ELEVATION EXPRESS/SP ALBUM/B-SIDES UPDATE

Prone to change my mind, I have once more as it pertains to these persistent, nagging b-sides. As I've made the decision to abandon (for now) QUEEN OF THE MEADOW and THAT OTHER TUNE (it doesn't have a name). The reasons for this are complex and having zero to do with liking the songs. In fact, they portend to interesting destinations, new and old, as both had a timeless quality that sounded 'Pumpkin' and futuristic. What turned me was feeling that the songs couldn't be presented in their best form without a whole lot more work; which we don't have time for. And with DAY FOR NIGHT calling, and a hellacious schedule coming up to promote MONUMENTS TO AN ELEGY, Jeff and I simply don't have the time.

Simplest solution I proffered was to go back through the songs we have, and choose a few that are developed and can be dusted off quickly in a way that'll be fun; which reverses my earlier position completely. In that we took the best that was there from the 70+ ideas left and made two piles: b-sides OR roll over to new album. Thankfully the list for 'roll over' was longer, as there's lots of material there worth fighting Howard for. And though I jest, from the 'b-side pile now comes two of my personal faves: THE SPANIARDS (which Howard did say was fantastic), and ROUSTABOUT (his former nemesis). So today we'll dive into that, with the idea that music for each will be finished in one day; vocals perhaps needing their own afternoon. Having had a bit of an allergy attack here with the intense seasonal change and the end of our non-summer, my voice isn't its best so we'll wait a few clicks on that. So I expect that by wednesday, thursday at the latest we'll begin what I call the R + D phase of DAY FOR NIGHT; which should be about 3 weeks of 'how do we do this'? Which in SP-speak means if we're going to make a progressive album from a unique place, what is the consistent process by which to do so; with each category of our sonics sort of sussed through.

Should be an exciting time, with a higher tempo to the work than MTAE. And because we'll have to progress in flashes, I expect it'll be like raising ghosts ships; where win or lose we'll have a good story to tell.

This much I'll say: listening through to the ideas pile, which extends back to songs I penned in 2012, it was clear to me which spoke of the present, and which tunes remained in some beautiful muddle of melody without purpose. Because, beauty or not, we live in a world culture (or what I'd call, and claim from my own mind as THE GLOBAL AGE) that is moving at such a rate of speed that it makes sense why music overall has become so mind-less. For as the machines take over like some bad, dystopic 50's sci-fi movie, we've (collectively) given up our individual voices to join in a soccer chant; and as I've said privately: "That a'int my gig." But counter that with what an old friend told me, which paraphrasing was: "It's a shame your old gig don't matter anymore.'

So that leaves me…?

HERE. HERE being Hell perhaps, but the only Hell I know.

Or if it's Heaven, we sure damn well need a new D.J.

So what I say to that is 'I got this'…

Which makes me wonder why it's taken me so long to hear 'it'. If I was a betting man, I'd say it was because I didn't want to.

"Didn't want to what?" one asks.

"Ah," I chuckle. "I didn't want to be woken up from the dream."

But now I'm awake, and it's is a good thing; though painful. As so many suffer needlessly over needless things.

W.P.C.