Sales reps!
Actually it is not. It is about being accosted by an Avon rep on your doorstep, finding yourself paralysed and unable to move, falling into a deep trance under the spell of the patter, and waking up from the nightmare by keeling over and banging your head on the doorbell.
The song is a simple experiment in ambient or techno style: trying to be hypnotic through repetition like a minimalist piece from Terry Riley or Steve Reich.
The rhythm section has a retro lineup.
The bass line is plundered from a preset on a vintage 1982 Casiotone MT-45 keyboard and the drums simulate the sound of a 1980 Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer drum machine. The guitar is a fairly straightforward country rock riff but played fast. All in all, it sounds pretty good.
Its also an experiment with instrumentation, specifically with the 128 presets in General MIDI. Number 112 is the shenai (shehnai or shanai there seem to be various spellings) which is an Indian oboe and the sound has a lovely clean texture.
Spread your fingers.
Title: Avon Calling
Key: A
Tempo: 200bpm
Length: 2' 52"
Track 1: shenai melody
Track 2: shenai harmony
Track 3: brass synth
Track 4: rock organ
Track 5: nylon guitar
Track 6: fretless bass
Track 7: drumset
Genre: Pop, Rock
