February Album Writing Month - FAWM.ORG

Rob from Amersfoort (@robs)

progress: 25

winner!
joined: February 1 2011
location: Netherlands
website: www.robswebstek.com/
influences: Beatles, Fiona Apple, Wilco, Michael Penn, Prince, Suzanne Vega, Elliott Smith, Neil Finn, Harry Nilsson, Suede, Cardigans, Liz Phair, Roxy Music, Bowie, Johnny Cash, Fats Domino.

Bio

Dutch.Man.Amersfoort.Creative.IT.Music.History 'songwriter-recorder'

52 50/90 songs: http://fiftyninety.fawmers.org/users/rob-amersfoort

http://www.robswebstek.com [non-music]
http://www.robstevensmusic.com [music]

suggestions are welcome!

* THANKS FOR LISTENING * I'll still be here in March and April.

2012 Songs

1	I Don't Wanna Start	15 comments // 3 months ago
2	The Summer's Sun	10 comments // 3 months ago
3	Olive Oil And Worcestershire (rost-wille-hoops)	16 comments // 3 months ago
4	Teardrop Son	7 comments // 3 months ago
5	The Incredible Story Of An Intellectual Power-Hungry Walrus or Why Genetic Engineering On Living Ani (with tweeningzone)	12 comments // 3 months ago
6	Fire and Ice	5 comments // 3 months ago
7	I'm Not That Smart (with arthurrossi)	10 comments // 3 months ago
8	[commercial] Buy A Typewriter!	22 comments // 3 months ago
9	I Am Swimming (with xnonentityy)	9 comments // 3 months ago
10	Terrible Orphans (hoops-debs-turtlefence-robs)	8 comments // 3 months ago
11	There Is No Song No. 11	11 comments // 3 months ago
12	Britta, I Miss You (Community)	6 comments // 3 months ago
13	Second Term President	15 comments // 3 months ago
14	We Live We Die (with kmethley)	2 comments // 3 months ago
15	I'm NSFW	10 comments // 3 months ago
16	Let's Call It Quits	6 comments // 3 months ago
17	[intermission] Noziroh Eht No Epoh	4 comments // 2 months ago
18	I Am NOT RobS	11 comments // 2 months ago
19	We’re Living In A Multiverse	6 comments // 2 months ago
20	Big Leap	10 comments // 2 months ago
21	Jazz Lynn (with cts)	8 comments // 2 months ago
22	Keep Your Options Open	5 comments // 2 months ago
23	My Celestial Soul	3 comments // 2 months ago
24	Get Me Over	6 comments // 2 months ago
25	Keep Calm and Carry On	13 comments // 2 months ago

Soundboard

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$Elyon\'s mitten - anonymouse$ anonymouse 1 month ago

thanks for making the effort to listen to that song (that I think no one else had heard)
nuerdetjuligen 1 month ago

dude! i love that you've done all this research about antarctica! you're awesome!
rhymetime 2 months ago

I had a listen to Harry Nilsson, thanks for making such a nice comparison. I am pleased that you liked it!
Annie
mattblick 2 months ago

This will explain http://youtu.be/An8ug1D7W3A
tigheo 2 months ago

Thanks for your input!
quigboto 2 months ago

Hey man, thanks for the kind comments and encouragement. I've added you to my watchlist so I can check out some of your stuff when I get a sec, and return the favor.
skullcrush 2 months ago

Thank you for commenting on my songs :] I looked up Prince's association with Batman, and heh, this was in the wiki entry: "The [Batman] album was quickly recorded in six weeks—from mid-February to late March 1989". Fits the mood of FAWM!
It was a pleasure to play such cool tunes on the FAWMCast, thank you for creating them
natrin 2 months ago

thanks (:
musicsongwriter 2 months ago

Thank you Rob, well, not a bad idea It was amazing to listen to a keyboard player during our holidays, he used so many fantastic sounds. I think I'd need to learn a lot before trying...
downburst 2 months ago

Hey Rob, thanks for the nice comments about my songs.
thundereggrules 2 months ago

Thanks for the kind words, Rob!
fuzzy 2 months ago

Rob, thanx for letting us hear your wonderful and unique tunes this FAWM! I love your stuff!
jamkar 2 months ago

Thank you for the listen and kind comments. Always appreciate hearing from you! : )
jessicagraae 2 months ago

