Delicious Grace

[John Watt]

Good things, good things Eduardo, or alcapone dudu, are happening because of you.
Here's a very very good band I'm sure you know, and if you don't, here's a video.
The guitarist is playing a Godin, so I'm going to try and get into the picture here.
I bought an Art & Lutherie acoustic to use in the backyard where I was living one summer,
so I didn't have to get an extension chord and set up to play my electric.
That was about just strumming chords to get into singing.
I wrote Art & Lutherie to ask about their low-gloss finish, and they wrote back.
They wanted proof that I wasn't a manufacturer, so I sent photos of my semi-solid-body.
This letter from President Robert Godin was totally unexpected, and I never applied for a job.
The fact that he says I have my own innovations and guitar concepts is really nice.
I didn't know at the time that Godin owned Art & Lutherie.

Today was a really good day, mostly about one thing.
The building owner came down from Toronto to take all the garbage bags to the dump,
what we did last weekend. We also moved two fold-out beds down two stories,
with other furniture, also tossing that all around at the dump.
I alway say I've got the legs from bike-hiking and walking around everywhere,
so I was surprised to be doing all this upper body work and not feeling any strain.
We made three trips that cost over $120, big heavy loads.

 

[alcaponedudu]

Hello John. How are you, my friend? It's been quite a long time. A lot of things happened in between the last we chatted. I was on a mini-vacation from work. Went to the south of Brazil for a little of peace and tranquility. My girlfriend was there aswell so it was all great. I'm all charged up now! Ha!

Glad to hear from you. I missed our weekly conversation.

Yes, I do know this band you've mentioned. That's a Jobim's song, I believe. One of our greatest composers ever.

I was watching the news the other day and I saw that in Canada marijuana is totally legal, is that right? What is your take on that, John? I'm asking you this because you seem to have a very good social perception.

How's your playing going? Do not forget music, my friend!

 

[John Watt]

alcaponedudu! Yes... I've been looking and waiting to see you again, and I'm glad it was a vacation that took you away.
I've been on an enforced vacation, losing both apartment painting jobs and owed some money. I'll try to collect today.

Thank you for your compliment about me having a good social perception. I get around, that's for sure.
My basic line about legal marijuana is this. There is too much drugs already. Why make more legal?
This is causing a lot of anger for the public and politicians. That's also described as being confused about how legal it is.
Some stores have been closed before they opened because they were too close to schools.
Some municipalities have passed their own bylaws about making it illegal to smoke in public.
It's illegal to smoke tobacco in public, even outside, in Ontario. People want stronger laws for weed.
Right now, more people are getting legal weed by ordering it online and getting it delivered.
A lot of the public think that is very suspicious.

My enforced vacation was more about me being made to be so tired I could hardly stay awake.
Except for going out to shop for groceries after the sun went down, I really haven't done anything.
I've been here at Magle.dk a lot, making a new thread in "fusion and cross-over", but that's not much.
However, this morning is different. I feel more back to normal.

Laying around not doing much gave me a lot of time to think and gather my musical thoughts.
I watched a lot of YouTube videos and feel more like a song-writer and got confident about a new singing style.
Those videos I made? I now see them as being an attempt to get in touch with my musical past,
and see me in the light of this new technology.

I also got an offer to move out to B.C. where all expenses will be covered.
My friend is also thinking about coming back to Welland to visit family and buy a van,
so he can move me to B.C. where I can be his artist employee. He knows what it takes to get me moving.
That's a happy thought.

My newest line is about me having my first middle-aged moment even if I'm a senior.
I'm saying I'm getting confused about the seasons, laying in piles of maple leaves and making snow angels.

My expectations about you and me have only grown, even if it's a new kind of pressure I never felt before.
All I want to do is come off as professional, even if I really want to be beautiful and amazing.
That used to be how I lived, and I want to get out there again.
A lot of news from Brazil and watching historic YouTube videos about Brasil kept me in touch with you.

 

[alcaponedudu]

Hello John. I'm sorry about your enforced vacation but at the same time I'm glad that you're ok now.

