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MP3 Alex Wall - Tantrum
13 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Progressive Rock, ROCK: Psychedelic
Details:
Well, it’s finally here…TANTRUM!
These 13 songs essentially record the events of my life for one year (August 2005 to August 2006). The obvious idea relayed by the title is of “an angry ‘tantrum’” (and some people who know me very well might support this view). However, I mean it to be a singular piece of “tantra” (as if the meditative state achieved by the “Whirling Dervishes”, the so-called “Tantra” could be quantified and described—frame by frame—musically. So tantrum is one piece of tantra (per song). Pretty strange, but I’m an artist. What do you expect?
This is a prophetic and unusual album. If you don’t dig it the first time around you will be mine by the third. That is a guarantee.
Because I like to “yip”, and because you’re crazy enough to read this, here is a basic description of the tunes on this album:
As with all of the songs I’ve written over the last 20 years, these are REALLY and TRULY meant to mean WHATEVER THE LISTENER WANTS THEM TO MEAN. What you see in your mind (through your ears) IS the correct interpretation. For these tunes are not mine, but ours. I don’t understand them much better than you do.
Now I will tell you part of what went into these songs, so you can work it into your own equations...
1. Light Of The Sun—This is somewhat self-explanatory. I often use the “Sun” to be a metaphoric term for that Person who created the universe. And sunny days often charge me up in the same way that my strange faith does.
2. Candle After Dawn—This song is Pink Floydian, Bob Marlean, U2-ian…, musically, and about the emotional wasteland experienced after being dumped by someone you love. The idea is the uselessness of a “candle after dawn”, or shining for nothing, to “compete against the sun”. Like many of my songs, there is also a relation to “every man”, as well as an optimism that is always trying to poke through.
3. Mourning Song—This song is about the death of my grandmother (2004), and the relationship we continue to have.
4. Violet Wave—I’m fairly sure this one won’t be a big hit. It is about the power of love. Sometimes love for country is so strong that it causes people to give their lives, without question. There is a seventh wave. There is a Spirit wave. Violet is the seventh color. Love is a Violet Wave.
5. Daydreaming—As has been mentioned in my journal notes, this song is about remembering the friends who are not in my life anymore, but who I still think of often. I love this tune, but I have not heard much from others about it.
6. Dark World—Another song that speaks for itself. I think this song describes my fear (and many people’s fear) about the fate of our world. Even though I remember the Cold War vividly, I believe that “this is the time” that is MOST dangerous in world history. We lack moral direction because most of our institutional religions and political leaders have failed us.
7. Slow Down—Similar to “Daydreaming”, this song laments the friendships whose bridges have been burned. It also relates a desire on my part to “Slow Down” and re-think my goals and priorities.
Thanks to my Dad, Alec Wall, for the jazzy guitar on this tune. He has never stopped supporting me and is my original and only guitar teacher. My appreciation for chord structures and FEELING in music comes from my Dad. Again, Thanks Pop!!
8. Windows—Probably the most popular song on the album (so far). This song is spooky. Listen to the words and consider that as soon as the song was completed, I almost died from a heart attack. This song was chosen to be played on Sara Willis’ show, “In Tune By Ten”, on Mother’s Day, on Maine Public Radio. Interestingly, the guitar line before each verse was actually written nearly 20 years ago, and is based on the basic chord structure of “The Hustle” the tacky 70’s tune. Most obviously, it is a complete rip off of Pink Floyd songs: “Breathe”, “Time”, a little “Echoes”…Someone else pointed out that those chords are like “The Love Boat” theme. I remember The Love Boat; it was on right before Fantasy Island…
9. I Won’t Cry—This song was still being written when my heart attack hit. On the way to the hospital, and even in the hospital, the song kept running through my mind automatically refining itself, as all my songs do while I’m writing them. This is mentioned in the next song. The idea with this song is that the time has come to be strong (not that crying is weak, but) metaphorically, NOT crying symbolizes the ability to rise above instinctual, emotional reactions, in order to lead the way to a better understanding of one’s own direction; being an example of strength to broken hearted people.
Thanks to Glenn Philbrick for playing drums on this song. Glenn is like a brother to me. We come from the same area and understand each other on a fundamental and unspoken level. We’ve had our ups and downs as any good friends have…but he really helped me out with the drums for the next three songs, and for this he is the greatest; in his understated but PERFECT drumming, he actually makes me jealous, wishing I could represent my own percussive ideas as well as he can represent MY ideas! Amazing guy. Thanks to you, Glenn, Krissy and Ryker too!
“Page 500, paragraph 6.” First one to find the meaning wins my whole CD Catalog! Just email the answer.
10. Chosen One—This is obviously a song about the heart attack itself, some human angels and others, and revelations that occurred at the hospital, and my best attempt to understand it all within the context of my own destiny, and my decision to live. This song was featured on Maine Public Radio, again by Sara Willis, on Father’s Day. Someone asked what the “chosen one” thing is all about. Here’s the deal.
