Sherlock didn’t disappoint. One thing in life that is always difficult to do is to surpass previous achievements. This is true in the worlds of TV, film, art, the list goes on. Was John Cleese nervous when he was (co) writing the 2nd series of Fawlty Towers? I would expect that he was. Perhaps that’s an unfair example as I would guess that John Cleese felt he could do no wrong at that point in the 1970s… but, for a normal person, the difficulty of living up to past glories can be a burden. It drags some down, notably some of my heroes such as Tony Hancock. But for others it can fire them up, fuelling something special. John Lennon managed it with Imagine. Kubrik rarely faltered.
In the rock world it can be difficult to forge fresh metal when you have been involved in previous tin can alleys. I’m one of those musicians who finds the challenge to topple previous works a driving force behind my art. I like to write a great song… because I know the next song will have to be even better. Okay, sometimes little rays of sunlight glisten in the creative haze and cause problems with the ever upward steps towards “the perfect song”. In that respect I feel that Escape Plan was a gem that could have been very hard to equal, let alone surpass. But Bill and myself, as The Eleventh Hour, have tried our best! The result is a song called Pitfall. It is a very different beast to Escape Plan, and is certainly a contender for first single. Please give it a listen and see what you think. The plan of action for The Eleventh Hour – the mission statement if you will – is to produce the best music we can. That may seem like a simple, pointless statement… but if you really try to adhere to such a grandiose boast it can be a drain of the senses! The quest for the ultimate song can eat at you from the inside, can fill your mind and consume your day. We are not your everyday common or garden people us songwriters. We are the supreme beings. Remember that, especially if you ever meet me at the bar! A songwriter expects to be bought a drink! And a packet of dry roasted peanuts – and then my friends… and then… we may share with you our world. 😉
Oh, and roll on episode 3 of Sherlock. Damn fine TV! 🙂
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