We're getting a lot news about this marijuana thing in Canada. That is for sure a complicated matter.

Tell me more about this offer you got. That's a good thing, right? What you mean by B.C.?

After this mini-vacation I took, I'm getting back to music now. I'm in a situation where it's getting harder to remember all the songs I wrote. Glad I keep record of everything. I never thought this day would come. That's funny.

This past weekend I saw the Queen movie ''Bohemian Rhapsody''. That's so good ot surrounded by good music. The film could go on forever and I would be still sitting there watching. That's the magic of Queen. If you haven't, you should see it.

 

[John Watt]

alcaponedudu! This is going to be short because this is an early day look here, usually typing at night.
And lately, only going out at night. It is nice to be feeling more energetic. I even had a big dream about it.

B.C. is British Columbia, the west coast of Canada. It's a long way to go and if I do it could be permanent.
But right now it's just a nice offer to think about.

I made up a rule for myself when it comes to songs I wrote, songs I learned, and playing guitar.
If I can't remember it's not worth remembering. If I can only remember a part of a song I wrote,
then it can become a part of a newer song I think is better.
I do write down words and keep them even if I don't finish a song,
and not finishing a song is good because they change depending on the band I'm in.

I remember when a musician friend of mine who did a college radio show invited me over.
He said you've got to listen to this, playing the first Queen album. I didn't think it was rock music.
The fact that American sports stadium audiences chant Queen songs proves that to me.
The movie is supposed to be really good, only seeing rave reviews about it.
uh... I was thinking of getting some false teeth and dressing like Freddie for Halloween,
but I started to feel afraid about getting more tricks than treats.... ouch!

Here's a stab in the dark. Any chance your last name is "Saqueira"?
Jus'askin'.

I'm being haunted by those videos I made.
I would delete them but that would kill too many threads here.

If you saw the Queen movie at a theater, how much did you pay to get in?
As much as that, how much does a large popcorn with triple butter cost?

 

[alcaponedudu]

Hello my friend. How are you? I've noticed that you are more busy than usual. That's a good thing, I suppose.

Man, it kills me when I can not play a song of mine the way it's supposed to be. I wish I was more like you but I can't. I get really attached to them. I keep them together in a fold with lyrics and tabs. I've got all of them recorded in some way aswell.

I read that J.D. Sallinger was really ''obsessed'' with his novels. He used to see the characters in his books as his children. I can relate to that.

I paid a very cheap ticket because I was able to get an 50% discount off. It was about $ 6,00 USD. The popcorn was a bit more expensive haha. That's a trap.

I've been a Queen loop ever since the film. I'm revisiting all their catalog now. Especially the stuff from the 70's. That's pure magic.

My last name is Nogueira. What's that? Are you trying to guess? You got close!

Any videos on the way to see light of the day?

I forgot to tell about something really special: I'm trying a female singer for one of my songs. She's in a band right now. She's got a very strong voice. Really versatile but focusing in Rock N' Roll. Let's see how this will play out. Feeling good!

 

[John Watt]

I'm looking early in the morning when I have to go out.
I saw a reply to the new Sade song on YouTube from a man from Brasil, where I got the name.

The only reason I made any videos was working my way up to being serious about making one with you.
I'm not kidding about being haunted by the videos I made, as bad and unprofessional as they are.
That's all I'm going to say right now.

The only female singers I ever worked with were in bands on the road and showbands in Toronto.
I never had any problems because I never made any problems, mostly because I was straight.
Other band members or agents would ask me to go with the chick singer to be there and make sure she came back,
or she would ask me to visit her in her room or go out for lunch with her so she had friendly company.
None of that was ever band talk or singing together.

Here's three new song titles.
"Street-Walking up to Me", "Boob-Hugs, Boob-Hugs, ya-ya-ya-", and "Don't Shade on Me".

The Girl from Ipanema is famous for just walking on by.
Do you have a song about someone walking where the words and drum beats are like shoe-steps?
I do. Those high heels with that clicking sound could also be about the tapping sound of devices.
I don't feel too straight where I live.
I just feel like I'm living in a world that isn't here.