Suppose that when we die we grow in spiritual understanding (and even physical form) until we finally reach perfection on Paradise. Well, what if that is where you actually are right now? What if your perfected self is looking back on its evolutionary adventure, and its understanding of reality is so complete that it has chosen to LITERALLY relive its former existence? Could your life actually be the memories of your future self. It’s kinda’ like that.
I choose the Spark and It chooses me. Like the character Gollum, in Lord of The Rings who talks with himself, the “chosen one” is my “precious”, and so am I, for It. Together we are creating a soul. See the back cover of the album for a representation of the soul (we are made up of the things in our minds). It is a new creature made from a combination of the experiences of the human animal and the guidance of the Perfect Indweller). This may be more than you wanted to know. Sorry.
11. Life Carrier—Some folks may recognize this term, “Life Carrier”. I’ll let the rest of you guess. It has something to do with the origin of life on this world, and the long wait to see where it ends up.
12. Firefly—This song is for my niece and nephew. It is seemingly just a simple song to honor the modest little creature. But, a little deeper down, it is a message to them and to the coming events that their generation will face. I hope someday she and her brother will appreciate this song’s light in a dark hour.
13. Follow Me—This is the second part of “Life Carrier”. Personally, this is one of my favorite tunes on the album. I’ve also had a positive response to it. In that chorus at the end “Would you follow me anywhere?” etc. there are 12 voices singing the words and 5 or 6 singing ooh’s and ah’s behind it. There’s also some “Rockford Files”-type synth there too.
For other thanks I’ll simply quote the inside of the album…
“Thanks for support from my Dad--Alec Wall and Heather Durham; my Mom--Barbara Coyne and Jay Coyne; my sister--Deb Hamilton, Rick Hamilton, Helen and Zach; Lissi Erwin; Nate Erwin; and Nancy Loving.
Thank you also to Cheryle, Cathy, Kim, and all my doobies at The Pine Tree Society; also to Dean and Kim; and Dr. Joshua Cutler.
Thank you to all my other friends, family, and supporters for lending your ears, throughout the years.
Thanks to both grandmothers for paving the way…We will all be together again.
Thank you to the Universal Father and Mother, for letting me “see the music” and for allowing me to record the language of heaven.”
Obviously, my music has always been “eclectic” (I guess this is a term used by people to describe a diversity of themes, unified by one author), but many people don’t know what that means…I’m not sure I do either. I just write and record what I myself want to hear. Styles have never been important to me. Pigeon holing doesn’t seem to apply somehow. This may be the most quintessential album illustrating my desire for eclecticism though. Please compare it to former albums: BSides…(2004), Blue Age (2002), Knowmad (2001), Wake To Dream (2000), Moonflower (1998)
Growing up I used to listen to “concept albums” (“Sgt. Pepper’s”, “Dark Side of the Moon”, “The Wall” [no relation], plus any Yes album, and any Jethro Tull album, etc.), and that is what I record. My styles may be modern, but much of the “art rock” templates behind these modern styles reside in so-called “classic rock” concepts. However, if there is ever an album of mine that only sounds like classic rock, then I didn’t get the right feeling. I want to expand and evolve music, not repeat the same old things. I predict that what I call “Retro Pop” will be a big trend in the next few years.
This album is a gobstopper (in three layers). It begins with the sour, electronic thoughts of the past (tracks 1-4), moves on to the sickly sweet darkness and near-death of the crossroads in my life (tracks 5-8), and it ends with a recovery, resolve, confirmation of destiny, and THE POWER TO TOUCH THE SKY (tracks 9-13).
PLEASE let me know what you think about these tunes, whether you like them, love them, or want to use them as target practice (which would be kind of fun actually), just visit the website: https://www.tradebit.com.
SPECIAL DEAL--Check this out: A special, weekly, FREE MP3 campaign is coming September 8, 2006. Keep up with the weekly Journal (which may be in the form of a pod cast), as each song from Tantrum will be released as a FREE DOWNLOAD, one per week, for 13 weeks. If you are on the ball you will be able to download the whole album FOR FREE.
If you are one of the smart people who likes this kind of bargain, then also order the album art from Omega (see Contact Page for where to send your dollar bills) since you will be following along with the weekly FREE MP3 offer--and I will send these uncut album art pages to you (same as what is commercially available already tucked in the jewel case), allowing you to burn the disc from the free downloads and then insert the album art that I send you into a CD case (case not provided—Oh, there’s always a catch!) for 2 US dollars (cash only please). The art pages I send to you will be autographed.
Therefore, wise children, you get my album, Tantrum, for $2.00. I’m trying to show that I don’t want money as much as I want new listeners. Come to think of it, if you ask me nicely via email, I’d probably send you some free stuff regardless of payment.
Communication is the key here: alex@https://www.tradebit.com.
I listen to everything that people say. I will try to read every email. I am trying to improve my music and make it more appealing to a broader audience. Help me if you can; communicate with me. And, as always…
THANK YOU FOR LENDING YOUR EARS
Alex Wall
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