Bud Redding - 'Control/Career'

Bud Redding has been a fixture on Buffalo/Western New York’s original music scene for longer than I have, as a fan, musician, DJ, booker of bands/general catastrophe avoider at The Continental and supporter/helper of many other musicians, writers, clubs and so on. Redding is also a United States Marine Corps veteran with a strong libertarian (specifically lower-case L, with his lack of trust of politics/politicians) streak.

While he previously recorded with Funk Monsters and Women, among others, only very recently, earlier this year, did he release his first solo CD, “Control/Career,” on Rachael’s Owl Music/Electric Owl Works Records. I am really enjoying this CD, with all performances by Redding. It sounds like great old school synthesizer based alternative music (at times you can hear some Electroman influence, not surprising since Redding created and performed a rock opera on the late, great Mark Freeland), and I write that in the best sense possible. Synths and keyboards sound like synths and keyboards, and not like they are trying oh, so hard to sound like other instruments. Rough edges are left in, when vocals need to be treated and/or distorted they are, and Autotune would be a travesty and is not present here.

The CD starts off with the strong, mid-tempo “Red Hearts and Black Hearts,” with somewhat bouncing synths and a higher-pitched melodic keyboard joined by sampled vocals repeating “Haile Selassie,” all over a steady dance rhythm. “AT-54 The Electron Sampler” is a warning against control and manipulation of access to information and people by technology and the media. Musically, it has a more ominous sound, with thicker keyboards and a more martial rhythm. “Today” features majestic, thick and strident synths as Redding sings of living in the moment, controlling anger that is simmering inside. He notes that he controls it for now, but…

“Astronaut” is very fast-paced, with keyboards and vocal samples (including one of Public Enemy’s Chuck D) joined by a guitar synth melody. Redding wants to be above and beyond the fray, control and surveillance of everyday life and apparent law enforcement/the state. “Wide Asleep” is a less frenetic song, smoother but still urgent lyrically, with Redding guaranteeing that while people crossing him won’t necessarily get their just desserts today, he will pay them back double for their transgressions. On “Don’t You Drink the Water,” Redding uses a reggae/island style beat to illustrate how international conglomerates and monied interests ruin less “developed” areas through pursuit of money and causing/dumping of pollution and wastes. “The Devil’s Bedroom” is another major up-tempo synth dance-oriented song over sounds of bedroom activity and possible warnings of people using sex as power, domination and manipulation. 

While I mentioned that synthesizers and keyboards are allowed to sound like themselves and not like imitations of other instruments, people should realize that this is a well put together and sounding recording, recorded and mixed by Redding and produced and mastered by Charles H. Root III at Electric Owl Works in South Wales. There is also some very cool cover artwork courtesy of Craig Larotonda of Revolution Gallery on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo.

“Control/Career” can be obtained from Redding at his live shows, and is also available on Google Play, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Prime, and either is or will be soon be available at Revolver Records, Frizbees, and Revolution Gallery.

Frustration, or How I Learned to Start Worrying and Hate Writer's/Creative Block

To say I am frustrated would be accurate but a vast understatement.

It has been almost 7 months since my lifesaving cardiac surgery, and while I have recovered quite well physically, returned to work and gained back almost 15 of the more than 40 pounds I lost, I am still showing the effects of the massive amount of surgery I underwent at the Cleveland Clinic. I was told that I would feel a post-surgical fog of sorts for up to 12 months, considering I was out of things from the anesthesia from my surgery for more than 24 hours.

When you are recovering from major surgery, you expect to be feeling its aftereffects for a while; I had to relearn how to breathe deeply so I could speak in phrases of more than a few seconds without gasping for air and to make sure I could be heard and understood; this took only a few days, but my breathing exercises to strengthen my lung capacity and endurance went on for a couple of months and a was a major part of my at-home recovery. Despite all of my resting and recovery attempts, I passed out my first day back to work in January from dehydration, but returned after only one day out and have been back to work and fine ever since. In fact, work has gone quite well, with my ability to concentrate at least as good, if not better, than before and I have taken on a bit more responsibility. To be honest, I do drink a lot more fluids and I have started taking in a bottle of Coke Zero, the only sugar-free soft drink I really like, but I drink it sparingly, taking full effect of the therapeutic properties of its caffeine.

