January, 2010

In the Event of the Maiden Voyage of Star Explorer X

This is a song title that i like. I feel connected to it, for many reasons. Most importantly, because it can’t say what i want to say in fewer words. We want to limit things in a way that makes them digestable. To create a sort of finite structure; to develop ideas that we understand in short, succint, bite-size pieces. I say no. I say we let it go where it wants to go.

In the event of the maiden voyage of star explorer X is an exploration into the space continuum. And yet it’s a song not interested in science-fiction. It’s more interested in what people think. It’s mostly interested in what people think at a certain moment in time, within this limitless space.

Cover it up, hover on up, get in this spaceship rocket…
Remove it from park, set if for far, put on your antennae….

What if we were to make our own universe? One that made sense to us…that ignored the obvious existence we seem to contend with. Or maybe ignore the one we seem content with.

Explode warp speed! This ain’t a picture at the drive-in.
This is your life flashing back.

We had some tough but very good meetings lately. There are songs that will not progress at this time- songs that will not make it on the album anyway. In short, no ” Astronautica”, no “Armour Man”. These are songs that are important to us, and yet must be put on the backburner. That’s difficult to swallow at first. They are still close to us, and there might still be a future for them….but not in this moment.

An album is conceptual. It has ideas flowing forwards and backwards. And everything has a way of being seemingly integrated.

Alien dreams,
In alien nights,
With alien lovers,
Living alien lives…

I’m proud of the rehearsal that we had today. Three of the new songs have found new life for this record and that is important. Well, more than important…who cares about important. It feels good.

You might realize we’re changing,
You might realize I’m wrong,
In this world you can’t be frozen,
In this world you might fall short.

Uncertainty is the only certainty.
Change is the only constant. We feel comfortable with that- if change is a constant that means align yourself with (or fall into) the rhythm of it doesn’t it?

You could fall into a sunrise,
You could awaken at dusk,
In this world you must be open,
In this world you can’t find fault.

So let’s chill. Let’s sit back and relax and see where it wants to go.
As the walrus said to the carpenter, “the time has come to talk of many things,
of shoes and ships and sealing wax…
of CABBAGES AND KINGS!”