This song is done in a dropped F tuning. I won't bore you with the tuning itself, but the same tuning makes an appearance in Consequence, Painted Tense, 70 and others. My favorite part of the song is the verse after the solo. For some reason I…

Nothing like the sound of a strat through that classic "brown" sound. Gritty, driving, crunchy, lovely tones...This is my welcome back, did you miss me, RPM 2008 opening track.

Yes, I am dark sometimes. Aren't we all? Don't listen to closely, just turn this one up and lose yourself in the tones.

So, I did multiple demos of this in my bathroom (for the echo) in the days before recording it. It is fun to play on acoustic. I record the real thing and it just screamed string quartet (or the Fox version of said quartet) I had never done strings…

So I find this riff on a older cassette of me noodling around. I liked the riff, and decided to do a song with it, semi-dronish, which really means literally no changes, just the riff with some overdubs for color. It was also an exercise is subtle…

A chance gtr line while I was checking recording levels turned into insta-song. This one came together in about an hour.

Originally conceived as a mellow-ish, Stephen Stills sounding number (at least the verses), then the chorus came to me out of nowhere and turned the whole song on it's ear. I think that was for the better. I have to admit that I surprised myself…

The gtr came first, then the vox, then the bass. Bass players tend to really like this song.

This was supposed to be a lot heavier and darker, but it sounded totally cheesy. I lightened it up, added piano and did about 11 different versions of the vocals for this, each one with completely different lyrics and melodies. The end part was…

This was supposed to be keyboard only, then the gtr part came and just kind of took it over. You should hear the original demo, it is very, very different. I happen to really like this song though, and for some reason love my little keys solo…

I was lost for a chorus, and a title. Then...Bruce.

A chance gtr line turns into a big production. This is a song I wrote for myself, meaning it's probably too long, it probably has too many parts and it probably has too much going on in it. YET, I don't care. I wrote it for me. Oh, and I am very…

This song sounds best if you can drive through Hollywood Hills, or anywhere in Southern CA. Funny how I happen to live in NH, eh? Another song that came from a simple gtr line (the intro).

Stripped down, I almost did this one as a live, one take vox and gtr "on-mike" bit. I did the song, kind of liked, but decided to do a tracked version, just to see what it would sound like. Ended up liking it more.

Bouncy, with ear candy. Wanted to do something different with this one, keep it from being too predictable. I think I succeeded. I also happen to really like my "squawk, squawk" gtr stabs in the verses.

The closing track of Dearly Departed. I will come back, but I don't know where or when. Open, ethereal, a departure in terms of tone, and for me.

Wanted to make this one drive. It's meant to be listened to as loud as possible.

I am Ironman. With this one, I purposely kept it stripped down. I could have lavished it up, but I wanted the tone to match the stark clarity of realization. Sometimes this one sounds thin to me, but stark clarity sometimes has the same: "That…

This is a track of serendipity (is that how you spell that?) I was hours from deadline, lots of mixing left to do, and this track was FAR from done. I love the congas in this one. In general, this is a fun one for me. For once I actually don't…

Eerie, mournful, beautiful, but so, so lonely. These are the words of a friend listening to it. When you make a conscious choice as to who you should be, what you were meant to be, what you have failed to be, until now... This one is meant…