Tuesday, 01 May 2007

...is very beautiful!

I'm in Castle Coombe, which is surely one of the the most idyllic English villages in the country.

I think I'm gonna have to start a blog series called 'The life of Rielly' because I always seem to be posting from a great place.  For those that aren't aware of this phrase, Rielly used to be a common name for a dog....and what do dogs do aside from lie in front of fires getting there bellies tickled and licking themselves...

So I'm here in Tchad Blake's new studio do some mixes for my album.  I've admired Tchad's work for a long time, sometimes unaware that it was his work I was admiring.  People like this are the unsung heroes or records we love; a good engineer can make good songs great!  If you're interested in such things you should check out his work, Tom Waits, Pearl Jam, Paul Simon, Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt and so the list goes on and on and on....  This studio is like a musicians play room, there are instruments here, that I wouldn't know where to begin to explain them to you.

I'm about to record in his toilet so I can't stay long, but let me first tell you something that sums this guy up.  When you come into the studio, the things that have pride of place are photo's of friends and family along with paintings made by him and his sons, and up stairs (where I am now) in the furthest corner, on the highest shelf gathering dust is a Grammy!

Foy:  "Not only do I like your Grammy, but I like where you've put it."

Tchad: " (laughs) yeah...  I got two but I gave one away..."