Some Stuff About Steve
I picked up my first guitar during my first year at 'big' school. After the school guitar lessons were cancelled after the second lesson, I put the guitar back down again.
After about 5 years of picking it up and putting it down I was quite pleased with my ability to play a self-taught D chord; it's amazing how many songs you can write with just one chord. That's virtually been my musical credo all my life. At some later/earlier/other point, I managed to work out how to play Em, and when I finally managed to work out what B7 was all about I decided that I really ought to take the whole guitar thing more seriously. F#m soon followed.
I was already an old codger by the time I met Simon (25 seemed like an old codger back in the day!) and, after a brief period of strangeness following our initial meeting, we recognised each others fondness for minor chords and top shelf magazines (Country Life, Hampshire Magazine, etc.) and embarked on a prolonged song-writing extravaganza spanning the next 20 plus years and (still) counting.
I have always had an interest in writing wordage and, very occasionally a vague interest in what they actually mean. I am also a great believer in spelling them correctly at all times and refuse to use text speak at all times on the grounds that I am a miserable, crotchety old b*****.
Naturally enough I come up with the lyrics for the songs that Simon and I write together, as well as writing lyrics for my own 'solo' (cue laughter at the pretension of it all!) stuff. My lyrics tend to shy away from positive, life affirming messages (what are they, then?), leaning instead towards more negative concepts with regard to human relationships - i.e., that girl done gone left me... again! I also sing the lyrics I write. I expect that one day somebody will complain and/or ask me to stop. Well, you couldn’t really blame them.
After about 5 years of picking it up and putting it down I was quite pleased with my ability to play a self-taught D chord; it's amazing how many songs you can write with just one chord. That's virtually been my musical credo all my life. At some later/earlier/other point, I managed to work out how to play Em, and when I finally managed to work out what B7 was all about I decided that I really ought to take the whole guitar thing more seriously. F#m soon followed.
I was already an old codger by the time I met Simon (25 seemed like an old codger back in the day!) and, after a brief period of strangeness following our initial meeting, we recognised each others fondness for minor chords and top shelf magazines (Country Life, Hampshire Magazine, etc.) and embarked on a prolonged song-writing extravaganza spanning the next 20 plus years and (still) counting.
I have always had an interest in writing wordage and, very occasionally a vague interest in what they actually mean. I am also a great believer in spelling them correctly at all times and refuse to use text speak at all times on the grounds that I am a miserable, crotchety old b*****.
Naturally enough I come up with the lyrics for the songs that Simon and I write together, as well as writing lyrics for my own 'solo' (cue laughter at the pretension of it all!) stuff. My lyrics tend to shy away from positive, life affirming messages (what are they, then?), leaning instead towards more negative concepts with regard to human relationships - i.e., that girl done gone left me... again! I also sing the lyrics I write. I expect that one day somebody will complain and/or ask me to stop. Well, you couldn’t really blame them.
Influences 'N' Stuff
It's a little tricky identifying precise musical influences but my formative years have no doubt shaped the type of music I like in subsequent years and therefore have probably had some influence on my own style of music. Consequently, the following short list of artists have probably all had something to do with it: T.Rex, Bob Dylan, ermmm... No that’s it really. Not much of a list, obviously.
If I had any great ability as a guitarist I’d put down Jimi Hendrix but as I don’t, I’ll simply just have to list him as somebody that I listened to an awful lot in my formative years. I would like my guitar playing style to have been influenced by him but unfortunately it’s mainly influenced by a lack of practice. :-D
I do however revert to playing blues lines, albeit inexpertly, if left to my own devices and therefore my liking for bluesy stuff I do put down to the influence of Mister Hendrix.
There is no doubt my singing style has been influenced by Marc Bolan (hence T.Rex) and Bob Dylan. My lyric writing style is mainly due to me, once again, being a miserable crotchety old b... eggar and, just as with everything I
write, I prefer to use ten words where one will do - I have no idea who to blame for that.
I have, of course, listened to a great deal more music than just the output of the three artists listed, but I am unaware of anyone else actually having had any particular influence on the way I do things. I expect I’m in denial. :)
If I had any great ability as a guitarist I’d put down Jimi Hendrix but as I don’t, I’ll simply just have to list him as somebody that I listened to an awful lot in my formative years. I would like my guitar playing style to have been influenced by him but unfortunately it’s mainly influenced by a lack of practice. :-D
I do however revert to playing blues lines, albeit inexpertly, if left to my own devices and therefore my liking for bluesy stuff I do put down to the influence of Mister Hendrix.
There is no doubt my singing style has been influenced by Marc Bolan (hence T.Rex) and Bob Dylan. My lyric writing style is mainly due to me, once again, being a miserable crotchety old b... eggar and, just as with everything I
write, I prefer to use ten words where one will do - I have no idea who to blame for that.
I have, of course, listened to a great deal more music than just the output of the three artists listed, but I am unaware of anyone else actually having had any particular influence on the way I do things. I expect I’m in denial. :)