I've always thought that if someone shows that they don't like cats (well, all animals, but particularly cats) then I probably won't like them. I have a suspicion that they have a nasty streak in them, because what's not to like about a cat? Even if you're allergic to them? Nothing. Cats are delightful. So … Continue reading A song about a cat – since very few people don’t like cats
(Or, the Long & The Short of It) Radio edits: - a song between 2 min. 50 seconds, and 3 min. 20 seconds long. Well, that's the ballpark - say, get it down to 3 minutes in total. There is a hardline discipline to cutting your favourite composition down to something that short, with an … Continue reading The Long Listen
The lyrics of this song, on my album "Howl", are pretty self-explanatory. It's on my album, "Howl", and it's about being introverted, keeping to yourself, and opting out and saying "no" when you don't want to get involved. It's about staying sane in a very crazy, noisy world. It expresses how I often feel. I think … Continue reading Thinking like an introvert: “Present Company Excluded”
The lyrics of all the songs on my album "Divan" were inspired by ancient historical documents. This one, "The King's Ballad", is my modern take on the Tudor Era ballad, “Pastime with Good Company” (a.k.a. “The Kynges Balade”), which was written by King Henry VIII of England in about 1513. His lyrics express his royal … Continue reading Updating King Henry VIII’s directive on having a good time – “The King’s Ballad”
"King Unas Lives" is the second track on my album, "Divan", which has songs created from ancient historical documents - in this case, hieroglyphics. King Unas is also known as Ounas, Wenis, and Wenas. He was the ninth and last ruler of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, and reigned for 15 … Continue reading King Unas lives – Only in inscriptions
Enter the Lion (track 6 on my album Time Shift) started as a snatch of notes I played on the piano. When it was done, I wondered what to call it. Only when the name popped into my head, I realized that what I had been thinking about all along, was a pride of lions … Continue reading When you add the meaning afterwards – “Enter the Lion”
Track 3 on "Time Shift" The lyrics of this track are self-explanatory, even for someone who has never been on a mine site. When I wrote it, the lyrics were the easy parts. Expressing the ideas in music was a different challenge altogether. This is how I did it: I expressed the feeling of going … Continue reading “The Trembling Ground” – The sound of seismicity
Track 2 on Time Shift Sound Engineer Luke Garfield, who mixed and mastered The Ocean in E, called it "sonically luxurious". I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about a song I've produced. I want to frame it and put it on my wall. He had to avoid the piece sounding chintzy … Continue reading “The Ocean in E” – Sonically luxurious
