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Goodbye, Starman: David Bowie 1947-2016

1/12/2016

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​There are some people who are transcendent figures in our lives, due to their art, their influence, their ideas. Even if we never knew them personally, there is a very real emotional connection to them via their work. They are like a close friend, and when they are gone, the pain is very real. For me, one of those people was David Bowie.
 
As I write this, I’m listening to Bowie’s final album, Blackstar. Like all of his music, it is very much his own. Its lush jazz soundscapes are haunting and poignant, especially since, we now know, he intended it as a farewell to his fans. Damn, it’s powerful. It’s made me wipe my eyes more than once already.
 
I bought my first Bowie CD way back in 1996, Changes Bowie, a compilation album. It featured his hits up until Blue Jean. I fell in love with songs like Let’s Dance, Ashes to Sashes, Space Oddity, Heroes, and Changes. I played those songs over and over during a period of personal growth. My high school years were behind me, and Bowie’s music served as an introduction to a wider world. Through him I listened to other artists, other genres.
 
When he released Earthling in 1997, I was blown away. I wasn’t much for electronica at the time, and this album opened me up to that musical form. But more than that, Bowie’s blistering take on drum ‘n bass and jungle elements jolted my ass. I loved the lyrics, Gail Ann Dorsey’s bass playing, but especially the guitar chops of Reeves Gabrels. That guy quickly became one of my favorite guitarists. I played this album from beginning to end countless times. And I still say the piano at the end of Dead Man Walking is sheer genius.
 
I bought his next album, Hours, as soon as it came out, and I fell in love with its melancholy songs. The opening track, Thursday’s Child, held extra special meaning for me, as I was born on a Thursday. I really felt those lyrics of loneliness. I feel them now, seventeen years later. That’s the power of Bowie’s craft. I was hooked.
 
As the years went by, I bought each new release, as well as Bowie’s older work. I got both Tin Machine albums; they are very underrated, and feature some of his most kick-ass rock pieces. The depth of his genius was beginning to sink in: he used his voice in so many ways, and he owned any genre he dabbled in. Compare Under the God from the first Tin Machine album with Fantastic Voyage from The Lodger record, or Win from Young Americans. The vocal stylings, the delivery, the ambiance—all are very distinct from the other. The man could do anything; he was the ultimate artistic chameleon that changed colors to his own whim, not that of others.
 
I was sad when Bowie semi-retired after a heart attack in 2004. This sounds selfish, but it was like learning I’d never receive any more letters from a cherished friend. But I respected his decision, and continued to explore albums like Black Tie White Noise, Outside, Hunky Dory, and Tonight. His 2003 album, Reality, though I found it too stripped down upon its initial release, eventually became quite a favorite: I’d often find myself humming Fall Dog Bombs the Moon, or Bring Me the Disco King. Bowie’s melodies and lyrics were always at the back of my mind; I can’t tell you how many times Ashes to Ashes has entered my thoughts, or Heroes. His music was more than entertainment. It was a soundscape of life.
 
When he made a comeback with The Next Day in 2013, I was ecstatic. I mean, holy shit, we had new David Bowie songs! And the album did not disappoint. Where Are We Now, I’d Rather Be High, Dancing Out In Space—it was quality work from start to finish. Then there was talk of more albums, because Bowie wanted to focus on music. No tours, no interviews, just music. I was so damn excited.
 
When the announcement for his latest album, Blackstar, arrived last year, it came out of nowhere. I loved the title track immediately—it was surreal, enigmatic, catchy, and remained in my head up to the day the album came out earlier this year. 2016 looked to be awesome indeed.
 
And then, one night at work, I checked Twitter on my phone to see what was going on in the world. The small screen in my hand revealed a horrifying headline: David Bowie was dead.
 
I almost cried right there. I rapidly verified this awful tweet, this stab into my heart, by checking the rest of the internet and social media. Maybe it was some stupid hoax.
 
But no. The Disco King was no more.
 
He was the same age as my father, 69 years old. In so many ways, David Bowie was the father figure of my music world. Judging from the outpouring of grief from fans around the world, I’m not alone in that.
 
