For me, "the live album" satisfied a couple of different
goals. I've wanted to make another solo guitar record for awhile, but I've really
been into experimenting with sounds and textures, as opposed to a pristine, crystalline
guitar sound we've all come to expect. I love that sound, but this time I wanted
something with a little fur on it. There are a lot of different textures on this album,
stuff like my "modified" 12 string, where I took some masking tape and muted the
strings, or my Hawaiian lap steel, which sounds amazing. I think that the sounds
communicate something special about the music, more than just the notes themselves.
I generally feel a lot looser on stage than I do in the studio, and I think some of that
comes through. I love sitting around noodling with the guitar; some of the tunes on
"the live album" have improvised intros where I'm basically noodling, but in an
organized kind of way. There's an internal structure or form to it. It's
really fun to do that on stage, to play three or four notes and say "Now where am I
going? How can I resolve this? How does it relate to the tune I'm about to
play?" I felt real inspired on all the tunes on the live album. There's one
tune, a version of "Malaika," that I play on a cool little "mandotar."
It's a solid bodied electric 12 string that's tuned up an entire octave, and it
sounds very cool. That tune is the only time I've performed with that guitar, and it
was just a lark. I had bought the guitar at the NAMM show in LA from the Hammertone
guitar company - I saw it and just had to have it. Anyway, a week later I was
playing up in Oregon and my wife said, "You've gotta play that thing - it's so
cute!" You never know what's gonna happen - that's why I love the road so much.
This record sort of showed that to me, I guess.
Hi to everyone!
Best,
Ed