 

[alcaponedudu]

My dear John! Glad to know you're all good. That's always nice to hear.

I've doing a lot of recordings lately. Some people from the music industry is getting in touch. Feels good but let's see what will happen.

I do not have a song with those beats. But sounds fun. I'd like to hear your version of it.

 

[John Watt]

I saw your reply days ago and it's taken me that long to want to reply.
I'm getting fed up with my own attitude, seeing another summer gone by,
and it's not just my guitar playing that is disappointing me, it's my bike-hiking too.
Obviously, my life is going through some changes, I can feel it inside me,
but nothing new has come along and I'm still frustrated by almost everything around me.
I've still got all my abilities and energy, feeling better about everything,
but I really feel like I'm living in a world that isn't there.

I'm not an old man who just complains about how times have changed. I never have done that.
You've seen me get caught up with video technology as much as I have, mostly because it's free.
I complain about living in a big city where there aren't any gigs for bands or any kind of musician.
I was doing the strolling troubadour thing, but that's gone with the warm weather.
A customer was saying that he goes out to dance with his wife Saturday nights at the legion hall.
He said they always have a band and I should hang out there. I might do that this week.
And not to be vain, oh, or even vain-glorious, oh yes, when I'm in a band we get going and get gigs.
I miss that more now than ever before.
However, nuff's e-nuff.

My song about footsteps has me being inside hearing a woman walking down the sidewalk.
You hear her turn in and walk up to the house and up the stairs,
and I don't know if she's angry, high heels click click clicking up the street,
step step stepping up to the door like she's going to get knock knock knocking and want to meet.
She might even start buzz buzz buzzing and you might even hear the sound of wind chimes.

Don't get me wrong, alcaponedudu, whatever you do... and uh... whenever you do it.
Everywhere I go people still get off on my playing and singing, what is my reality.
It's the lack of everyone elses' reality that makes me feel like I'm living in a world that isn't there.
Music is everywhere, dubbed on to everything, now with outdoor Christmas decorations with sound,
and lights that move around, I just want to be onstage in a band.
If there is one thing that worries me about myself, it's feeling that there's only one thing left to lose.
And then I'll be wondering what to do after the love is gone.
That's when I'll start to think that my life isn't worth living,
and I didn't do that do myself.
What's the matter with me?
All this self-realizing stress and I didn't even think about getting a tattoo.
I might as well work on my guitars, even if they don't like me any more.

 

[alcaponedudu]

Mr. Watt! How are you, my friend?

It's been quite a long time since we last spoke. I missed our weekly conversation. I'm sorry to hear that you're going through what what we call' inferno astral'' (I think that is it). I can only say not to worry. That are a lot of things we can not control, my friend. Life really is like a roller-coster. It sounds cheese but it's true. Grab to what you think it's important and worth. You're an artist. Don't forget!

I've been writing a lot lately. That's almost a therapy by now. There's a new song on the way. I just haven't decided if it will be online by the end of this year or the beginning of the next. I'm really proud of this record. There are some sound collages I made with samples that are quite famous here in Brazil. I think you will enjoy it.

I told about you the other day. Was talking to a friend of mine about music stuff and I mentioned that you build your own guitars. Or at least make a lot of changes. He really dug it.

John, how many guitars you have now? Do you play acoustic too?

 

[John Watt]

alcaponedudu! I'm just looking here while I'm in my apartment, waiting to make a phone call and go out.
Now that you're saying "sound collages", your recording that started this thread makes more sense to me.
If you remember I described it as starting one way as the first half, and then becoming something else for the rest.
That could be a two-part collage.

I really like what you said, calling it "inferno astral". That opened up my mind to what I've been going through.
Now I see myself as holding back a lot, being more political and criminal than musical or artistic,
and getting away, or losing it all, means I'm changing back to where I would be if I hadn't got involved.
It's very interesting that more people are being emotional with me in public, so my life is moving forward.

You're just teasing me, and all the other Magle.dk members and viewers,
but saying you're proud of this record but it might not be out this year or the beginning of the next.
okay... okay... I'm saying that because it's still on me to make a video of me playing along with you.
Oh! I haven't played guitar for what, over two months? That's going to change.

