Harrisburg PA – Page 8

Lorelei

By Cygnus Wave September 9, 2009 January 3, 2024 Imaginary Lines Album Tracks

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Written by Ric Albano	Song Length: 6:30
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[audio:Lorelei.mp3]
Lyrics It’s not Rooooooski! It’s an abstract facsmile of Rooooooski! Damned by a man who cannot stand up straight I’ll search in vein for the guards who had abandoned the gate Should’ve known that no good deed could ever go unpunished In the end Lorelei had decided my fate Cursed by the purse strings attached to my home Must wait on line for heir justice with the greasy, black comb He shouts; “What makes you so sure that your way of life is right?” I then suspected Lorelei’s silent hand in my plight You don’t want it? You’ve got to have it and I insist that you grab it! You don’t see it? But have I chosen to reveal it? This is the question you’ll have to deal with! Shin deep in purple, processed, pure grape jelly The bureau’s witch doctors demand more money While Mr. Rooooooski charges that I’m a cheat I won fair and square just accept your defeat! Scorned by a wench who can’t pronounce my last name But shattered my faith in the law to assign the right blame “I’ll have you know mean-spirited remarks will never feed one hungry child” This smacks of Lorelei’s crass and sinister style You can’t feel it? Must be too heartless to deal with… The poor, oppressed, 5th-wheel bits! You can’t grasp it? Then you’re an ignorant, Christian have-wit! Obsessed with preparing for the casket Knee deep in crimson, sticky, entropic, paste gold The bureau’s alchemists grow crusty and old While Mr. Rooooooski is chauffered down Nicey Road And ignores any headline underneath of the fold Where is the buzz when you need it the most? Drowned in black coffee, eggs, bacon, & toast What will the bureaucrat do for Tuesday? Something constructive, maybe scratch his toupee Now I was bitten by the dog whose bite was bigger than his bark Sentenced to civil servitude clearing sidewalks at dark “You’ll surely loath the black days when your good fortune is repealed… …To fund some grand new monument down in Lorelei Park!” You don’t weep for it? Must be bigoted with deep-knit, soul-less, bottom-feeding wits You can’t show it? Then how can you be certain you know it? You’re surely doomed yet to blow it! Neck high in Honolulu blue river tide The bureau’s acrobats were doomed to collide Poor little Rooooooski took it hard when they died New bureau despot outlawed Lorelei raves Promoted morons and dismissed the unshaved Soon even Rooooooski will have to learn to behave Perhaps then I’ll be moved to re-emerge from my cave Composition © 2004 Ric Albano Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music	Song Info Composed on June 14, 2004 Recorded starting on November 3, 2004 at Silver Spring Subterranean Produced by Ric Albano Engineered by Paul Smith Mixed and Mastered in 2005 at Silver Spring Subterranean Original Release: October 10, 2005 on Imaginary Lines I Performers Ric Albano Piano, Keyboards, Percussion, Bass, Vocals Bret Alexander Electric Guitar Listener Guide Grade Analysis: An odd song with an odd story and odd structure, this upbeat and fun tune with deep philosophical lyrics came together in an odd way. Like most songs on Imaginary Line I, a demo was brought to Saturation Acres where a new, professional recording was initiated. But unlike any other song, the demo version was ultimately included on the album as the studio version was determined to be too slow to capture the mood of this song. Song Trivia The original version of this song was written in 1997 and named “Episode IV” as it narrated the story of the first Star Wars film. The alternate, studio recorded version of “Lorelei” was used for J.D. Cook’s 19th birthday tribute as he had long claimed this to be his favorite Imaginary Lines song.

