventually got ahold of the Buddy Moss versions, in one of which he pretty clearly says, "can I get down, snake like, tap it flat, and tip light 'cross your floor" so that's how I've been singin' it. Sorry, I meant to mention the guitar is a '20s O.S Sovereign with a 26 1/2" scale, mahogony B&S, that I tune standard at B. I got it from Neil Harpe just before prices on the 12s skyrocketed, fortunately. As I've said before, it never fails to give me the heebie jeebies whenever I pick it up. I use a thumb pick and bare fingers with a little nail.

Thanks for all the other kind words folks and yeah, UB, can't wait to be samplin' some Hornitos or Resposado on the back porch of the Bricks again.
All for now.
John C.

[a2tom]

Haven't chimed in yet - it is great to hear the elusive Waxwing "puttin' it out there".  Aside from also liking it very much, and also sometimes find it just a touch overly slow occasionally (but take that from someone who rushes everything!), I am intrigued by the question of how to practice vocal and guitar.  John you suggest that it helps/ed to work them up together, and I am finding myself wondering if you are right.  I still really struggle with this issue.  I am working up something else with Transcribe! that I'll eventually post here, and so I am sort of inevitably getting the guitar and vocal flowing past altogether.  This is as opposed to working from a lesson or tab, or what I do when I make up my own.

tom

[waxwing]

OK. Take 2.
Tuned up to C and tried to put some pace into it. Only managed to chop off about 20 seconds altho' I felt like I was rushing at times. I don't think these 54 year old fingers will ever be able to do what Willie did in his prime. Or maybe I slow down a little too much after the "Lordy Lord"section? The vocal has a little more gravel in it, Slack, but I came by it honestly. Took me about 15 attenpts, the first 10 were thwarted by a slipping bridge pin and both 5th course strings would go way out (6 pin bridge) about half way thru. Finally figured it out, and got off a few good takes. I kinda like it with a little gravel. When I play out I usually finish up with this 'cause it takes so much out of my voice.
Thanks again for all the feedback folks.
All for now.
John C.

[waxwing]

a2tom,
I started out following the advice to learn the guitar part so you could play it if your head was cut off and then add the vocal on top. 'Course this came from a famous video teacher who states that he is just a guitar player. Hmm. Anyway, I think it was Willie Brown's Future Blues that was just impossible to put together, so after that, if I felt that the timing of the guitar was dependent on the vocal I would just sing the necessary line just to get the timing, right from the get go. Now I tend to always start adding the vocal just before the guitar part starts to flow. I think it really helps me to integrate the feeling between the two better and makes a more organic performance in the end. That said, I guess I look at every song individually. Hope that helps.
If you want to discuss further maybe we should take this to a new thread.
All for now.
John C.

[onewent]

...nice work, waxwing, your playing is very well measured and articulated...guess that means you practice? ? ...the big OS sound really comes through ... I like the slowing down and speeding up, it gives the song a spookier feel ... BWM's voice has a sort of catch to it that seems real friendly, but your interpretation darkens the mood of the song and it works...thanks for posting...
PS... ever hear Paul Geremia's version w/ slide in standard?? Saw him live locally a few months back...wow!
PPS...from the 'lyric' link you posted...I liked the imagery of the 'can I get out snake, lemon and sassafrass' voodoo interpretation of the mystery lyric ... I hadn't heard the version you referenced
PPPS...man, how come your 12 doesn't rattle and twang?? it sounds so clean ...mine's driving me nuts with noise...Mike Hauver, the repairman Neil uses, restored mine and set it up, but now that the heat's come on, it's not sounding so clean...I'll have to revisit the string discussion and play around with some changes to try to beat some of the buzz...
TomW.

[Slack]

Sounds great JOhnC - I like this higher range - except I feel for your voice.... the strain ayee... be careful (advice from someone who married a speech pathologist adn knows more than I want to know about vocal chords.  TomW is right the 12 sounds great.