Review: One Salt Sea by Seannan McGuire
I saw One Salt Sea had come out yesterday. I've been kind of waiting for this book because I have enjoyed the earlier books in the series. I like this world, and I enjoy the way new aspects of it are fleshed out with each succeeding book, and I have gotten fond of some of the recurring characters (well, a lot of the recurring characters, actually.)
So as it turned out that pretty much put paid to the rest of the day. Fortunately I didn't have anything that had to be done *yesterday* (though I have some catching up to do.) Because then this began and I had to finish the book to finish it:
So as it turned out that pretty much put paid to the rest of the day. Fortunately I didn't have anything that had to be done *yesterday* (though I have some catching up to do.) Because then this began and I had to finish the book to finish it:
One Salt Sea lyrics and melody by Catherine Faber (capo 3) mp3 here _a cappella_ mp3 here Dm Gm The Hollow Hill's a stew it seems; cats have manned the walls; C Dm C Dm Bogies cling to ceiling beams; pixies roam the halls Dm Gm C Quarter-bloods don't shiver; Changelings mingle free C F Am Dm As every rushing river runs to one salt sea Dm Gm Dm Blood to blood is calling, salt and water flow Dm C Dm C Gm Am Closer to the sea, as farther back in time we go. Dm Gm Dm Blood for blood is calling; tears more tears decree, C F Am Dm As every rushing river runs to one salt sea. The past in all its starkness―the traces lay it plain: Children trapped in darkness, boxes full of pain, A single silver sliver; they paint the scene for me-- As every rushing river runs to one salt sea The kingdoms gird for slaughter; this won't be done in play. Lives are spilled like water in war among the fae. All eagerness, they quiver, deaf to wisdom's plea, As every rushing river runs to one salt sea Two, the ocean races, that of one blood remain; A single skin encases the slayer and the slain. But blood will blood deliver, though later comes the fee, As every rushing river runs to one salt seaSo that's my review of One Salt Sea, October Daye's latest adventure. One Salt Sea is available from Amazon or in your friendly local bookstore!
(Um, that means that I like it so much I'm incoherent. Followed the link from the spoiler-filled comment thread.)
And the cool thing is that it's a compelling song even if you don't know the storyline behind it, but for Toby fans it's got the extra punch of fitting so well into the feeling of the book.
By the way, have you had a chance to listen to the mixes of Art Feeds Life and Hold The Line off my Bandcamp page yet? I'm interested in your opinion.
*downloads LIKE THE WIND*
My album is going to end up with more _a cappella_ arrangements than it otherwise would have had.
Thanks for the music!
I like both recordings--the accompanied version has better drive, but the a' capella is just prettier. (IMO, YMMV.) Maybe a selection criterion if you want to adjust the album mood mix?
However I think there may be a misunderstanding.
Most of the mp3s linked here--the Alice Day mp3s, for instance--are quick recordings of a recent song, put up to let people hear the music in case they like the lyrics and want to learn the song. I'm putting up the _a cappella_ music because one of my friends is in her mourning year, which in her culture means (among other things) that she's not allowed to listen to music with instruments in it, so I'm trying to put up an _a cappella_ version of everything so she gets a chance to hear it too.
Think of them as being the equivalent of "I wrote a new song! Do you like it?" And I love it when people feel moved to comment on them, because it lets me know people are "listening."
The Trial Balloon mixes on Bandcamp (catfaber.bandcamp.com) are actual prospects for the album--more dressed up, with more attention paid to trying to get everything exactly right.
Think of *them* as being the equivalent of "These are my mixes. Do you think the guitar is loud enough? Is there enough reverb? Are the breathing noises too obtrusive? Can you separate the different instruments by ear and if so do you like the way they are arranged in "space"?"
And I love it when people comment on *them* because I would like to have more than one perspective as I mix. And if lots of people wind up saying "I don't know much about mixing, but it sounds fine to me" that's fine because it means whatever I'm doing wrong isn't enough for most people to notice, which is kind of reassuring.
I commented on /One Salt Sea/ mainly because I am almost painfully left-brained linear (except when I'm not), and I was just in evaluate-and-comment mode.
Ah daz yez not to put /OSS/ on the album (lessen you runs outta room). Ah dubble-CAT daz yez!! ;-)
Can we get a Triple-Cat Dare? Anyone?
I certainly intend to put _One Salt Sea_ on the album, provided I have room (but there are a few songs I'd be willing to chuck to *make* room if necessary).
Though perhaps I should hold out for a triple Cat dare...
The recording order is not presently determined by what I am most determined to have on the album, but rather by what I think I am ready to record. The _a cappella_ pieces (like _Hold The Line_) are both easier (don't need new strings, and I sing better than I play, especially to a metronome) and harder (trying to get the tone and pitch exactly right), so they wind up going early.
Stuff that needs mando or octave mando means putting new strings on. And new strings cost money so I want to have a number of songs practiced up and ready to go before I do that, so I can get as many recordings as possible out of a single set of strings. And *that* means lots of practicing to the metronome because playing, and especially strumming, to the metronome is harder than singing to it.
And of course I'm not even sure the metronome is that great an idea. It is one way to keep the beat reasonably constant which can be an issue when trying to match things up, but it may be that the extra layer of concentration involved is detracting from my performance.
But, you know, the one thing I do have that I can apply to this project in abundance is time. So I will try it with the metronome, and see where I get. I'm guessing that learning to play to it will probably improve me as a musician and is therefore not really wasted time even if it doesn't directly contribute to the album.
I can't use a metronome correctly (so far) without filtering it thru my feet--it totally overloads me cognitively, so it helps to bypass into the affective domain.
One of the advantages of paying for lessons is using my cheapskate tendencies to advance musically--gotta get my mileage out of that tuition!
At first the metronome was damn near impossible. I could have sworn the horrid thing kept speeding up and slowing down.
I gradually learned it was easier to play OR sing to it--perhaps doing only one at a time left more processor cycles free. I'm still working on it, but it is frustrating--I know I can't do as good a job on performing when I'm keeping one eye (or ear) on something else. But it makes lining things up for overdubbing much easier.
And I think I am getting better at internalizing it, and staying with it instead of wandering off on my own rhythm. But it's a slow improvement.
I don't tend to pick up the rhythm with my feet; my experience is that studio floors often creak, so I try to not even shift my weight when recording. This is probably a non-issue with the Carson Newman booth, as the floor there is concrete, but old habits die hard. When I'm not playing an instrument I tap my right forefinger and thumb together to keep the rhythm, though. I think when I'm playing an instrument I may nod my head but I'm not sure. I have so much else going on I can't really keep track of that.
I agree about the way the cost of lessons harnesses one's frugality to encourage practice. Plus there's the whole embarrassment factor of going back to someone who can tell perfectly well whether you practiced or not.