Fire On the Mountain

Bonus Track By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 4:00
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/43-FireOnTheMountain.mp3]
1991
Lyrics
I walked along the mountain side
And noticed thick, black smoke that filled the air, but noone cared
I raced towards the valley with my arms up screaming loudly
But it appeared noone could hear

I looked upon the bridge and saw the children
Standing lonely and lost and crying, their fear of dying
Their stranded in this old ghost town
Their parents are all underground and save from this fate

The problem with most people is
They think that if don’t know it’s alright to lose the fight
They strive to get security
But safety doesn’t matter in place of green, know what I mean?

Fire on the mountain spreading quickly towards the valley
It is a shame, it can’t be tamed
The rain can’t stop its rapid growth
The wind provides no antidote
It came, but who’s to blame

I fell into a fitful sleep and had a dream
That all had turned out right, at least for tonight
If wishful thinking is all I’ve got
I’ll cherish it right down to the last drop, until it stops

Fire on the mountain spreading quickly towards the valley
It is a shame, it can’t be tamed
The rain provides no antidote
The wind can’t stop its rapid growth
It came, but who’s to blame

Composition © 1991, 1993 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on March 3, 1991
Recorded March 1991 & November 1993
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Harmonica, Drums, Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: A song built from a sales pitch, this was originally written as part of a trilogy. The Lyric is poetic and sound is adequate, but the melody never quite matured.

Please offer your own analysis of Fire On the Mountain by leaving a comment in the box below.

Pressure

Track 24  On  The Evolution of Noise  By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 2:13
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/37-Pressure.mp3]
1990
Lyrics
Pressure building high today
You’ve got to shape up if you want to stay
And one more thing, by the way
You’ve got to be perfect if you want to stay

We’ve seen alot of your kind
We may be old but we’re sure not blind
We reallt don’t care if you are in a bind
We just don’t want you wasting our time

And when you find that one big break
After taking all that you can take
We’ll burn you down at the stake
We’ll count our profits while we watch you bake

And when we see you’re not yet dead
We’ll plant more junk in your head
We’ll beat you until we see blood red
We’ll make sure that you’re dead

Pressure building high today
I’ve got to shape up if I want to stay
And one more thing, by the way
Fuck you asshole, I’m leaving today

Composition © 1990 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on December 5, 1990
Recorded December 1990
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Harmonica, Drums, Vocals

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: This is a nice little revenge song, written shortly after leaving a bad job. The song contains vulgarities (even after some were edited out of the final mix) and, perhaps, the best harmonica playing I’ve ever done.

Please offer your own analysis of Pressure by leaving a comment in the box below.

It’s Hip To Live In Disgrace

Track 22  On  The Evolution of Noise  By  Wahray and Soul

Written by Ric Albano Song Length: 4:15
Listen to the Song:
[audio:WAS/33-It’sHipToLiveInDisgrace.mp3]
1990
Lyrics
Why cannot I tell you what I need to tell you?
Why cannot I sell you what I need to sell you?
I’ve been loving you for so long
But now it may be time that I’m gone
Should I stay? Should I go?

The welcoming committee came late, what a pity it’s over
Time to grab your bags, catch the train for the next small town
Just another minor setback on the way, don’t let it get you down

Why cannot I show you what I need for you to see?
Why cannot I go yet to the dawn of my destiny?
I know this feeling is not wrong
Another verse in a very long song
Of painful days, painful growth

The last of all the rebels layed down his arms in pebbles, a surrender
So I set my walking shoes on a search to find someone to replace
It’s hard to believe that it’s hip to live in disgrace

One fine day, four cold winter nights
One good pay, four black widow bites
One less setback on my way
On my way to fame and hope and love

But now I must let you the way that things must be
There is a kingdom trapped inside, we must release it with our golden key
And then our minds will be clear again
The mass-murdering fear cannot stay, it must go

The last of all the rebels layed down his arms in pebbles, a surrender
So I set my walking shoes on a search to find someone to replace
It’s hard to believe that it’s hip to live in disgrace

Composition © 1990 Ric Albano
Publication © 2011 Cygnus Wave Music

Song Info
Produced & Engineered by Ric Albano
Composed on August 6, 1990
Recorded August-September 1990
at Rathole Studios, Hazleton, PA
Mixed in 2003 & Mastered in 2011
at Cygnus Wave Studios

Performers
Ric Albano
Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar, Ricter Synths, Harmonica, Drums, Vocals, Vocal Effects

Listener Guide
Grade

Analysis: One of the best songs written in 1990, this took a very simple riff from an earlier song and expanded around it for the main verses. It also contains a very cool “Ricter” beginning, as well as a harmonica lead which leads to an interesting bridge section.

Please offer your own analysis of It’s Hip To Live In Disgrace by leaving a comment in the box below.

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.

Please offer your own analysis of Dark Side Suite by leaving a comment in the box below.

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.

Please offer your own analysis of Free by leaving a comment in the box below.