Thank you for your nice comments on my song.
marlenejs 2 months ago

Thanks so much for your comments on Ocean's Storm and Co-dependent. So glad someone is listening. Yes, the storm one could be used in a movie. We recently signed up with a marketing agent to offer our stuff for film and TV. Our website is http://www.NightbloomMusic.com if you'd like to hear some more. And what a songwriter you are! Look how many you got in! Great!
zecoop 2 months ago

Thanks so much for checking out my songs... So little time this year. I made some progress and enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing all your music!
johnnycashpoint 2 months ago

oh, i reckon i could take him
musicsongwriter 2 months ago

Hello Rob. Thank you so much for your beautiful comment on my collaboration on Lullaby
madthesinger 2 months ago

Thank you so much for all your comments and congrats on making it to 25! That's insane, man! (:
sherrycanary 2 months ago

Thank you for comments.
bokonon 2 months ago

Hey man, the synthy-type noises were made by cutting and pasting bits of a failed acoustic guitar take in Cubase. I'm too dumb to use a Kaossilator, but I can sure as hell ctrl+c ctrl+v !
gwagirl1 2 months ago

Thanks so much for your comments! (:
mattpierce 2 months ago

Thanks for the comments on my emotional math song!
I thought I could've had done more with it, but it is fawm!
arthurrossi 2 months ago

Thank you very, very much for your continuing kind and awesome comments! I appreciate it a lot!
mattblick 2 months ago

Yeah Rob - you pretty much talked me into it so thanks a lot to you - and you really got above and beyond this year. Would it be fair to say your songwriting's took a leap forward since doing FAWM?
nicksypniewski 2 months ago

Robs, thanks very much for all the comments on all my songs. It is very much appreciated. I'm just on my way out for the evening and wanted to thank you. I promise I'll get to returning the favor with some reviews of your songs tomorrow. Thanks again.
Just one note (probably more of those tomorrow too) - Re: Samantha - you're very close on the "tribute". I hear Lennon's Beatle cover of Anna on the Samantha part and Watching the Wheels on the Where are you going? part. And no, neither was intentional, but when/if I get around to redoing the song, I'll try to change them up a bit anyway. The third "tribute" is following those opening lines of the verse, the chord change (and the way I'm playing it) is straight from Simon and Garfunkel's I Am A Rock. Again, I'll fix it later. Thanks again - more tomorrow.
explodingmary 2 months ago

it IS the cat, most likely.
hamiltonpoolhall 2 months ago

And mine is the Rubber Soul/Yesterday and Today/Revolver trifeca. I'm with ya!
gmwhite 2 months ago

Robs - Thanks for the comments!! I have yet to find listening time, but I'll stop by here when I can sit and listen.
Way to finish!!
cts 2 months ago

Awesome!! I'm so glad you do...because it is quite a funky track. Thanks for the hook up, too. We've got to do this again!
hamiltonpoolhall 2 months ago

Thanks for taking the time to comment on some of my songs - I really appreciate it!
johncrossman 2 months ago

Hey robs! It's late in the game, but the auntie-sin game thread has run its course on thread #3. If you have a chance, you could take a shot at the antithesis of my song - *31203. If not, that's ok too!

Here's the thread: http://fawm.org/forums/thread/2637
petemurphy 2 months ago

Oh, and I meant to say - I normally pretty methodical when it comes to writing harmonies (I write all the harmonies in my band, and sing most of them), but on these songs I made most of the harmonies up on the spot, as I was recording them (it was a case of "hummmm heee hooooo... ok, that will do"). Some of them are terribly out of tune (especially on the song called Better Days), but the rough ideas are there.
petemurphy 2 months ago

Wow! Thank you for such a nice comment. I was touched when i read it. My motto has always been "I haven't really got a clue what I'm doing, but I love doing it" - if someone else enjoys it too then it makes me happy. The songs I've written for fawm are very different to anything I've written before (probably due to me restricting myself to writing all the songs on an unfamiliar instrument).

You're doing great things with that BR-600. Really cool, interesting stuff. I remember my dad used to have a BR-8 that used zip discs. That was a good unit but the zip discs were a pain. I imagine there's some kind of internal hard drive/storage in the newer models.
sync 2 months ago

Hey, you made it! I really enjoyed listening to your songs on my commute this month. Really digging Big Leap. I'm gonna have to check out your 50/90 next. Thanks!
nightengale 2 months ago

Hi Robs, I appreciate you're comments,and btw, congrats on the win!
xnonentityy 2 months ago

Hey man! I just (finally) got a chance to listen to your take on my lyrics. I like it! The organ was my favorite, heh. (: thanks!

