The Empty Vessel Web Page!

The Empty Vessel at last has an official web page! You can find it here:

http://bands.fournotes.co.uk/TheEmptyVessel.html

It's all part of Neal's website http://www.fournotes.co.uk/. He's trying to make a living from music. Good luck mate, is all I can say, with a bitter and twisted voice.

Only two songs up there at the moment, and ones that were on the old website. But now some different news. I have completed the lyrics for two entirely new Empty Vessel songs. The first is 'Humanisation' which I mentioned here: http://robertfenn.blogspot.com/2007/11/catch-up.html. The second is 'The Puppet On The Throne'. Both are classic old prog-rock songs in the 1970s style - which means they're quite long. There's nothing like a classic old prog-rock song, is there?

Oh I know I go from one thing to another and never quite get anything finished properly. But to be honest this whole project was all about a journey rather than a destination. That's a bit of a cliche. I shouldn't have posted that.

Finally, I had a chat with Jen on the phone a few days ago. I think I may have said a few stupid things earlier this year: sometimes I can get carried away. I apologised. She forgave me, again. Seems our relationship has been defined by me doing stupid things and then apologising. Not that we have a relationship, you understand, at least not in that sense. Stop reading stuff into this blog that isn't there.

Update on recent work

Work on 'The Empty Vessel' project is on hold at the moment. This is because I've been working with Neal on the vocals for his 'Pieces' project. 'Pieces' is being released under the 'Electronic Voice Phenomenon' name which is Neal's name for his electronica band. It's quite funny that Neal calls this a band since it's just him and me. I've written the lyrics as well as performed the vocals (there's a bit of guitar in there as well which I've done) and I'm pretty pleased with how it's shaping up.
'Pieces' consists of the following songs:

• A Faith Forgiving
• In My Head
• Life's A Bitch
• A Hole In My Life
• Like Rain
• Pieces

Neal has also been working on the website. There will be a proper release for 'Pieces' - I think Neal's lined up a friend of his who's a photographer, and he's going to do some arty shots.
Also, I think that quite soon there will be a nice page for 'The Empty Vessel'.

An email from Graham

I've had an email from Graham.

Hello Robert

I’m sure you are not too keen on hearing from me right now but I believe that when credit is due it should be given.

I refer here to your version of 'Freezer' which I recently listened to – excellent work Robert I really think you have done this track justice (pity you missed out the long instrumental in the middle but I understand that this must be very difficult to remember let alone recreate). I must also add that I’ve always said you had a superb voice and it seems that it has only improved with age – I thought you sounded a little like Bryan Ferry which in my opinion is a good thing and suits ‘Freezer’ well. I look forward to seeing what you do next.

I wonder if meeting up again (with myself and Jen) was a good idea as it seemed to trigger another 'episode' for you. I hope you get well soon.

Best

Graham

Hmmm. Thanks mate. I appreciate your comments. And I'm going to completely resist any sarcastic reply.

I Keep The One I Love In The Freezer

I've just uploaded the first mix of this song to http://www.fournotes.co.uk/. I hope you like it. If you remember, this is the one that I had an argument with Graham about last year. See http://robertfenn.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-nonsense-from-nonsemeister.html.

Just for the record, there is no ambiguity over the lyrics. It says what it says.

Remix of 'The Age of Innocence'

I've just posted a remix of 'The Age of Innocence' on www.fournotes.co.uk. I found the previous one was a bit too bassy and I hadn't mixed up a nice harmony vocal in the second verse very well.

Now posted

From Flying: The Age Of Innocence
From A Face In The Crowd: A Face In The Crowd, Part IV and Without You

Three down, lots to go! I'm close to posting 'I Keep The One I Love In The Freezer' but I'm going to the US on a signing trip for a week or so - it'll be some time after I'm back. I'm finding editing vocals takes a long, long time!

The Age of Innocence

I'm going to completely ignore that last post. I could delete it I suppose but I won't. I suspect that since Jen is now able to log in to my blog she and her "friends" could do anything. Whatever.

"The Age of Innocence", from the first "Empty Vessel" album, is now available from www.fournotes.co.uk. This is quite significant for me because it's the first piece of music I've put up there with vocals on. I think the vocals sound quite reasonable, personally - I'm pretty happy. I'm even happy with my attempt at Zed's little guitar lick he put on this one. I hope you enjoy it.

My name is Zed

My name is Zed. You don't need anything else.

