Al Stravinsky
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Waterfall Waterfall
Live bass and live vocals on this: piano, strings, flute, acoustic guitar, and percussion are all sequenced. I added the 'waterfall' intro-outro sound-effect as an afterthought.
Sitting on the sofa with you Sitting on the sofa with you
If you ever had a friend that you fancied and you ended up at your place at the end of an evening out together, chatting, CDs playing, then this particular cup of coffee may taste familiar...
Connected Connected
...a cool, laid-back song I've had lying around, taking shape and evolving for a while, that I finally recorded in mid March 2006. I was a big 'Heatwave' and 'Earth Wind and Fire' fan and this is probably a result of their influence.
Hammer and nail Hammer and nail
'Negative friendship', if there is such a thing, is the subject of this outpouring. It's essentially me and my guitar. I wanted to do something quick, something silly, but something musically, vocally and lyrically demanding...
This old shirt This old shirt
Sometimes an inanimate object takes on more importance than its face value would suggest. Even an old, threadbare T shirt might have bitter-sweet indispensible memories for its owner...
A child is gone A child is gone
The tragic story of a white middle-class couple and their abducted child caused a frenzy of media activity recently in the UK.
Perfect boy Perfect boy
IAC Golden Kayak award for best song in its category - March 2007. For a songwriter, every cloud has a silver lining. Writing this has helped me; I hope it helps you equally to listen.
In a dream In a dream
Some jazzy/bluesy chords and a couple of lines of lyrics assaulted me, mid April 2006; I sequenced tremeloed Rhodes,acoustic bass, strings, some ethereal sounds; Rebecca's sax solo completes the backing track, with a single lead vocal on top.
Wake up God! Wake up God!
I wrote this in December 2004 driving home from a gig, contemplating the state of the world, like you do, and I've just got round to finishing it off. The chords wrote themselves and the tune was just as I first heard it.
Hope Hope
Hope is a song about finding your way when you thought there was no way through, or no route back. It could be about God but could equally relate to a woman, a man, an ambition: anything that gives you a reason to get up the next morning.
Looking for my voice Looking for my voice
We all seek a unique way to express ourselves. I've had a stammer all my life, and this song is also about the little boy who was at first surprised, then frustrated, and later debilitated by his inability to communicate. It's from January 2006.
I wish I wish
My dad was in the Navy on a minesweeper in WW2 and went all over the Med and Asia at a time when working class people rarely even went to the seaside, but he chose not to dwell on those times and hardly even spoke of them.
From the sky From the sky
This song, written in March 2005 but finished in September 2006, is about having an alien to bring up, take care of, and learn from. They don't half change your perspective, aliens...
Your face Your face
Has a face, a voice, a touch, ever haunted you or been etched in your memory? A folky song, on which I played the first guitar I ever bought: a classical guitar that I've had for 33 years.
In the next life In the next life
A poppy/rocky song about all the things I'll do in my next incarnation, if I'm not still too scared or set in my ways; with several tracks of acoustic, lead, and rhythm guitars; bass, Hammond, drums, vocal, plus lots of harmonies to finish it off.
Loving you Loving you
An acoustic number, about how love can be painful and yet ultimately inspiring. It features several tracks of acoustic guitar and a single vocal.
Mystery Mystery
This was written in late February 2005, and concerns the personal way we are affected by, and relate to, the passage of time. For the backing I tried to get a 'one-man band' effect.
I will remember you I will remember you
A simple little acoustic/orchestral ballad about loving and losing.
Life is an open road Life is an open road
This song is to remind myself, more than anyone, that everyday is a new opportunity; but the engine is running and fuel is finite.
Sandcastle Sandcastle
The flag is usually a symbol of unity and togetherness, but not in this tale. Does the inexorable tide of time wash the beach clean to try again, or do we move on to fresh shores?