Congrats, also!
arthurrossi 2 months ago

Thank you very much for your funny comment!!! lol... Yes, I must admit, first I was targeting 100, but I think I will fail... this time... I am not only lacking another 7 sets of lyrics, but even more as some songtexts when have been put to music have been posted another time, so the real number is even a bit smaller... Anyway, it will be an additional motivation for next FAWM to try it... lol... However, the most beautiful thing in FAWM (at least as far as I am concerned) is the friendly and constructive way people from so different countries and cultures inter-react and even work on mutual projects... I know this might sound quite cliche and kitchy, but it is even like a kind of a little dream of a better world... At this place, I would like to thank you once more very much for having made something that wonderful what you did by using my simple words, creating such a gorgeous song... It was absolutely a pleasure to me...
fuzzy 2 months ago

"Inflating an air mattress"! Never thought of it like that before; puts a whole new spin on the song...
slyswell 2 months ago

about "city of a hundred steeples" : yes, the rocket is a hockey reference......and the last line " center known as Bell" is also a hockey reference. I wrote it this way to express that hockey is a religion ( people often say that about Montreal).

Thanks for listening!
marlenejs 2 months ago

Thanks so much for commenting about my song about Whitney Houston. I visited Holland twice, btw, and Love your country!
balddude 2 months ago

Thank you very much for the wonderful compliments! It was a pleasure to share the same lyrics with you. ; ) Keep on writing & recording. You've got happening material!
wyatt 2 months ago

Thanks on"Universe
Fringe had escaped my notice.
It sounds like my cuppa' tea
I'll have to remember to watch it
samhealer 2 months ago

Thanks for the comment How could I resist commenting on a Community related song!
mattblick 2 months ago

Prudence's sister - that would be Mia Farrow! - maybe you should take that one. Congrats on the 20. I've given up trying to keep up to date with the listening - Mar will be catch up and download month.
marijequerida 2 months ago

thanks for commenting on 'I'm not mad' . I felt like it was written too much in a rush and that I couldn't really bring the message I had in mind.
marijequerida 2 months ago

lol, je was niet de enige die erover begon, dus vandaar dankje!
marijequerida 3 months ago

hiya, ik heb het refrein wat aangepast. let me know if u like.
hammersmith 3 months ago

The thing is, technically, once a collaboration has been consumated (so to speak) all collaborators own a share of the entire thing, so those verses are partially mine as the bridge and music are partially hers.

I haven't discussed this with kk yet, so I don't know if you requested permission to use those lyrics or not and whether or not that permission was given. I wouldn't read her profile as an open season on anything she's written though. I asked to write to that particular lyric and didn't begin until she agreed. Next time I'll be clear that I'm only interested in exclusivity to avoid this confusion. No hard feelings. I understand that things in FAWMland tend to be pretty loose and people tend to not share my more formal outlook.

BTW, the comparison with "Summertime" isn't relevant -- every version is of the same composition with all writing royalties going to the same writer(s).
wyatt 3 months ago

Thanks Robs, That was the chicken line all right but I didn't get it in intact and in order so I'm disqualified unless I change it
gwagirl1 3 months ago

Thanks for your comment. (:
happyprospector 3 months ago

Thanks! I think I might try that! I like songs that have progression
the3queens 3 months ago

I am singing about an old BF now married to someone else. He is helping her with her coat. She is shooting me daggers. He is not trustworthy and she is rightfully worried...about every woman she sees. I used to be her. Glad I'm not her anymore.
hbusse 3 months ago

Thanks for the kind comment on my version of Olive Oil and Worcestershire!
arthurrossi 3 months ago

Hey, Rob!!! Thank you very much for your beautiful comment!!! I really like how it turned out...
kmethley 3 months ago

hey
Thanks for adding some music to my lyrics
xx
roydesmet 3 months ago

Re: Piano-playing Ringo:
It is a real piano. Just not such a great microphone.
marijequerida 3 months ago

Dankje! Ik zie dat je gewoon Nederlands bent, dus doe ik het even zo mijn moeder zegt altijd van 'morgen is alles opgelost', daar was het zegmaar op gebaseerd, snap je?
imustbenuts 3 months ago

Thanks for the listens and the feedback, it is much appreciated!
wolfkier 3 months ago

Thanks for visiting Rob, glad you enjoyed what you heard.
Repaid the favor by busting two zongs for you.
Nice to hear your distinctive style and approach again.
Congratulations on your win very early win.
wolf.
degausser 3 months ago

Hey dude, thankyou so much for listening to my songs and giving me some great feedback. I'll go return the favour now!
tissueman 3 months ago

Thanks for your kind words about "Farm Life".
donna 3 months ago

Thanks, Rob. I'm pleased you noted the change to plural in that second bridge.
gonzosombrero 3 months ago

Thank you so much for all your comments
bradbrubaker 3 months ago

Rob, I appreciate all of your comments. Made my morning to see them.
echovoodoo 3 months ago

I've participated in 50/90 the past 2 years. I succeeded the first year, but last year I burned out after 7 songs - that's where my drought started. I'll probably take a stab at it again this year anyway.