I also talk about having a friend in Brazil, but I don't talk about my inventive guitars.
I riff offa YouTube videos, saying I'm jamming along with container ships crashing into docks,
whales leaping out of the water, hurricanes, shuffle girls, acting out as part of my new comedy routine.
Here's my new line about American politics. Your friends might like this.

Trumpty-Dumpty wanted to build a great wall, but Trumpty-Dumptys' presidency had a great fall.
All the White House women, and all the White House men, couldn't put up with Trumpty-Dumpty again.

Now Eduardo, as being born in the land of the conquistadors, from a North American perspective,
you probably don't know the English history of Humpty-Dumpty.
When the crazy countries of Europe were waging wars every time they had a newer weapon,
building the biggest cannons took over from having the biggest trebuchets. You have to look that one up.
When England built a cannon they thought would fire over the English channel into France,
they called it Humpty-Dumpty. The first time it was fired it blew back off the wall and destroyed itself.
"Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall, and Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall.
All the Kings' horses, and all the Kings' men, couldn't put Humpty-Dumpty back together again."
And yes, that is a British nursery rhyme that they taught you in grade school.
For the artwork, he looks like a big egg sitting on a wall, dressed like a military general with a hat.

You like Elvis, and you might not know what I meant by shuffle girls.
Here's something you should like to see and listen to.
The girl from Ipanema is going to have to do more than just walk on by if she's going to stay hot.

 

[alcaponedudu]

I sure liked the video, if you know what I mean...

I know some of the English history because I lived in England for a while. That's where I got my english from. But this bit you mentioned I didn't know about. That's the thing with you John: you can transform a simple conversation into something else. I thank you for that.

This I'm telling you about was basically written regarding the current situation of my own country but as soon as you hear it you'll notice that it could be related to a lot of places where people are living in ''strange times''. I don't want to sound like Bono from U2 but I had to write about it. It's my duty as a songwriter.

I've spent a couple of years without touching my guitar, my friend. I don't want you to do the same. But I'm glad you're getting back to it.

 

[John Watt]

alcaponedudu! You have refreshed my connection with you big time,
saying "you can transform a simple conversation into something else".
That sounds a lot better than saying I'm full of too much free old man talk.

My inferno astral is fading, but that's personal for me. What you say about "strange times" isn't.
That a global thing for everyone in their own communities, in big cities in their countries.
In a digital sense, it's the weight of the public now communicating and doing business with computers,
starting to balance out the political, military and corporate use when they were the only ones using them.
I've been watching that happen since the early 80's.
My local Mohawk friends call your "strange days" an upside-down world that is starting to regain balance.
They know they can never regain their First Nations, but now they can go out in public more and be themselves.
That's amazing to see for me, considering what they are capable of as human beings,
and people who can take my conversation and transform it into something else.

Getting away from my guitar sounds bad here, wanting to do a video for you that I never have,
but if I'm going to be creative I have to leave my guitar behind and experience more life to bump up my mind.
Here's a video of a young girl playing an instrument I've never seen before, playing I song I've done many times.
I know you don't hover over this thread, waiting to see if I've replied, as I do for you,
but I'm waiting to see if you are feeling it as much as I am.
My big line about this video is that I'm hearing some blues harp I never heard before.

You never said anything about my use of "manda bala". I'm glad you have overlooked my musical neglect.
The thrill is gone, the pills are gone, the bills aren't paid, and a kill wasn't made.
"My duty as a songwriter". Those are great words, and great words can become powerful songs.

 

[John Watt]

alcaponedudu! When I talk about Niagara Falls having the first commercial hydro in the world,
and the 600 miles radius of population being the richest area on earth, Toronto to New York,
it's hard for other people to imagine the electronic use, the personal creative electronic use,
that goes on around here.