Everything on here is a lie.

Thank you for reading.

The key

OK, so it turns out that apparently I had given Jen a key to my flat. I don't remember doing this, but apparently I did. Well, it's now back in my possession again. Jen (presumably) has posted it to me. Nothing else in the envelope, no message, no apology, no nothing.

I guess the thing I'm most disappointed in is that I thought that I was getting somewhere with Jen and Graham, at least. We did actually end up going to that Twelfth Night gig (see the entry on 12 November 2007), and we had a really good time. We all got rather drunk, and it was at that point that I must have given Jen the key. I can't imagine why, but I did, there you go.

Look, guys, Twelfth Night broke up before we did. They've managed to get back together again, why can't we? Oh, that's right - they still like each other. And their lead guitarist didn't completely screw up any chance they ever had of fame by disappearing just as a major contract was about to be signed.

What do I do?

I've calmed down now. I've learned a few lessons over the last week or so about who can and can't be trusted, so I'll be taking those forward. The plan remains the same: to complete the four albums of the Empty Vessel. I'm more confident than ever I can achieve that now.

Just as a complete aside, though, it did occur to me that you might be wondering what kind of person can just up and leave their job for six months and go and live in another country? I feel I owe you some sort of explanation.

Because what I have failed to tell you is that since leaving the Empty Vessel I have become quite a successful writer of fantasy fiction. No, not that sort of fantasy, fantasy as in fantasy and science fiction. I write under a pseudonym, which I'm not going to reveal here, and the chances of you having heard of me are pretty remote unless you're into that particular thing. I'd also be lying if I said it made me a fortune. It gives me a reasonable income.

So I've been using my time in Poland writing my next book. Exposure to different cultures is always good and sparks off ideas. I'm not quite sure what effect it's had on my writing, but it's certainly done something.

I've calmed down a bit

I've just read yesterday's post. It comes across as a bit of a rant, but I was really cross.

I'm beginning to suspect that Graham, Jen and Beth are all talking to each other about me. That they're meeting up regularly. Everything points that way. And the very worst part, the completely unforgiveable part, is Jen getting hold of a key to my flat and adding to my blog. How could that happen in this security conscious age, I hear you ask? Well, it did. And Jen says she did it because she was worried about me. Yeah, right. Just when we were beginning to get on so well again she has to go and do this.

If anything, this gives me added impetus to complete this project, despite the setbacks. I've been playing a fair bit of guitar while I've been in Poland over the last few months and I'm wondering whether I might just be able to do the guitar parts myself.

In a way, I don't think I'm surprised that I didn't find Zed in Poland. That would just be too easy. I've got a feeling there's quite a bit of pain and twists and turns to come before I finally work out what happened.

I have found Zed

It's me again, Robert. Posting to my own blog. Bit of a strange concept, that, isn't it, someone else posting to a blog which is personal. A personal blog. Blog is short for weblog - a log of someone's personal experiences. Needless to say I am finding it difficult to understand why anyone would interfere in such a way, well never mind, I'll expect anything from a group of people so willing to undermine something which was so good.

I have found Zed, as I said. Well...sort of. I have found out where he's been for more than twenty years. It turns out that Zed is the initial of his first name, which is something bizarrely unpronounceable in Polish. And where he's been, logically enough, is Poland. In the last six months I have stayed with his family. Unfortunately, he disappeared from even there about a year ago, and his family haven't seen or heard from him since. So I found him...and I've lost him again.

So now I'm home again, in my flat. I've changed the locks after recent experiences and I've decided that I don't need anyone to help me any more. I don't need Jen, I don't need Graham, I don't need Beth. My computer can play better than any of them. I'm close now to completing three early Empty Vessel songs: Age of Innocence, Solid Ground and When the Rain Doesn't Fall. I'll post them on www.fournotes.co.uk as soon as they're ready.

I'm not Robert

OK, this is weird. I don't know who you are. I don't even know if anyone except me and Graham read this blog.

I'm Jen. I'm writing this because Robert went missing just after Christmas. Don't ask me how I've managed to log on to his blog, it's a long story and not actually very interesting. Let's just say no laws were broken.

He's not a bad person, Rob, he's just very messed up. He was never able to put The Empty Vessel behind him. He always thought he was destined for greatness and would be up there with Dave Gilmour. But it never quite happened.

Robert, if you see this, please call me. I'm very worried.