Bowie’s passing is the first celebrity death that has affected me this strongly. He was my constant companion, my friend, my champion against a world that was all too often cruel, dark, and empty. He, like so many other people have said, was a person that seemed to be from another world. A star from the firmament, sharing his light with us mortals.
 
I’m so glad his work will live on. His star will shine for so many others, for we need people like him. We need to see that light within ourselves, so we too can feel part of the heavens. We too can be heroes…if only for a day.
 
As I close this, I’m listening to The Last of the Dreamers, one of my favorite Bowie songs from the Hours album. Tears blur my screen, my keyboard. I wipe them away, to no avail. They catch the reflection of the light he left us, a tiny sparkle that resides in us all.
 
‘So it goes
Just a searcher
Lonely soul
The last of the dreamers’
 
Thank you, my good friend. 
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Tangerine Dream: Ultimate Sci-Fi Music

9/2/2015

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I’ve been a fan of Tangerine Dream for only sixteen years or so. I say ‘only’, because their work has been around for over forty years. From surreal, progressive rock, to early synthesizer pioneers, on to composing film soundtracks, then to New Age soundscapes, and finally back to a slick reimagining of their electronica, the group has covered so many styles. But more than providing mere listening pleasure, Tangerine Dream is often my personal soundtrack when I write.

There’s a certain nostalgia about Tangerine Dream’s music, taking me back to my 80s childhood. Synthesizer music dominated that decade, and hearing the warm, analog passages of Tangerine Dream is like an aural time machine. I’m reminded of all the wonderful technological advances like Apple computer, Atari video games, and the glorious Space Shuttle launches, pre-Challenger. I’m also reminded of Omni Magazine, of the beginnings of the sci-fi subgenre known as cyberpunk, and of the euphoric feeling that in the 21st century, technology would solve many of our problems.

This is all a construct of my mind, associating events, places, and things with Tangerine Dream’s compositions. It fills my mind with tangentially related memories of the sound of sequenced beats, sine pads, and synth bass. It is the creation of memory, real or imagined, and I realize this even while the music evokes these sensations and images. That is part of Tangerine Dream’s brilliance. Their music really is like a waking dream.

But all that aside, there’s something else that their music conjures in my mind: alien worlds, starships on interstellar journeys, and technology so advanced it is beyond human ken. It makes me think about, and want to write, science fiction stories. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the merger of artificial sounds with live instrumentation, or the contrasting arrangements that play out in synchronized lockstep only to collapse into bursts of chaos. Perhaps it’s the band’s introspective, yet hopeful, vibe. I only know that it moves me.

There are two things in particular that come to mind whenever I begin a Tangerine Dream playlist: alien skies, and Michael Whelan paintings. The music suggests vistas on another world, where the sky is wide open, and I can fly through it until I finally cross over into vacuum. I can even look skyward on my own world, at the blue sky and clouds, and their music flows into my thoughts.

Whelan is among my favorite fantasy artists, and there is a sophistication and humanity about his work that I hear in Tangerine Dream. One piece of his perfectly illustrates this: Robots of Dawn, from the Isaac Asimov book of the same name. The otherworldly hue of the sky in the background, the tragedy of the robot’s beleaguered pose in the foreground, and the contemplative visage on the stone at the robot’s feet, epitomize what I’m talking about. Look at that image while listening to tracks like ‘Zulu’, or ‘Hunter Shot By A Yellow Rabbit’ and tell me you don’t feel something.

From ‘Rubycon’, “Roaring of the Bliss’, and ‘Phaedra”, their compositions possess an energy, a relentless drive to move forward, as if progress itself is nudging us on. This isn’t because Tangerine Dream uses loops and sequencers. This same drive exists in their live performances. It’s the same drive I feel when I read science fiction. It pushes me into the next stage of thought, of being.

When Edgar Froese, the founder of Tangerine Dream and its only original member, died in January 2015, I was quite saddened. He was still working on new music up until his passing. I think that reflects the energy, hope, and forward-driving intuition that permeates the band’s music: that’s who he was, and you can hear it in the arrangements.

