ROTTEN SPOILS OF VENUSIAN SPLENDOR/SP ALBUM UPDATE

Remember the COUGAR list? Neither do I. But I was reminded of it yesterday as we trolled through demos past, reacquainting as such with my dead ends. Remember a good song? Neither do I. But I remember when people listened to 'em with regularity. And strange is the world that values 'tude above: valor, dignity, achievement; melody.

So let's sing to the sinking ships and the vanquished pose; pomade in hand. Yes, I do remember when I heard curls; beautiful ones at that.

All this muttered, I do need a new name for what was once the COUGAR list. For now, the B-pile will suffice. And having listened to everything, and I do mean everything we had left, Shredder and I had made a 'roll over' pile; as in roll over to DAY FOR NIGHT. And that list has now been parsed in two, your new A's being: CARDINAL SIGNS (or RULE?), FULLSAIL, OVERJOYED, SOLARA, BURNT ORANGE BLACK, and TOODLE-LOO (which gave me chills when we were stumbling through the changes). Quantifying, I'd say these songs collectively have a more relaxed and autumnal feel than what ended up on MTAE (which by the way is very much on track for it's Dec 2014 release).

B list: PRETTY BLUE (deemed too simple and common, probably best for a solo effort, or acoustic), and I SAID (a concept album or musical).

Undetermined: THEME FOR 9 PLANETS, which has a hipsters bent and a growing set of harmonic possibilities. More work on that today, but my guess is it will be sent forward to the STARS and BARS pile.

And speaking of stars and bars, I recently paid a visit with my R PRO cohorts the Baron Bros. to the JESSE BROWN VA HOSPITAL; where we met a fantastic staff and some veterans in residence there; all while taking a tour of the facilities. Much respect to them all for fighting the good fight here at home. From my soapbox, I say: support our veterans, for there is much need and hardship there if you're willing to look. Especially as we enter the difficult, winter months.

That noted, I find it hard to return back to writing of my own toils, so I'll end with this: making an album is a difficult process, and having made a few I find it hard to throw myself into the oblivion of the process; especially knowing what I know of it. And so far I feel that deeply, this reluctance to go all in, and especially after I've just finished one I'd guess you're tired of 'hearing' of; instead of just hearing. And no, I don't do it for the kids, and I certainly don't do it as catharsis; the 'why' of it still unknown to me after some 30 years. But if this is indeed a foreboding of some ending, or unseen beginning, I'll make it worth the while. On that, you can take guarantee…

W.P.C.