THE STORY

For some time, I’ve been infatuated with playing with the line between violence and affection. Both share many metaphors – conquest, scoring, being broken – and both require a level of vulnerability that people don’t normally entertain. So it is with this song, particularly in the chorus line, “Lovers come with hatchets; surgeons and theives come with knives.”

It’s been my experience that the vulnerability we allow to closest to us results as often in injury as in romance and reward.

I’ve always admired Marianne Moore’s poetry.  One of her defining characteristics is her use of the title of a poem as its first line. Also, I’ve always loved Bob Dylan’s song, “Love Minus Zero/No Limit.”

The title, “Cocktail/Baby, If You Let Me,” serves as a shout out to both Moore and Dylan.

Also, If you ever want to buy me a drink, Knob Creek Manhattans are the way to go.

WHAT I LIKE:

I’ll stand behind these lyrics until the day I die. There’s only one verse, repeated twice, but that’s all it needs. Writing it required a fairly intense headspace I’m not terribly interested in revisiting.

Though there are other versions of this song floating around both on the Internet and in my iTunes library, I feel that this version captures best what made me want to pursue the song in the first place:

• A fairly dry delivery of the most intense lines
• A good, simple lead guitar part in the chorus
• The lead line right at the end that sounds straight out of Ravel’s “Bolero”
• This song doesn’t need drums to be what I hear. (I don’t yet have a drummer enlisted in the project – though if you know one interested, drop a line in the comments)

WHAT IT NEEDS:

• Better recording quality. I did this in GarageBand with the built-in mic in the bathroom of my old apartment while my mom was asleep on my couch.
• The same arrangement with my mom meant that I was pretty much whispering the vocals. I’d like to try those again, too.
• Lead parts for this are already written; I’d like to flesh them out with a louder guitar.
• I want to add a keyboard part. I think something like a Hammond organ would sound nice in certain parts.

My revised version of “Demon Song” has stretched and expanded itself beyond being the closing track to an alternate-universe Radio City, and became a quieter New Pornographers track.

I’m loving both the huge guitar sound and the rattly prepared guitar track.

That ‘prepared guitar track’ I refer to is that ratty guitar sound you hear throughout. That’s not editing. I clipped safety pins to my guitar strings to get that. Two each to the three lowest strings. It sounded like Johnny Cash’s dollar bill strings, if played through broken speakers.

I needed texture, and figured that would work.

Work it did, so much so that I’m also handing you an alternate mix – the same song, but without all the normal guitar songs, and with the lead vocal with a tad bit more reverb.

It’s noisy, it’s a bit pretentious, but I enjoyed making it.

Demon Song (Alternate Mix)

I stayed up late making these for you, and I hope you enjoy listening.

I’ve decided to name this project “All Songs (Re)Considered” at the request of my friend Lindsey, who thought it fitting, considering my love for public radio.

What follows is pretty much what you’ll get each week. Unless I feel like changing it up.

"Hand Built Log House" by Old Shoe Woman on Flickr. Not the log cabin in question.

THE STORY:

I wrote this song years ago. I believe I wrote it late at night, on the front porch swing at my ex-girlfriend’s parent’s house. It was a big, modern log cabin, with floorboards plain to see.

Between that, and “Baby Doll” by Cat Power, I had inspiration for the lyrics; I’m pretty sure the music came straight from the last two tracks of Big Star’s Radio City LP. I think it’s probably the most Chilton-inspired song I’ve written.

The version here is one that I re-recorded as part of a project to top a friend’s mixtape. I decided, against all reason, to record her an EP. She got rough drafts, bad ideas, and a couple good tracks. “Demon Song” being one of the rough drafts.

WHAT I LIKE:

I actually like this track as-is. There doesn’t seem to be any instrumentation lacking.

WHAT IT NEEDS:

• A better perfomance.
• A better guitar sound.
• Something other than a backwards acoustic guitar solo.
• To end sooner.
• I’d consider one more verse, but I don’t think it’s necessary.

If you have any suggestions, let me know. I’ll be posting the new version Friday.

I’m going to start working on these songs. Once a week, I’ll post the existing version, with some notes about what I need to do with it. At the end of the week, I’ll be posting the new version.

Why one song a week? I’m a busy boy. I’m looking for a new day job while trying to get my startup, The List of Bands up and running (once that happens, I’ll be getting the running site up off the ground).

It starts Monday. Song to be determined.

In the meantime, if you want to suggest a name for this project, I’m totally open to it. Fire away.