Dark Side Suite

Track 9  On  The Evolution of Noise  By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 8:35
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/14-DarkSideSuite.mp3]
1989
Lyrics
OVERTURE

Unfortunately for some, yet profitable for others
There reaps a bitter dark side which roams about and smothers
The souls of our brothers

THE DARK SIDE

Northeast in Penn’s land where mountains touch the sky
It’s shadow glooms this man, it feasts on tears he cries
It moves about and grins
It is the face within the bitter taste of sin
With deception, fear, and lies
While most are unaware and hardly even care
They’re just trying to have some fun
They’re the trigger for it’s gun
I guess I shalln’t complain, but it’s hard to bear this pain
On the eve of going insane do I have something to gain?

Yet through these tragic years
With disappointment, sorrow, and tears
I’ve come a long, long way to reach that special day
And if I do survive, I’ll scream and praise “alive”
Although the battle is lost for sure, we can still win the war

Yet through these tragic years
With disappointment, sorrow, and tears
I’ve come a long, long way to reach that special day
And if I do survive, I’ll scream and praise “alive”
Although the battle is lost for sure, we can still win the war

But for right now the sadness glooms
The happiness is gone
And not a soul around me will listen to my song
I guess I shalln’t complain, but it’s hard to bear this pain
On the edge of going insane do I have something to gain

Loneliness haunts my night, questions haunt my day
No answers ever seem right, so much has been thrown away
Discouragement is all I get, no matter what I try to say
Don’t want to hear my words but yet so much can be gained if they
Listen to what I have to say
Give me just a little time of day
Listen to what I say, give me the time of day
Together we can destroy the dark side now!

TEARS

A stranger a long, long way from home
A life of love replaced by chrome
A finding of your deepest fears
A wasted time in magical years

A massacre of all want, torn up and thrown in a fire
A good intention shot right down to fulfill a cold desire
A loss of love, a loss of hope, a steel cage with iron beams
A storm of such excruciating pain, suffering, and screams
Guess they’re not tears of love

Didn’t want to end up this way
Didn’t want to speak the words I say
Didn’t want to cry alone
Didn’t want to be the dog
That went and bit the poison bone

Didn’t want to be the one left out in the rainy cold
Didn’t want to sit around and pray to God I don’t get old

But this time you’ve gone too far
Need to know just where you are
Know somehow you could hear me
Need to know just what you see
Pray somehow the end is near
End of all these painful tears

But this time you’ve gone too far
Need to know just where you are
Then maybe I’ll have tears of love

Composition © 1989, 2003 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on February 11, 1989
Recorded February-March 1989
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
Electric Guitars, Ricter Synth, Keyboards, Bass, Harmonica, Drums, Vocals
Sinclair Soul
Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: This is the only true multi-song medley in the collection. It consists of the original songs “The Dark Side” and “Tears”, as well as a new intro section which was constructed in 2003. The new minute-plus intro drew samples from several songs which were part of The Dark Side project in Spring 1989 with a doomy, Ricter backing in a loop. This leads to the eerie beginning of “The DarK Side”, which eventually builds to a heavy rock song with frenzied movement and lyrics. After building to a crescendo, this collapses into the mellow and moody “Tears”, with its dreamy guitars and dualing vocals. All told, this is the longest “song” in the collection.

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Springtime

Track 8  On  The Evolution of Noise  By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 4:39
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/12-Springtime.mp3]
1989
Lyrics
I’ll try to make this as clear as I can
You don’t know who I am
Believe me, trust me, I’ll show you the way
I just need you to stay

Look beneath the frozen ice
You’ll see the colors you find nice
It must be close to springtime again
Although it seems the winter was so long
We found the way to carry on
Just two more months of biding time, my friend

I strive just as fast as the deer runs from the hunter
But you don’t know who I am
Believe me, trust me, break through that evil screen
You’ll find that gentle stream

Where we’ll pass by when warm air comes
We’ll lay beneath the frozen sun
It must be close to springtime again
And afterall we survived the fall
When flowers die and trees get small
Just two more months of biding time, my friend

So come, my friend, into my wonderland
And find out who I am
Believe me, trust me, you’ll never be denied
On our forest lakeside ride, our ride

Composition © 1989, 1990 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on January 7, 1989
Recorded January 1989 & Spring 1990
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
Harpsichord, Keyboards, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, All Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: This is a literal song, written about a literal event which happen just days before its composition, during a very warm January day. The vocals were re-recorded in 1990, while the rest of the song is original from 1989.