Before I was leaving, I thought of you saying "strange times" and remembered something.
This is not only something you should be able to see, but it's a very good movie.
James Cameron is a Niagara Falls boy. You know him. The Terminator. The Titanic, movies like that.
One of his first movies, writing it with his wife directing it, was called "Strange Days".
At the time it was called a science fiction movie, and it got him noticed in Hollywood.
It's a story about how a new technology that can put images in your mind,
is used and abused, becoming illegal.
That has a lot of relevance for all of our strange days... and stranger nights.

 

[alcaponedudu]

My dear friend John, the wait is over! I've got a new song out. Please check the other thread.

 

[John Watt]

Tell you what, alcaponedudu! I've been up all night and was getting ready to log out,
when I saw you had a new reply, so I'm looking, but I'm not taking it any further.
That's because I also have plans about finally making the video I started talking about here.
I woke up around three and it's after nine, and I'm getting ready to go out.

A strange but busy weekend, and the final fading of my inferno astral... yeah...
has left me feeling like a new man, even if it's going to take a lot of work to be the new me.
It didn't melt the ice and snow, but it felt warm for the last three days.
I was the only one out there at night, walking on the recreational trails along the canal,
walking on the ski-doo hard-pack through the fields, following animal tracks in the snow,
breathing all that fresh and cold northern air... and there I was, looking around at my new world.
Someone put a video of an interview with me about Welland politics on Facebook,
and someone sent me a link to see it, another look at myself that changed my mind about me.
That was part of the strangeness.
If I'm going to hear a new song by you, I want to do it all the way.
I really can't imagine what it's going to be.

This is over a year old, when I was made to be messed up in my apartment,
with poisons and drugs in my food, and I've lost a lot of weight since then.
Putting this up should help me get making another video.
I was walking back to my apartment after a hike along the canal when this man got me.
He's part of an artistic and political collective called "BLX" after "The Black Lantern Experience",
a Chinese restaurant where they all met. For a group of very young guys, we get along.
It hurts. Don't get me wrong. It still hurts.



https://www.facebook.com/DR.PHiLLBASHMANGLADMAN/videos/10217417565209871/

 

[alcaponedudu]

Hello John. That's ok my friend. Take your time. I hope you like this new song.

I was surprised to see that you have long hair. That's funny because I had never pictured that in my mind.

What year did you run for mayor? If that's ok I would like to know a little bit more about it, John. Were you affiliated to a Party?

I almost forgot, merry christmas! I'll be off this couple of days. I wish you all the best.

 

[John Watt]

My long hair was a result of neglect because I got messed up in my previous apartment.
It was better for me to leave and be homeless to get away from being poisoned in my food.
I'm being blunt, trying to clear that up in a hurry.

That's right, I am in a hurry. I want to get back to you about your new song when I can do it right.
I'm just looking to see if you replied, and I'll be back again to be at your side.

I hope you and your loved ones can get together for a mucha bella holiday.

 

[alcaponedudu]

Hello my friend John. What are you up to? Is everything alright? It's been quite long since we last spoke. Happy new year!

I've just finished the first song of the year. It has a quite morbid subject but at the same is a fun song to play and sing. Hope to show you someday. Other than that everything is settling now. The hush of the holidays is gonne and we're back to work.

Hope to hear from you very soon. Take care, mate. Have a good weekend!

 

[John Watt]

I'm seeing what you're saying, my new friend, and saying my holidays were morbid is a nice way to say it.
That's it for now about that because it's over and I got over it.
The last three days, good things happened to balance that all out, including being able to stay where I am.
I almost got evicted for wrongful reasons, but someone else is getting the papers, with others being served.

You're saying the hush of the holidays, a nice use of words, when mine were like living in the bottom of a grave,
here in this basement apartment, not going out for three days twice in a row.
If you ever make a Christmas album, and I hope you never do, use "Hush of the Holidays" for the title.

I'm going to be back later on, almost four in the afternoon now, and I haven't been out yet.
It's Sunday, so if I'm going to walk and catch some stores open to get some treats I have to go.
I also want to take a photo to show you something new, and discuss my recording prospects.
There is a new me emerging into this new year, and I hope you're feeling it too.
My only disappointment was looking in the mail and not seeing a package from you.
And what's with Brazil? Don't you have any megaliths or pyramids bigger than the ones in Egypt?