Thanks for the comments.
toms 3 months ago

Wow - thanks for all those comments & listens, Rob!
markvi58 3 months ago

Thanks for your comments. I agree that "Feelin' for Your Deception" could use some oomph at the end. I think the biggest problem with that one is that the key should be higher, but I liked playing the guitar parts where they were. Plus I have little time, since I have a bunch of after-school responsibilities, so I don't have time for rerecording in a different key. Maybe after FAWM.

As for "Porkchop Sundays", a contrafact is when you use the chord changes from one song to write another. Those chord changes were a reharmonized version of "I've Got Rhythm" by George Gershwin, with my melody on top. Another great example of that is the jazz standard "How High the Moon" is written overtop of the "Back Home Again in Indiana" chord changes.

Early congratulations by the almost win, so far. One (and a half) more to go!
hammersmith 3 months ago

Why would you compose music for the lyrics to an already-completed song? I'm not crazy about the situation -- having someone squat on something that is partially mine.
mattblick 3 months ago

Thanks for the comments Rob - no she didn't cry - she's made of sterner stuff than that! - and you're nearly at the finished line!! Congrats! I got a lot of listening to catch up with!
fuzzy 3 months ago

I love what I've heard so far. You're watchlisted so expect lots more comments some time in the future!
arthurrossi 3 months ago

Strange how a song develops its own personality... At the beginning we have a certain idea how we would like it to be, but then it takes its own direction... It is the same like writing lyrics, I cannot remember how often the result was something completely different than that what I had on my mind at the beginning...
Anyway, it is great if the result looks like the song you wrote! Lovely musification, catchy music for the chorus, beautiful performance! Rob, thank you very, very much for this wonderful collab!!!
johnthomasmumm 3 months ago

I'm glad you liked the blog. It's a relatively new venture.
avidfanman 3 months ago

Hey - glad you enjoyed my "Olive Oil..." (yours is great btw) and my daft "Higgs Boson" song!
downburst 3 months ago

Hey Rob! Thanks for the nice comment. I see you did one too--I'll listen to it when I'm not at work.
debs 3 months ago

You're up for the morph
mikeskliar 3 months ago

congats for doing the tweening zone challenge! great job!
sync 3 months ago

Hey Rob, I really like your production. I appreciate the Nilsson influence.

I also like many of the other artists that you reference, so now I will have check out the ones I am not so familiar with, like Wilco and Suade.

I should have commented on each of your songs as I liked them all, but I am lazy. Thanks for uploading!
kmethley 3 months ago

Thankyou very much fir the comment on my song. Love to have feedback..
Good luck! Xx
arthurrossi 3 months ago

Hey, Rob! Thank you very much for your kind comments! I like Wilco and I think this style would suit the lyrics very well... I would be looking very, very forward if you gave it a try...!
mattblick 3 months ago

Haha - hangs head in shame. In my defence The Beatles weren't told - "oh you can only have the studio from 4-8:30 on weds...
oddbod 3 months ago

hi rob, I loved your style from 50/90 so hoping for more - oddbod (aka the pannacotta army at 50/90)
mattblick 3 months ago

Hey Rob - I'm struggling to write because I'm recording my EP and need to set up a website, bandcamp CD Baby account photoshoot etcetcetc

I've decided that for sanitys sake I'm going to do a very minimal FAWM this year. A couple of kids songs and maybe one or two from me.

Feel free to try to talk me out of it!
calumcarlyle 3 months ago

hi rob! thanks for the kind words, yes i delibarately went acoustic for "Better Out Than In" - anyway, hope you have a good fawm. i'll be listening!
namjunerobot 4 months ago

Back for more??!
max 4 months ago

Gaatieweer, veel plezier!
cts 4 months ago

Greetings. Hope you're up for another amazing FAWM. By the way, I've been listening to The Black Album quite a bit (Lovesexy, too). We'll see what happens. Don't be surprised should I come knocking on your door...and you know why.