And something that made me feel better...

[avevale_intelligencer]

Driving back from the shop with a bag of fresh fruit and veggies for the Countess, the speaker thing on the seat and my iPod on shuffle as it always is when I'm alone in the car, I listened to "Flash In The Pan" by Gryphon, a nicely quirky little song about two magicians brewing up a potion (or possibly making a stew).

It was followed by "Alchemy."

"Alchemy" is, I think, my favourite song of all that I've recorded so far. My MIDI sequence kicked a degree of bottom, and Mike W booted it over the bleachers and into the stratosphere with his truly wondrous bass and lead guitar (EDIT: sorry, bass, *rhythm* and lead guitar: how could I forget?). Talis and Simon did some great backing vocals despite being not too sure about the chord changes, and even my voice sounds merely dire and not actually intolerable. And the synchronicity of the theme pleased me. If only the mix had been just a bit more upfront and in one's face (everything louder than everything else*, that's my motto, but unfortunately not Dan the producer's) it would have been absolutely perfect. I'd love to hear a real rock band (or a real filk-rock band) have a go at it one day.

But for a while there I felt I had actually done something good. Which helped.

*Up to a point, Lord Copper. Loudness for its own sake just makes me uncomfortable, and I would never be interested in knobs that go up to eleven, but I'm fairly sure none of the knobs on Wassaliens ever got much over eight. Which is good in that you can hear all of what's going on. Just not, you know, over a car engine.

EDIT: would any of the participants reading this have a problem with my putting up a link to it?

Comments

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Any chance of you posting it in such a way as one could listen to easily?

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

Not at all. Go for it.

[howeird]

If this is on a buyable CD, please post a link to where to purchase it.

[aunty_marion]

Alas, only on tape. So far... *g*

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

And currently out of print.

[djelibeybi.livejournal.com]

In one post, you have referenced two of my fondest musical allegiences - Gryphon and Steinman (everything louder than everything else).

Whooda thunk?

Ever tried October Project's "Johnny" in the car?

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

I don't know it yet. :)

Gryphon are an early love of mine. "Ethelion" is a really good energiser, and gave me one of the first inklings of what my fictional group Gestalt sounds like. And Steinman, of course...well, what can one say? Apart from "That's no way to treat an expensive musical instrument!!!"

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Hmm, no Gryphon on Spotify (they get a mention and a bio, but no music). Recommendations of albums (albae?)?

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Overall best album for me is the last one, "Treason." Second best is "Midnight Mushrumps" which has "Ethelion" on it.

Others' opinions may differ, of course. :)

[djelibeybi.livejournal.com]

I'm awaiting a thingummy being delivered from a recent order so's I can capture the vinyl onto MP3 to enjoy anywhere but can heartily recommend "About As Curious As It Can Be" and "Midnight Mushrumps". Many an evening has calmed down to Midnight Mushrumps.

On re-reading your entry, it occurs that you may have been involved with them (Gryphon). If so, The Bloke says anybody who was any part of Gryphon, or had anything to do with it is a hero. His definition of "hero", is having brought more happiness than misery into the world. He first heard them on Capital Radio and he thought "Fsck me! - someone's still writing real music"

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

No, I wasn't. I wish I had been.

[djelibeybi.livejournal.com]

I don't know it yet. :)

That can be remedied :)

The only reason we say "damn" to Steinman is that we're, secretly, so very jealous of his ability.

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

"everything louder than everything else" also comes from Deep Purple's "Made In Japan" - if I remember rightly, Ian Gillan asks the sound guy to turn something up in the monitors, and a voice off mic (probably Jon Lord) sarcastically asks for "everything louder than everything else".

[caomhinmaca.livejournal.com]

None at all - and agree with the previous, some easy format please...

And I really agree on ETHELION delivering energy. Gryphon have been a favourite for many years.

[djelibeybi.livejournal.com]

Funny how small the world is when talking music. Hi!

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Well, I make no guarantees, but I happen to know a filk rock band...

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Well, if they'd be interested...

[ericcoleman]

ericcoleman at gmail dot com ... we'll take a listen

anyone who references Gryphon is automatically a friend of mine ... oh, and Red Queen to Gryphon Three is my favorite

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

Mike W booted it over the bleachers and into the stratosphere with his truly wondrous bass and lead guitar (EDIT: sorry, bass, *rhythm* and lead guitar: how could I forget?)

I have to say (now I'm not trying to do so on an iPhone keyboard in a moving car!) that the bass line to Alchemy is probably the bass part I'm most proud of. Especially considering it was played on keristor's bass, whose intonation I seem to be remember being sufficiently suspect even AFTER I'd taken a toolkit to it, that I had to tune it to be in tune around the 7th fret as that was where most of the bass part was!

I have no recollection of the rhythm part at all, but I DO remember writing the end guitar line by working BACKWARDS from a top D on the last chord to figure out where I needed to start it!

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

Oh. THAT rhythm part :D Yeah. It kicks butt, doesn't it :D