On my new CD, Tortilla Western Serenade, the song “Muse’s Duel” was inspired by a visit from the Muse when she was particularly testy. Gorgeous & sassy, dressed in a billowing peasant’s dress, & this time sauntering into my wild west dream town shouting an edgy do-or-die challenge to “blow me away!” with music, or she would take me down. Townsfolk shifted uncomfortably in the dusty street, thirsty to see a showdown. I awoke in a sweat; “how will I survive a showdown with the best?!”
She confronts me in the chorus:
“Go ahead, amaze me!
I’ll make it up as you go.
Go ahead and take me down
swallow me whole…”
You can hear it here: http://taralinda.bandcamp.com/track/muses-duel
I sang this for years just on bass, solo. It was a little more haunting then, but so nice to hear it now brought to life by the energy of bandmates and friends.
This has become my epitome song for the “Tortilla Western” sound I’ve been creating the last several years; part spaghetti western, part Tex-Mex, & rock. A sound I don’t hear very much, and so songs I had to write & sing to fill the void. The Southwest has a definite soundscape to it (more on that soon…).
Trumpet is by Al Gomez- (Westside Horns) in San Antonio, flamenco guitar David Gonzales. Recorded at Wavelab Studios Tucson by Craig Schumacher (Devotchka, Neko Case, Calexico).
