Tag Archives: laptop sessions

“Up in the Air” by Kevin Renick – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

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To see how it’s played in a music video, CLICK HERE!

“Up in the Air”
Kevin Renick

C    G            C
I’m up in the air,
C                       G                C
Choices drifting by me everywhere.
C       Am                Em
And I can’t find the one
Em             Am                                        Em
That would help me do the work I’ve left undone,
Em            G            C
‘Cause I’m up in the air.

I’m making some plans,
Finding out there’s always new demands.
And I can’t be precise;
When people ask me what I’m doing with my life,
I say, “It’s up in the air.”

C    G                  C
I’m hearing from friends.
C                   G                C
It’s that tired, old advice again:
C      Am                                        Dm
“You just cannot keep floating all around.
Dm        Am                                             Dm
Oh, you got to get your feet back on the ground.”
Dm      Am                Em
But it’s hard to come down
Em               G             C
When you’re up in the air.

C         G                    C
Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
C         G                    C
Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
Am      Em     Am             Em
Daaaa, daaa; daaa, da-da-da
C
Mmm-mm…

I’m traveling in my car,
Always lost, though I don’t go that far.
I find that I can live most anywhere.
Everyone I meet has so much they can share.
But I don’t settle down,
‘Cause I’m up in the air.

I’m thinking of my past,
The comfort in my home that couldn’t last.
Now my family tells me work for your success,
And they want to see me find some happiness.
But I’m not sure where that is,
‘Cause I’m up in the air.

I’m talking with my peers,
Listening to them tell their inner fears.
Some have lives that haven’t gone the way they planned,
And some are trapped in situations they can’t stand.
But I don’t want the same for me,
So I stay up in the air.

Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
Daaaa, daaa; daaa, da-da-da
Mmm-mm…

I’m out in the woods;
Something here does my heart so good.
I breathe the air, and I know that I’m alive.
And I stare at all the birds as they fly by.
I guess it all comes down to them,
‘Cause they’re up in the air…

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **

The Weekend Review: March 2013 Report

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By Chris Moore:

The Next Day (David Bowie)

Producer: David Bowie and Tony Visconti

Released: March 8, 2013

Rating:  4.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” & “The Next Day”

After releasing albums at breakneck speed for over three decades until 2003, David Bowie returns from a ten year studio album silence with The Next Day, a masterful accomplishment that serves to reestablish his place in rock music.  Here, Bowie offers up heartfelt vocals across a range of songs from fast-paced to downbeat and heavily produced to minimally rendered.  His work continues to demonstrate dominance, particularly in the realm of quirky atmospherics, and the first three tracks quickly suggest the diversity to come across the record.  From “The Stars (Are Out Tonight),” the most single-worthy standout on the album (despite the fact it was chosen as the second single) to well-paced yet laidback “I’d Rather Be High” to the balladic, smooth, bittersweet tones of “Where Are We Now?”, Bowie’s range is what is perhaps most impressive on The Next Day.  This is a project on which all of the songs share a common sound and feel, yet defy any criticism of uniformity.  This is not to mention the lyrical content, which is worthy of uninterrupted time spent listening while reading along to a lyrics booklet.  With this all established, we can only hope that Bowie won’t wait another decade for a follow-up.

 

 

 

 

Old Sock (Eric Clapton)

Producer: Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II, Justin Stanley, & Simon Climie

Released: March 12, 2013

Rating: 2 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Every Little Thing” & “Gotta Get Over”

The last truly dominant, dynamic, and original Eric Clapton album was released in 1998.  It was titled Pilgrim and featured all Clapton tracks with only a couple exceptions.  The ratio of originals-to-covers fell to 2:1 for the still outstanding Reptile in 2001 (an album equal to if not better than Pilgrim) and the uneven Back Home (2005).  His 2010 solo release, strapped with the fittingly unoriginal title Clapton, saw him boasting a credit on only one track and a co-writing credit at that.  Now, three years later, Old Sock continues the trend as his first solo album to feature no original compositions, blues-cover albums like From the Cradle, Riding with the King, and Me and Mr. Johnson notwithstanding.  The most frustrating part of this realization is that Clapton is clearly still deserving of his status as legendary guitarist, teasing licks and riffs here and there that are distinctly a style and delivery all his own.  It is difficult to blame him for taking this relaxed route in the latter days of his career, as his recent covers compilations have tended to net reviews equal to or greater than those awarded his recent original efforts.  It is also difficult to listen to Old Sock and not feel the nagging desire to switch over to Pilgrim or Reptile sooner rather than later.

 

 

 

 

Earth Rocker (Clutch)

Producer: Machine

Released: March 15, 2013

Rating:  4.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Crucial Velocity” & “D.C. Sound Attack!”

 

After a foray into more blues-based work, Clutch returns with resounding and resonating rock that is not only instantly accessible but also worthy of repeated listens and further study.  The pace rarely lets up as, track after track, the band continues to rip into full-throttle rock.  Indeed, the first five tracks are among the strongest opening sequences they’ve presented: from the infectiously catchy laugh refrain in “Earth Rocker” to the allusive “Unto the Breach,” the pace doesn’t let up until the well-placed, hauntingly stripped-down “Gone Cold.”  Lyrically, Neil Fallon’s words are by turns forceful and poetic, direct and open for interpretation.  The commentary is perhaps sharpest on “Mr. Freedom,” the blend of vocal and instrumental energy screams forth from “D.C. Sound Attack!,” and the vocals never seem quite so driven as on “Unto the Breach,” yet it is on “Crucial Velocity” that a near-perfect fusion of all the strengths of this album is achieved.  From the dead-on-target guitar work to the razor sharp lyrical commentary, it is difficult to understand why this track was held back as the second single.  Regardless, Earth Rocker provides further evidence that Clutch can still render loud, relevant rock on a level beyond most other bands.  The first six tracks are essentially perfect, and the second half presents gems – “Book, Saddle, and Go” and “Cyborg Bette” to name a couple – that may be overshadowed initially but will offer up more over time.  In short, Earth Rocker is an essential rock album for 2013.