So as I gear up to write the next science fiction novel, I already hear the opening strains of ‘One Night In Space’, taking me on another voyage of the imagination. Whatever Edgar Froese intended with his work, I’m sure such a comment would make him proud.

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Review of Zephyrium's new album, 'Voyage'

7/15/2015

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I will admit up front that I was approached by Derek to provide this review. I can’t tell you how glad I am that he did. This is an impressive, first-rate album that any music lover would do well to add to their collection.

From the first track to the last, this album will captivate you with its mixture of Michelle Hache’s incredible vocal delivery, underscored by the ambient, synthetic textures of Derek Smootz. The selection of arias from a variety of operas will be familiar to many classical listeners, but Michelle’s interpretations must be heard to be believed. Her notes flow effortlessly, regardless of volume or pitch, in an aural outpouring that is neither forced nor ingenuous. Derek’s music is a blend of contemporary, minimalist soundscapes and deft instrumentation that accentuates Michelle’s performances. He works with the vocals, allowing them to shine without losing anything in the mix. The mix itself is excellent; the vocals possess a clarity that is often lacking in other artist’s work. The music embellishes each piece with no superfluous stylings—Derek knows what he’s doing here, and it’s wonderful.

My favorite tracks are ‘Porgi, amor’, ‘Dido’s Lament’, and ‘Flower Duet’, though there isn’t a weak track on the album.  I really admire how Derek has reimagined these arias; his music alters how each is presented, and how it affects the listener. I’ve heard the originals in the operatic/classical repertoire, and these versions are certainly different. In some ways, they are more accessible (opera can be intimidating to those unfamiliar with it); in others, they evoke different imagery, engender different emotional responses than perhaps the original composers intended. But that’s great, because music is kept alive by fresh interpretation. If an opera purist finds fault with these songs, then that fault lies with them, not Zephyrium’s performance.

If there’s a theme here, it is certainly one of a voyage, as the album is rightfully named. The pieces don’t clash with one another, but lead you deeper and deeper into a place of tranquility. It’s like walking through a forest at the height of summer, the wind blowing the leaves, teasing your hair, as you follow a meandering footpath bordered with flowing streams and wild flowers. That’s how this album made me feel—peaceful, relaxed, and emotionally satisfied after the final note fades away. The cover, with Michelle floating in a river, is perfect: these songs will buoy you above the things in life than make you sink into the darkness.

I’m already looking for more of Derek and Michelle’s work to add to my music library, and I will definitely keep an eye on Zephyrium. But don’t take my word for it. Listen for yourself, and enjoy the journey. 

Click to visit Zephyrium's website. 
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Music to Write By: Enigma

4/8/2014

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I’ve been an Enigma fan since the late 90’s, and they’re still one of my favorite musical artists. Sexy, dreamy, dark, gothic, world, New Age—the label people slap them with is irrelevant. When I listen to them, I’m transported to some silky, unmade bed inside an open-air pagan temple atop a mountain during a sunset. That music was made for the bedroom, the twilight, the hypnagogic state between waking and sleep. It’s like entering a pre-coital trance, sans drugs; I can almost feel my pupils dilating. It’s no surprise then that I listen to Enigma whenever I’m writing dark, sensual, or transcendental (or all of those at once) material. Enigma could form the soundtrack to my Meridian stories, that dank metropolis adrift in the Styx. My favorite Enigma album is A Posteriori, with tracks such as ‘Dancing With Mephisto’ being the ultimate gothic seduction music (think cobwebs, wet leather, guttering braziers, red wine, and a blindfold). Other tracks, like ‘Dreaming of Andromeda’ or ‘Hello and Welcome’ sound like great gulfs of existential sadness and longing. The song ‘In the Shadow, in the Light’ from the Voyageur album, pines with a desperation that for me is profound. But the one song that grabs me the most is ‘Beyond the Invisible’ from the Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! album. That one is like the piercing of the veil, the opening of an inner eye. So needless to say, despite my rational nature, Enigma brings out my hedonistic, mystic side. With plenty of bared flesh.
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Follow-up to 2001: Sarah Brightman's 'Dreamchaser'

5/23/2013

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Picture
When I posted ‘2001 – A Continuing Odyssey’ a while back I mentioned the idea of getting celebrities into space, to engender public interest in space exploration. Well, it seems someone intends to do exactly that. Sarah Brightman, the world’s best selling mezzo soprano and classical cross-over artist, plans to be the first person to perform in space come 2015. Though I've been a big fan of her work since 1998, I applaud this move on her part because of the inspiration it will give us down here on Earth. I say this as someone who wants to see the human race return to the next logical step in its continued evolution, not just a biased fanboy of Brightman.