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Perfect Light

By Cygnus Wave September 9, 2009 January 3, 2024 Imaginary Lines Album Tracks

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Written by Ric Albano	Song Length: 4:26
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[audio:PerfectLight.mp3]
Lyrics You march down your narrow street To the rhythmic drums that your master beats With pretension that this tune is one that you’ve authored Quickly shuffle past the water rats Who gave you comfort when the Krins attacked And deserve acknowledgement now but you just can’t be bothered It’s alright, it’s alright, the beautiful people will all be there tonight To toss and fish for praise that is not deserved It’s alright, it’s alright, the burdens of fame that tend to make you uptight Will nicely fuse into indigenous curves Indigenous curves, with no more stress on your nerves Bellowing out your new verbs Your smile was painted on too thin And has slowly dissolved into a stressed-out grin Because deep down you know that you want and need more Covertly detour to your private suite Garnished with fresh orchids & fine imported meat But all that you desire is within that cabinet drawer It’s alright, it’s alright, the Hollywood press will provide cover tonight And will dutifully drench you in the perfect light It’s alright, it’s alright, You surely won’t be bothered by the phantoms of life So you can preach left and still be so right Alright! (You are so correct, sir) So right You’re so right, so right, so right, so right, so right You can never be wrong! Composition © 2004 Ric Albano Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music	Song Info Composed on June 23, 2004 Recorded starting on May 9, 2005 at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA Produced by Ric Albano Engineered by Paul Smith Mixed and Mastered in 2005 at Silver Spring Subterranean Original Release: October 10, 2005 on Imaginary Lines I This Release: September 9, 2009 on Imaginary Lines 33 Performers Ric Albano Harpsichord, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals Bret Alexander Acoustic and Electric Guitars Ron Simasek Drums Listener Guide Grade Analysis: The layered soundscapes enrich this song as it migrates from section to section, in a gloomy and fatalistic creed. Song Trivia “Perfect Light” was written in response to a pathetic, “puff piece” version of The E True Hollywood Story on an established mainstream actor.

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Good Friday

By Cygnus Wave September 9, 2009 January 3, 2024 Imaginary Lines Album Tracks

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Written by Ric Albano	Song Length: 7:50
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[audio:GoodFriday.mp3]
Lyrics An excrutiating dose of harsh reality On this dreary, dark, cold March afternoon A reputed chunk of my personality is ground to dust within this airtight room I summon the ghost of the Ancient One, her name is on the tip of my tongue And brace for a sharp ratiocination but unmercifully that blow never comes So while I’m dancing on the head of a stick Awaiting your distinction between “Joe Hero” and “Jack Convict” I’ll fight the urge to quench the thirst Of our ancestor’s cravings by not behaving so burned and conned As my illusion of grandeur slowly crashes One underlying discourse starts within Will today’s holy palms become the ashes – That will accompany tomorrow’s changing hymns? And so that brings us to Good Friday; “We both knew this day would someday come” Although fasting from meat may make you hungry I’d have never believed you’d eat your young In a room off pothole infested roads we’d play Those relative games of black & white & shades of gray While fueling the urge to fill the void In our ancestor’s yearnings without concerning this new paragon Forsaken descendants, mechanical offspring You’ll never have children while the burden consumes you Forsaken ancestry – tear down the Temple wall, firebomb the pyramids, Level the twin towers, then run! But no one reminds me like you do Of the ideals and ambitions that have been lost Of all those naïve conclusions where we’d arrive, fooled That the best things in life must harbor cost And so we return to Good Friday, a verge that we’ve expected all the while? Can either of us see beyond today? May Saturday’s dawn yet be compiled? Harmoniously singing the songs of yesterday In an attempt to fabricate those verbal games we play Our aria is composed of tunes of our ancestor’s likeness- Too polite to seize our day – Carpe diem! I want it all and I want it right now! Forsaken opportunity, situation unforeseen You never did prepare for this day as reality Forsaken opportunity – tear down the fortress walls, back-fill your foxhole, Good Friday has come and now has gone! Composition © 2002 Ric Albano Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music	Song Info Composed on March 22, 2002 Recorded starting on April 8, 2005 at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA Produced by Ric Albano Engineered by Paul Smith Mixed and Mastered in 2005 at Silver Spring Subterranean Original Release: October 10, 2005 on Imaginary Lines I Performers Ric Albano Piano, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals Bret Alexander Electric and Acoustic Guitars Ron Simasek Drums and Percussion Sinclair Soul Background Vocals Listener Guide Grade Analysis: This was upon its release, and remains to this day, the best Imaginary Lines song. It the longest song in duration and contains the most complex arrangement of instrumentation, yet deceptively sounds so easy going and simple. The lyrical content is complex and hard to decipher as it draws from several sources – poetic, spirtual, and real-life, while the instrumental “coda” section is a deliberate artistic statement on its own. Song Trivia Much of the song was written in a writing lab where Ric tutored while he was a senior at Bloomsburg University in 2002. Although it was actually a “dreary, dark, cold March afternoon” which happened to be a Friday, it was not Good Friday, as that was observered a week later. The “coda” section was recorded separately from the song proper and it builds to included three piano tracks, three lead synthesizers, three guitars, and two full drum perfomances, along with the one simple, repeating bass line.

