Monday, March 30, 2009

The Entire CD Song By Song - Liner Notes



Land of 1,000 Chakras




The title is a nod to the classic Wilson Pickett soul jam "Land of a Thousand Dances" but that's where the similarities end, really.  "...Thousand Chakras", like most of  "One Mystic View" is an evocative and sexy meditation, heavy on mellow percussion sounds.  Trance-inducing, gentle, peaceful and, ultimately, powerful on many dimensions, if your head's in the right place.  And if not, lay back and get in the mood.  

Traditionally we're told we have seven main chakras up and down our bodies, from the top of our heads (crown) downward.  If we attune to them in meditation,  imagining them in light and color we can balance and restore ourselves in many ways.  I like to think we're far more than seven and that we have multi dimensional chakras, all throughout our physical and astral bodies.  







Sing to the Birds



The title comes from a line in Rob Brezsny's book "Pronoia is the Antidote to Paranoia" - it was a suggestion about doing something different and fun and inspiring.  I enjoy singing to the birds, with the birds, getting them stirred up with my own whistling.  I once had a bird bring me a worm!  No, I didn't manage that on purpose.   It just happened after I was out whistling to the birds and this little compassionate one must have thought I was hungry. 

The song itself starts out with a lot of sound effects working together.  It almost sounds like a rocket ship taking off but if you listen closely there's wind, ocean waves and more.  It quickly turns into a playful Bolero style march, with some added "underwater" sounding effects.  Someone said they imagined they were scuba diving to this song, visiting underwater worlds.  
(Perhaps that's where we encounter the "Psychedelic Manatee" found in song 3.)

One of these days I'm going to make a 90 minute version of "Sing to the Birds".  I think it'd be fun.
 













Psychedelic Manatee





Photobucket



What can I say?  I love Manatees.  And I love psychedelic culture & 60's style hippie art.   Put the two together and here's what we get.  I think eventually, if we can find the right artist, we'll have a cool Psychedelic Manatee toy, or series of toys, similar to those nifty Grateful Dead teddy bears we all love.  

By the way, I think the Psychedelic Manatee has more life in him than this one particular song.  We'll likely revisit the old boy in future volumes of Subliminal Erotica.










Fragile Little Line








Chorus:

World keeps hangin' by a thin little string
Keeps right on turnin' round no matter what we bring
World keeps on spinnin' by a fragile little line
Let's keep on livin' for the ones we leave behind

Politicians are not our friend
well, they can be, if they choose
But if I place my faith in them
I'm surely bound to lose

(repeat chorus)

Some say we're sure to fall
Some say that we'll be fine
No matter who you listen to
It's the blind leadin' the blind

(repeat chorus)

©2009 subliminal erotica





This song's lyrics just kind of came to me quickly.  I recorded it twice (the first take was horrible) and decided, even though my timing is shaky at times on this take, the shakiness lent a kind of organic feel to it.  I didn't want it to sound overly produced.   People are saying my vocals sound a little like Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen.  I was going for Robbie Robertson but I'll take it!  







Ancient Wisdom




Here's another playful instrumental - this one seems as addictive as Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" to me.  At this writing, it's my favorite of all the songs here, though I really don't have much to say about it for some reason!  One listener says it sounds like something Peter Gabriel would sing on - which is high praise, indeed.   Maybe if Peter runs across this song he'll figure out some decent lyrics for it and have a go.








Sacred Agent


Though some have said this sounds like an old Western movie, I was thinking it sounded more like a Spy movie.  But maybe both are true.  The title is a play on words, evoking the idea of taking something in to one's body that transforms their consciousness in a positive way.  Something that gets them in touch with a higher power within.  And possibly without.

Not advocating anything illegal here, mind you.  What we "take in" may be a book, or a movie, or a CD - possibly THIS CD - that leaves us feeling more inspired and in touch with our own humanity.







One More Time Tonight



This is a moody, dreamy little tune which puts me in mind of some of the Wendy & Lisa inspirations from Prince's "Purple Rain" days - and, at the same time, a little of Jan Hammer's "Miami Vice" work.  Though, somehow, it doesn't really sound like the 80's to me.








Happy Ending


Self-explanatory, likely.  It's just a happy little two minute song which was the original closing to the album.  








Further Adventures



It might be your own further adventures - or it might be the further adventures of the Psychedelic Manatee, maybe?  A foreshadowing of the 2nd installment to come?  This is a trippy soundscape someone told me sounded like something Jimi Hendrix did forever ago.  Weird for me to admit but, outside of  "All Along the Watchtower" and "Voodoo Chile",  I was never a big Jimi fan.  I think I've heard five of his songs (!) but someone played me "And the Gods Made Love" after I created "Further Adventures", and yeah, I hear some resemblance, without it being a total knockoff.   I suppose, if you like Jimi's song and you wanted something similar that lasted nearly 9 minutes instead of his song's 90 seconds, this is the track for you. 



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