“Ingrid Bergman” (Wilco & Billy Bragg Cover)

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By Chris Moore:

In the spirit of the blog, I’ll be posting on several topics tonight.  First, let’s get down to business and talk about my choice for an acoustic cover song session.  “Ingrid Bergman” is my second selection from the Wilco and Billy Bragg album Mermaid Avenue.  This album has one of my favorite back-stories; essentially (as I described for my “Walt Whitman’s Niece” post), Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and British folksinger Billy Bragg were given access and rights to boxes full of Woody Guthrie lyrics.  They recorded this album by writing music to fifteen of Guthrie’s songs, and it is an excellent recording.  Unfortunately, the second volume is not nearly as fresh and exciting as the first…

That being said, I had such a good time and a good response for my first Mermaid Avenue track that I decided to record this one also.  “Ingrid Bergman” is a song that I have oftentimes gotten easily stuck in my head and I find it peaceful to sing along to in my head.  It was actually more difficult to figure out the strumming pattern than I thought it would be.  Other than that, it was a pretty straightforward performance that I hope you’ll enjoy listening to!

In other news, it was a bad day to be a Mets fan…  After yesterday’s AMAZING outing by Johan Santana, I thought that there might be enough energy and momentum built up to translate into an important win of this, the last game played at Shea Stadium.  I’d like to jump on the bandwagon and blame the bullpen, but the great point has been made that, really, it takes both defense AND offense to make a winning team.  Not to mention the reasonable argument that Santana is essentially the sole reason why the Mets were in the race for so long to begin with.  Well, I suppose I can’t really complain.  I haven’t been a Mets fan for all that long, and this is really the first year that I watched or paid close attention to each game (thank you iPhone!!).  Let’s hope that management and the team in general has learned some important lessons for next year…

And last, but certainly not least, I will second Jim’s reflections on friendship.  I think that, all too often, with family, friends, lovers — we get so busy with our day to day lives and we lose perspective.  I know that I have been guilty of that.  And I’ve also been guilty of not taking a firm stand for those that I care about.  Life is a crazy, crazy process, and every time I think that I’m getting ahead of the curve and finding happiness, I get set back a step.  Ever felt that way?  Ever felt trapped by a paradox, or a no-win situation?  For those that don’t know me, I’m generally a pretty positive person — sometimes positive in the face of all logical proof to the contrary.

Contradictions, controversy, and general confusion are some of the best reasons we write.  I know that they’re my motivations.  And let’s just say I have a lot to write!  (More about that on my upcoming Original Wednesday…)

Thanks for stopping by for your daily dose of Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song excitement; don’t forget to hurry back tomorrow for an all-new cover by Jeff.

See you next session!

“This Land is Your Land” (Woody Guthrie Cover)

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By Chris Moore:

In the political spirit we’ve all been in recently, I thought you might enjoy this one…

You know, this is one of those songs that first came to me in elementary school, as part of a string of patriotic songs that I had to learn and sing for one of our big assemblies.  What I cared about then was more learning the words, and less what they meant.  What I most cared about was putting on a good show for my parents and grandparents.  But now, a decade and a half later, I’ve come back to this song and found more depth than I remember previously.

For instance, the final verse of the song (which was conspicuously absent from the version my classmates and I sang for our parents) refers to the narrator seeing “his people” in the line outside the relief office.  The final line of the final verse deals with those people asking “Is this land still made for you and me?”

Wow.  I can see why my elementary teachers stuck to the parts about the “redwood forests and gulf stream waters.”  Much less controversial to deal strictly with geography.  Once you start to deal with the issues taking place between “California and the New York islands” — now, that gets sticky.

And, in my opinion, much more interesting!  I definitely like Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” much more after learning the full version.  It’s not even so much that I like it more, but I find it much more interesting.  And I can’t believe I haven’t introduced Guthrie — one of the classic American acoustic guitar players and songwriters — to the Laptop Sessions.  I realize that we focus more heavily on the sixties and forward (and on rock), but Guthrie is the original hero of my own musical hero, Bob Dylan.  Anyway, I’m glad I could fill that gap.

I don’t think there’s much of a market for replica Woody Guthrie acoustics — unlike, say, the Eric Clapton Fenders… [drool…] — but I always liked how Guthrie’s guitar bore the slogan, “This machine kills fascists.”  You never know…

Well, that’s about it for me for now.  If you haven’t done so already, you need to listen to Jim’s Original Wednesday for this week.  I usually try to hold my tongue, as there are only so many times a close friend and collaborator can say “Awesome song, man” before the credibility wears off.  But I’m not holding my tongue this time.  I didn’t really know what to expect, since it seems it was written in a quick burst and recorded directly after.  But it’s catchy and has some interesting lyrics.  So, go ahead, get over to that post and join the latest conversation starter at the greatest acoustic rock cover song music blog on the Internet!

See you next session!