I rarely review anything on Amazon.com (I did defend Wolfgang Petersen's 2004 film Troy) but after reading negative reactions from Sarah’s fans to ‘Dreamchaser’, I decided to post my own review. I have included it in this post:

Amazon review of Sarah Brightman’s ‘Dreamchaser’ (5 out of 5 stars)

Ignore the naysayers--this is wonderful music.

After reading so many negative and lukewarm reviews on here, I decided to contribute my own opinion. I've been a fan of Sarah's work since 1998, and own copies of all her material, even dating back to the Hot Gossip era. So I’m not a casual fan.

‘Dreamchaser’ comes across as a more intimate soundscape than I’ve ever heard from Sarah. That crystalline voice is still there. Other reviewers think that just because there’s no titanic duet with a fellow opera singer or technically challenging vocal phrases, that she’s lost her voice. Nonsense. What matters is how this music moves you. 
 
It is a beautiful work, and goes along well with Sarah’s theme of space travel. The arrangements are stripped down compared to previous albums and some tracks feature a trance-like quality, but Sarah’s performance is highlighted all the more because of that. Her vocal stylings on this album are more along her pop sensibilities. A good move, because her previous album, ‘Symphony’, gave us plenty of classical opera pieces. That was an excellent album, but she needed to follow it with something different. And she has.

In time, fans will accept this album. I have always appreciated Sarah’s diversity, from the pop craft of ‘Dive’, the world/house beat of ‘Harem’, to the priceless purity of ‘La Luna’. For those fans who want more of the same with each album release, then listen to a less creative artist. Music is a celebration of humanity and emotion, and I for one loved this aural journey with Sarah. It made me want to soar with her into the firmament.

As a closing note, when I watched the video for ‘Angel’, it brought tears to my eyes. To capture her dreams, and the collective dream of the human race, in that collage of space exploration footage/Brightman home videos, was brilliant. 

Never stop dreamchasing, Sarah. 

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In Defense of Geddy

1/10/2012

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Whenever I mention that I’m a fan of the Canadian rock band Rush, I usually get a snort of derision or a grimace. I’m used to that by now, after listening to their music for sixteen years. Not everyone’s taste in music is the same as mine. What I fail to comprehend is the competitive nature some people have in regards to the music they enjoy, as well as other forms of art they like or dislike. I’d like to touch on that subject in this article.

It has been said that music is the most elusive of all art forms: either it grabs you or it doesn’t. The same can be said for any art form, but there’s just something different about music that sets it apart. Maybe it’s because the emotional expression through one’s own voice and the physical manipulation of musical instruments adds a personal touch to it all. For those who like said music, any criticism of it can also seem intimate. Some people take this as a personal affront; as if saying when someone doesn’t like Rush, then they’re insulting me. Not true for myself, but I’ve seen it all too often in others.

I wasn’t always this way. In my teenage years, during my narrow-minded focus on heavy metal and little else, I too became offended if someone didn’t like my taste in music. Being a guitar, bass, and keyboard player, and one who does their own vocals, I felt closer to this than I perceived others were. In time I came to ignore what other people thought or said and just enjoyed what I liked. It’s not my loss if others fail to understand. I think this is a natural part of growing up. The adolescent in all of us is far more easily offended than the adult.

The problem is, some people never grow out of this thin-skinned view.

Here’s an example: I used to be a Metallica fan. Over the years I got sick of their music, though. When you hear something too often, it grates on you. Personally, I’ve never heard a positive song from this band; everything’s always presented in a dark, pissed off manner. And believe me, I can appreciate dark music. Even now I still consider Master of Puppets a thrash metal masterpiece, so I’m not dissing these guys’ talent. Just not my thing anymore, ya know? No big deal.

