22 Sep, 2008 Dream Within A Dream
The first thing that came to my notice on arrival at Rockfield studios, in those seemingly far off early days of August – were the copious apple trees laden then with yellowish orbs that seemed to scream out ‘All yours! Come and get us’.
The drive to do that just was forceful and I had to well and truly hold myself back as the boy that lives on in me wanted to get out the car and jump the hedge to help himself.
I was raised in a concrete Tower Block, you see. One of a handful of the same structures that spread through the surrounding urban housing estate. Therefore apple trees and orchards etc were kind of thin on the ground throughout my childhood. They were in fact the kind of magical things that I only read about or saw pictures of, therefore with reason and even to this day on coming across any kind of fruits growing freely my every instinct is to get my hands on them – and then my mouth of course.
Nevertheless the symbolism apparent in the surrounding nature of Monmouth has struck, and in particular if I compare the fact that when we arrived we had amassed a fair amount of song ideas that although quite formed, were nevertheless far from complete. A bit like those apples, not quite ready enough to be consumed in other words!
Whereas now, as we prepare to wrap up work some fifty odd days and nights later, the same songs, like the surrounding natural harvest – beg to be devoured. (Uh okay, or at least heard!) I guess what I am trying to say then am that music as it develops can – just like nature – also be quite the living thing
In any case, the Corpus Clock has moved and with only days left it will soon be time for us to demobilise. Inevitably then one morning soonish, I will stop the car, jump out and finally – my patience having paid off – pick up one of those bright red apples from the sprawl that lay under the surrounding trees.
Mission accomplished in more ways than one, the vehicle with me and my baggage bundled up inside will then set off towards some airport or other, and the events of our rain soaked summer at Rockfield will all too soon have become like a dream.
Our newly complete recordings will be the only real proof that the entire experience actually occurred – as well as being the true fruits of our endeavours! Without them it will all seem like a dream within a dream!
Jim Kerr