Wow...

My 2 days off flew by. Saturday was spent sleeping and resting my voice. I managed to get to the gym and had dinner with our web-master and her daughter and that was it!

Today I had a surprise visit from Kemp in the morning. She returned from England and had to come back to NY to work so I was pleasantly surprised by my breakfast partner this morning.

Thank you for all of your kind e-mails and posts about my decision to make "Faces" a bit different than your ordinary CD.

Here is a basic track listing of the two main CD's...There are a couple of bonus tracks to be named later!

"Faces"

1 - "Faces"
2 - "Fade Into The X"
3 - "P.M.O. - Pisses ME Off!"
4 - "Life, Crazy Life"
5 - "Remember"
6 - "The Fall"
7 - "Music Man"
8 - "The Mold"
9 - "Jealousy"
10 - "Forever We’ll Be"
11 - "Never"
12 - "Evil Is As Evil Does"
13 - "Bag O’ Bones"
14 - "So Far Today"
15 - "Last Time"
16 - "Abandoned"

"God Damn War"

1 - "God Damn War"
2 - "Erase"
3 - "Fool, Fool!"
4 - "The Edge of Darkness"
5 - "Saddamize"
6 - "I"
7 - "Fright Knights"
8 - "Piece Be With You"
9 - "Beat Me, You’ll Never Beat Me"
10 - "Curtains"

This afternoon I received a few annoying phone calls...for some reason I felt inspired to write. So...I turned on the Pro Tools and dropped down this melody and riff that came to my head. An hour later I had a basic idea and some lyrics. I really like the song I recorded and wrote today. Not sure if it is possible now...but it kinda fits the war CD...Lord help me!

I did my vocal warm-ups and sang a few takes. It is pretty cool. I don't even sound like the same singer from last year. Singing is so much fun!

I saved some digital sound files to bring into the studio and headed to the gym.

I just finished typing in the last 4 songs of lyrics from my lyric book...I also just got ye-ole guitar synth ready for it's first journey to the studio.

So much for a relaxing day off! Tomorrow it is back to business again!

The Knicks choked again...Cavs looked good...It is all about the Yankees now!

Talk to you after the studio tomorrow if I am not in a coma!

Chris

Greeting from late nite post studio-land....

First off, I want to once again thank you for your kind e-mails about my "Faces" adventure. I also want to thank those of you who have been sending me artwork ideas! This is so much fun to receive...some of it has a lot of potential!

OK...today was very productive in the studio. I was in acoustic, clean electric and guitar synth land. Basically ballad mode! A good friend of mine, Betty from Metal Queen Management, was in the studio all day. It was her first trip to NY and I thought it would be fun to have a new friendly face around. Nick agreed. I am getting very comfortable singing in the studio. The vocals today sounded great!

I finished guitars on 6 more songs...I am up to 27 rhythm tracks in the can!!!! Tomorrow I will hit "Curtains" first and officially begin final vocals on that song! I will platoon between lead vocals and guitars. I am hoping to have all of the guitars finished by Friday. Well, at least 90%. I may have Jeff record drums for this song that I wrote yesterday...I know, I am out of my frickin mind. But, maybe there needs to be a 30th song! His drums are still set up in the studio...his idea, not mine!!!

All in all, I am way ahead of schedule. As long as I stay healthy and the voice holds up...knock on everything...things should be finished up by the end of April.

The CD is so schitzophrenic sometimes...but everyone seems to like all of the different sounds. Today we did a power ballad, a ballad with just a guitar and a vocal, a couple of acoustic rock songs and another 2 ballad-type of songs...one up and one very emotional and moody. I was dreading this day, but everything went really smooth!

I need to get to sleep! Vocal world begins officially tomorrow afternoon!

Thanks again for all of your support!!!!!!! It will be used in all of my performances!!!!

Chris

Betty The Metal Queen Metal Queen Management	Betty the Metal Queen in her Metal Slut (Sludge) shirt...	Betty's Photo of me... cash is an inside joke!!!

Yeeee haaaw!!!

OK...

The task at hand is getting more clear every day. Little by little, bit by bit I am knocking down my list of things left to do before we mix this CD.

Today we began by finishing the guitars on "Curtains". Then I decided after a stressful morning to try to sing keeper vocals. Two hours later we had all of the vocals and background vocals done!

I never thought it was possible for the heaviest song on the Cd to not even have drums or a distorted guitar. The feeling to this song was just flat out scary.