Well, I’ve had people tell me that Metallica has sold this many million albums, had this many hit singles, played this many tours, and so on. This is all presented as if they’re rattling off the achievements of a sports team. And always this is compared to artists I listen to, like Rush. Who cares? I don’t listen to a band because of their popularity or album sales. Sex doesn’t sell to me, either—if that were the case I’d have all of Britney Spears’s albums. Yeah, I think Alison Goldfrapp is smoking hot, but her voice turns me on as much as her face. Britney could never do that for me. So ultimately, it’s still about the music.

That’s the competitiveness I referred to earlier. ‘My rock band has sold more albums than your rock band’ is no more than a low-brow pissing contest I won’t engage in. It becomes a form of tribalism, like sports. Wear the t-shirts, slap on the bumper stickers, have their tunes for your cell’s ringtone. Maybe it’s no mistake that I don’t wear musical t-shirts anymore. Belonging to (or advertising for) one tribe doesn’t appeal to me.

Then there’s the infantile ‘that music sucks’ routine. I’ve done it too—when I was a teenager. Expanding my musical horizons, I’ve come to understand that music is personal expression. I may not like it, but I’m not going to criticize it in that way. Sure, there are vocalists and musicians I prefer to hear over others. But I’m too old to have such a narrow-minded view. A good example was Nirvana back in the early 1990’s. I hated them back then, because I thought heavy metal was cooler than anything. Years later I came to respect what Nirvana accomplished, and can listen to their material now without preconceived prejudices. Even up until a few years ago I disliked bluegrass. Now, it still isn’t my favorite musical genre, but I’ve come to appreciate what it can offer and the rich history behind it.

Now back to Rush. Many critics despise Geddy Lee’s high-pitched vocals. Yet, there’s one thing you can say about his singing: you always know it’s him. A unique voice is hard to find in the music industry. Hell, I like his voice. I’ve never heard (serious) people criticize the musicianship of Rush. Geddy’s bass playing is great, featuring fretboard activity most bass players never push for. Alex Liefson’s textured guitar riffs and arpeggios, plus his odd-ball but beautiful solos, mark him as one of my favorites. Neil Peart’s polyrhythmic drumming is flawless and makes all Rush fans play air drums while listening to the band’s music. Yeah, I’m biased here, but even in guitar magazines I’ve never seen their skills put down. Even Eddie Van Halen once remarked about them ‘that’s musician’s music’.

A Rush fan once told me they thought Rush’s music was only suitable for people ‘of a certain intelligence’. What a crock. Music, regardless of complexity, can appeal to anyone. Look at the longevity of Beethoven. But just because his 9th Symphony is such a grand, complex musical statement, doesn’t mean everyone has to like it. With that sort of logic, you fall into the same competitive approach as mentioned above. Yeah, Yngwie Malmsteen can shred 32nd notes all day long on his custom Stratocaster, but these days I’d rather hear Jens Gad play his single-note  insertions on an Enigma album.

Neil Peart’s song lyrics have long spoken to me, more than almost any other musical act out there. Intelligent and varied, you either love it or hate them, I suppose. One of the verses from Tom Sawyer has been my personal anthem for well over a decade:

No his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful yet discontent
He knows changes aren’t permanent
But change is

In other words, think for yourself. Sometimes I think the individuals who brag about how many albums sales their favorite band has, or how millions of fans can’t be wrong, or other such mindless blather, fail to grasp this.

Let me say it plain: I don’t give a shit about statistics, dollar signs, or stadiums filled with screaming followers. All I care about is how the music in question moves me. What it makes me see in my mind’s eye, what emotions it evokes. Harmonies and melodies become moods and colors that often say what we ourselves wish to say, but can’t. The sounds through that speaker, through those lips, bridge an invisible gap that brings people together into a greater human experience. As I’ve said before, art is the sharing of ideas. There is no need for those ideas to compete with each other when the canvas is as expansive as the universe itself: the human imagination.
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