Charlie Crystle: Music

My House

Ithink I wrote this (gulp) 20 years ago. I think this is the third recording of it--in 2001. In 1994 RCA wanted to sign us on the basis of this song, but our record company at the time blocked the deal. And such is the narrow life of a 90's era band slipping off the ladder. 

Download 08 My House

Mockingbirds

I wrote this in 1993 after a lousy breakup--one of those relationships that couldn't possibly be good for anyone but tough to let go. Lots of obtuse references. This recording is the second, recorded in Columbia at Right Coast Studios with Chad Kinsey on guitar, Andy Sinesi on drums, John Freund on organ (amazing sound), and Garry Lee on bass. Produced by Robbie Adams (engineer on Achtung Baby). I used Robbie as an engineer for a record I produced in NY the following year by Marly Hornik, who has since quit the biz.

Download Mockingbirds.MP3

Come Home

I wrote this partly in 1990 when I lived in London; at the time it was called Wembly. Revived it at Smart Studios and rewrote parts of it.

Download come_home.MP3

I really like two things about this--the organ parts (chords by me, pull stops by Chris Walker to get that swirly sound), and the drum parts by Ronny Crawford. That's a single drumset, single take, single drummer, just really nice tasty stuff. He's the most musical drummer I've ever played with--his work with LIsa Loeb and others doesn't reflect how amazing he really is.

Check his stuff out here. http://ronnydrum.com/Home.html

American War

This is a very old song--wrote it in 1989 about our history of turmoil and conflict internally (our internal American War, which is a war of ideas, beliefs, and policy), and then specifically about the first Gulf War and US interventionism in general (3rd verse). Pretty aggressive song, lyrically ok.

The amazing Ronny Crawford on drums, Garry Lee on Bass, Chris Walker on Keys, me on guitars and vocals. Produced by me, Steve Marker and Butch Vig of Garbage at Smart Studios in July 1993, the summer of floods.

Download american_war.MP3

Reverence

Download 01_reverence.mp3

Wrote this about my dad as he was dying of cancer in 1996.

No

Download no_2_new.mp3

I wrote this in 2004 or so, after advocating for children's rights in Central America for 4 years. It's about someone down there I thought had an interest in me, so I flew down to ask her on a date. She said "A date?" as though it had never crossed her mind...

Black Hole Star

Download star.mp3

Wrote and recorded this when I was living in New York City. Not a final mix. Played everything on it, which explains some of the sloppy bass...

Music Blog

I've been an active musician from the time I was a kid. Still am. I've recorded 8 albums, produced a few, had a record deal (lousy), toured part of Europe, and played over a thousand gigs. Never quite got it right, but I'm still playing, still recording, still writing.

I've been working on an album--wait, let's be straight fro the beginning here: I'm not working on an album. I have a collection of 23 songs I've partially recorded and overmixed but haven't really completed. I need to do it just to move on. The process, though, has been meditative, very enjoyable.

My studio has been a part of my life since 2001. Before that I would scrape together money to buy time at other people's studios. It's on the third floor, and isn't perfect but it's good enough to make good recordings. but I don't spend enough time there now that I'm running my third company.

So now I'm making some tunes available. Try them, keep them, share them. The only thing I ask is that if you want to use them for commercial purposes, do it right and contact me first.

I hope you enjoy it!