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Free

Track 6  On  The Evolution of Noise  By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 3:25
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/09-Free.mp3]
1988
Lyrics
Free, free, off to the sea
World’s apart, yet together forever
It’s driving me crazy

I can’t believe such a worldly land has such a simple heart
But judging from here I think its clear that rattlesnakes never fart
I can’t conceive a journey, man, or at least a weekend trip
But far beyond the Silicon we’ll mingle lip-to-lip

Now free, free, off to the sea
World’s apart, yet together forever

A purple tree in daisy land once told me secret horrors
But if I could, I surely would take sides with the flowers
I’d like to ski on blue-green snow and catch an evening rain
But afterall I still won’t fall, ’cause I am now insane

And free, free, off to the sea
World’s apart, yet together forever
It’s driving me crazy

Composition © 1988 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on December 13, 1988
Recorded December 1988
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
Electric Guitars, Harpsichord, Bass, Harmonica, Drums, Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: This is the very first recording I made with drums. I literally took them out of their boxes, set them up, turned on the recorder and played the beats. All other instruments were dubbed in later to make a proper “song” of it, complete with pysechedelic lyrics.

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The Deer With the Golden Eye

Track 5  On  The Evolution of Noise  By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 6:30
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/08-TheDeerWithTheGoldenEye.mp3]
1988
Lyrics
Sundown, only light, no sound
Another long-lost day never found
Shot down, don’t believe no foolish clown
He’ll go away until he hears a special sound

Building and searching for more…

Rotten town, I’ve got to get out tonight
I’ll turn to brown if I don’t shout, alright!
You keep me here and feed me the beer
You say that I like
You go away until you need a special favor
You’re all my life is not about
You give me reasons, more reasons for me to break out

And went I get time away from home
I wander back to the place I used to roam
And there I find the deer with the golden eye
He sees all, but only when he really tries
And there is a fox who stalks the briar patch
But all he found was the egg that wouldn’t hatch
So far from home, an eagle soars alone
Her bird’s eye view can’t find the golden key to the throne

Hideaway, come find me today, some way
You’ll take me in if I have no sins to pay, okay?

Sundown, only light, no sound
Another long-lost day never found
Shot down, don’t believe no foolish clown
He’ll go away until he hears a special sound
Oh no, gotta go
Although I’ve tried so hard to make it right
It just hasn’t worked out so far
For the deer with the golden eye, just now has to say goodbye
“Goodbye”

Composition © 1988, 1990 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on November 20, 1988
Recorded November 1988 & Spring 1990
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
6 and 12 String Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar, Harpsichord, Drums, Lead Vocals
Sinclair Soul
Background Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: A true hybrid of a song, with the electric guitars, vocals, and harpsichord recorded in 1988 and the acoustics, bass, drums, and some vocal overdubs done in 1990. It was all mixed together in 2004, for a unique, journey of a song which comes full circle.

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I Think I’m Losing My Brain

Track 01  On  The Evolution of Noise  By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 3:02
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/01-IThinkI’mLosingMyBrain.mp3]
1987
Lyrics
I think I’m losing my brain, going insane
I think I’m losing my brain

Don’t stop but turn around, look who’s back in town
It’s me again
Scream but don’t make a sound, laugh but don’t play the clown
Or you’ll see your end

Next time we’ll wonder if the world is really round
And how some of its creatures
Claim they can scream but not make a sound, it’s very strange

Live for the right to stop, aim for the very top
But never try to reach it
Act like your life’s the best, ready for the final test
But don’t ever preach it

Some people laugh at me and say I’m kind of strange
That’s ’cause I live my dreams while they let theirs slip away

And when your soul grows tired, flee from the shots they fire
But don’t look away – don’t look away!
‘Cause if you flee the show, all your secrets they will know
And then you well pay, oh yeah, uh huh

Composition © 1987, 1990 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on April 10, 1987
Recorded Spring 1990
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar, Drums, Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: One of the first songs written during the very first, experimental sessions in April 1987. Even in its earliest form, the song was written with a free-style lead guitar above a simple, repetitive bass line, but this 1990 recording really brought out the best of that formula. The lyrics point out the contradictions of life.

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