The very humble beginnings of the "Meddle MONSTER".

Conceived March 1989 This is Take 1 Mix 1 Recorded March 1989 Yamaha MT-100


And in the beginning there was.......................2 Guitars,several DOD & Boss Pedal FX,A Korg Drum Machine,4 track cassette recorder & Stereo cassette deck for "reductions"/"bounceback"'s.....and "THE RIFF"!! The bare beginnings of my 23 year obsession! First set of Overdubs was 1)-Stereo initial drum track from preset song on my Drum Machine & controlling Intro/Fill In/ Ending patterns with 3 foot pedals,while I...2)-laid down on Tx.3 an Electric Ryth.Guitar on a Squire Strat patched thru an Pedal FX chain of Flange,Compressor & Graphic EQ.Then it was onto...4)-A fake "Bass Guitar" (Squire Strat again) w/ Octave Pedal & bass-heavy GraphEQ.Then we proceded to 5)-mix this all down to Stereo & immediately bouncing it back to 4tx onto Tx 1 & 2,& then switching over to my HM Strat for everything that follows...6)-a HEAVILEY distorted "Crunch" ryth.Gt on Tx 3,& then....7)-A lead guitar on Tx.4,followed by 8)-another mixdown/bounce back,& finally...9)-a harmony lead guitar on Tx.3,then...10)-more drum/percussion/cymbal fills & flourishes on Tx.4,including in spots a sampled "Bass" sound from my Drum Machine!Interesting how I came up with a Bass Line where I'm not even following what the Kick Drum is doing & (except for over the "E" chords) not playing any root notes over most of the chords in the progression! I think it was at about take 8 that the Bass part first started to develop into what it sounds like now in Take 42.I think I was probably playing it with my finger instead of a pick also! Used heavier gauge strings on my guitars at this time too (.48-.11's I think!) The song has sure come a long way but the basic groove & melodic hook of it is already in place,but it had yet to have a real bridge to it; I wouldn't come up with that for about another 10 years or so!!