DJing at WBNY, my apparent creative refuge

So, what is the source and cause of the above-mentioned frustration? I am still feeling fatigue from the post-surgical fog/effects of the surgery, which strike soon after I get home from work during the week. I first walk our dog, Harold, which fortunately doesn’t take too much out of me physically or mentally…or so I thought. When we get home, I have to make dinner, and lately, I am feeling rather tired but still make dinner.

NOW, I hit the major frustration; any creative activity, mainly my writing, is like a mountain to climb or marathon to run, as I am physically and mentally more tired than I was pre-surgery. I used to be kind of bad falling asleep after diner, but I am now notorious for dozing off. It is something that doctors, nurses and therapists at the Cleveland Clinic told me would happen, but I hoped it would not have such a hold on me and for so long. I have specific projects I am working on and want to work on, but I can’t seem to get through the fog, the tiredness and the reawakening of parts of my brain to accomplish them, or certainly not at any pace or quality that satisfies me. I am either getting inspiration and ideas at the more inconvenient times, such as work or when walking the dog, or I am not getting them at all or weakly.

I was fortunate to have been given a talent, an ability to write in manners that communicate with people and present concepts in cogent, convincing and entertaining manners; not everyone has certain creative talents or the ability to convey them, and writing has become inseparable from me and my identity. It was my job as a newspaper reporter and editor for more than 18 years and has been my life as a professional writer for more than 30 years. Not being able to write meaningfully, and not being able to overcome certain obstacles, even if temporary, is a real punch to the gut; even though I have taken to photography to express certain creative feelings and ideas, I feel as if I am wasting my real creative talent. It is incredibly gratifying to be and call myself a writer, and not being able to do so in any way near what I want is almost like telling me I am no longer a writer, regardless of that being true or not.

It isn’t as if I haven’t tried to get through this; I continue to write on social media, and don’t think the quality or quantity has decreased, but instead of being complementary to my writing for publications and blogging, it has virtually become my only outlet. After I got out of the hospital, I began writing about certain memorable parts of my two stays, and ended up writing thousands of words on it. Not one piece, not one word has seen the light of day, because I do not feel any of it is good enough to share; there are some things I really want to write about, including medication affected dreams and hallucinations, but I’ll be damned if I can find any words even close to expressing what I felt and saw. I discussed this and other related concerns with my incredible wife, photographer Valerie Dunne, who has been amazingly supportive and offered my several approaches and resolutions, as have other artists and creative people when I ask for advice or recommendations on this topic.

Being strong headed (to put it mildly) on my writing and related activities, advice is sometimes difficult to filter through my specific creative ability and approach. I am not the type who can or will write simply as catharsis and put it out there; I always have and probably will write something that is up to certain standards before I put it before other people, and communication with others is vital to me. I have tried to write notes or partial ideas and thoughts, but that hasn’t led to anything and it hasn’t shaken me loose from the writer’s block. I appreciate all of the support and ideas people have given me, but I hope they realize, and I’m sure most do, just how individual the creative process can be for people, not just across artistic and creative endeavors and fields, but between people in the same creative areas.

I will struggle with this creative/writer’s block until it goes away or until I stop caring about it, and I can’t ever see the latter occurring. I have suffered periods of writer’s block in the past, none this long or as frustrating, and I hope you’ll bear with me until I send away or temporarily stop, if not slay, this dragon.

Postscript: Thinking after finishing this piece, I did forget one very important and enjoyable creative route that has treated me well over this recovery, that being able to DJ at WBNY 91.3 FM at Buffalo State College. As an alumnus, I did my annual Alumni Weekend show, but what really helped me was being able to be the substitute DJ for two weeks for Robin Connell (an excellent DJ with fantastic musical taste) on her “What You Need” program. I was able to create a sound experience for two, three-hour periods thanks to Robin offering me this opportunity and with Val giving me lots of encouragement and musical suggestions. Since that occurred in May, I hope the creative boost gave me stays around a while and I would appreciate the opportunity to DJ again at WBNY, one way or another.

'Death or Glory: Came too Close to the Former This Time' Play List & More Ramblings of Gratitude

     While I once again had a lot of fun DJing my annual WBNY 91.3 FM Alumni Weekend shift this year, circumstances were a little bit different during my scheduled midnight-3 AM Saturday night/Sunday morning, April 22, show.

