Take Our Chances...Again and Again and Again

So I have reached the point of total frustration. The song Take Our Chances is just not working. I'm not sure what is wrong and why I cannot get it to sound good no matter what I do. It might be time to just do a complete overhaul and start from scratch. This track is supposed to be the opening track for the Album and as such I'm trying to get it done first. If it doesn't work out I may just scrap it and keep the second version that ALSO appears on the Album as the penultimate song. I'm just not sure what to replace it with as the opener.

I'll keep you posted on the progress or lack thereof.

Dear Friend...Check it out!

Hey Everyone!

Yes, as a matter of fact it has been a VERY long time since I've updated.

I'll have more to post soon on the album progress, but for now I just want to make you aware of my new web site that is pretty dang awesome. You can easily listen to ALL of my music, read lyrics, order CD's and/or download songs you like for a reasonable cost.

There are 3 new songs posted as well as all old albums.

Be sure to check out the BRAND NEW song Dear Friend, which will be on the new album. It's a song that was written 8 or 9 years ago that I rediscovered and decided to record. It really turned out to be quite good I think. A tinge of darkness musically, and a bit sad...but not completely hopeless. It should be a great addition to the album. I've mentioned the song before in this blog, you may remember, but now you can actually hear it. Unless you hate it, be sure to come back and let me know what you think.

"Drifting Away" Indeed

Nearly four years ago...

I had just completed my second album "Making It Right Again" over the summer of '05. Because of the huge amount of time that was demanded to complete that album, I subsequently took a few months off from songwriting and recording. Later that year I picked up the guitar again and began writing my first "new" song in quite some time.

That song became what is now known as "Drifting Away"...and last night, almost 4 years later, I did some recording and put the final touches on it. 4 YEARS LATER!!!

If anything around here is drifting away it's time.

Slight Change of Plans

So...sometimes it's ok to change plans.

My original idea was to complete 14-15 songs and choose the best 10-12 for the final album. At this point I have 10 songs that are near completion. All of these songs are good enough to make the album. So do I continue to try to finish more tunes so I can have the best of the best?...OR...do I accept the songs that are closest to being finished as the final songs? Because of time constraints I am going with the latter option. With a little more recording and some final mixing and mastering this album will finally be finished. Don't get too excited, that's still probably months away...but that's better than years away. The songs that get left behind will serve as a starting point for the next album.

So the tracklist as it stands now is as follows:

1. Take Our Chances
2. This Moment
3. By And By
4. Castles In the Sand
5. Drifting Away
6. The Enemy Is Me
7. Wherever You Go
8. Dear Friend
9. Take Our Chances (Again)
10. Deep In the Heart

I'd say those first five songs are a lock...the rest could still change as the songs are finished and as I listen to them in order a few hundred times. There may even be a short instrumental or two added just for good measure, seeing as how all of my previous albums have those. We'll see if that works out or not. But rest assured that this baby is nearer to completion that it's ever been before.

I Can Feel It...

...There is definately an album emerging here. It's identity and form becomes more and more clear each day. Deep In the Heart, the designated closing track of the album, is near completion and sounding just dandy to these ears. A few more tweeks and maybe a last minute addition and it'll be all ready to take it's place among the ever growing list of near completed songs.

Stay tuned...

What's In A Name?

"Comfort Me" has a new name..."Deep In the Heart" is now the title of this peice of music that's been kicking around my hard drive for years now.  I'm very excited that this song is starting to take a shape that is worthy of the great potential I've seen in it since it's birth.  

All that is left to do is record the final vocals, add a few more backing vocals, maybe another guitar, and then spend weeks mixing it all until it sounds as near to perfect as I can get it.

"Comfort Me"/"Deep In the Heart" has always been slated to be the closer of the album and now I think it will fill that role quite nicely.  Is it overly-sentimantal, schmaltzy, overblown and bombastic?  Maybe.  Is it quite possibly the best thing I've ever done?  Perhaps.  Ask me again in 5 years.

Excitement Returns!

The reality that school is almost over, I mean like as in forever, is filling me with desires to accomplish things in my life that have been put off for far too long.  You know,things like finishing this album that is already two years later than I had planned as it is.  

Knowing that I'm graduating gives me and feeling of freedom that is unlike anything I've felt in a long time.  Not only will I have more time and less distractions, it feels like a huge cloud that has loomed over my head for years is vanishing.  A huge burden is being lifted from my back.  My main long term goal for the past (large number that I'd rather not specify) years is nearly accomplished.

So, back to the album...

I've taken an important step and gone through all the song I have at this stage, whether completed, semi-completed, or barely started...and I've come up with a working tracklist.  Doing this has made this project feel more real and given me some new enthusiasm to get it completed.

Here is the tracklist I've come up with.  Remember that many of these are incomplete or need major work...

1. Take Our Chances
2. Castles In the Sand
3. This Moment
4. Wherever You Go
5. The Enemy Is Me
6. Dear Friend
7. By And By
8. Take Our Chances (Again)
9. Drifting Away
10. So Far Gone
11. [Instrumental] (needs a name)
12. Comfort Me

There are a number of songs that got left off of this list either because the quality is not yet what it should be or they are just not far enough along in the completion process.  There is plenty of this "B" material that hopefully will come together quickly for the next album.  I've got a lot of time to make up for.  Here's a few of these songs...

• The Edge Of the Known Universe
• Somewhere In Between
• Never And Forever
• Anything At All
• Save My Soul
• There's a Certain Darkness That's Gone

So there you go...

Stay tuned if you're still out there and care.  There should be a lot more updates in the coming weeks.  Are you excited?  Well I am and that's really all that matters.