Album credits
All music and lyrics by: Simon Milliman Performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by: Simon Milliman All instruments and vocals by: Simon Milliman Guitar solos on Rain in the Desert by: Joshua Slamp Vocals: Danelle Dullum
Liner Notes:
When I realized that I am now at the halfway point of this 12 albums in 12 months project it was kind of a bittersweet moment. I felt good about the work I had done so far. Would I go back and change a lot of it if I could? Yes. I’m really bad about that. I aim to live as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, ferociously within each moment, only pondering regret long enough for it to help improve and execute current plans. Hamlet is one of my great artistic heroes; he feigns madness so well as to fool even himself. Would that I could do that with genius. The creation of this album, The Bee and the Butterfly, helped me put some of these philosophies to the test. Skipping the boring details, I found myself with only 7 days with which to complete the album. Pondering this I also realized that I hadn’t written a single note or lyric and had only the vaguest idea of what the album would be: something like Trip-hop...something like low-fi jazz…
I set a goal to compose, record, and mix one song per day for six days and on the seventh I would do mix revisions and masters. An even greater challenge would be to involve other musicians in the process. It’s not really fair to them to ask them to contribute something in such a time frame, but I have impressive friends. On the second day I was getting close to finishing, Rain in the Desert, so I sent a quick message to guitarist par excellence, Joshua Slamp, asking if he’d be interested in laying down a couple of guitar solos. He said he would and got back to me within just a day or two with those ripping solos. Ripping solos on a trip-hop inspired album? Oh, yeah…Eddie Van Halen just passed away. It must have been contagious. Lacking all the finesse and feel of Slamp’s solo work, I found myself shredding at the end of, On Any Given Corner. RIP, Eddie. May all your harps have whammy bars.
On the sixth day Danelle Dullum came over and recorded all of her vocals for the album’s three songs. She was shy and hesitant, probably knowing that her perfect pitch would clash with some of my in-between notes. My phrasing can often be a challenge for other singers. From one verse to the next my phrasing and often my melodies can change completely. That’s more interesting to me. Despite these facts Danelle finished in what seemed like no time. I knew she had done a good job, but the following day when I began final mixes I was in love. Danelle’s lush tones spilled over with sweetness, strength, and femininity. I’m convinced I wouldn’t even like the songs anymore if her voice wasn’t there.
The final composition I completed (also on that sixth day before Danelle came to the studio) is also the final track on the album, Nothing in the Hand. I came up with this title in a moment of frustration when I felt my creative powers dwindling, I had no more tricks up my sleeve, no roll of quarters hidden in my fist to punch my way through one final piece. Standing in stupor I stared into the void for maybe five or ten minutes before smacking myself on the forehead. I smiled and laughed at myself for being so dramatic and foolish and thought, “Buddy, you can do whatever you want. How can you be stuck when you can do whatever you want?”
It wasn’t instantaneous musical revelation. I still struggled through the rest of the composition feeling like Sysiphis the entire way, but I finished and can honestly say I’m happy with the result. I can’t imagine, Nothing in the Hand, being anyone’s favorite track; it’s a rambling exploration in and out of the whole tone scale. A piece like this is a question with no answers. Name a top 40 hit that isn’t resolute in its convictions. Perhaps I enjoyed composing, Nothing in the Hand, because it is a little like a return to the void where creation happens for creation’s sake; no morals or values or convictions to guide the process; no dominance; no winners or losers; no internal bias. Geez...it must be an election year.