Progress continued...I sang all of the vocals on "Evil is as Evil Does". Then I finished the lead guitars. This song is ready to mix!!!!

Next up was "Jealousy". This song is pretty funny...I got most of the vocals finished and a great lead.

I capped the night off with some lead work in the song "Never". It was a very productive and inspirational day. I was going to try to barrel through all of the lead guitars...I really think I am going to platoon lead vocals and guitars. Three down and, well a shit load to go, but THREE DOWN!

I think this week will be the last of the 12-14 hour days in the studio until I mix. I need to rest and focus on great vocals. We shall see how I feel next week.

In the meantime, I am tired...I am going to chase Haley around the house for a bit and get to sleep!

Again...a lot of very nice e-mails from you all today...it really helps me to focus! Every day this CD comes to life in new ways. I can't wait for you to hear it....

Peace!

Chris

	Pete, the owner of Spin studios, is so excited to have me recording my CD there!

Hello yet again....

Funny frickin thing....starting these posts....only so many ways to say hi...

OK, new one.....

WHAT THE FRICK IS UP BEEEEOTCH?

Hmmm...maybe not....

The studio was amazing today...things are flowing perfectly in lead guitar/vocal land....

I sang lead vocals on "Music Man"...I still have some harmony stuff left for this one....I also played its lead.

I sang all of the vocals and played all of the lead guitars on "The Edge of Darkness" Tons of back-up vocals....the Missles sing!!!!!

I sang all of the lead vocals and finished lead guitars on "Never"

I played the leads on "Erase"

Then...at 12:30 I decided to put up "Last Time". I was just going to play the leads. When we were listening back I sang along....the voice felt unusually strong. I decided to take a stab at lead vocals. This song is at times sung very raspy and other times very high...I nailed it! It was so bizarre. The voice strengthens on a daily basis.

The mass schitzophrenia in my singing continues. I am beginning to figure out every voice, but I still can't decide which one is the real me....maybe they all are!

The lead sound is insane. For those of you who were worried about me concentrating on singing and avoiding lead guitar...have no fear...the leads on this CD/s is/are insane!

I had a thought on the way home from the studio tonite. I told it to Nick my engineer/co-producer....It is my concept for making a record...or the likeness of....

I compare it to a coloring book....drum tracks are like cutting down the trees and making the paper. Bass tracks are like finding the chemicals and mixing the black ink. Rhythm guitars are like drawing the outline....Singing and lead guitars are where you bring in the big Crayola crayon box and go nuts!!!!!! This CD/s will include all of the colors AND the kitchen sink...you will see what I mean in the end!

My vocal teacher would kill me if he knew just how against the rules I am working with my voice...whatever it takes!!!!!

Goodnight....

Chris

	Take only what you need to survive

Hi...

Having a great day here...

I wanted to let you know that singing has become one of my favorite things on the planet! Today I am singing a bonus track....Title to be revealed in September! One hint....Ho, Ho, Ho....

Jeff Waters is stopping by later, I am going to get the silly Canadian to play a solo somewhere!!!!

Jeff Plate is on his way back to the city. Tomorrow we will record #30...
Called... "W.A.R.,P.E.D - Watch And Rate, Peace Expect Delays".

I know, I am a mental case, but screw it, you only get your chance to make your first CD one time!

I was also just talking to Tim Cain about coming in and doing some narration on GDW!!!

I am getting back to work...I love my job!

Talk to you LATE!

Chris

Ho, ho, ho!!!!

I am losing it!!!

Today was ridiculous...I decided to go to the studio in my pajamas. I have a couple of bonus tracks that are...well....very festive if you know what I mean!!!

I WARPED myself back to December and recorded the 2 songs.

One just had drums, the other one electric guitar.

The one song is an instrumental...the other a ballad. I played new guitars on the ballad and the bass. Then I sang all of the vocals. It came out really special.

The instrumental I almost finished. I played the bass and all of the guitars. It needs some strings and extras....cool stuff.

To capture a mood, I had up special lighting....my PJ's...cinnamon coffee...a new screensaver...we also had Boston Market deliver us a Christmas dinner...Chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cinnamon apples, corn bread...it was just what the doctor ordered considering I am feeling a bit run down here right now!

Mr. Waters never arrived, hopefully tomorrow. Another Jeff did! Mr. Plate got to the studio at around 11:30 PM. We played him some of our silliness from the week. I think I made him laugh and cry at the same time!

