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Colonel Bastard have recorded another album [Download the whole thing here]

The White Album

Well, not quite, but Martin has spent the last month demoing a bunch of songs that are designed to highlight the more acoustic side of the band, resulting in this, "The White Album". It's an album that follows a vague concept of love, loss and the end of the world, and was inspired in equal parts by "Abbey Road" era Beatles, and
much of Supergrass' latest output.

We're gonna do a little experiment and post the whole thing here in this very thread, one song at a time so that you lovely WANners get to hear it first. Please don't tell us that it sounds like it was recorded in someone's bedroom, cos it was (with no more than one beat-up old microphone, and a computer held together with bits of string and sellotape).

Anyway, here's the first track:

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/01_colonel_bastard...

It's called Love Child, and it's basically a 70's glam-pop stomp with loads of Supergrass harmonies all over it. It's about meeting an alien temptress in a club (say the Kambar), and being forced to conceive her love-child, or something. Not very acousticy I know, but we wanted to have a bit of a rocking opener.

Enjoy,
Ben (Colonel Bastard)
x

***** Update, 18th Nov - OK, the whole album has now been uploaded. If you can't be bothered to wade through this whole thread, then may I recommend tracks 1, 5 and 10. If anyone would like a copy on CD then just e-mail us (thebastard@colonelbastard.com), or of course come to the Patricia Vonne gig at the Portland tonight:

http://www.wereallneighbours.co.uk/cambridge_events/event.php?id=14251

Cheers! *****

Published by BennyG at 11:35am on Tue 8th November 2005. Viewed 3,980 times.
This topic has been edited, last edit at 3:22pm on Fri 18th November 2005.

Track 2 - "Marya":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/02_colonel_bastard...

For those of you who don't know us, there are two scientists in our band: Chris and Martin. Martin has something of a habit of meeting and falling in love with sexy young female scientists at the lab he works in. This song is about Marie Curie, his favourite female scientist of all time, and somewhat of an idol of his.

We played this at the Portland last night, and it went down like a helium balloon :-)

Published by BennyG at 4:07pm on Wed 9th November 2005.

Track 3 - "Observant":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/03_colonel_bastard...

A fairly simple love song, with some nice harmonica, recorder and slide guitar on it.
I hope I'm not pissing people off too much by bumping this thread onto the front page with new songs every day. If it's getting on your nerves, just let me know and I'll stop.

Published by BennyG at 2:19pm on Thu 10th November 2005.

Keep 'em coming! Though I've got the CD so don't mind ;-)

Published by rishistar at 3:45pm on Thu 10th November 2005.

Will do Rishi! Here's another ballady-type one with no drums

Track 4 - "In Love":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/04_colonel_bastard...

This has almost got a kind of spy-movie-theme thing going on, and a lot of pitch-shifted vocals which I find quite unsettling. If this were to be a concept album about love, then here is where the early rush fades and the dream begins to turn sour.

Published by BennyG at 4:30pm on Fri 11th November 2005.

Im really enjoying these...

Published by Free Will at 4:39pm on Fri 11th November 2005.

Why thanks Free Will :-) Although I can't actually take any credit myself - Martin wrote them and I just mixed them for him. If anyone would like a copy of the CD, just message me, or e-mail us (thebastard@colonelbastard.com). 6 tracks to go......

Published by BennyG at 4:49pm on Fri 11th November 2005.

Cheers Free Will- I was trying to make a Wings album over the summer, hence the piss-takey Beatles album cover. Copies are available for free!

Published by mwhite (not active) at 5:29pm on Fri 11th November 2005.

My address is in your inbox : )
you guys remind me a bit of the "bbc heaven" track on the end of the first austin powers film... you know the one?

Published by Free Will at 5:32pm on Fri 11th November 2005.

yeah- I really like that song. This definitely has a similar vibe, as I was listening to loads of 60s music at the time and trying to do similar things. (I still am really- I've been hooked on Honeybus and Hermans Hermits recently). The album was majorly inspired by Beatles solo work, so it has some Macca numbers, and a few attempts at George and John, and 1 comedy Ringo number.

Published by mwhite (not active) at 5:40pm on Fri 11th November 2005.

I'll look foreward to hearing it : )

Published by Free Will at 5:51pm on Fri 11th November 2005.

Track 5 - "Symphony":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/05_colonel_bastard...

This is one of my personal favourite tracks on the album - it's a very Lennon-esque piano based thingy, the lyric to which is a simple enough analogy about not feeling like you're good enough for someone. In fact, the whole thing has Beatles written all over it - I'm particularly fond of the Ringo drum fills and McCartney style bass runs :-)

Published by BennyG at 3:57pm on Sat 12th November 2005.

Track 6 - "Kabooze":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/06_colonel_bastard...

This is the comedy Ringo number. A vitriolic diatribe is spewed forth over a jaunty country backing, whilst kazoos play away insanely in the background.

Published by BennyG at 1:53pm on Mon 14th November 2005.

just wondering if you bastards might be up for putting on a 60's/70's themed night somewhere with free will and the bad influences? drop me a line if you're be up for talking about it.

Published by Free Will at 3:45pm on Mon 14th November 2005.

Sounds good, though we'd have to actually learn the album! It was very much a summer project for fun, though I always thought it would be fun to play the songs in costume or something, so I'd be well up for it in principle. The songs themselves are fairly simple, but I can forsee the harmonies giving us headaches :-)

Published by mwhite (not active) at 4:03pm on Mon 14th November 2005.

Well, Free Will are taking a sixth month break (probably punctuated with the strawberry fair and a couple of other gigs) starting in febuary, so maybe we could do it late january-ish, give you a chance to learn the tunes etc... whatcha reckon?

