Just received Jon Davison's vocals for the song I co-wrote with Jon Anderson! It sounds awesome! This is for the second volume CD coming out in February around Cruise To The Edge time (hopefully in time to have on the boat when we perform and likely Jon D will be guesting with us). He sings misc parts on the rest of the album this is him on lead vocals the whole way through and because Jon Anderson wrote the melody it's VERY close to the edge of sounding like Yes. But, the music is more like if Vangelis was in Porcupine Tree. A truly odd but beautiful combination. A powerful one as well. Can't wait to unleash that one! Ironically, I have to track Marco Minnemann (from Steven Wilson's Raven/Hand-era band) and John Wesley (live guitarist of Porcupine Tree) and/or Randy McStine (not a lot of guitar in this but some very crunchy almost orchestral stabs and riffs). I guess I'm the "Vangelis" part in the mix of styles (ie. the symphonic keyboardist to accompany the ethereal vocalist, the heavy hitting drummer and hard rock guitarist). Matt Dorsey, my bandmate from Sound of Contact will add his bass and there's already orchestral strings as well from Kaitlin Wolfberg. This one turned out way better than I thought. We almost did this song on "Dimensionaut". But, it never would have sounded like this. Almost like a futuristic Yes. Really trippy.
Many of those things would peak my interest, but I'd want to know more. For example, Steve Hackett's name being associated with a project is promising... but I'm not going to get that excited by a cameo. There are a lot of projects Hackett guests on! So, with any name, I want to know do they just briefly guest on the album, or do they perform on all or most of it. If the latter, are they performing someone else's music or are they part of the creative vision, with co-writing credits?
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
I can't speak for anyone else's projects but for my own, I tend to work with someone like Steve in a very "a la carte" cameo type situation. That's because he's busy and he's doing me a favor by even taking the time out to do a session for me. That said, he's ALWAYS very creative with it and makes it his own. A guitar solo isn't part of the main songwriting usually but he does come up with his own solo (he's not reading a chart or copying something already laid out for him). It's also different every time. Have a listen for yourself:
Here's Steve Hackett guesting on the song "Stranded" from my album "New World":
Here's Steve guesting on the song "Dirty Soap Box" from my album "Static":
and here's Steve guesting on the new In Continuum album on a song called "Crash Landing":
I think it's easy to know if you like it or not just by listening to it. But, if you'll only like it if he plays on the whole album or co-writes the songs then I can't help you there. Go buy his solo albums where he does that. My albums tend to be a core band with various special guests to give it different flavors that suit the song and/or concept album. In the case of Jon Davison (who also sings on "Crash Landing", backing vocals at least) he sings on more than 5 songs so there's more going on there because of the character he plays in the story. I didn't co-write the track he sings lead on but I co-wrote it with Jon Anderson ironically. Jon Davison and I have talked about co-writing together and doing more (whether it's with/for IC or not I don't know yet).
Anyway, it's always a balance of who's available for what and then what the song actually needs. I don't do these things just for the gimmick of it. The casting has thought behind it creatively and also pragmatically within the tight budget of an Indy Prog album as well (no choice on that).
Steve fits in nicely with what you're doing. Because you have more of an atmospheric sound (than, say, a technical math-rock sound) he can alternately run around the fretboard or play in his signature languid style and it all fits like a perfect puzzle piece. That definitely showed on "Stranded" - the chords were menacing enough but he had a sharp "tang" to it that gave it an additional immediacy that makes that part of the song work.
"Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)
Here's something new to listen to. This is one of the songs I co-wrote with Jon Anderson. Jon Davison, current singer for Yes, sings the main part along with me, Gabriel Agudo and Leticia Wolf. It's on my Sound Cloud and it's called "Meant To Be".
Did anyone click the link? What do you think? You like it? https://soundcloud.com/davekerznerba...YrswtzPb5Pe4v4
Actually I listened from the link a couple of days ago on the private group FB page.
I think it's wonderful, and as noted by your title, the dream sequence seems as though it would fit perfectly in the context between songs or within your concept.
By itself, I don't think people would understand since it's not a traditional song structure but as a sequence it's wonderful.
I can't wait to get my hands on the album and hear it as a dream sequence between songs.
I was on the fence about JOn with his initial involvement with Yes, but by the time Topographic/Drama came out I was really starting to enjoy his input with Yes, and now after seeing them live earlier this year, I'm definitely a fan.
I am looking forward to someday hearing him do material outside of the Yes genre because I think he's very talented and would like to hear what Jon D sounds like singing Jon D.
Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457
Listening now to the digital download accompanying the CD purchase. It’s great stuff and I’d highly recommend it.
I’ve looked at bandcamp and can’t find a CD version to purchase.....am I missing it?
So much music....so little time....
^ It's in a different tab: https://sonicelements.bandcamp.com/m...on-theory-1-cd
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Thanks....but steep price for just one CD! Why so high?
So much music....so little time....
^ I would guess economics: it's difficult to make money from releases these days, and CD sales are well down. The CD thus has to become a premium product...?
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Hey Squids, how about a vinyl release of this album? I have Dimensionaut on vinyl, would buy IC LP in a heartbeat.
I am increasingly finding that some CDs, perhaps with smaller print runs or smaller distribution, do cost this sort of price. That was the case with John Greaves' Life Size, the most recent CD I got (and it's well worth the price, great album).
I have no idea what Squids' plans are and I presume he'll probably turn up himself to reply soon enough.
On the general point, if, say, 5000 people will pay price X, but 6000 people will pay price 2X/3, then you will sell fewer copies but make more money at the former price point. A lot of prog is going the route of big, expensive releases -- or at least big, expensive versions with bells and whistles added compared to a regular version. Increasingly, the regular version is not the CD, but the download. Often the expensive version is vinyl, so people who want vinyl subsidise everyone else. (As I think people who want to buy vinyl are bonkers, I like this arrangement.)
In the US, CD sales are about a third of what they were a decade ago. This has an impact. I have no idea why this particular album has this particular price, but I am not surprised that CD buying is becoming a bit more expensive in general.
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Dave is an independent artist with no financial support from a major record company. He finances these recordings, cd's and dvd's through fan supported funding.
I'm sure there is a formula people use to factor in production and distribution costs with a percentage going to, god forbid profit for the artist.
As Henry commented, fees charged for manufacturing cd's are done in lots, and the more you order, the less the fee is.
If you take a major music act, Amazon most likely orders more copies and then can charge less. It's like WalMart does by ordering products in large amounts, they negotiate a better price and can sell them for less.
Artists like Dave Kerzner or Glass Hammer have smaller orders so it costs more.
Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457
Wondering if there are any plans for a tour, even a brief one?
Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457
I understand independent artists and the costs involved, but Glass Hammer CD’S cost me around $13.99 at the most. And I ordered the latest cd by I Am The Manic Whale last year, directly from the band thru their bandcamp page. It was $15.99 plus shipping. (Great album BTW). so that’s why I don’t understand the pricing. I have all of Dave’s releases on CD and will end up getting this as well....I’m just shocked at the price.
So much music....so little time....
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
BTW, Henry....I’ve been following your Yes blog site for years! Fantastic job! Thank you!
So much music....so little time....
Bookmarks