I changed strings while we listened and decided to do some vocals on "Pisses Me Off", fitting for the holiday vibe? I just did the lower register vocals and harmony stuff. I did not want to blow out my voice screaming the verses! I then recorded the lead guitars. This includes the intro and outro...which is the musical version of me losing my mind!

Not sure where to start tomorrow...we will try to record song # 30...then it depends on how my voice feels...whether or not I want to sing in a high register...a low one...heavy..mellow...clean...raspy...War...Faces...it is definately not boring!

I have leads on 13 songs, vocals on 9...things are moving right along. I have an album worth of stuff finished, just 2 more to go!!!! I figure about another 3 weeks of work and I will be ready to start mixing!

I am taking a few days off this weekend. I do not think I will be back in the studio until next Wed. I am going upstate to visit some friends and my Mom. Besides, Haley needs to get out of the house!

Talk to you late tomorrow!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Chris

	Christmas in February...why not!?!?!

Week three is over!!!!!!!

WOW...I never thought I would make it alive! This week was an amazing experience for me. I have learned so much about singing in the studio. I can’t wait for you all to hear me sing now! I figure there are about 7 different voice timbers on this CD. Some songs high and clean, some high and raspy...some low and raspy...some mid and raspy...some rock...some metal...some evil...some happy...all me!!!

I know it is awful for your voice from a technical standpoint...but, I drink a lot of water and diet Pepsi when I sing. So far I have lead vocals on 14 songs...12 are finished...not bad for my first 3 days singing! They are not rushed either, they are very good vocal tracks! I have harmonies done on 10 songs...Leads are done on about 16 or 17...all of the bass and drums are finished.

Today I did new guitars and sang all of the vocals for "Bag O Bones". This is an acoustic hard rock song...Kinda Alice In Chains-like in feel...I also played the lead.

Then we attempted the ridiculous...yup...we recorded song #30! "W.A.R.,P.E.D" We were almost finished with the drums...Jeff did an amazing job...I decided to order pizza...cuz you know that cheese is good to sing with! I made a joke about wanting to finish the bass and guitars before the pizza arrived...I DID!!!!! The stereo rhythms...the bass...and the leads all before the pizza arrived! We laughed and ate...very good Sicilian from Star Pizza on Steinway Street.

Since Warped is in the key of B I decided to play another song in that key after dinner. Try the lead stuff. I have 6 songs in the B tuning on the CD now!!! YAY!!!! Good key for me! I am putting up a picture of my tunings and my sloppy notes for guitar and vocals. Bass and drums I typed all the notes neatly into the computer! I was having a blast playing bass again. I played bass on 4 songs on the CD!

I was singing along to "Fool, Fool" while I was listening to the guitar work. Eerie song being sung by spirits circling Manhattan Island after 9-11.
To quote myself...
"Fool, Fool...The Devil is alive...Fool, Fool...You should have seen him coming...TIME TO GET THE NIGHT STICK!"
I have a feeling a pro wrestler will want this song as a ring song. It is just flat out violent...
The words "Fool, Fool" are sung kinda high. I had a bit of a sore throat today so I was not planning on the high voice being too useful. The notes were soaring out...so...I decided to sing the choruses. I had good verses for the song already. I was just going to do leads and scream out my voice on PMO at the end of the night. I wound up finishing "Fool, Fool", Singing another high part in "So Far Today" and then...I decided to take a crack at Warped! The lyrics were scribbled in my notebook! I read them off the paper and finished the vocals in 30 minutes! It was so much fun! I then decided to hit PMO and scream my throat out. I almost fainted on the last high scream. I am serious, I lost my balance!

We loaded the songs in my mobile back-up drive...then we dumped everything from the studio drive to a new 160 G drive I bought for myself. The CD will not fit on an 80 G drive...it is so much stuff!!!!!

I sit now...getting ready to sleep. I am out of the city for a few days! Haley will be happy to get out of here! I am going to see Mom and going to take the ride way upstate with Jeff and see some friends up that way.

The music gets more exciting every day, with every note...I am so proud of what is developing. I just need to stay healthy and focused!

Talk to you soon! Thanks again for your support and your friendship!

Chris

30 Frickin' Songs	The 30th Lives	I Am Never Doing 27 songs again....

Beat The Pizza	Little By Little