Haley's in the studio.

[john]

So many questions and so few answers. Sigh.

Last Friday Lane tweeted "Haleys Music is amaaaazing! Her album is gonna be siiiiick!" and this Friday she tweets about having a great meeting. Perhaps she has met with Haley these past couple Fridays and reviewed some of the music. She sure seems to be in a good mood recently.

I wondered that about the Hot Sauce thing. Did they need more material or what. But it sounds like Jimmy just recently started throwing some work to Hollywood, so perhaps he thought that they were a good match. There's still time to work on the album.

Compared to some of the other Idol CDs they seem to be putting a lot of time and energy into Haley's recordings. I hope it's because they see big potential.

[Miguel]

It would be very cool if Haley could go back to her roots, her jazz roots, Motown roots, and her classic rock with the approval of her producers.

Haley's parents reportedly liked what they heard so I remain hopeful the music on the album is not too far removed from her roots.

I wondered that about the Hot Sauce thing. Did they need more material or what. But it sounds like Jimmy just recently started throwing some work to Hollywood, so perhaps he thought that they were a good match.

I wonder about that too. He can jam on the guitar so I'm curious if he can produce a rock record in addition to the urban sound he seems partial to.

[john]

Welcome to HHS's world:

[John Brown]

I posted that while 30 songs is impressive, I am most thrilled by the news that Haley's parents are excited on a professional basis. If the album satisfies their expectations, it's likely to meet ours as well.

Which makes me feel that Haley has an advantage that a lot of other new artists do not have, as like I said, it is imperative for Haley to come out with a very successful debut album to launch her career on the right foot. If she gets it right the first time, it could seal her career for a very long time to come.

Of course, I could be wrong and her debut album could be awful since I'm just speculating. But nevertheless, let's hope for the best. Considering all the positive feedback we have been hearing it sounds like her debut album will be a smash and Haley will become a superstar.

[My Alter Ego]

I posted that while 30 songs is impressive, I am most thrilled by the news that Haley's parents are excited on a professional basis. If the album satisfies their expectations, it's likely to meet ours as well.

Which makes me feel that Haley has an advantage that a lot of other new artists do not have, as like I said, it is imperative for Haley to come out with a very successful debut album to launch her career on the right foot. If she gets it right the first time, it could seal her career for a very long time to come.

Of course, I could be wrong and her debut album could be awful since I'm just speculating. But nevertheless, let's hope for the best. Considering all the positive feedback we have been hearing it sounds like her debut album will be a smash and Haley will become a superstar.

Although the idea of a two disk collection will, of course, make all Haliens salivate, the likelihood of a newcomer's first release being a 2 CD set doesn't seem particularly plausible to me.

I do like the idea that she's had the opportunity to apply her magic to a number of different songs, thus, theoretically what makes the final cut will be the "creme de la creme." (At least that's what I'm hoping!) I also like the idea that her parents seem to be pleased with it from a professional standpoint, although I'm still a little skeptical about their objectivity (their collective years of being musicians, notwithstanding -- she's still their girl).

The more encouraging aspect is that it seems that our seemingly endless (and not necessarily patient) wait may be getting its reward in the near future.

So what kind of collective celebration do we have when the single is released?

[Miguel]

I woke up this morning thinking about the thirty songs. A couple of thoughts crossed my mind:

- Songs that don't make the cut can still generate revenue. They can be used in TV shows and as background tracks for shopping experiences (à la Mozella).

- 30 songs could mean the amount of artistry lacking. One of the producers on Idol last season said the normal production timeline for a song was 1 day for vocals, 1 day for re-recording parts and 1 day for mixing (90 days). Haley was first in the studio around mid-October and had done the bulk of her recording by Christmas.

[Miguel]

If a single comes out next week, there will likely be a press release. And that press release might contain the name of the album, no? If it does, I will be checking periodically to see if the HMV site has been updated with new album art.

[john]

- 30 songs could mean the amount of artistry lacking.

Could you clarify this a bit?

[Miguel]

Could you clarify this a bit?

It's a lot of productivity but it doesn't break down to much time spent on each song. Particularly if you consider she was also writing during this period. So there may not have been much creative exploration.

I read an article on Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys yesterday about how he combined various influences. Here are a couple of excerpts:

By 1966, he'd already picked up the reputation as a genius, thanks to some well-placed hype. Even today, he still doesn't quite buy it.

"The genius part is being able to make one thing work with another thing, like having the bass play this and the piano play that, or having the lead sing this and the background singers sing that," he says. "It's all a matter of balance.

If there's a theme that runs through the hours of recordings featured on "The Smile Sessions," it's "again." Over and over, as songs are developed and pieces are recorded, you hear Brian's voice asking -- insisting -- for one more take, as he tries to get the music in his head on record.

That passion was apparent from the very beginning of the Beach Boys. At a time when rock 'n' roll artists were considered as pliable and disposable as chewing gum, Brian took creative control, producing the Beach Boys -- featuring his brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine -- himself. He wrote the songs -- sometimes on his own, other times with collaborators -- picked the studios and directed the musicians.

He was the "Stalin of the studio," according to Love.

He drew from his influences and then leapt beyond them...It was that kind of drive that led to the "Pet Sounds" album and "Smile," which combined unusual arrangements, orchestral themes and -- in the case of "Smile" -- expansive, imagistic lyrics.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/13/living/bri...index.html

[john]

It's a lot of productivity but it doesn't break down to much time spent on each song. Particularly if you consider she was also writing during this period. So there may not have been much creative exploration.

I wonder if a lot of those recordings were demos of songs being considered, but quickly dropped. I recall her comments about being very hands on in the studio. I'm hoping that she was focused on 10-12 of those songs.