yep, and it's mine!
Just a little over a year ago I Googled "music collaboration" and found a website that has revolutionized my writing abilities. Since that fateful day, I have had great pleasure in working with some of the best musicians I have ever had the pleasure to work with.
Some from the USA, from Australia, France, Sweden, Italy and England so far.
In recognition of their fine performances, I present you my new album :
My most ambitious project to date, until the next one anyway and available
HERE
A little bit of Zappa, a pinch of Chicago, a drizzle of John Mayer with a layer or Pino Palladino.
THE REDNECK POLKA
A Zappa-esque song about Rednecks, and all their foibles. A humourous ditty which includes a bass solo of impressive magnitude. Jazz-rock , with a little bit of country music near the end, inserted for statistical density purposes.
Ian Pellow: guitar, lead vocals, keyboard, bass | Andrew: guitar solo | Kevin: drums
PINK
A heavy jazz-rock song written, with yours truly on all instruments, except for the drums. Pink was one of the first songs written for this album, penned at a time of great excitement in my life. We had just gotten a new type of cheese to try. I don’t get out much.
Ian Pellow: guitar, vocals, bass | Kevin: drums
KINKY SLINKY
A truly collaborative song, with five other musicians involved in the final cut. Some great horn work, with exciting organ parts thrown in, as well as amazing guitar solos from friends from all over the world. Solos abound here. Please open your ears to some wonderful musicians.
Ian Pellow: rhythm guitar, bass | Neil Schmidt: 1st guitar solo | Kevin: drums | Josh Miller: last guitar solo | Reggie Bouffard: organ | Marty D. Keil: all sax & horn arrangements | Frank Kennedy: mix & engineering
Full length clip -
1min video clip
DUNGEON BLUES
A very moody dark piece I wrote, based on a Zappa tune “The Torture Never Stops”, with a swingy bridge section. One of my ubiquitous bass solo finds itself into this song once again. Hope you don’t mind bass oriented music. Well I like it!
Ian Pellow: lyrics, keyboard, guitar, bass | Ryan Lucas: vocals | Joe Bartoldus: Flute | Rickard Langnesund: drums
ISABELLA (PORNARELLA) NECESSARY
A bright poppy little ditty, that my friend Andrew, took by the scruff of the neck creating a pallet of musical deliciousness, around a not often told tale of a washed-up porn actress. Unusual subject matter you say? You bet! The best kind. Remember…humour DOES belong in music.
A MEASURE OF RULERS
A song strongly reminiscent of early Chicago, with intricate horn arrangements. This is one of the longer songs on this album. It goes from a 6/8 snappy main section to a slow dark section featuring guitar work, in which I humbly try to emulate the late great Terry Kath, then back to the 6/8 section featuring the great horn section I was fortunate enough to work with. Listen for the bass solo work near the end of the tune.
Ian Pellow: lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass | Chuck Mac: trumpet | Marty D. Keil: all sax & horn arrangements | Kevin: drums
Full length clip -
1min video clip
AQUA
A straight out Rock tune, with the wonderful vocalizations of the great Andrew from Australia. This song is about the difference of opinion between two musicians. And you thought the “porn” song was, way you there! Once more an elegant bass solo provides contrast to the ethereal guitar work of the aforementioned Andrew.
GOTTA GIMME
The only song on this album with no other musicians on the track, except myself.
It is about the greed surrounding all of us in this world. Specifically the Corporatocracy we now find ourselves subjected to. My bass playing in this song, has been compared to the great Jack Bruce. Have a listen and see if you agree.
Full length clip -
1min video clip
AFTER HENRY
A bluesy little number with the added value of a wee history lesson about Henry VIII.
The third verse is contemporized for lessons to be taken about this figure, in our own time. Brilliant lyrics, vocalizations, and guitar work provided by the multi-talented Andrew once again. Of course a bass solo invades his space on occasion, but I am a bassist after all!
SO LONG BILLY BOY (an attempted tribute to Billy Barty)
A bright sparkly shiny piece about the legend that was Billy Barty.
Time changes galore in this piece. The song itself is about political correctness, or
In this case…INcorrectness. Some spectacular drum work by the adept, yet bald Kevin. He is a wonder….like I wonder what planet he is from. Somewhere they don’t need hair obviously. One of the few songs on the album, that does not have a bass solo on it. Sorry.
GENGHIS KHAN (but his sister Khan’t):
An instrumental piece that I wrote based only on my idea of the culture of the music in that part of the world. Snappy, at the beginning, giving way to a half time moody section in the middle before returning to the main vamp. Think camels and oases, when listening to this piece. It may help explain the mood I was in when writing it.
Or not.
RED
The first piece I wrote for the album. Who’d have thought it would end up last on the album? A slow building work. It starts off with two guitars, before the bass comes in.
Bass work abounds in this number, with a solo about half way through.
Red is gentle, intelligent, intuitive, and great fun…..me in a nutshell. Oh I forgot humble.
THANKING ALL THE PLAYERS IN THIS INTERNATIONAL ENSEMBLE:
Andrew (the Bull) - Chuck Mac (the Horn-man) - Frank Kennedy (the Paranormal) - Joe Bartoldus (Phoephus) - Josh Miller (Edge Man) - Kevin (the Astronut) -
Ludovic Le Squer (the Drum-head) - Marty D. Keil (the Doc) - Neil Schmidt (the Mud Man) - Nelson Araujo (the Wolfman) - Raul Rodriguez (FigSounds) - Reggie Bouffard (Bouffy) - Rickard Langnesund (JohnRick) - Ryan Lucas (the Fog)
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