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The Phoenix

By Cygnus Wave September 9, 2009 January 3, 2024 Imaginary Lines Album Tracks

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Written by Ric Albano	Song Length: 3:56
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[audio:ThePhoenix.mp3]
Lyrics It appeared you found a new direction, heading down towards the mines Where you would pick for gold in dire perplexion Disregarding all alternative signs To a future wrought by burrowing down, you’d resigned Then sometime came some eccentric stranger Seemed quite familiar, but yet not quite Who would harass until you’d ogre the danger Until finally you’d step out into the light Those derivatives of naïveté you’d now fight Your millstone is that of one self-carved and with gaiety But this lusus naturae must now be collapsed through rumpus mutiny The rain falls down but there’s no comfort in the cool The wretched heat cannot be dampened by the pool You break down, disintegrate, and break down Refined into diminutive shapes Ordained reality, from this flame no escape It appears you found a new direction, pointed towards the sky Puissant with refreshed predilection Black elbows, white lightning in your eyes From the serrated, glassy desert floor you now rise! Composition © 2004 Ric Albano Publication © 2005, 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music	Song Info Composed on December 10, 2004 Recorded starting on May 9, 2005 at Saturation Acres, Danville, PA Produced by Ric Albano Engineered by Paul Smith Mixed and Mastered in 2005 at Silver Spring Subterranean Original Release: October 10, 2005 on Imaginary Lines I This Release: September 9, 2009 on Imaginary Lines 33 Performers Ric Albano Piano, Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Vocals Bret Alexander Electric Guitars Ron Simasek Drums Listener Guide Grade Analysis: Although this was an excellent “kick-off” song, it is probably the weakest song on Imaginary Lines I. It does nicely build tension before releasing energy during the bridge and outtro sections, but suffers from weak vocals and a muddled overall mix. Song Trivia This auto-biographical song was written by Ric Albano on his 36th Birthday. The lyric “It appears you found a new direction, pointed towards the sky” is influenced by the rare dystopian song by Pink Floyd called “Point Me At the Sky”, which contains the lyric “And if you survive ’til 2005 I hope you’re exceedingly thin / For if you are stout you will have to breathe out while the people around you breathe in”.

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Ashes

By Cygnus Wave September 9, 2009 January 3, 2024 Imaginary Lines Album Tracks

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Written by Ric Albano	Song Length: 1:16
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[audio:Ashes.mp3]
Lyrics Ten, nine, eight – begin the countdown Let’s hope it is not long until we hit the ground The spoon is broken, this goon has spoken Five, four, three – was it ever meant to be? Too late now for reminiscing The bird is chokin’, the family’s croakin’ Ten, nine, eight – no more time for the hate We’ll all soon be ashes Composition © 2008 Ric Albano Publication © 2009, 2011 Cygnus Wave Music	Song Info Composed on October 9, 2008 Recorded starting on October 9, 2008 at Cygnus Wave Studios Produced by Ric Albano Engineered by Ric Albano Mixed and Mastered in 2009 at Cygnus Wave Studios Original Release: September 9, 2009 on Imaginary Lines 33 Performers Ric Albano Piano, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals Janet Rains Backing Vocals, Vocal Chorus Listener Guide Grade Analysis: The only song on Imaginary Lines 33 which is pure filler. Song Trivia The ending of “Ashes” was directly lifted from the very beginning of the original version of “The Phoenix”.

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