Published by Free Will at 4:09pm on Mon 14th November 2005.

Track 7 - "I Don't Care If You're The Queen":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/07_colonel_bastard...

The ire continues with this bitter attack on a spoilt ex, but hope arrives in the last chorus with news of a young successor to the crown. Musically, it's another acoustic strumalong, with a rickety "Lady Madonna" style chorus. Martin insisted on shouting over the last chorus through a toilet-roll tube! :-)

Published by BennyG at 11:58am on Tue 15th November 2005.

I was going for a Yellow Submarine "sea of green!" effect! Free Will- I will email you shortly...

Published by mwhite (not active) at 12:00pm on Tue 15th November 2005.

nice one : )

Published by Free Will at 12:07pm on Tue 15th November 2005.

got my copy in the post today... that first tune is seriously good : ) nice one lads.

Published by Free Will at 9:42am on Wed 16th November 2005.

Hey Will, glad you're enjoying it. My personal favourite is the last track. In the meantime, here's some more -

Track 8 - "Emelia":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/08_colonel_bastard...

"Here comes the Duchess!" proclaimed the end of the track 7, and I'm guessing that would be Emelia. This is a haunting ballad, since as soon as she arrives, she's gone again and the misery continues. Martin wanted it to be known that although there is an Emelia in real life, none of the nastier songs on this record are about her. This track merely acts as a brief respite before the slide into depression continues.....

Published by BennyG at 3:47pm on Wed 16th November 2005.

Track 9 - "Lying On The Bed":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/09_colonel_bastard...

OK, so you've fallen in love, had the time of your life, had your heart trampled and crushed, and after another brief fling you're on your own again. You can't sleep so what else is there to do but lie on the bed and feel sorry for yourself? This is another country-tinged tune, with a proper three-part harmony and some nice tambourine-bashing.

Published by BennyG at 3:07pm on Thu 17th November 2005.

"OK, so you've fallen in love, had the time of your life, had your heart trampled and crushed, and after another brief fling you're on your own again. You can't sleep so what else is there to do but lie on the bed and feel sorry for yourself? "

i often find that a bloody good wank helps.

oh, nice tunes, by the way.

Published by Saint Nick (not active) at 3:09pm on Thu 17th November 2005.

haha, yeah! Maybe we could add an extra verse and call it "Lying On The Bed (Having A Wank)" :-)

Published by BennyG at 3:13pm on Thu 17th November 2005.

"don't knock masturbation, it's sex with someone i love" - woody allen

Published by Saint Nick (not active) at 3:16pm on Thu 17th November 2005.

This is a piss takey one rather than a serious depressed number, especially with the fried egg puns. I've yet to find anything that can't be cured by either a wank or a cup of tea.

Published by mwhite (not active) at 3:31pm on Thu 17th November 2005.

Yeah, I had meant to mention that, but I forgot. Getting carried away being all pretentious again :-)

Published by BennyG at 3:33pm on Thu 17th November 2005.

"I've yet to find anything that can't be cured by either a wank or a cup of tea."

that statement should be part of the national curriculum

you can beat an egg...

Published by Saint Nick (not active) at 4:17pm on Thu 17th November 2005.

anyone else thinking about heading down to the portland tonight for some badwell/bastard action?

Published by Free Will at 12:31pm on Fri 18th November 2005.

Can't wait to see Badwell Ash Play a full set - they really impressed me at the Jorane gig last week. Tonight's gonna be fab. Speaking of which, here's the last track from The White Album, and my personal favourite -

Track 10 - "The Long Medley":

http://www.colonelbastard.com/music/the_white_album/10_colonel_bastard...

As the title suggests, this is an "Abbey Road"-style medley of tunes in six parts, titled thusly:

a) Cheese Before Bedtime
b) Slumbering Ben
c) Run Duncan Run
d) I'll Admit It (It Was Me)
e) The Solution
f) Bye Bye Honey (Hello)

The basic premise is that the end of the world is nigh (very topical), and only one person has the power to save us all. Unfortunately, he's fallen asleep and nobody can work out how to wake him up. In the end, the whole album comes full circle (via some short reprises of previous tracks) and it turns out that the only solution is of course love, and everything's gonna be ok in the end (or something like that).

The "Cheese Before Bedtime" section is kinda tacked on, but it fitted the theme so well that we had to include it in the medley. We hope you've enjoyed listening, come and see us tonight at the Portland :-)

Published by BennyG at 3:15pm on Fri 18th November 2005.

Really enjoyed the gig lads : )

Published by Free Will at 11:27am on Mon 21st November 2005.

Cheers- glad you enjoyed it! I had a great time; it was good to see Badwell Ash as a full band, and I thought that Patricia Vonne was ace, and very, very dancable (I think I was quite pissed by that point).

Published by mwhite (not active) at 1:36pm on Mon 21st November 2005.

I missed miss von unfortunately. Badwell ash are quality... just blagged myself 2 free tickets to their gig at the graduate this friday : )
P.S. are you mates with two girls called joanna (bothat uni in london?)

Published by Free Will at 1:39pm on Mon 21st November 2005.

yes, if it's the two joannas I think you mean...

Published by mwhite (not active) at 1:51pm on Mon 21st November 2005.

both blonde, cambridge girls... I caught up with them at your gig. If you see them soon, will you tell them Will says hi and it was nice to see them.

Published by Free Will at 2:06pm on Mon 21st November 2005.

I will do, though only one of the Joannas I know is blonde!

Published by mwhite (not active) at 3:08pm on Mon 21st November 2005.

nice one : )

Published by Free Will at 3:24pm on Mon 21st November 2005.

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