     Since I haven't blogged about it here, this year's edition of "Death Or Glory: Came too Close to the Former This Time," celebrated my survival from a heart attack and aortic aneurysm event October 20 and open heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic (the medical and all of the staff there are amazing) November 20, which included a triple coronary bypass, aortic tear repair, aortic valve repair, three stents being placed inside me, including my carotid artery, and, a new thing to me, the implanting of a "frozen elephant trunk," a vinyl mesh vessel inside the aortic artery running basically from my upper chest above my heart to my hip region. I am feeling very good, about 95-97 percent recovered, back to work, walking Harold, grocery shopping and living every grateful moment with my lovely wife Val Dunne.

Your DJ, WBNY studios, 2016.

     Being back on the air at WBNY meant even more than usual to me; the music is always a big part of things and my life, but to be able to handle the physical side of what turned into a more than 4-hour air shift (I actually played music until 4:30 AM) and what it means for my physical and emotional survival is also big. It also has allowed me to be artistic and creative, something I have needed and not been able to do very much since my surgery just over 6 months ago as of this writing.

     I tried, as usual, to play much of the music I love and that has influenced and inspired me, with some changes and some songs reflecting my medical needs, recovery and references to hearts and blood in general. I did forget to take in a few songs (not bringing Roxy Music's "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" was a particular disappointing omission), but I feel I had my best show in my "Death or Glory" series, musically and technically, even with a few goofs. I could have gone on until 5 AM or so, but I could feel myself getting tired and didn't want the quality of the show to decline or to drive home while dozing off.

     So, here is my play list from the show:
 

     Midnight – “Death or Glory,” the Clash; “Love Like Blood,” Killing Joke; “Discovering Japan,” Graham Parker and the Rumor; “Poptones,” Public Image Limited; “Heart Attack and Vine,” Tom Waits; “Broken English,” Marianne Faithfull; “Tell That Girl to Shut Up,” Holly and the Italians; “Hello Birmingham,” Ani DiFranco; ”Girl Power,” Mark Freeland/Electroman.

     1 AM – “Heartbeat,” the Vores; “Good Luck, Money and Gasoline,” the Pine Dogs; “Crash All Night,” Jim Whitford; “Indy 500,” girlpope; “Pumping My Heart,” Patti Smith Group; “Love Comes in Spurts,” Richard Hell and the Voidoids; “Cretin Hop,” the Ramones; “One Way or Another,” Blondie; “You Burn Me Up (I’m a Cigarette),” Robert Fripp; “Do the Strand,” Roxy Music; “It’s No Game (Part 1),” David Bowie; “Trans-Europe Express,” Kraftwerk; “Cross-eyed and Painless,” Talking Heads; “Looking for a Kiss,” New York Dolls.

     2 AM – “Death Valley ’69,” Sonic Youth; “Heart,” Rockpile; “Down in the Park,” Gary Numan; “Damaged Goods,” Gang of Four; “Click, Click, Click,” English Beat; “Sister Europe,” Psychedelic Furs; “While the City Sleeps,” the Ramrods; “I’m the Target,” Paper Faces; “Hail to the Chief,” the Rain; “Drag the Lake,” Oui73; “This Is It,” the Jumpers.

     3 AM – “Nighttime,” Ray Wylie Hubbard; “Marie Marie,” the Blasters; “Ashtray Heart,” Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band; “Sex Bomb,” Flipper; “Tell Me When It’s Over,” Dream Syndicate; “Good Morning Aztlan,” Los Lobos; “Boxcars,” Joe Ely; “A Million Miles Away,” the Plimsouls; “Two Angels,” Peter Case; “Killin’ Time in Texas,” Gurf Morlix; “Hot Blood,” Lucinda Williams; “No Action,” Elvis Costello and the Attractions; “Start!” the Jam; “Holidays in the Sun,” Sex Pistols; “Tattooed Love Boys,” the Pretenders.

     4 AM – “Your Phone’s Off the Hook (But You’re Not),” X; “Pink Turns to Blue,” Husker Du; “Uncontrollable Urge,” Devo; “From the Air,” Laurie Anderson; “The Ascension,” Glenn Branca.

     As always, I want to thank the staff and management of WBNY 91.3 FM for allowing us alumni to come in and have some fun on the air, and while I will make an official announcement very soon, I will be gracing the airwaves again soon, way before next year's Alumni Weekend.